I Am Thinking About Using Google+

G+ wants real names and then you can create an artist page

See You There

interesting. :)
It doesn't look like keywords or hashtags are used on there. how do people find your google+ page?

They are used. I just do not

I have over 20,000 followers there. I used to do all the photo theme days etc. Use hashtags and you will be found

I use #'s on there a lot.... I do little on there but share my artwork and product. Just an FYI, if you want to "tag" a company and person you need to add a + right before their name

the first time it came out i followed a bunch of people like i did on twitter - and then i was banned for a year. no real explanation. they originally let you create groups of people so only some people saw your post. but it was needlessly confusing and complicated.

right now its like a cheap facebook. i get no hits from it. i get the occasional friend.

you should be on it because everyone should be everywhere, even if its in spirit. just like i'm in linked in - even though i haven't really figured out how to use it.

ever since being banned though, i haven't went out of my way to follow anyone since. i seem to have a bunch of followers, but it doesn't give me a count.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

Actually, the real reason for being on it is better exposure on Google. They give preferential treatment to G+ users

that's what i always assumed, but i'm not sure if its true or not. it doesn't hurt anyway.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

It's true

i do know that when your banned from there, you can't comment on youtube or collect money from showing videos. not that i ever made any there.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

Out of my 12 or 13 collections on FAA, I all but one of them on G+. Each day someone new is following one of my G+ collections. Today I had two new followers.

When using the search I believe you are offered options of what you want, collections, communities etc......There are tens of millions of G+ users. There are hundreds of millions of Twitter and FB users in a given month. G+ matters.

Photographers in NYC definitely have a large home town audience. There are cold and hot spots on G+. Most of the communities are somewhat cold. Thing is someone starts a community and it has a lot of polish on the page, that does not mean anyone much is using it.

Also if you are an artist, do you want an art community? Yes and no. Some collectors will rummage though many artists. You will still want other ways to meet people.

Dave

Addition people do not follow me or my account much, they follow my collections.

Following

So i made a google+ account. i clicked on 'create a collection' i named the collection and i made a post to put in the collection. i clicked save...but when i go to my profile and click 'profile' it looks like no collection was created. when i click on 'Home' i see my post...when i click on the collection name..again it takes me to my collections page but it looks like no collection was made...
i'm so confused.

Edit: this is getting so aggravating. i've made 3 posts now and it keeps saying 'create a collection' when i click on profile. i've already made a collection.according to the 'profile' it looks like i've made no posts or created any collections. I've tried twice now to 'create a collection' and i've clicked save. but it's not showing up in my profile.

i'm not sure what a collection is over there. i don't remember doing any of that. be sure your on the home page or your own page before making more of them. that collection thing looks new. as far as i know, you just post to your account from here or from there. it looks like collection is something else. all my stuff is listed under posts.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

Update: so it looks like my 'collections' are now showing up when i click 'profile'
but when i click on a collection i've made it doesn't show the individual posts. it's just a gray screen. on the left hand side it does say '6 posts' but i can't see them.

Alice you have to move the posts into a collection. Click on the the three dots at the top right of an individual post and you will see the option to move to a collection.

Wow, I really like your page, Abbie. I'll have to look into Google+. I have G-mail after all...

I think everything is okay now. i guess there was just a delay. my posts are now showing up in my collections. yea i clicked on the 3 dots on the individual post and it said 'remove from collection' so it must have already been 'in the collection' just delayed. Thank you for your help. Google+ is a tad bit more confusing to me than twitter or instagram. it seems more complex/complicated than it should be.

This is my page Alice, you can see the collections with posts in: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DorothyBerryLound

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DorothyBerryLound

Hi Dorothy,

We need to rebuild a link after some symbols. The plus sign in this case.

Dave

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DavidBridburg

Dorothy you are way ahead of me in getting people to follow. You have kittens.

Dave

Dave thanks for sorting out my link. Re 'You have kittens' - I have a large range of work including blogs that are posted twice a week, a weekly healing art newsletter, varied subject matter for my art all sorted into collections. Yeah, I also have kittens LOL. I post to G+ almost daily too. I have worked it a bit but don't interact there very much. I don't try to get followers (or follow lots of people) but I get followers to one collection or other most days. I used to post to and interact with a range of groups but they seemed to be a bit of a dead end. However, I have my revised my opinion on that in the light of some experiments on Facebook with groups where you are not allowed to post a link (under Dora's mentoring and yes it involved a cat picture LOL). I will be experimenting more with groups on G+ in the future as a result.

