VISUALs attract clicks

I've written on the topic before:  why you should use visuals to capture clicks by drawing attention to your article, quote, post or social media profile.  Why?  People love looking at beautiful, funny, lovely images.

One great advantage for viral sharing is its ability to have a domino effect.   Spin offs abound from it, just like "Caturday" instead of Saturday for those who want to be in the know:  just tweet or share an image with a cartoon or cute cat or kitten with the #hashtag #caturday and watch it roll ... reTweet, Shared.

Google Plus (G+) is, in my opinion, the best social media avenue to share images.  There is no clutter, the images are shown in size larger than Facebook or Twitter.  In fact, in Twitter, you have to click on it to see the image.  That is perfectly fine because words are your ammunition on Twitter.  Enhance your words or quote with an image and hashtag it and you will likely have it RT'd and shared even more.  People tend to like to philosophize when they are surfing social media sites and visual stimulation attracts the eyes and then the heart.

Pinterest is THE place where people go looking primarily for stimulation -- whether it be a tip, trick or treat -- the images attract the viewers attention and pretty much guarantee it will be clicked.  The better the image, the more likely it will be shared.

The following are top picks from my viewers .... certainly, I chose them because I liked them ... but the endorsements that others shared them are demonstrated by the number of likes, rePINs or shares:

Animals are always a great idea to emphasize an attitude, just like this tiger has been popularized.

Babies and kids illustrate cuteness.  
Even the most  skeptical hard noses, can't help be drawn into the innocence captured by others who share in adoration.

Stunning expressions, faces and humanism are popular amongst viewers.  In fact, my FACEus board on Pinterest has one of my largest following.  People are drawn to humanity, especially life's experience etched with wrinkles and profound expressions:

Doesn't a quote on wisdom just beg to go with this image?  People love this one.  There is nothing beautiful or fancy here, just mesmerizing eyes that speak of laughter and weariness from life and experience.  The next one is popular for individual people's reasons, if not for the beautiful photography and capture.

The secrets of talented, seasoned photographers may be guarded while we all get to participate in the experience simply by gazing upon a marvelous visual interpretation of the mystical innocence of youth.








Mothers with children or babies are significant in their contribution towards society.  However, a father who sheds his masculinity in his embrace of the sheer wonder of holding his child was identified by many who loved this.

Magical moments where the subjects are oblivious to a photographer capturing the essence of feeling and enable the viewer to participate as though they are there is a wonderful way that images appeal to many.

Flowers, beautiful objects and stunning photography evoke a sense of peace and inspire love for our world.   Lucky for many, it is captured to be shared for others to feast upon in its gorgeousness.

Scenery abound: trees, bridges, buildings, fields, forests, pathways and hidden gems are applauded by those who appreciate seeing new places and landscapes virtuall.  This is as good or even better because it lingers in our eyes and reaches our souls.

A burst of color explodes to grab our attention like nothing else.  I hazard to guess that the photo manipulation software "PhotoShop" was used to enhance the colors in this photo.  I think that is cheating and offensive to Mother Nature because often she doesn't need any help.

For many, who have not had the chance to touch or feel snow firsthand, the pictures of snow wonders are popular among all viewers.  Thankfully, without the cold, others can relish the sereneness and quietness that untouched nature invokes in us profoundly.

We love the sun, especially sunsets.  Waves of joy cascade over us when we visually embrace them all at once.  Visions of water attract viewers in their quest to impress.

All seasons and events are celebrated visually with stunning creativity as though we are in the pumpkin patch ourselves and allowed to pick the biggest and best one for ourselves and others to enjoy.  Our giddiness and excitement for Halloween while we scheme our costumes meant to amaze or amuse. Imagine being in this pumpkin patch in a field of orange.  We cannot quite feel the bumps and creases, yet we can conjure memories from days past where we took our time to choose the best pumpkin.  For others, it reminds us to be thankful as the time surrounded by family, friends and good cheer with great feasts upon which we bowed our heads together in prayer.

Sometimes there is no event, mystical reason or plain purpose for something to be so popular.  This is the most recent image that has been rejoiced and shared, as though the splashing is cause for a festivity or the merriment we feel by this fun image and graphic appeal to so many. 

I hope you have enjoyed the combination of creative images that I have enjoyed along with so many others who have embraced them or shared -- thank you ALL!  

You are welcome to join me on PINTEREST http://www.pinterest.com/optioneerjm/ to gaze upon wonderful images.  I have simply compiled the favorites from those who have agreed with me.  Photo credits are found there.

Discover your own wonders and underscore your message, blog, post, comment, quote, share, tweet, G+ with an image.  I'm confident you will be amazed at how wholeheartedly others will nod in agreement by their share.


