We all know the old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” and, although cliche, the principle behind it could explain the latest changes in user behavior on social media.
Research by the L2 and Olapic showed us that while brands post an average of 9.3 times on Instagram, an up from the 7.5 weekly average last year, Facebook posts decreased from 11.1 to 8.8 per week in the same timeframe. Many Facebook users are experiencing signs of social media abandonment, with an estimated three million US teens leaving Facebook between 2011 and 2014. Although they may not be deleting their accounts, there are many clear social media ‘ghosts’ who are simply not engaging.
Brands know that everything they post on Instagram will appear in their fans’ feeds, while Facebook may or may not feature your post depending on the type of content they find appropriate for each user. And although users may “like” your page, if they are not willingly and often engaging with your content it could be months before you appear on their feed, if at all.

Facebook’s April 2012 billion dollar acquisition of Instagram is now valued at $100 billion. The company is offering ad packages across both platforms, with Instagram focusing on aspirational branding.
Brands find that product images in the context of lifestyle deliver much higher engagement than other posts, and they are taking over these image-based platforms with alternative forms of advertising. In addition to cultivating brand-specific accounts, many companies will also cultivate relationships with power-users. These are users with frequent presence and a huge following who can work with your brand to feature products that will reach a large audience more organically than with traditional advertising.
Snapchat is also taking over the image-based social media marketing trend, parting from the same principle that images could be the answer to engage more consumers. Snapchat wasn’t built for brands, yet with the introduction of new features, such as discover, brands can now make the most out of their audience engagement.
As users, we tend to post things we love, things we are excited about and we would like to share. The more authenticity you put on social media, the more you can get out of it and by pairing their efforts with the right brand advocate, companies can get the most out of users who will likely share and engage with their content, as it is associated with their likes and personality. As a brand, being relatable can be one of your most powerful tools.
Feeling apart from the crowd? Why don’t you drop us a line? Let us work together and introduce your brand to the latest social media marketing trends.