As the temporary office manager/chief call taker, this week I have been asked to write a guest blog for Access. As a 19 year old who spends too much time on my iPhone, I thought the best thing I could talk about is my most used and abused apps.
A picture is worth…
Instagram is by far my most used app, taking over from Twitter. At school I was classed as a ‘visual learner’. Being a person who isn’t overly artistic this seemed like an odd classification. It’s easier and faster to see something rather than read it, which is obvious, especially for someone, like me, who can’t sit still for longer than a few minutes.
It’s not just me though; Instagram has grown phenomenally since its launch and can now be accessed in 25 languages. It may originally be perceived as a networking site, a kind of picture-twitter but it shouldn’t be underestimated as a marketing tool.
An aesthetically pleasing post of a product or service can generate hundreds of likes. Just as points mean prizes if you get 400 or more likes on one picture it can be shown on the app’s popular page, so even more people will see it. The app has more than a 100 million monthly active users, meaning one snap shot can be seen by thousands of people every day.
For me, I love it because ‘the pictures look pretty’. I get envious of other people’s photography skills and it makes me want to compete. Not only do I want my photos to look better and get more likes but I’m jealous of other people’s meals, holidays, clothing, shoes and everything really!
Snap it up!
Just as Instagram has replaced my desire to check twitter every minute of the day, the amount of text messages I send has dropped significantly recently because I’m snapping. Snapchat, allows users to send each other pictures for an allotted time limit. When time is up the picture is erased from the device and can’t be viewed again. It makes conversation faster, as replies generally come quickly and more fun, as you pull faces to show your emotions and thoughts. With over 50 million snaps being sent every day its popularity is unquestionable.
Both apps show how as a generation we are more visual than ever. Instead of reading about how great something is we want to be shown. Just as we get bored of one app, another pops up to replace it. Knowing this won’t stop me downloading them though, I need something to fill my time with..