Here is mine. I haven't been very active but I will try going forward.

https://plus.google.com/+JessicaJenney

Alice when you get it going share the link so we can follow you. It really isn't too hard. I never bother with hashtags. I use the groups but not as much as I used to. I found a lot of lonely heart men who say they want to get to know me in the larger groups. I don't know what their game is but I don't paly it. Always remember to pin your newest image just as you would in Twitter

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+LeslieMontgomeryl2m

tags or keywords on G+ can be with or without #......Google parses them as keywords either way.

Dave

Dorothy,

Dora and you hooking up to market together is a very good idea. Wish you both plenty of luck.

BTW, I like cat photos a lot. But no I wont be buying any cat prints this week. LOL I am a freeloader. LOL

Dave

Leslie there are a lot of these lonely men (or dodgy men, not all are genuine) out there. Honestly, I get tired of them approaching me and having to block them. My husband says it helps that they don't know me - I am not sure quite what he meant by that LOL!

Well, as you are talking of me, my cats are on G+ too, but I just spread them there, then run away. I almost never check the common feed to see what others do, I just post everything with a description with important words for Google, or to public, or to my Collections (I created some to be organised in the beginning) or to several cat related communities from my so-called blog, which also a "post fast an runaway place" for me. So I just post and thats it.

I dont have there too much followers, who I have they came by themselves, but my Cat Art Collection has three times more follower than myself.
I am there because is Google.. so I guess it is importrant :-)

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DoraHathaziMendes

ps.. I pity we dont have a tagging system here in the forum, so we would know if somebody mentioned us, to join in. I just read by chance "under Dora's mentoring" ... it felt good, even if it was just some ideas to share... lol :D

Dora I should have sent you a message to say I mentioned you. You know how much I appreciated your advice. Wouldn't your watercolour cat portraits (from photos supplied) do well in the Google cat groups?

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+Aliceheart

i think i typed that in right.. i'm not sure... in the URL there's a bunch of numbers next to it. Can someone check out the site and see if i'm tagging photos correctly.. i'm not sure if i'm doing all of this correctly. I joined 2 groups so far.. do i have to ask their permission to post one of my photos in their group.

Dorothy I didnt expect you at all to message me, just remembered it would be really great to have a tagging system here, would be more simple! I liked to come across my name, I just almost missed it thats all, it would have been a pity :) I was happy to help you, you did several times to me also, so I was glad that I could do it back ! ;)

But back to topic, I dont really know what is the standard there, I receive some comments, some + ups, or what, but I think it would be also great if I answered to them at least a thank you, which sometimes I do, sometimes I miss. I just cannot do everywhere everything, so somewhere I put more effort, something just going itself, just to be there.

I went back now, and saw one of my dog portrait got 70 something +ups, and I was now totally surprised, I think I never saw that much on anything I posted there, but also I never check . I dont remember now where did I shared it. But I think I wont find out, if yes I loose myself, and try to create a system too over there. You know how I am, if I put something into my mind, I wouldn't stop until I make it working somehow. :D

I'm following you, Alice

I don't go back on Google+ and check either Dora. I do respond to comments that come through via email. I don't do the follow for follow thing there either. I think you have to decide which SM you want to focus on and give it a lot of attention (for me that is Facebook and Twitter) and the rest is more about keeping up a regular presence I think.

Alice that link doesn't work for me it gives a 404 page error.

how do i find out what my link is?

I agree Dorothy, otherwise is not possible. For me is also Facebook and Instagram. After come Twitter, and Google+, Pinterest in the end, just to have a presence.

Alice go to your profile and copy the URL (all of it) and then paste it here

Alice I found you this goes to your profile:

https://plus.google.com/118426421205029948014

OH that.. i saw some people use a plus sign then their name at the end.
Thank you for following me Jessica!
Dorothy can you see if i'm posting correctly? if i'm doing the tags correctly? not like..the choice of words but the format. if i'm typing it out right. And do you know if people can post their photos in other groups. do you need to ask permission first?

Alice

It is a long time since I opened my account so I can't remember how to change the username. I did have a look and here is something on changing your username so your name appears. https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/gmail/46JaCuSCCao You just need to search on google with your questions to find answers.

I can see your tags but like anywhere else you use what you hope will attract people to your work and that is down to you to decide.

Re groups, you join the group and make sure you have read the 'about' section and are clear on any rules and then make sure you follow them in terms of posting.