Comments encouraged, shares applauded, subscribers rewarded and questions answered .... do you have something you would like Jeannette to answer?  You may be surprised when she devotes an entire Blog to it.

#Hashtag heaven and going viral on social media

The #icebucketchallenge is absolutely #brilliant.

Unless you live in somewhere without internet connection (like where?), you may not be aware of an internet phenom that has gone viral in the past week.

As a potential social media magician i want you to participate in this. Go to Google or Bing and search the following: "Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Tailor Swift, Justin Beiber, Lady Gaga" (and just about any other famous people you want to add on that you're a fan of) separated by commas.

The results? (Putting on my magician hat, placing my fingers against my forehead, and humming 1 sec) .... Poof! Voila! The top four results fall under the "Ice Bucket Challenge".

Magic? Well, if I were on Penn and Teller's "Fool Us" they just may be social media savvy enough to know that the magic behind my prediction was the power of using #hashtags in #socialmedia.

It should explain what all the fuss is about and help explain the power of using #hashtags. What is a #Hashtag?

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A hashtag is a word or an unspaced phrase prefixed with the number sign ("#"). It is a form of metadata tag.  Words in messages on microblogging and social networking services such as Twitter, Facebook, Google+, VK or Instagram may be tagged by putting “#” before them (1) either as they appear in a sentence (e.g.  “New artists announced for #SXSW2014 Music Festival” (2) or appended to it.  The term “hashtag” can also refer to the hash symbol itself.  (3) Hashtags make it possible to group such messages, since one can search for the hashtag and get the set of messages that contain it.  A hashtag is only connected to a specific medium and can therefore not be linked and connected to pictures or messages from different platforms.

Because of its widespread use, the word was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in June 2014.

Unlike most talented magicians, I am going to share the secret how this got up so far in search rankings and became a phenom this past week: when a person/company/profile/celebrity tweets, shares on Facebook, uploads a video on You Tube, +s on Google Plus using the # sign in front of the word, it creates a Hashtag. Regardless of whether it is an event, a person, insight, quote, inspiration .... if it catches on .... i.e. is shared, retweeted, liked, +d ... it will begin trending.

Before I can say "Voila!" (being in a bilingual country Canada I respectfully include my fellow patriots) .... news media outlets on radio, television, newsprint, magazines, you name it have people (this is a suspicion that I cannot verify) have professional lurkers on social media to detect emerging trending topics to a new way of sharing news versus the old way on more cumbersome production requirements while still using that old blessed competition that is striven for: being the first to scoop a hot topic before anyone else.

The old way of getting our news is not just up to the minute, it is up to the second! No professional voice overs, trusted news anchors, esteemed journalists need apply. The use of hashtags alert ALL of the search engines to the trend and OUI (YES!) it appears on the first page -- regardless of whether it is competitors Google or Bing, etc. It is there! If you just try one social media platform (hint) try Twitter, then see what is trending (it will appear on your page when you log on). Or, if you think your Tweet is subjective to a specific audience, then use it for Tweets sake: #business #Linked In #social media #sales .... tag on a hashtag and click on that hashtag (which will appear in blue) -- POOFeroni -- you will magically appear on a page of others who are using the same hashtag. Talk about speed networking!

The terminology is different and dependent on the platform but means the same thing ... it just helps some folk portray themselves as social media wizards when they speak circles around you injecting terms you are not familiar with -- another pet peeve that falls under the same category as acronyms.  I prefer to become known as an educational informant.

Yes, even you or your organization can be a magician. Watch what is trending, sprinkle in the hashtag ... you'll find yourselves cropping up also higher on search page rankings, influence scores (i.e. Klout, KRED). Now, you're a cool kid again (whoopee)! For literal telecommunication translation: The number # sign is also referred to as the "pound key" on your keyboard or phone.  

Better yet - you will be communicating with the popular kids again. Your antiquated outdated methods can be flung aside. You don't have to referee between IT or marketing any longer - YOU are now in the the KNOW! You are the magician of your own destiny.

Note: Image source: (you guessed it) Google :o)

Fear of FEEDBACK?

We all have those ah-ha moments.  One came to me this morning when I became irritated by something and itched to tweet and broadcast about it across multiple social media platforms.

