Picture Perfect Local Online Marketing: 7 Ways to Use Flickr

Are you tapping the power of photos to market your local business online?

Here are 7 low-cost, low-time commitment, yet powerfully effective ideas you can use to make your local business “Picture  Perfect” online.

1. Grab an inexpensive digital camera(s)- (Google “inexpensive digital cameras” for tons of options and reviews) Arm your staff with cameras. Make sure the cameras are available… and they’re used. Encourage your staff to shoot lots of photos… and then post and share these photos on Photo Sharing Sites Online.

2, Create Profiles at Photo Sharing Sites:

Flickr

Picasa

Facebook Fan Page- Don’t have a Facebook Fan Page? Click here for a Complete Guide to setting up a Facebook Fan Page for your local business.

3.Take lots of “People Pictures”- Take candid shots of your staff, your customers, your vendors… real people. Title and Tag your pictures with the names and Titles of your staff, and name, city, state, zip of customers. (with permission, of course)

When a search is done for one of staffer’s names, their photo shows up in search results. When a search is done for your city/state/zip code, chances increase that a photo of your happy customers show up. This gives your business a human face- warm and real- the kind of business that attracts happy, engaged people. People connect with photos. Give it a try… have fun with it.

4. Tag All Your Photos- Add your Business name, City/State/County/Zip and keywords to your photos.

Why?

When someone searches for your name,or, is looking for what you do where you do it, you raise your chances of showing up in search results.

5. Take Photos of other Local Businesses and Landmarks. (and tag them accordingly) When people travel or are looking for a local business online, often times they’ll do an image search so they can confirm their search or find more information.

Why not have them find you along their journey? Plus, it indirectly positions you and your business as plugged into what’s happening and shows your support for tyour local community.

6. Make Your Photos “Creative Commons”- Allow others to use your photos in blog posts or online stories as long as they show your ownership of the photo with a link back to your website or blog. This is a great way to leverage and compliment your local seo efforts.

7. Comment on Photos in Flickr, Picasa, and on Facebook Fan Pages.When you bump into other local photos online, stop, take a quick minute, and leave a comment. It’s simply one more way to connect and spread word of mouth online.

While none of this is going to make your phone ring off the hook right outta the gate, you’ll reap these benefits with this “Picture Perfect” local business marketing tool:

- Engages your  staff
- Profiles, highlights, and involves your customers
- Spreads your Social marketing and Word of Mouth efforts online
- Boosts your local seo rankings
- An inexpensive, fun, and creative way to market your local business online.

Bonus:

Here’s another inexpensive tool to market your local business online…