#Selfies #Branding

The Oxford Dictionary’s 2013 international word of the year, selfie, is one of the most interesting social movements we have seen in a while. A selfie is a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website. This new form of self-expression is redefining the way people brand themselves.

Take a look at celebrities. Some of the most powerful and famous people in the world utilize selfies. When you look at these photos you can get an understanding of who these people are. For instance there’s Miley Cyrus, the queen of selfies. When you look through her Instagram selfies you understand her brand and what she wants to be seen as. Miley is all about fun, youth, craziness etc., and it is so easy to see this through her “self-portraits”. Another selfie queen is the oh so stunning Kim Kardashian - who can forget that post baby mirror pic?! Kim embodies sex-appeal and beauty through her selfies, which is the brand she has capitalized on throughout her career.

            Not only celebrities are jumping on the selfie train, anyone can do it. Considering there are currently 88 million photos on Instagram using the hashtag #selfie and more than seven billion other images shared on social media sites each month, I think the entire world is interested in participating in this phenomenon.

Selfies represent much more than a narcissistic craze. You are in control of how the public views you. You get to show your intimate and personal brand in a new light-hearted way, and that is something extremely special. There is definitely opportunity within the selfie trend, so utilize it the best you can!

            This is the generation of #selfienation, and it will be exciting to see how far it goes.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Kelly Dougherty.