Pics or it Didn’t Happen

I recently wrote this post for my class PR blog and as an individual hoping to increase my social media presence and connection with the brands I use, I thought it deserved a post on this blog.

Every adventure deserves to be documented.  “Pics or it didn’t happen” has become the mantra for the millennial generation and everyone definitely takes that to heart. Between 85 and 89 percent of millennials are active on Facebook and 59 percent on Instagram. So it isn’t surprising to see more posts popping up about everything from little daily activities to large life events.

In a recent article from Adventure Collective, millennials are posting about their adventures in real time. They want to experience the event, snap a picture, post it and continue on the journey. Documenting the adventure step by step has become a culture. Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram stories makes this process as easy as 1-2-3. When that one picture is just too good to only be up for 24 hours, it gets posted on a timeline rather than just on the story.

With this technology connection, millennials have changed the social aspect of travel. Millennials tend to travel more as groups and when they post about it on social media that group expands to followers and online friends. Every moment of an outdoor adventure is documented and posted online for everyone to enjoy.

So how can an outdoor company take advantage of this connection? Be on social media.

On average, 75 percent of millennials on vacation post every day. How much more reach would a company get if that millennial posting about her trip to Arches National Park used #camelbak in her description? If the hashtag brought a friend to other posts, and eventually to Camelbak’s Instagram, it could create a potential new customer.

Tapping into the already established social media presence of outdoor active millennials could prove very beneficial to brands. If a brand made it easy to be tagged in posts on Instagram alone, it could expand the company’s reach to consumers. Creating a simple hashtag is even easier.

Take Chaco Footwear for example. The popular adventure sandal company created #chaconation for customers to share their journeys. The hashtag is easy, simple and memorable. With more than 50,000 posts on Instagram, it’s easy to see what other’s are doing while wearing their Chacos.

When a millennial backpacks to a small lake in Colorado and posts with #chaconation she connects with the community of Chaco wearers. But she also created a link for her followers to connect with #chaconation, expanding the brand’s reach.

Creating a simple hashtag for consumers to connect online allows a brand to develop its reach without much effort. Since millennials are already active online and documenting their experiences, they are an easy demographic to tap into. All a brand has to do is find that easy hashtag to create a movement.

What other brands have created this easy link for its customers?