Sorting Social Fact From Social Fiction For 2016

Social photography and influencers have held a unique spot in the public's heart for quite some time now. In 2015, brands also jumped aboard both these mediums as a way of garnering more followers and securing their place within the digital realm.

London production company Social Pictures represents social media infleuncers and helps them to engage with brands. The company's head Donna Amey talks to shots about how artists can manipulate social platforms for their own benefit, yet should remain as authentic as possible if they wish to mantain followers. She predicts that 2016 may see a surge in motion projects, commercial street photography and unusual collaborations between brands and influencers.

There’s no doubt that social photography and the – seemingly unstoppable – rise of influencers have been an interesting development for marketing over the past few years. What was once a ‘nice to have’ for forward-thinking fashion retailers, today accounts for a sizeable chunk of marketing budgets from any smart brand manager.

While there has been some speculation that the social bubble may burst in 2016, in fact the opposite is true. Recent studies show that young people spend more time consuming social content than they do watching TV, and that over half of US marketers plan to increase their social budgets in the next 12 months.

Here at Social Pictures, we believe that the tide swell towards influencer marketing hasn’t even really begun. Selfies, #NoFilter and Snapchat are words that will remain in your lexicon for a long time to come. Far from it, this sphere is still in its infancy with plenty of potential for savvy marketers.

World in Motion

One area that I can guarantee will supersede all others in the coming year is video and motion.

In 2015, brands called for collaborations with motion artists, but realised that there are not that many suitable candidates out there yet. We are already seeing stills artists experiment with motion to meet these demands - which are only growing thanks to the ongoing improvements in video functionality, across social channels, and the automatic (re)play feature.

On top of this, social media users are predominantly using these networks on mobile devices, which usually means that a blaring soundtrack isn’t always appropriate, therefore prioritising images. Artists like Meagan Cignoli (below) have led the way with fantastic animations which are focussed on aesthetics and don’t rely on an auditory experience.

Everyday experts

Advertising on Instagram has effectively altered the platform's content. Traditionally, working with social photography was a creative way of building relationships with audiences that were hard to reach. Brands now need to work with those who genuinely know how to get the most out of a platform.

Designers and community managers have long been resizing above-the-line assets for social content, when there are plenty of experts already achieving levels of engagement, every day, that most brands can only dream of.

Of course, reach is still an important part of being a social photographer and the introduction of advertising on Instagram is definitely allowing more freedom to work with creative talent because of the strength of their work, rather than the location of their followers.

We’re definitely noticing an excitement towards working with social artists, rather than the dread of head-scratching over demographics.

#AuthenticContent

Instagram content has taken quite a bashing this year, with accounts like Socality Barbie (below) mimicking - often with uncomfortable accuracy - how impractical some influencers’ aspirational lives are. When Essena O’Neill left Instagram earlier this year, she revealed that, in her life as a social star, it wasn’t abnormal to get dressed up, just to sit in and take hundreds of staged-not-staged selfies.

With this in mind, we’re seeing artists seeking out exceptional situations to photograph, rather than setting these up. You’d be hard pushed to imitate Allan Hinton’s feed (below) - he’s been traveling the world for almost two years now, having given up all his possessions and London-based office job in search of true experience, racking up 160,000 followers in the meantime.

We’re expecting to see many more examples of candid street photography being used for commercial projects after the huge success of stunts like Daniel Arnold at The Met Gala, and Charlie Kwai (below) leading the way in London. For another great example, see Olly Lang’s Instagram feed and tell me that it’s staged.

Keeping it real

We’ve all watched enough episodes of Black Mirror to be truly freaked out by the extent of our online obsession. But, whether we like it or not, Facebook is great for keeping in touch, Twitter is amazing for news, we get inspired thanks to Instagram, and where else would we send our selfies if we didn’t have Snapchat?

But you can’t do everything online, which is why there’s a wave of brilliant artists making things in the real world, to share in the virtual one. Romo Jack (below), and Sandro Giordano are both artists who use their feeds as an exhibition space for their offline work.

The future’s bright

So 2016 is set to be a brilliant year for artists who are using the way that we consume social to their advantage, and brands that are smart enough to get behind them and help them uncover their talents. If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that next year will be even bigger. Prepare for a renaissance of authenticity, a boom in video content - think Hollywood’s golden years - and a surge in the dissemination of ‘offline’ artists work onto your social feeds.

With the constant question on many marketer’s lips being “How do we reach those pesky Millennials or – even – Centennials?’, entertainment and content should be increasingly viewed through a social lens.