Author Topic: Social Media (Read 27735 times)

zeamonkey · « **Reply #25 on:** July 23, 2013, 04:02 »

Thats a big question. Jump on Creative Live now and watch the Social Media Bootcamp. Will give you some insight on how to generate traffic and links using the social media platform.

cathyslife · « **Reply #26 on:** July 23, 2013, 05:27 »

Quote from: Kerioak~Christine on July 23, 2013, 03:54

Does it generate customers or is it a link to other stock submitters?

My experiences of FB and Twitter so far is that they are primarily inane and time wasters - am I wrong?

Thats pretty much what i think of it. I am sure it helps in keeping your name in front of people, but i dont think what you get back pays for the time it takes to do it. I hope someone can show me real $ figures of how it actually converted into sales. I guess if you get one good client who keeps coming back to buy, it will have been worth it. Maybe?

zeamonkey · « **Reply #27 on:** July 23, 2013, 06:11 »

Every photo you pin on pintrest from your symbio site, provides a backlink to your stock photo site. Pintrest has lots of designers on there, so if you dont think this has any value, dont do it.

jsfoto · « **Reply #28 on:** July 23, 2013, 06:11 »

I just twittered my first Tweet

I'm happy to tell: My own stock photo agency is online: http://www.flashstockphoto.com flashstockphoto is part of the #symbiostock network. Join us!

Is this the way to do it? Or could it be improved?

plrang · « **Reply #29 on:** July 23, 2013, 06:53 »

As @alberto just said

@Imagenomad you're on the list now

I added a link to the list in my sig, for fun and @flashstockphoto, you has been introduced to my 538 followers

Until Symbiostock will not gain some critical mass we should use all available tools, with care, no spam etc.

ALL means ALL TOOLS and not ALL THE TIME

cathyslife · « **Reply #30 on:** July 23, 2013, 06:57 »

Quote from: zeamonkey on July 23, 2013, 06:11

Every photo you pin on pintrest from your symbio site, provides a backlink to your stock photo site. Pintrest has lots of designers on there, so if you dont think this has any value, dont do it.

So far, i have only heard speculation. I have not seen anyone that i know provide concrete proof that it all translates into dollars. I think of it as just another way of advertising, a necessary expense and cost of doing business, but not one i am likely to recover.

The jury is still out for me on whether it all has any value. I might try building special watermarked images for pinterest, but i am not interested in seeing hundreds of people using my images for free. This was a big deal at DT...and the reason i left there. Didnt i just see a thread about how sales at DT are way down? I guess letting people use free images on pinterest and all that backlinking did not translate into sales.

But then we could argue this for hours. I have no interest in doing that.

Kerioak~Christine · « **Reply #31 on:** July 23, 2013, 07:02 »

Quote from: zeamonkey on July 23, 2013, 06:11

Every photo you pin on pintrest from your symbio site, provides a backlink to your stock photo site. Pintrest has lots of designers on there, so if you dont think this has any value, dont do it.

I have added a "block pinterest" plugin

I spend time getting my images removed from Pinterest rather than adding them

We use pinterest, twitter facebook for another business I run, I find people copy the pictures but do not purchase the product and let my partner deal with that side of things as I get too irritated by it and she has banned me from the site

I am cynical about these social media - I tried FB some time ago for my photo business, got lots of "friends" but no business.

I am open to being proved wrong and will probably try again but I find them difficult to find a use for. I did start watching that Social Media Bootcamp but found it boring (a bit me me me) and switched to the food photography one. I don't want to argue about it, just be convinced it is worth doing

plrang · « **Reply #32 on:** July 23, 2013, 07:09 »

What's the problem with the watermarked image on Pinterest, except it generates traffic? I really would like to know

http://pinterest.com/pin/175640454190089187/

zeamonkey · « **Reply #33 on:** July 23, 2013, 07:13 »

Its all comes down to SEO and how Google rank our images in searches, influenced by twitter, pintrest, G+ and other social outlets. If people wanna pin my watermarked photos with the link to my stock site and telling google to rank it higher in the process, they are very welcome. Each to their own.

