Integrate the 'Selfie' into your Marketing Campaign...

The selfie divides opinions: although it is regarded by some as a 'fad' which will pass, it has very real long term value for marketers who are increasingly integrating the selfie into their marketing campaigns - in some cases the main part of the pitch being the taking of a selfie. The pastime’s emergence as a mobile-marketing tool highlights the importance of user-generated content in maximizing the impact and involvement in marketing campaigns.

With people as famous as David Beckham and even the Queen getting involved in the selfie trend, it is the perfect opportunity for companies to use product placement in these well known faces' pictures. For marketers, the selfie is seen as one of the best tools for showcasing a product, especially when combined with the participation of a famous personality. The majority of celebrities have thousands of followers, meaning that if a product or service is seemed to be loved by this personality, it's likely their followers will be tempted to try it. Instagram has been a great platform for doing this, it is a focused form of marketing which can go viral very easily.

According to research, selfies are the most interacted with type of post on social media, so why not take advantage of their popularity and get your customers involved? A great way to do this is to simply ask your customers to take a photo of themselves with your product or service, and offer a prize to be given to the best selfie. This is a fun way of getting your customers involved in your marketing campaign, and creating a fun feel around your product/service. It also means that your product/service will be being advertised to all of your customers followers, potentially gaining you some new prospects.

The selfie culture doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon, with smartphone makers increasingly launching selfie-friendly mobile phones. For instance, Samsung on Wednesday announced its soon-to-be-released big-screen flagship smartphone, the Note 4, which has front and back cameras, for the selfie-taking world.

What have you got to lose? Get involved and have fun with it, your business will thank you!