Hope that helps. Really it comes down to taking the time to read, learn and try things and see what works.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+Aliceheart


Alice,

See the +Aliceheart? I took off the two brackets at the start and just before the +. The plus sign messes up how the link is posted.

a href='https://plus.google.com/u/0/' target='_blank' rel='nofollow' style='font: 10pt arial; text-decoration: underline; 'https://plus.google.com/u/0/ /a +Aliceheart

_
_
Taking the +Aliceheart and putting int into the beginning 'https://plus.google.com/u/o/+aliceheart'
and taking the /a with the ending bracket out of the very last part of the statement and putting the /a at to the very end.....



https://plus.google.com/u/0/+Aliceheart

except that is not her link, David

woops

But soon will be, probably she is changing right now the numbers to her name :)

Here's what i found online...
Rules for getting a custom URL
There are a few rules to keep in mind when you’re trying to get a custom URL. If you’re having trouble, make sure:

You have ten or more followers (people who have added you to their circles)
Your account is at least 30 days old
Your profile has a profile photo
Your account is in good standing

eh.. i'll just use the link with the numbers then.

i can see where you can change your 'name' but not the URL...that i'd have to wait 30 days...and have 10 or more followers.

well that's no fun.. one of the biggest landscape photography groups on there won't let you share photos with watermarks that include words... ..there goes all of my photos. I wouldn't want to post without a watermark.
and one of the biggest nature photography groups.. 'Share only single photos and conventional photo albums that do not navigate members away from the community page. Thanks!'
so i can't post a link back to my pixels page...
are a lot of the groups that strict?
it seems like a lot of people that post photos on google+ don't post direct links to another site. how do i promote myself on there if i can't direct link back to pixels? seeming like this site is more of a hassle to use with the rules and regulations.

I used Google+ when it first was out. It was very wanky and unstable. After reading these posts I'm trying it again. It seems smoother and a little more friendly. One thing I've found since I started with FAA and online stuff, it's a lot of trial and error. So why not, just another site to post my work too. Couldn't hurt :) I found I was getting errors but come to find out my old + site was still up under another email account I have. So I deleted that and started new.

I'm not sure i'll stick with it.

Alice there are literally hundreds of groups on Google+ and some (edited: many) allow links. You need to take time to play around on there and see what is available and how things work.

i wouldn't worry about watermarks, its not like your posting a full size image. i don't use watermarks, i think they look cheap. a lot of groups everywhere don't want you to spam. that's why they are so big, if everyone spammed it would kill a lot of groups. finding a group there or on facebook is hard to do. finding something that fits your theme and they don't have rules about advertising is very hard to do. i only have a handful of them.

the whole point behind any social place is to be social, not to post free ads - that's why they want you to pay for the ads. being able to find a place for free is a really good deal.

i didn't even know about the groups on g+ i only used the ones on facebook. i've only posted to my wall.

with groups its better to stray away from large general groups. and find smaller more cozy groups. groups that have 100k members usually have no spamming rules. - would you want to start a group only to have people leave? the smaller more isolated specialty ones are the ones you want. just silos, just tractors, just certain towns. just certain areas of that town. you find it, look at the rules, see no spam rule, join, double check the rules and then post it. i wouldn't say its for sale at all, but if its flagged and your seen as a spammer - i have no idea what google does to you now. i know when i was banned, i couldn't do a lot on youtube.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

for example - you know that abandoned theme park you went to - find its town, find groups about that theme park. post an image a day, no more than that, since you want to spread it over a course of the day. be sure to use your artist website and track it in google analytics to see where they came from (i keep a log of what i post where to know what groups are good or duds). if they like your image they may click and want to see the rest. if they really want it they will get it. never go on the hard sell if your there. look for the things you have that are unique and go to those places.

on facebook i'm on a group that is just anvils and vices... another - just bottles, or just typewriters, and some are just specific brand.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

well if i post any of my photos that have watermarks..it will look like i am selling... cause i imagine most know what FAA is... if i don't post with a watermark... there's really no point for me to be on google+ i'm on there to sell.. not to just share photography. i'm not gonna spend the time to upload all my photos to google+ in the next few months...to never be able to share something with a watermark on it. i posted a photo each on two groups... one didn't really have any rules that i could see. i hope i don't get banned. it's making me nervous now.

i personally suggest to stop using watermarks. it doesn't stop theft in in the slightest, it confuses customers, and you'll run into stuff like this. and you shouldn't upload images there anyway. you should send links from this site, to that site. the link will show the image.

the rules are confusing. sometimes they don't say no spamming - and in reality the op is thinking that. and you have to guess it out of their mind. and then you either lose or drop the group. i'm building mine very slowly, looking for groups that like the pictures, and make images they will like, so they will see the rest of the store.

the groups can afford to be picky, everyone has their own. you can start your own too, but you would have to curate it.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

Alice I think you are making too fast conclusions, and jumping too fast from one place to another if I may say. You just started also IG right? and want to upload fast there photos too. Like you could write there some description around them, why you love so much clouds, not only that Check out this cloud on my photography page, or you can buy this photo as a print.. it will be difficult to sell them like this. Create a story and build up slowly but steadily your places.
Sm is primary to be social, also you can find specially groups everywhere to dedicated only to sell, but probably no buyers will be around only sellers.
Probably you could stick with one SM at a time, find out the rules, and work on it. Make it work for you. Then when you are more stable, start another new thing, read about it also, and do it right from the beginning.

