If, as my grandma would say, a picture is worth a thousand words, then it's no wonder social photo catalogs like Flickr and Pinterest are so popular amongst 'influencers' of online media like us bloggers. And boy, do we love them! As creative types, we are very visual. And although we're expected to be worsmiths, sometimes it's nice to share something beautiful without writing a word at all. Your personality and style, aspirations and hobbies, even your favourite breakfast cereal - everything you want to share with your audience - you can do it with a virtual pinboard! Besides being a fun and creative activity, pinning and posting your favourite photos is also a powerful marketing tool. After the jump, find out my top five 'tricks' for each...
I like to think of Pinterest as my own virtual pinboard — a place where I collect pictures that inspire me and see pinboards created by other 'pinners' whose style I love. You can pin photos from any website via a nifty little bookmarklet, or upload them directly.
1. Be kind, repin! Each time you "repin" or "like" a photo, the original pinner receives a mention and an email notification that you like their style. As well as being a rather nice thing to do, this might entice them to follow you back, check out your blog and return the favor.
2. Establish good credit Although Pinterest automatically links back, it's nice to mention your source in the caption too. The beauty of 'social' photo catalogs is in the sharing, so give shout-outs wherever you can.
3. Get connected It's definitely a good idea to connect your account with other social networks like Twitter and Facebook. In this way, you can share your beautiful pinboards with an even bigger audience!
4. Keep it simple Whilst you may have thousands of different interests, it's best to stick to a handful of topics that relate to your particular niche. It's easier to manage and will also encourage click-throughs to your site, looking for similar content.
5. Pin it with style As you collect images for your pinboard, your signature style should naturally begin to show. Similar colors and recurring themes make for lovely pinboards. Your followers will appreciate knowing that when they visit your pinboard, they will be getting more of what they love.
Probably the biggest and most popular social photo catalog, Flickr is all about sharing and organising your photos and videos. It is also a vast library for inspiration.
1. Keep in contact One 'trick' for finding great Flickr content is collecting good 'contacts', this way I can search for a particular image within their albums only, filtering out everything else! You'll also see it on your home page whenever they upload something new. The same applies in reverse.
2. Link love Direct traffic from your photo albums back to your blog by inserting a 'teaser' hyperlink as the description - browsers will visit your site to find out more!
3. Be a groupie Joining and starting groups, like the new Toffee Craft Club, can be a lot of fun. It's another way to network among people with similar interests, generate interest in your brand and drive traffic back to your site.
4. Fancy favorites I love adding images to my favorites (click the little star icon in the top left-hand corner). You can lose yourself for hours looking through your favorites, favorites, favorites... you can also make gorgeous mosaics, which brings me to...
5. Kindly noted Always remember to credit and link back, and if you can, ask permission before blogging an image. Once you have posted it, I always like to send a quick "thank-you" message. Ninety-nine percent of the time, they'll be delighted and you'll have won another lifelong fan.
p.s. this post is part of a Brilliant Marketing Tricks series, organized by the lovely Mayi Carles over at Heartmade. Other great tips have been posted all week by some fantastic bloggers - check here for the full schedule!
