Well, now we are getting into “Do as I say, not as I do,” territory.  I am talking about Flickr. I use Flickr and I add a link to my blog in my description, but I know I could do much more. Like every element of marketing your blog, you have to decide if you want to do it and if it’s worth the time for you. I occasionally start to use some of the marketing techniques I will discuss in this post, but I tend to get distracted by other people’s pictures and wander astray.

Your Profile

Your first step should be to edit your profile to provide a link to your blog and say a little something about you and your blog.  You have a lot of space, so don’t be shy.

Your Photos

With each blog photo you upload, you should provide a URL to your blog in the description.  Of course, it would even better would be to provide a URL to the blog post using that photo. I always provide a link to my blog and I have my blog listed in my Flickr profile. If I made the effort to go back and update the description with the specific post link, it would enhance my results from Flickr.

When adding photos you should also add keywords such as Second Life, your name and the brand names you are wearing. This is definitely one of those “do as I say” pieces of advice. If you did this, people searching for items from a store would have your pictures come up in search with the link to your blog. I don’t do this because I am lazier than you think. I do, however, list all the clothing in the description.

Your Comments

Flickr is very much a tit-for-tat economy where people who comment a lot get lots of comments. Liking and commenting other people’s photos will make them curious to see your work and make them more likely to comment in return. When they come to see your work, they will also see the link to your blog. It’s not so explicit as “I owe Jane Blogger a comment” but it generally works out as though it were. I myself am a terrible commenter. As I said before, I get distracted looking at the work and forget to say anything.

When commenting, try to say something specific about the photo – and not just some huge award gif from a posting group. If you are posting from an award group that requires you to post their gif, try to limit it to just one.

Groups

There are hundreds of Second Life groups in Flickr. You should join a few. This is another place where I do not do the effective blog marketing that I could be doing. I get very bored submitting my photos to groups, so I generally just add my photos when invited. If I were more proactive, I would add my pictures to the groups created by designers to highlight their work. People looking at their designs might click on the photo and follow the link to my blog.

If you have the time and don’t find it terribly tedious, you really should post to groups. However, follow the rules. Posting pictures that do not meet the guidelines of the group makes you look like you think rules are for other people and no one likes folks who think they are entitled and exempt from the rules.

Join Second Life Bloggers of Fashion and post your pictures. They require a URL to your blog, so be sure to include that. Lots of people skim that rather than feeds just because it’s fast and includes people who have not been blogging long enough to be on feeds. There are other groups as well, but this is the largest, most well-known group. Some others include:

• SL Fashion Bloggers and Photographers
• Second Life Glamour, Fashion is Art
• SL Fashionista – actually larger, but is not limited to bloggers.
• Fashion in Pixels

And doubtless there are dozens more. If you have recommendations, please add them in comments.

• IOF PSA: Marketing 101 for Bloggers – Social Networks
• Marketing 201 for Bloggers  –  Feeds, Fairs and Comments
• Marketing 301 for Bloggers – Designer Relationships and Review copies
• Marketing 401 for Bloggers – Using Flickr to increase traffic