However, I had to hold myself back and remind myself that social media to me represents:

1. A format to learn new and interesting things
2. A way to share positive news, events, people, innovation
3. To share the knowledge I have for free
4. Share inspiration, motivation and knowledge
5. Support causes near and dear to my heart (i.e. anti-bullying, education, etc.)
6. Not to use it to express displeasure based on personal experience
7. Stay clear of controversy 
8. Be known to be a positive person and influence
9. Attract positive people and organizations
10. Promote greatness 
11. Cheer on Canada and my home city Calgary
12. Curate beautiful photography, imagery and art
13. Be an advocate of social media and its ability to inspire positive change

OK, I may have slipped a couple of times.  I'm prone to mistakes like anyone else.  Those mistakes are there to serve as reminders to what my goals are and why I have them.

It did occur to me based on this irritant that people or organizations may be avoiding social media for one very big reason:  Fear of feedback.  Perhaps those who are accustomed to breaking promises, being unprofessional or unpopular conduct may just become targets of dissatisfied customers or people.  

It makes me wonder.  Would some organizations or people avoid social media for that very reason?  On the flip side, if you don't put yourself or your organization how will you know?  After all, we all learn from our mistakes and from feedback.  The more negative the feedback, the more there is to be learned by it ... right?

Certainly I observe a lot of people and companies who use social media to spam (aka broadcast) what they want others to believe about them.  Unfortunately, that perception cannot always be controlled.  I would suggest stop hiding behind excuses as to why you haven't launched your social media program.

Putting yourself out there demonstrates credibility in many ways.  If you are going to put yourself in the game, you have to accept defeat and celebrate success.  Don't expect to only be able to broadcast promos, success, etc.  

Embrace social media as a means to:

1. Monitor your reputation
2. Maintain a positive brand (corporate or "YOU, INC."
3. Develop a positive reputation 
4. Be known to support a cause, philosophy, innovation, inspiration
5. Provide knowledge and educate others
6. Avoid me, me, me
7. Open doors on new networks, people, organizations
8. Avoid or minimize negative publicity
9. Be aware of what others are thinking or saying about you
10. Show you care
11. Use it to learn how you can be better
12. Get the feedback that you may not hearing from your own team
13. Be proactive rather than reactive
14. It can drive awareness, generate new leads, create a better brand

I would suggest that you embrace social media.  It is a tool that is free.  Learn how to use it to your advantage, whether it be by learning more about yourself or your company's identity, or developing advocates who want to sing your praises.

Unless you are a celebrity or politician, you can continue to avoid Social Media.  Sadly, you are doing yourself and your company a disservice.  Oh, and don't just set up a page or Twitter account and let it sit dormant.  That is like having a sign "open for business" with the lights off and the doors locked.

Take the time to speak to someone who has developed influence (visit Klout or KRED.com or Linked In).  There are a growing number of professionals who will and can discuss its benefits without you having to sign up or commit to anything.  In fact, there are folks like me, who are willing to curate your content like any other outsourced, sub-contracted relationship.  They will post based on what you guide them to post and create content that can elevate your reputation just by having the right content.  They usually have high KLOUT or KRED scores themselves (these are independent third parties who monitor and provide diagnostics where everyone is on an even playing field and compared based on how credible they are based on topics they have expertise on).

Whew, this has been the best reminder possible.  I am feeling better and using my knowledge for the benefit of others and creating positive vibes.  It is far better than having tweeted or broadcast on Facebook what a *^%&*&# lousy experience I had and how I wished that #*&%*(&# would have reacted better.  After all, it is my reaction that has far reaching ramifications.  Yep, I feel better about myself overall.

More than anything .... I do feel wiser.  And yes, it reminded me of my own personal goals.

VISUALIZE it ... photos and images draw attention to Social Media

“There are no bad pictures; that's just how your face looks sometimes.” 

― Abraham Lincoln

I don't know about you but I am irritated by those posts that try to entice you by buy FOLLOWERS on Twitter or LIKES on Facebook.  Why not? Because you can attract your own followers and likes and it is easy.  How? Use beautiful images, funny cartoons, inspiring quotes, awe-inspiring photography with similar results.

There are popular social media platforms that at first glance you think it is the land of the "selfie" and in many accounts it is.  Then again, like anything online today, YOU have the power to x-out, close or block any unseemly or unappetizing visuals.

If you have something to say on social media, it will gain a significantly larger viewership than if it is simply text on its own.  Take for example, some of my favorites lately:

Nothing says hi-5, thank you, right on, cheers, better than bump it!

People like flowers.  Magnify a quote, give thanks or show appreciation.

Cute kids are a favorite to use to express meaning or create inspiration.

 Worldly advice, quotes, age or maturity

Beautiful world:  For poetry or song sunsets and oceans romanticize.

Setting suns, sailboats, water set wing to your thoughts and wishes.

Glorious skies in abundant colors for wisdom, dreams and faith

Celebrate events with fireworks that sparkle your words with color

Isolation is not always a sad thing with words.

