photos

Mar 29

Add Impact to Networking with Photos

picture credit to ursispaltenstein

Many of us are using mostly text based social networking methods, but photos can be the perfect addition to your social routine. Pictures literally take seconds to look at and convey a lot more than you can in 140 characters. That old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words” is one hundred percent true.

Unfortunately, many people don’t realize the power of photos in social media, so today we’re going to look at how you can use them to add a whole new dimension to your networking.

Photos are particularly useful when you are trying to explain something. Screenshots go a long ways toward making technical content understandable, but just about anything is better understood with a photo or two.

How to Share

One of the easiest ways to share photos is through Flickr. You can use the site for free, but a premium membership (which allows unlimited photos) is pretty affordable, less than $30 a year. On Flickr, you can upload photos and add tags, descriptions and titles. Within the description, add your website URL (HTML is accepted) so people who are browsing Flickr can jump to your site.

While a fair number of people will find your images through Google and Flickr searches, that’s not where it stops. You can blog your photos (they can easily be embedded in a blog or forum), link to them on Twitter or Squidoo and also on Facebook, as well as other social media sites.

Of course, there are dozens of places to upload your pictures to make sure they get more exposure . . . TwitPics and similar options are good and easily searchable, making it simple for people to find your photos.

What to Share

Depending on your area of expertise, you will want to share pictures of what would interest your audience. If you sell baby clothing, then parenting or baby photos are going to be a hit. Likewise, if you run an auto parts shop online, then shots of the latest car show will go over well. The idea is to generate interest in your business and reach out to new potential clients through social media.

Keep your photos simple, as many people are checking their social media updates on Blackberries and mobile phones. A lot of clutter will make it hard to see anything at that resolution, so try for closeups and clear, crisp lighting for the best results.

Images have long been overlooked in the world of social media, but it’s time to start using them They add so much pizazz to a regular social network and can help attract attention, as well as provide followers with clear information on what you’re trying to teach them.

Do you use images in your social networking?

Mar 10

Why You Should Share Videos, Audio and Photos

Social Media 17 Comments »

picture credit to wareseeker

Social media is often looked at as a text based networking solution. While many social networking sites are indeed text based, most also have the option for sharing photos, audio and videos, something that is sorely underused. Just look at Facebook, for example. While photos are rampant, when was the last time you shared a video on there? Or Twitter, for that matter?

Why should you use multi-media in social marketing? There are a number of good reasons, but the big one is that it makes you real and trustworthy.

The Real You. See, anyone can write anything online. You could be a 16 year old boy writing as a 50 year old woman . . . who would know the difference? Because of this anonymity that is so easy online, people have an automatic distrust of anyone they see just writing information on the web. A photo can drastically up the trust factor, one of the biggest reasons bloggers put a photo of themselves in their profile.

Photos, audio and videos give people a glimpse of who you are and that makes it easier for them to trust you. If you say you’re a 30 year old banker and then appear in a video, people realize that you aren’t faking it, you really are who you say you are. While there are many people who hide their true identity for assorted reasons, if you really want to burst through the barrier of not being trusted, then a quick video uploaded to YouTube can be just the ticket.

You don’t need to share anything terribly produced, even a quick 1 minute video where you explain something about your niche can be a great way to start out.

The Simple You. Another reason that people like to see photos and video of you is that it makes you more approachable. It’s easy to think that a guru is untouchable, someone almost godlike . . . but when you see them chatting away on video, you instantly realize that they are just another person like you. This means people will be more interested in interacting with you, something that is pretty important in social marketing.

Text will always be the base of interaction online, but by adding video, audio and photos, you can really change the way people look at you and react to you. They will be far more likely to trust someone they have “met” than an anonymous persona who tweets at them. Share yourself and the rewards will come.

Tagged with: photos • Social Media • twitter • video

Oct 23

10 Ways to Use Flickr On Your Site

Beginner's Track 2 Comments »

When it comes to social media, there’s far more to it than merely Twitter and Facebook. One of the bigger, non-text sites is Flickr. Here you can share your photos, add tags and even include HTML in the descriptions. But how can you use Flickr on your website? It’s a fun way to add new content and keep things eye-catching for your visitors.

While there are a number of different ways to use Flickr, here are ten to get you started.

1. Travelr. Use this handy tool to display photos on a world map. It’s the perfect way to go if you do a lot of traveling or if your business is global.

2. Flickr Widget. For WordPress, this plugin allows you to show up to 10 photos from your Flickr account on your site.

3. Kubrickr. Another plugin from WordPress. If you are using the basic template that comes with WordPress installations, you can use Kubrickr to replace the plain blue heading with any photo from your favorite photo site.

4. Flickr Anywhere. Add Flickr to any site you own. While it was developed originally for MySpace, you can use it with many other platforms now.

5. Flickr Image Feed Gallery. This creates a photobox that take your visitors to different Flickr galleries. Perfect if you have a variety of different Flickr sets and want to display only certain ones.

6. Picto Browser. Whip up quick and easy Flickr photo albums for your website or blog. This is a good way to show off some of your better pictures or even photos from other people’s photo streams.

7. Big Huge Labs. Turn your photos into products that you can offer on your website, such as calendars or postcards.

8. Flickr Logo Maker. Create your very own logo using Flickr images. For those who are looking for something a little different than the usual logo, this could be a fun way to add interest to a website.

9. MyFlickr. Add a photos search from Flickr to your website. This allows you to set up a specific search to display on your site, such as food photos or pictures of flowers.

10. Flickr4Writer. This tool lets you add Flickr photos to your blog using Windows Live Writer, which many people use to work on their blogs remotely.

Whether you use your own Flickr photos in your own account, or choose photos from other people’s accounts, there are many things you can do with Flickr. These tools are just the beginning since there are many more.

What else have you used? did I forget any tool? Please share

Tagged with: Flickr • photos • Social Media