We’re pretty attached to our mobile devices around here–as a NH Web design agency, staying connected and social on the go is a must. We especially love sharing photos from tweetups and events we attend, and the Android users in the office were psyched this week to finally get their hands on Instagram.
You know that Instagram is fun for making your regular pictures look artsy, but did you know that you can tap in to the app’s network for major social reach? (Justin Beiber knows—he just became the first Instagram user to hit 1 million followers). Social media has been integrating photos and graphics since the dawn of MySpace, but it’s only recently that photos themselves have become the top story: new apps like Instagram, Pinweel and Flixel are a never-ending font of content that’s almost exclusively visual, and inherently shareable. (Another important thing to note is that they’re all mobile first–the browser interface plays second fiddle to the mobile app. The third screen is starting to look more like the first screen.) Here are three photo sharing apps that are shaking up the way we take and share pictures.
With Instagram, your mobile photos can mimic professional filters, the homemade feel of a Holga camera, or a weathered Polaroid snap. That’s fun, but Instagram’s social function is where it shines. A clean, elegant feed of images from people you follow is updated straight to your phone. Some users go the artistic route, while others use Instagram to document little moments from daily life and happenings around town. Instead of just live-tweeting an event, Instagram allows you to add a visual element, too. Brands are embracing Instagram, as well. It gives them an easy and social way to post and share photos of products, events and other updates that build the brand as a social presence. You’ve heard a picture’s worth a thousand words, right? Well, adding a visual element to your social media strategy can build your brand’s image and personality better than text alone. To see some brands using Instagram in cool ways, login or create an Instagram account and check out Red Bull, Starbucks, Sharpie and Chobani Yogurt.
