The Best System To Participate In Groups

Thanks for putting this info in one concise post Frank. I started working this plan a few weeks ago, no results yet except that views are up so I'll keep working it.

Good to hear, David! Keep at it, even when you don't see results you expect ... I find you just move with it .... even when you don't feel motivated.

You know how the saying goes: You don't get motivated to act, you act and get motivated.

This is a really kind message and thank you for all the advice.

Thank you, Lisa, kind for you to say. Hope it works for you ... let us know.

I certainly will!

Or you could just join a thousand groups and check the little box for every one of them on every pic you upload. Too bad we cant just default check all those boxes; its such a pain to click on each one for each pic as I upload!
What do you mean "visit each group"? How do you visit groups? There's more to them than that check box?


*sarcasm off*

Thanks Frank for your kind advice and guidance!

I bet it would take a huge load off the shoulders of the group administrators if FAA eliminated the ability to post to a group on upload. I bet if people could only submit an image by visiting the group there would be a lot fewer inappropriate images submitted to each group, I'd bet that would actually increase the traffic on the groups thereby getting more attention from the search engines.

DAVID I LOVE YOU!!!

well, I love what you're saying

You've shared some very valuable info here, Frank, and given us even more reasons to join and participate in the many groups available.

Thank you.

Bill Tomsa

http://billtomsa.blogspot.com/

Here is mine:

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/xueling-zou/52/b97/810

Thanks,
Xueling Zou

Xueling -- is this the thread you meant to post your LinkedIn URL http://pixels.com/showmessages.php?messageid=2017595

Thanks everyone for your feedback, I'm glad you find this helpful.

Melany ..... thanks for saying that, it is ultimately up to Sean ... for now what I shared in the OP is what I hope everyone will adapt to ... and see what I experience ... and what David is saying.

Here are my other threads about groups for reference:

== What’s The Big Deal About Groups? == http://pixels.com/showmessages.php?messageid=2048106

== "Recently Featured In Groups " Tab -- It's A Big Deal ! == http://pixels.com/showmessages.php?messageid=2238127

== 5 Most Asked Questions About Groups == http://pixels.com/showmessages.php?messageid=2453757

Frank, those look interesting, but I clicked all three of these and ended up at the top of the community discussion page each time.?

Barbie, you have to be logged into Pixels and viewing the discussion from there for those links to work right.

Right ... or after you load ( click on ) them then change the pixels to fineartamerica

== What’s The Big Deal About Groups? == http://fineartamerica.com/showmessages.php?messageid=2048106

== "Recently Featured In Groups " Tab -- It's A Big Deal ! == http://fineartamerica.com/showmessages.php?messageid=2238127

== 5 Most Asked Questions About Groups == http://fineartamerica.com/showmessages.php?messageid=2453757

Frank, your system for group management is something close to what I do. I think I am going to use your post as a template and share it with the two groups I manage. Thanks for all your hare work (but is it actually work or a labor of love?) I spent my career as a middle-school teacher and as a professor of education. I had the luxury of never going to work. I loved what I did so much that I would have done it for free...the bonus was that they paid me to enjoy myself. Now retired, I get to spend my time making photographs and sharing my passion with others as a host of two groups. I never go to work; in your terms, I GET to do this and I love it. Bravo!!!

I keep getting these emails telling me: "Wahoo! You got *insert number here* views on About.me".

Yes, and that means....?

J L -- It means you need to post that on the About.me thread

http://pixels.com/showmessages.php?messageid=2144651

http://fineartamerica.com/showmessages.php?messageid=2144651

Reposting from another thread at Frank's request:
I don't know whether this is coincidence or a result of your marketing, but it's highly unusual for me. Between September 8 and October 8 I sold three Chicago items, two large framed prints (30" and 40") and a tote. I do not live in Chicago - have only visited so I don't have a large number of pieces from there. I do not do any special marketing of my Chicago work, and if you look at my Images and Galleries pages, you will see that I have many, many other subjects available. I would love to hear from other group members to learn whether this sudden surge of Chicago sales for me is just a fluke or is, as I suspect, directly linked to your marketing of the group. Either way, I thank you for your efforts on our behalf.

Interesting subject and ideas. Thank you for sharing!

Gina -- My pleasure. If you decide to follow this formula let us know how it works for you.

Nikolyn -- Thank you!! Hopefully we're getting closer to figuring out how to make groups more productive and profitable.

I recently wrote a similar message to group administrators, so I'd like to cross link it here.

http://pixels.com/groups/group-and-contest-administrators.html?showmessage=true&messageid=2776607

Thanks for all the info Frank. I do see an increase in views for images that I have posted to groups. It hasn't increased sales, though but you never know.

Frank,
Thanks for all your good advice and hard work. I'll do my best to run a group as well as you do.

stickied

Thank you David. I was wondering why I had zero views on my posted work. . I will start this approach today.

I want to jump in here to provide an update of sorts. I'm starting to see more and more group members following only a select number of groups that fit their niche, instead of submitting images to every group that fits their images. I think this is an important move, because it puts quality before quantity.

Sure we can make a sale or two adding our images into every group that our images fit into, however, we may see more consistent sales if we concentrate on select groups that fit our niche instead. .... In fact, this is exactly what members who put this method to work are telling me is happening.

For example, I personally at this time have pulled back on the number of groups I submit my work to. Instead, I am member of groups where the admin appreciates my work and with whom I've developed somewhat of a professional relationship with. I think it's also worth noting that when my work is excepted into a group and especially featured, I tweet the group and include the admins tweet handle/URL. This is my way to pay it forward instead of posting in thank you threads. @FrankJPhoto

I believe 2016 will be the year of relationship selling. There are some members here, who I will keep nameless, that work the groups each day without use of outside marketing or social media. What I described above is the direction they are going. So I suggest you consider saving your valuable time following 100's of groups, to properly participate in groups as I describe in my original post in this thread. Only join groups where your valuable time will see more of a predicable return ... to both you and the admin.

If it might provide some encouragement, I know of art collectors and art consultants who search groups first, because they want to find the new stuff before in gets ranked by the website. The admins eyeballs work has human ranking, if you will.

If you hang your work on a gallery wall, usually its after you develop some sort of relationship with the gallery director over time, where they come to appreciate your work. Yes?? So it is that we should do this with groups. There are over 3k to choose from, and even if 10% of the 300,000 members here participate it groups that would come to about 10 - 15 groups per member. Think about it .....


Frank J Casella
Groups Moderator

Thanks for your advice, Frank!

My pleasure, Laura! It's all about helping each other through life, and the business of Art.

Thanks Frank for your group!

Thanks very much for your help.
I shall apply your suggestions to my group.
Kindly
S S-RAY

Frank, I need your help with my group, First of all I need a professional opening page describing the rules. I only tried this because of my love for painting the human figure. The name of the group is People On Canvas. Please help me make this work,
Thank you
Bonnie Blaylock

I've seen a few groups closing. Very common reason is that ppl just don't have time for dedication. Why they took the "job" in the first place? I fully understand that life situations change, but it's pretty crude to close popular group which has hundreds of members and has grown to full bloom.

Thanks for their tips. I have joined a few groups as a newbie as it makes me feel great when a piece is accepted.

Jule