Themed Image Threads?

People are under the impression it makes sales. We have no proof of that here at all. Other than that, this is an art site so why not.....If we get too many on the homepage I will be stopping them again for a while

They were restricted for a while. The restrictions were lifted. So this is what you have.

They can be effective promotional tools if done right but few are ever done right. Google picks right up on the titles if a searcher enters the exact words. But few who start a thread title them as a search phrase. Also it is possible that Google will pick up on words within the thread but most never even post comments or even bother to change the Alt and Title tags. I think most just want to show images to other artists.

Mostly just curious. I've noticed 2 or 3 users seem to pretty much only post these sorts of threads and was wondering why they're doing it. I know they get lots of views and replies.. and that every time someone clicks on one of those threads, the original poster's images are at the top and viewed.

They get a bit annoying after awhile, so I was wondering what the folks making all of those themed image threads and other varieties on the same tactic were getting out of it. Seems like a lot of image noise and if you wanted to see a bunch of images with a given theme, you'd just do a search of the site with that theme as the search term.

Maybe I'll make one and see if I notice anything different, or any benefit at all.

thx

I can give you proof that if you match the title with a Google search term the thread will come right to the top. I can't prove that people buy art based on a Google search but that is a fairly common and probably correct belief. Just enter the title of any FAA thread into Google and see what happens. Now imagine if the title of the thread were something like "old barn photos " and someone was searching for "old barn photos". An exact match and a whole collection of "old barn photos"

Just created one. I haven't been that active with my account lately, other than uploading a few new images every couple weeks or so. Going to see if an image thread appears to effect any other activity at all as an experiment. :)

Read my posts Skip. It works to draw in people from off the site that might not know the site exists. Search engines like content. And titles.

Ok Skip. That is a keyword rich title, but kind of long. Would someone searching for those type images use that phrase? Maybe. If they do the thread wold pop right up. Best to use something simpler but this will work also. Go back in a few weeks and do Google search and you will see the thread. If the title is not tailored to a Google search it is a pointless exercise. Even a string of images with no text will get picked up by Google if the title matches a search term.

One slight issue, Skip, about your 'experiment' new thread.........the title's a tough one......and........there is always the possibility no-one can meet the criteria, lol, and the thread will pass into oblivion - unless the OP starts loading more of their own to keep it going.........but then........it becomes a Blog.......if you end up talking to yourself, and posting your own work.

This is a really enjoyable, funny , surreal thread idea..........can't wait to see what happens.........I get your point about self-promotion.......but hey, there are those among us who, uninvited, insist on using their work to illustrate a thought - that words could easily do, but hey..........whether they open the thread , or not.........always an artwork .......
Anyway........back on topic, I guess..............Cheers........

so far......12 views......0 images........7pm

I run "New Artwork And Photographs Uploaded In .... " and I usually post one image of mine to get a new thread going when the big skip is reached.

What's the pay off?
Am I getting sales by promoting to the other users somehow? - NO
Does it improve my search ranking with more clicks or something? - NO
Does it improve my sales? - Hell NO
Is it primarily to self-promote myself since my work shows up at the top with each view? - NO
Although my image is at the top and viewed in the thread it's not clicked on and viewed on my own page. - NO gain.
Is it all ever do? - NO
Do I interact on other threads? = YES

They get a bit annoying after a while .......
as long as artists supply their images to "New Artwork And Photographs Uploaded In .... " in order to get seen I'll take care of the thread if I can.

I'm looking forward to your thread, Skip :-)

Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out why some do this all the time. Seems that's all they ever do. They don't even seem to interact on other threads... they just keep putting up new themed image threads, so I was trying to figure out why they were doing that.

I likely won't keep up with the experiment too much. When I get sales, I haven't a clue where they come from. I don't think it has much to do with anything I've done to drive traffic though. I've jumped through all the hoops from time to time, getting the most or at least the top 10 views in the stats, etc. I've done loads of social networking campaigns and activity to get clicks... and I really don't think it matters that much.

What was working (I believe) was when FAA/Pixels was on Amazon. I think that was actually where I was getting more sales from. Such a shame that went away.

I see others here really working these forums, so I figured... what the heck... maybe they know something I don't. :)