Why Not Add a Picture to that Status?

What is it about pictures that everybody loves? Do they tell a story? Do they give you a feel for actually being there? Do they capture the special moments in life, creating a memory forever? Perhaps give you a more visual, clear picture of what is going on? I believe pictures do all of these and more, and that's why companies and so forth using social media sites should consider using pictures to really draw consumers in.

As a twitter follower, I follow many companies and restaurants who do a great job of updating their sites daily. I noticed one restaurant in particular giving consumers a chance for free food if they simply tweeted in a picture! Which restaurant you may ask? Firehouse Subs! At every Firehouse location, you can donate $1 or 5$ to help a firefighter. With your donation, you get to sign your name on a paper medallion which they hang all across their store. All you have to do is buy a medallion, tweet a picture of it, and you get free food! Free food?? I'm there! Although I did not participate in this giveaway, I thought it was a great idea. Here is their clever tweet.

FirehouseSubs Firehouse Subs

Score #free food if u a tweet a pic of yourself buying 1 of these in store: http://twitpic.com/2zsfky & use hashtag #FireSafetyMonth

2 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply

What's a great way for companies such as Firehouse to specify their target audience? Forrester groundswell tools are an excellent way to narrow it down.