Kerioak~Christine · « **Reply #34 on:** July 23, 2013, 07:25 »

Most of my images on pinterest are not watermarked but lifted from elsewhere.

IF I was putting images on pinterest I would create a special watermark I think to say it could be used there. If we put normally watermarked images up I feel we are saying, yes you can use if it has a watermark on it. Do people go back to the source (and see they have to pay) or just say, I like that I will copy it without licencing which in every other instance we are saying is not permissible

cathyslife · « **Reply #35 on:** July 23, 2013, 07:29 »

I have had the same experience as you, christine. I also have a no pin plugin on my site.

Redneck · « **Reply #36 on:** July 23, 2013, 08:30 »

Quote from: zeamonkey on July 23, 2013, 07:13

Its all comes down to SEO and how Google rank our images in searches, influenced by twitter, pintrest, G+ and other social outlets. If people wanna pin my watermarked photos with the link to my stock site and telling google to rank it higher in the process, they are very welcome. Each to their own.

Do you see real traffic back to your site coming from Pinterest?

I think the problem with Pinterest is that your image will be copied and uploaded to a Pinterest server. Which means you're completely losing control of your image. And it's actually a copyright violation if you didn't agree to have your image "pinned".

zeamonkey · « **Reply #37 on:** July 23, 2013, 10:01 »

I have just launched my stock site so impossible to tell at this point. However, the people that pin my images wud never ever have paid for them anyway, so I see it as free advertizing. My photos on pintrest are watermarked, description states its a stock photo and the link to my website is right under the image. Everything counts toward my google ranking and better exposure on google image search.
The more people that gets exposed to my photos and my website, the better. Nobody is making money from my photos on pintrest, so i don't see a problem. Ive seen my photos from flickr all over pintrest for a long time already and those photos still sell well on microstock.

Redneck · « **Reply #38 on:** July 23, 2013, 10:10 »

Quote from: zeamonkey on July 23, 2013, 10:01

I have just launched my stock site so impossible to tell at this point. However, the people that pin my images wud never ever have paid for them anyway, so I see it as free advertizing. My photos on pintrest are watermarked, description states its a stock photo and the link to my website is right under the image. Everything counts toward my google ranking and better exposure on google image search.
The more people that gets exposed to my photos and my website, the better. Nobody is making money from my photos on pintrest, so i don't see a problem. Ive seen my photos from flickr all over pintrest for a long time already and those photos still sell well on microstock.

I just started too, about two weeks ago but I can see people coming from Facebook and Twitter (referrer at site stats). That's why I'm asking if Pinterest is really giving you traffic and exposure.
And like I sad, the problem is that you lose control over your image. On Facebook, Twitter, G+ etc you can anytime delete your image if you change your mind. On Pinterest you can't.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to convince you. Just trying to figure out if benefits weigh out the risks.

zeamonkey · « **Reply #39 on:** July 23, 2013, 10:47 »

Quote from: Redneck on July 23, 2013, 10:10

Quote from: zeamonkey on July 23, 2013, 10:01
I have just launched my stock site so impossible to tell at this point. However, the people that pin my images wud never ever have paid for them anyway, so I see it as free advertizing. My photos on pintrest are watermarked, description states its a stock photo and the link to my website is right under the image. Everything counts toward my google ranking and better exposure on google image search.
The more people that gets exposed to my photos and my website, the better. Nobody is making money from my photos on pintrest, so i don't see a problem. Ive seen my photos from flickr all over pintrest for a long time already and those photos still sell well on microstock.

I just started too, about two weeks ago but I can see people coming from Facebook and Twitter (referrer at site stats). That's why I'm asking if Pinterest is really giving you traffic and exposure.
And like I sad, the problem is that you lose control over your image. On Facebook, Twitter, G+ etc you can anytime delete your image if you change your mind. On Pinterest you can't.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to convince you. Just trying to figure out if benefits weigh out the risks.

