Social media sites were created for a simple reason: to help people connect with each other, and it certainly has served that purpose. It’s also why selfies are all the rage today, enabling people to portray a positive and reaffirming version of themselves to the world and to connect with others who share their interests.
As social media sites like Instagram have skyrocketed in popularity, so has the use of selfies showing people alongside their friends, coworkers and family members at social outings, parties, and special events. People love posting photos of themselves having a grand time with the people around them. And for that reason, social media sites have boosted the popularity of photo booths at special events, from weddings to business functions to graduation parties. The digital photos taken at these events have become a fixture on sites like Instagram.
How Have Photo Booths become Selfie Machines?
Photo booths were invented in the early 1900s, with the very first one used in 1889 at the World’s Fair in Paris. Over the decades, they became a magnet for people who are socially active.
In the past decade, though, photo booths have become even more popular in the digital and social media age. As selfies become so commonplace on mainstream social media sites, enter the Millennials who often communicate under the theory that a picture tells a thousand words.
Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat have helped transform the photo booth industry. Now more than ever, photo booths have become a permanent staple at social gatherings. Options like Instagram Stories allow users to share special moments with literally hundreds of millions of registered users, and they’re not alone. Businesses have jumped on the bandwagon and use the perfect Instagram photo to fuel success and expand their audience. Even well-known celebrities want to be able to boast about their rising number of Instagram followers. A like or share on social media is basically an endorsement, which is what users are looking for to begin with.
And of course, hashtagging has transformed this industry, with the use of hashtags allowing photos to be seen by anyone outside of your network of followers, and it’s how brands get discovered on Instagram. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that if you share a photo taken at a photo booth and use the hashtag #photobooth, it gets used literally millions of times each month.
How Have Photo Booths Responded to Instagram?
The popularity of Instagram has coincided with the emergence of the digital and connected Photo Booth, in response to the demand for digital photo content as part of the social media experience. Photo booths have always been fun and engaging activities at public events, allowing guests to capture a unique experience, then delivering a small print photo for them to take home. But now photo booths have been elevated to high-quality digital photography that enhances the internet connectivity and social media experience of the users. Today, these photos can be seen by thousands within minutes of being posted online, rather than just among friends and family attending the special events or glancing through your photo album.
So what does the rise of social photo booths means for your upcoming event? They’ve made photo booths one of the most popular features at social gatherings, as much as food and drinks have always been. Enabling attendees to quickly pose with others and email themselves the photos has made more and more people eager to share their live experiences on social media. We truly do live in a snap-happy world.
That’s why social photo opportunities have changed the event experience, bringing them closer now to “Instagrammable” events, whether it’s a wedding, sports event, outdoor pool party, or office party. It’s also why people have upgraded photo booths for the age of Instagram.
Photo booths have become all the rage at social events because the ability to capture the best moments of a highly memorable event is what everyone wants these days.
Choose Cut Above Photo Booths for Your Next Event
If you’re ready to plan a party or other social gathering that your guests will love, choose a next-generation photo booth from A Cut Above Photo Booth Rentals. We’re proud to provide custom photo booths for weddings, parties, and corporate events in and around Orlando. Choose our Magic Mirror Photo Booth that blends in with its surroundings. Then you can custom-brand it to stand out at your event. It’s the best option for fun with your guests.
To get a head start on planning the most memorable event of the year, give us a call at 800-295-0430 today or visit us online to reserve your date!