Clashing emotions with self discovery can bring peace

Moonlight shadows create inspiring emotions

Whimsical and refreshing with the cherry on top

God and faith inspires many who find peace with words

Mother Nature is always hard at work to bring us beauty

Childhood and innocence are virtues that we like to revisit

Cats are popular characters for our imagination

Discover new places and adventure to far away lands.

People's faces teach us about tragedy, triumph and acceptance

Understanding bridges acceptance to unknown worlds and people.

Black and white or color:  we enjoy sifting through beautiful images.

If you enjoyed this visual story and want to find more images of your own, there are some great sites you can wander around in, like, follow or share the treasures you discover:

PINTEREST http://www.pinterest.com/
Pinterest is a company that provides an Internet service that they describe as a visual discovery tool. People use Pinterest to collect ideas for projects and interests. Users create and share collections (called “boards”) of visual bookmarks (called “Pins”) that they use to do things like plan trips, develop projects, organize events or save articles and recipes. There is also a like feature to save certain pins that may not fit with a board. The site was founded by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra and Evan Sharp. It is managed by Cold Brew Labs and funded by a small group of entrepreneurs and investors.^[3]



INSTAGRAM:  http://instagram.com/
Instagram is an online mobile photo-sharing, video-sharing and social networking service that enables its users to take pictures and videos, apply digital filters to them, and share them on a variety of social networking services, such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr.^[7] A distinctive feature is that it confines photos to a square shape, similar to Kodak Instamatic and Polaroid images, in contrast to the 4:3 aspect ratio typically used by mobile device cameras. Users are also able to record and share short videos lasting for up to 15 seconds.^[8]

Instagram was created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger and launched in October 2010. The service rapidly gained popularity, with over 100 million active users as of April 2012.^[9][10]

GOOGLE PLUS: https://plus.google.com/

Google+ (pronounced and sometimes written as Google Plus) is a social networking and identity service^[3][4] that is owned and operated by Google Inc. Google has described Google+ as a "social layer" that enhances many of its online properties, and that it is not simply a social networking website, but also an authorship tool that associates web-content directly with its owner/author.^[5] It is the second-largest social networking site in the world after Facebook. 540 million monthly active users are part of the Identity service site, by interacting socially with Google+'s enhanced properties, likeGmail, +1 button, and YouTube comments.^[6] In October 2013, Google counted 540 million active users who used at least one Google+ service, of which 300 million users are active in "the stream".^[1][7][8]





TUMBLR:  https://www.tumblr.com/

Tumblr (stylized in its logo as tumblr.) is a microblogging platform and social networking website founded by David Karp and owned by Yahoo! Inc. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content to a short-form blog. Users can follow other users' blogs, as well as make their blogs private.^[4][5] Much of the website's features are accessed from the "dashboard" interface, where the option to post content and posts of followed blogs appear.

As of July 1, 2014, Tumblr hosts over 192.9 million blogs.^[2] The company's headquarters is in New York City.

FLICKR:  https://www.flickr.com/

Flickr (pronounced "flicker") is an image hosting and video hosting website, and web services suite that was created byLudicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, and effectively an online community, the service is widely used by photo researchers and bybloggers to host images that they embed in blogs and social media.




I hope you like this imagery shared ... now it is your time to reach out and click and discover what amazing, interesting and informative images await you.

Enjoy your summer!

NOTE:  Source used for descriptions en.wikipedia.org/

Wikipedia (ⁱ/ˌwɪkɨˈpiːdiə/ or ⁱ/ˌwɪkiˈpiːdiə/ wik-i-pee-dee-ə) is a collaboratively edited, multilingual, free-access, free content Internet encyclopedia that is supported and hosted by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Volunteersworldwide collaboratively write in more than 200 languages. The English Wikipedia contains over 4.5 million articles. Almost anyone who can access the site can edit almost any of its articles, which collectively make up^[4] the Internet'slargest and most popular general reference work.^{[5][6][7][8][9]} Wikipedia is the sixth most popular website.^[3] As of 2014, it has 18 billion page views and nearly 500 million unique visitors each month.^[10]

Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger launched Wikipedia on January 15, 2001. Sanger^[11] coined its name,^[12] aportmanteau of wiki (the name of a type of collaborative website, from the Hawaiian word for "quick")^[13] andencyclopedia. 

REFERENCE:  Selfie

A selfie is a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone. Selfies are often shared on social networking services such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tumblr. They are often casual, and are typically taken either with a camera held at arm's length or in a mirror.

Selfie of amacaque who had picked up a camera.

“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” 

― Ansel Adams