Here at XOMAD, we dabble in social media from time to time. Ok, well, we actually make a living by utilizing social media in one way or another! As an influencer marketing agency, #teamXomad experiences first-hand the effect social media has on our individual and global communication.
In honor of Social Media Day, we’ve put together a Q&A with our Los Angeles team about our different relationships with social media!
What’s your favorite social media app and why?
Francis Kenneth: Instagram. What started as another “for fun” creative outlet is now a living dream job. From content creation and curation all the way down to follower engagement, there’s nothing about the app that I don’t like. I guess you can say IG is my bread and butter, my cash-cow, my money tree, my real life (so to speak).
Rob Perry: Without question, Instagram. Born in the same year as XOMAD, it’s evolution has been fun to watch. I’m continually wondering, “What’s next?” Even more intriguing, is there an app anywhere on the horizon that can at least partially eclipse Instagram’s sun?
Darby Barton: I use Facebook the most. My friends are all over the world, and FB makes it much easier to keep in touch, though I don’t use it for maintaining meaningful connections as much as I could.
Giselle Perry: I go between Instagram and Pinterest. The thing I like about both is the ability to share pictures – but I use them in a different way. I use Instagram to share private pictures with friends, and Pinterest to create albums in which I store pictures that other people have posted, and which I have liked.
What do you most frequently post about on your favorite social media feed?
Nichole Lambert: I pretty much exclusively posts photos from my adventures, whether they are adventures to the beach, camping or travelling to New York. The only exception is on Twitter. On Twitter I like to post industry news and different article links.
Hayley Hulin: Anything and everything, from birthdays to vacation photos and blog posts. Recently I’ve gotten onto a blue, green and golden color-scheme kick; so basically I post a lot about the beach.
DB: I don’t post too often, but when I do it’s either a photo of a meaningful experience, or a news article or video about sustainability and social impact. Most recently, urban farms!
Describe Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and Pinterest using 3 words.
I am old. I am cool. I am drunk. I am annoyed. I am bored. -FK
Who is one influencer you love seeing content from? Why?
GP: I like @alexachung. Her Instagram feed, in my opinion, is a perfect mixture of style, travel and art.
HH: I really love @jedidiahjenkins! His photos are always of nature, or of him in nature, or of his friends in nature, and his captions are well written and thoughtful. Jedidiah explores topics from sexuality to purpose, faith to passion projects. It’s truly like reading a blog, without having to click the #linkinbio.
FK: @melaniedylankim AKA @dokkaebi_queen – She’s a Sydney-based graphic designer and illustrator who graces the digital world with posts that combine fashion, food, travel, and erotica (NSFW) into her artwork. She’s also my girlfriend, so I might be a little biased, but I can’t say for sure.
What brands do you think are killing the social media game?
FK: @pocketsquareclothing – PSC is changing the landscape of downtown Los Angeles through menswear and lifestyle.
@gucci – A classic brand that pushes the envelope with modern strategies (Google their meme campaign on IG).
@TSA – That’s right, the Transportation Security Administration. Screen it for yourself!
NL: I loved the campaign @BritaUSA is doing with Steph Curry about filtering out the negativity. But I do always love campaigns with positive messages and that donate to charity. Plus who wouldn’t love this puppy in the ad as well!
HH: I love Letterfolk, which is a small business run by a husband + wife team. They make letter boards that feature whimsical, relatable quotes. It’s funny, consistent and just plain nice to look at.
How do you feel about social media’s impact on global communication? How has it affected you on a personal level?
DB: Sometimes I am really thankful for social media and the way it facilitates connection, and other times I am overwhelmed by the amount of information and have had to take occasional “breaks” to detox the content overload.
NL: Facebook is responsible for bringing me together with my husband. We knew each other before and worked on a non-profit project together in Africa. We connected as friends on Facebook back then. Five years later, when I saw his newest bunch of photos from Africa on Facebook, I reached out to see how the non-profit was going. That day we met back up and started our amazing relationship. So thank you Facebook!
RP: It’s impact is unparalleled — bigger than the invention of the telephone. We’re still in the embryonic stages of how it connects the entire world through densely interconnected social and economic ecosystems, allowing mass communication and sharing of thoughts, ideas and influence that will impact our future more than any other singular technology or development.
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Stay Current. Makes Waves.
by #teamXOMAD member Hayley Hulin