If not you will bleed out fast, just posting posting fast, without any results..

i don't have much 'story' to go with my photos... i just go outside my back patio door with my camera and take photos of the sky. i rarely ever really 'Go' anywhere of significance to take the photos. there's nothing really super interesting about the back story of my photos. it's just what i see in the sky behind my apartment that day. like 'oh that looks cool' if i tried to 'make up' a story it would feel weird.
I don't really want to stick to just one sm at a time... people on FAA told me to use as many SM as you can. to really put your work out there. if you don't use SM to it's fullest.. you won't get sales.

that's something you have to work on. anyone can step out in their backyard and take pictures of stuff. the photo should tell a story and then you can describe what we are seeing and why. its one of the secrets to good art. its either going to be stock, or its going to tell a story.

the images that make you go ooh and ah, are the ones that tell a story, it makes them wish they were there looking at it. if i can't create a story for my piece i just assume the buyer won't be able to either. this is one of the things that makes photography hard, you have to be able to take a person there, and tell a story with the image.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

My sales aren't that bad...and i have yet to really incorporate a 'story' into any of my photos. I don't think everyone looking for a photo will be interested in a 'story' some will just care about the photo itself..others will be interested in a backstory plus the photo. A photo is a photo. You can sugar coat a photo but what it comes down to is just a photo.

Just go to Twitter and see the FAA members posts a lot of them just put 'new art work' then the title then the hashtags then the link to the work. or 'check this out'
they don't put 'stories'
also on instagram i don't see people putting 'stories' for people on the #friendsonfaa hashtag.. i see people using maybe a 3 or 4 word description.
I think the only place that actually matters to have some sort of a real description is on FAA/pixels itself.

i do know a thing or two about selling. you want to strive at telling a story, not many will care about the back story. you want them, to relate to the image some how. that's the hard part. the story is the last piece that may get someone to buy it.


oh and don't join too many groups at once, there is often a trigger on that, like a ban.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

please read my updated post where i mention most on twitter/instagram do not include any 'story' most post like i do.
if a 'story' actually mattered. most FAA members would be posting a 'story' along with their photo. and that, i do not see.

I wanted to write yet something but I read your comment before, I think you know well what and how you want to do.
So, I wish you best luck..

Thank you Dora.

Alice - Good discussion! I have nothing to add. I use G+ but it confuses me too!

I think Mike is right, you need words I'll share something that I wanted to do but never did that you are sort of doing.

I wanted to set up a camera and every day take a shot. 365 of them. To see how the light changes from the very dramatic to the barely noticeable. The color of the light changes, it's intensity changes. The foliage changes if you include that. You are a photographer photographing light. How the changes of light affects you. A bright blue sky, angry gray clouds etc.

I don't think what the words say are as important as just having them. Just check spelling a proper grammar. Both of which you seem to be very good with. Then if you post to other SM just change the wording around.

Thank you Val. I personally think hashtags are more important than a 'story' As long as someone can 'Find' your work (with the use of hashtags) and 'see' your photo that you are selling..that's really what matters. and if i get banned from google+ i still have twitter, instagram and i might start up facebook again. and i do plan on getting business cards with my correct link on it.

everything is important. hashtags are only keywords they don't tell people what it is or why it is. too many will make the image look cluttered. the story explains what they are looking at and why. it also mentions the location which might be important for some. if you get get banned from google plus, your banned from other google based services, keep that one in mind.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

i would hope a hashtag would tell the viewer what the photo is of... if there is a photo of a cloud..why wouldn't someone use a hashtag of 'cloud' and why? 'why' i take photos... is basically to get outside and get fresh air.. i'm so confused Mike..
when i first joined FAA last summer people preached hashtags to the max... like hashtags.. you need them. you need lots of them. that's what was drilled into my head.. people kept saying, 'You don't have enough hashtags. you need more'
Actually i think you were one of the people that told me i needed more hashtags.

Yes use hashtags but try and limit them to under 10

If you can just do 3 - 5 they will love you more

i'm gonna go ahead and close this discussion... it seems like people are backtracking on what they told me when i first joined. It seems like to some i'm not, or have not done anything right. And i don't really need this right now. I don't need this stress. Thanks to those that tried to help. i just need to do my own thing. And not talk about what i'm doing.