I think it doesnt matter where we post our photos, be it pintrest, facebook, flickr or where ever, they will get shared all over the internet. So rather than someone grabs it directly from my website by a screengrab or otherwise, Id rather control things as much as i can from the beginning, so my links and descriptions follow the images when its being shared. The moment someone use a screengrab, the photo is orphan with no way to identify it or its origin and it doesnt have any benefit for my SEO.

In the end it all comes down to one thing, that images has to be seen to get sales. If nobody sees your images because you are scared to let them gain exposure one way or the other, then they will never sell. If this is the way to do it, time will tell. Everyone should do as they see fit.

jsfoto · « **Reply #40 on:** July 23, 2013, 12:51 »

Quote from: plrang on July 23, 2013, 06:53

... @flashstockphoto, you has been introduced to my 538 followers ...

Thanks a lot! My first tweet and you retweeted it ... I start to like twitter

shotupdave · « **Reply #41 on:** July 23, 2013, 13:33 »

Quote from: jsfoto on July 23, 2013, 12:51

Quote from: plrang on July 23, 2013, 06:53

... @flashstockphoto, you has been introduced to my 538 followers ...

Thanks a lot! My first tweet and you retweeted it ... I start to like twitter

whats your twitter name?

jsfoto · « **Reply #42 on:** July 23, 2013, 13:41 »

Quote from: shotupdave on July 23, 2013, 13:33

Quote from: jsfoto on July 23, 2013, 12:51
Quote from: plrang on July 23, 2013, 06:53

... @flashstockphoto, you has been introduced to my 538 followers ...

Thanks a lot! My first tweet and you retweeted it ... I start to like twitter

whats your twitter name?

It's simply: flashstockphoto (or does the trained twitter-user say @flashstockphoto ?)

cascoly · « **Reply #43 on:** July 23, 2013, 13:42 »

views don't matter - views from potential buyers are what we need - and pinterest is just another place where people look for free pix

while I have little interest in playing the twitter game, at least there's a chance there of attracting real people. I've joined the symbio area and am now following all who've signed up

plrang · « **Reply #44 on:** July 23, 2013, 15:35 »

ANYTHING we can do - MATTERS
ALL we won't do MATTERS

If one does not even try ... it's fortunately not my problem;)

jsfoto · « **Reply #45 on:** July 23, 2013, 15:54 »

Quote from: cascoly on July 23, 2013, 13:42

.... while I have little interest in playing the twitter game, at least there's a chance there of attracting real people ....

I totally understand, actually I'm not a big friend of all this social media stuff. But I decided to give twitter a chance for a while and see what the effect will be. Working in the internet, it's probably not wise to refuse the use of these tools.
I just tweeted a 24hour discount of 25% for one of my images and plan to keep doing this for a while (I'm not sure how often I should do it reasonably ... perhaps twice a week?) I'm really curious whether there will be a noticeable effect ...

chrisroll · « **Reply #46 on:** July 23, 2013, 16:31 »

I've added NextScripts Social Networks Auto-Poster plugin

It automatically publishes posts from symbiostock site to my twitter account every time I publish an image

Name account : lifeispix

Ron · « **Reply #47 on:** July 23, 2013, 16:33 »

I always follow everyone back @semmickphoto

I need to start promoting my images more on twitter

chrisroll · « **Reply #48 on:** July 23, 2013, 16:37 »

Hi ron,

I follow you now

cascoly · « **Reply #49 on:** July 23, 2013, 16:38 »

Quote from: chrisroll on July 23, 2013, 16:31

I've added NextScripts Social Networks Auto-Poster plugin

It automatically publishes posts from symbiostock site to my twitter account every time I publish an image

Name account : lifeispix

a note of caution -- shutterstock etc have this service for facebook & twitter & it quickly gets annoying to have a constant stream of minor announcements all the time

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Author Topic: Social Media (Read 27735 times)

zeamonkey

cathyslife

zeamonkey

jsfoto

plrang

cathyslife

Kerioak~Christine

plrang

zeamonkey

Kerioak~Christine

cathyslife

Redneck

zeamonkey

Redneck

zeamonkey

jsfoto

shotupdave

jsfoto

cascoly

plrang

jsfoto

chrisroll

Ron

chrisroll

cascoly

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