“A picture is worth a thousand words” is one of the most commonly used phrases in the world of social media marketing, right up there with everyone’s favorite, “content is king,” but what amazes me is how brands are not expanding on this phrase.

One major hurdle many brands fail to clear is the ability to provide ‘quality’ content on a consistent basis. It’s no secret that images work well in regards to social engagement, but for many, the unforeseen Achilles heel is this: push marketing.

It’s easy to fall into the trap that is “sell, sell, sell,” but in a world where brands are trying to find ways to boost engagement and become social storytellers, I started to realize that brands aren’t harnessing the true power photos encapsulate.

It all started when I stumbled upon a tweet from my Twitter friend, @ChelseaRhane:

Ninety nine percent of the time, Chelsea would have received a text-only response from me, but because I believe photos are the embodiment of storytelling, I included a photo to help add to her ‘short story’:

Chelsea chimes in:

(Note: There was no coffee challenge, and no, I did not win anything…)

It wasn’t until I read Chelsea’s reply above that it hit me – why aren’t we using photos AS REPLIES as often as we should?!

And so the story continues:

And we both agreed, something cool was taking place:

Chelsea’s story became my story… and this is how our story ended:

So what does this all mean?

In social media, we often talk about how responding to user comments and questions is a necessity for brands. Imagine what photosations can do for user sentiment if a brand responds with relevant (and real) photo replies!

Now some of you might be saying, “But wait, Darryl, this isn’t new!” To you it may not be, but for brands, this can be the next wave of “interaction” they can have with their followers. Chelsea and I didn’t invent photo responses; we’re just taking it for a walk through the park of evolutionary stages for it to grow.

2014 can be the year photosations reignites the way we interact with each other, both personally and professionally. Beyond it, as photosations evolve, it wouldn’t surprise me if a new social platform were created to accommodate this sole form of interaction to expand storytelling. Oh, and in case you were wondering: “photos” + “conversations” = “photosations”

So let your photos literally do the talking, because you know what they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Right, Chelsea?