As a marketing writer, I find myself using social media quite often for work-related tasks. Sometimes this is where I turn for research—to find contact information for a company.
Other times I use social media as a way to share blog posts and information with potential customers. I’ve also purchased advertising space on Facebook as a way to drive traffic to a business page on that network. Sometimes it seems like there are too many social networks and not enough time in the day.
However, just because my social media plate is a bit full doesn’t mean that there won’t be new players in the “big game.” One of the smaller (in comparison to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like) networks that is at the edge of becoming huge is We Heart It. It is getting a lot of attention; learn more about what the network offers and my perspective on what it could provide those interested in another social media marketing channel.
What is We Heart It
Along the lines of Instagram or Pinterest, We Heart It is an image-driven social media network. What sets the site apart from these others is that, for now at least, that’s all it is—images. You can “heart” images you find while browsing online or looking through others’ profiles. This creates a collection of images that are meaningful to you. There is not a comment, titling or messaging feature. The images at We Heart It are meant to stand for themselves.
A Brief History of We Heart It
We Heart It may just be entering the public consciousness, but it actually has a longer history than both Instagram and Pinterest. According to a Business Insider article, Fabio Giolito of Brazil developed We Heart It way back in 2007. He originally invented the technology as a type of social bookmarking tool to use with his friends. However, the concept took off and has slowly grown into to being quite popular—especially among the younger crowd who seem to spur success in social media. February 2013 Alexa statistics for the website show a global website rank of #747—and rising.
Marketing with We Heart It
While it may not be as “easy” to use We Heart It for marketing purposes as it is Facebook or Twitter, there is room to get noticed on the platform. Search for Google, Coca-Cola or Starbucks on the platform and you will find hundreds of images that capture the essence of these companies. A company could easily develop an “official” profile and provide the types of images that they want visitors to share. As far as paid advertising—As of early 2014, We Heart It is focusing on growing traffic, not revenue. While it does accept minimal advertising for the website, there is no advertising on the mobile platform.
Only time will tell how We Heart It succeeds as a social media platform. For now, it seems to have much less of a marketing focus than other networks. This could be a good thing for industrious and creative companies—there is plenty of space to get noticed!
Tracy S is a freelance writer and blogger who is writing her first book. When she’s not glued to the keyboard she has her eyes glued to a sci-fi book, her mind glued on her pool game or has glue on her hands while working on a home improvement project.
