photo credit: Joseph.S

A few months ago I was looking for a source to post pictures online efficiently and cheaply. At the time I did not even think about the ability to store pictures, have a social network, and deliver quality blog traffic to my site. I was just looking for a cheap alternative to storing pictures on my computer hard drive. I was excited to get a new digital SLR camera and take picture of our trip to Disneyland, Yosemite family wedding, and as much of nature as possible. With my new Nikon D60 I was able to capture some great pictures, but soon found out that I needed many more pictures for my blog posts. How would I find them? Well, I found it and so much more. Flickr has transformed the way I upload and search for blog pictures online. Most important, I adhere to the creative commons license agreement and give attribution to the photographer. If you enjoy taking photos and have a blog, why not utilize a service like Flickr?

You might have a website about dogs or maybe you have a personal blog about mustangs. If you own a mustang you could post personal pictures on Flickr, but how will you get your other photos? If you’re writing about the new Shelby Mustang and your local Ford dealer doesn’t have one in stock, what will you do? Find a Shelby photo on Flickr that you can share through the creative commons agreement and you can now add a great picture to your blog article. Share you own mustang photos and people will find out more about you. Another writer may be looking for the photo that you just took and is interested in using it. You also never know when a magazine or print vendor might be looking for a photograph of the exact car you own.

Here’s what it has done for my blog. ( I will add that I’m an amateur and bet anyone with better skills could grab more attention and traffic):

1. Use the advanced search criteria and find creative common licensed pictures.
2. Once you’ve found your picture, leave a comment for the photographer with a link to your post.
3. Curiosity and flattery will bring that photographer to your blog or website. 1 source of traffic.
4. Whenever another visitor comes through Flickr, they can see your comment and might be interested in learning more about your site. The second form of traffic.
5. The photographer or visitor may also be interested in looking at your pictures too. A third source of traffic.
6. I’m not a professional photographer, but if you did have pictures for sale, you can mention that with a link to your site. Many photographers offer a smaller size online and then have a link if you are interesting in purchasing the larger file or a print for media. This could be a tremendous source of alternative income or extra money for your photo business.
7. Join a group. Even if you don’t own a Nikon D60, you can find others that own the same camera and share info.

Lot’s of ways to drive traffic to your site from Flickr. If you are a photographer with a blog, this is one of the easiest and best ways to start with a social network. You already have an eye for quality pictures, so now is your time to show off your talents. If you have a blog, do you utilize pictures in your posts? Do you have an alternative to Flickr that you enjoy better? Are you made any photo sales through Flickr?

More posts from bloggers excited about Flickr:

Wordpress Flickr plugin Photodropper
How to Rock Flickr Like a Champ
A Complete Guide to Finding and Using Incredible Flickr Images
Turbo Charge Your Traffic With Flickr Groups
A Comprehensive Guide to Using Flickr for Traffic Building and Brand Marketing

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First, Yuwie is a free social network similar to Myspace or Facebook and does not charge a membership fee. Second, I have had the chance to view several screen shots of some paychecks valued at $100-200. Now, it would be a scam if you read an article, blog, or advertisement that claimed someone on Yuwie is making thousands of dollars today. Yuwie is only about 8 months old and no one to my knowlege is making thousands of dollars yet. Yet, that means it is possible. For the record I received my first earnings report for the month of December and made 87 cents. This may not seem worth it to some, but I see the potential for many referrals as this is a social networking site that builds upon friendships, blogs, pictures, video, and more. I have already doubled my page views for January and expect to make $1-2 in January. This may seem like peanuts, but the point is to build a downline of active referrals and equip them to do the same. The social networking market is still growing and Yuwie is sharing a portion of their ad revenue with members. Yuwie pays it’s users up to 10 levels and that can add up to a lot of money quickly. I want to be realistic about this and not expect to make thousands as some are claiming. I think a goal of one hundred a month would be a good realistic goal. If I could offset one bill, that would be a huge success. I get excited thinking of my car insurance or water bill being paid by Yuwie each month.

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