Using Flickr to showcase your establishment

Photo sharing sites like Flickr lets your customers see from the eyes of the chef or proprietor rather then just the brand. With Flickr, you can show off you establishment’s participation in events, festivals, behind the scenes, market days, tweet-ups, cooking classes, charity events, etc. Viewers don’t have to have a Flickr account to see your images and can browse your galleries without having to log in or sign up for anything.

A picture says 1,000 words

Turn quality image uploads into tweets, blog posts, e-newsletter topics and links for your website. Linking to your Flickr galleries further improve your ‘crawlability’ online. Quality images are those that are clear and crisp, depict action, good food and product shots, and might show an engaged crowd. Images of customers having a great time are ideal. Dark, fuzzy images, or photos with no real composition should be avoided. The photos you post should be discernible without having to read the description.

Here’s some great information from Skelliwag.org on finding and using interesting images on Flickr >>

Let the photos speak for themselves

Be descriptive about what’s going on in the photos, but don’t turn the pics into ‘pitches’. Flickr is not an advertising platform, but rather a sharing forum. Keeping the sales pitch to a minimum ensures trust with your viewers that you are here to just share your good content and entice others to join in the fun. Flickr, which is owned by Yahoo!, does have Terms of Service requirements that forbid using Flickr for commercial purposes.

How to best use Flickr for sharing your business in photos

Upload quality photos on a regular basis to keep a current profile and activity level. You can even upload photos on the go from your mobile device
Organize your photos into categories, like menu items, special events, classes and tastings, chef or staff, interior/exterior and private dining room shots, holidays or weddings, etc
Add a brief description to every image, but avoid the hard-sell. Go ahead and describe that great glass of wine, but steer away from the price or any special attached to it. Its just a great glass of wine and you’d like to share it with your viewers.
Add tags to your photos (like cheese, wine, recipes, happy hour, etc) and add your website URL to those tags
Search for and join appropriate Flickr groups and share your photos with them. Your might want to share your photos (and enjoy others’ images) with groups associated with your geographic location and industry niche – like wineries, bakeries, farmers markets, independent restaurants, or specialty food purveyors
Participate in your Flickr community by commenting on photos you like, particularly those within your location or niche, industry-related or not. Whenever you leave a comment or engage in a community discussion, you automatically leave behind your Flickr name and website URL…that’s FREE advertising.

Check out Flickr’s FAQ for more info >>

CASE STUDY

August First is one such establishment that began documenting their presence months before they ever opened. They set up their Flickr account and began uploading shots marking the progress of the remodel, building, staff and finally after opening, tweet-ups (they’re good with tweet-ups, too!), baking classes and of course stunning impromptu pics of their baked goods – hot out of the oven. They organized the images into galleries, and as a viewer I feel like I am walking through time as they built the business and their customer community.

See August First on Flickr >>

Setting up a Flickr account

Below is a nice short video by Howcast describing how to set up your Flickr account. Ideally you’ll want to make your Flickr Icon your logo. You can add your vital information and web site URL, but again, keep the sales pitch minimal.