Pinterest didn’t really force me to change how I blog but it did push me to make some changes sooner than later. It is not because Pinterest has become a major source of traffic but because its success has reminded me of the value/importance in including pictures here.
Ok, the potential for increasing traffic did play a role but it is secondary. It is secondary because one of my focal points is doing a better job of securing the traffic that comes through here. My bounce rate is higher than I want it to be.
That is just a fancy way of saying that some people don’t take any time to stick around and see the sights here. I’d like to encourage them to take a moment to check out our wares and one way of doing that is to help distract them with bright shiny objects.
Where Do You Find Photos?
I am so glad that you asked. There are multiple ways to locate photos. I use my Zemanta plugin and I rely upon some of the services listed in the Best Places to Find Free and Low-Cost Stock Photos Online. And of course I use my own photos.
Oh, and don’t let me forget to mention that you should check out my friend Suzanne’s photos too. Just remember not to steal her stuff without her permission first. If that is not enough you can get in touch with my buddy John and ask him about his work too.
I don’t know about you but that looks like one cranky Koala Bear to me. I can relate to being cranky but I don’t a clue why a freaking marsupial would be upset. Dude just has to hang out on damn tree eating Eucalyptus leaves and chilling out.
It is not like he is some crazy dad blogger trying to figure out whether to send the kids to public or private school. You won’t hear him talking about accountability and forgiveness. Speaking of which sometimes I like looking back at old posts to see what I had to say about apologizing or begging forgiveness.
Why do I look back? Simple really, I am curious to see if my feelings have changed. Have I grown up or taken a different tack? Can’t say without looking back. Of course it sometimes makes me cringe to read old posts but it is part of how we figure out if progress has been made.
Can’t speak for you but by my way of accounting progress is important. I am pleased to say that I have gotten better at apologizing. There are still moments where I hate like hell doing it, but it doesn’t make me quite as crazy as it used to.
Does that mean that I am maturing? Don’t answer that, I like being the kid.
Happy Birthday Grandpa
It is officially St. Patrick’s Day but to me it will always be my grandfather’s birthday. He would have been 98 today and I would have had great fun asking him to tell me what he thought of President Lincoln or what it was like to hang out with Moses.
He would have laughed and we would have engaged in our usual banter. At some point he would have reminded me that grandma’s birthday is a couple of weeks away and that he should probably start looking for a gift.
So grandpa I think that I’ll help you with a different sort of gift. I think that you’ll appreciate this
Yep, that is grandma’s tombstone and here is a link to Beloved Wife. It is my way for helping to make sure that grandma isn’t forgotten. I know you were worried about that. I have to tell you that I remember the night you told me that grandma had a great ass (you were both in your 90s) and the look she gave you.
It was a combination of irritation and love but I always appreciated it. Â When I think about your last few years together the image I have is of the two of you sitting together holding hands.
It was good to see you two the other night and I won’t complain if you choose to visit again.
Pinterest, Pictures & Stories
I am not just a dad blogger who is also a writer. I am a storyteller. I suppose that is part and parcel of being a father. Anyhoo, I am grateful that Pinterest helped me to remember that sometimes pictures are the most important part of a story. They don’t say that a picture is worth a thousand words for nothing.
What do you think?
@johngarrettX check out my pin 🙂 http://t.co/NITaiqoz
I have been having similar thoughts. I’m not that big of a picture person, but I try. But I lost (misplaced) the cable to connect my camera to my laptop – AND I miss Picnik so I can’t watermark as easily, and I’ll just be a pain and keep complaining. 😉
But seriously. I’m thinking of posting more pics, too!
Hi Andrea,
I think that you can use Picasa to add Watermarks to your photos.
As long as you keep trying no one can complain, right. 😉
Jack, picture are good.
I am a bit of an amature photographer/artist on the side and love to manipulate low rez photos into something that creates feeling (for me). The point is that adding photos is a good way to convey some of the feeling in your writing. You know, the “between the lines” stuff. They work well in conjunction with good writing and catchy SEO titles (two things I ma working on as hard as i can).
Thanks for dropping by my blog. Your support is appreciated.
Hi Ralph,
I didn’t know you were a photographer. That is very cool. I am in complete agreement about using pictures to add feeling.
It is part of why I often use music to help set the tone.
Glad you are adding pictures. Hope you make good decisions about your kids’ schooling that works for them.
People post my photos to Pinterest, though I can’t say I’ve gotten traffic back to posts. I’ve found some interesting people through Pinterest. Not a lot of language barriers – a friend who speaks Russian first, then Hebrew, then a bit of English feels much more comfortable posting on Pinterest, for example, than writing blog posts in English.
Hi Leora,
Are you in the midst of cleaning for Pesach yet?
My primary goal with Pinterest is to use it for idea stimulation and to try to continue to make the blog look nicer.
Traffic would be a bonus as would making new friends like you mentioned.
Right now, my plate is so full that I have not time to explore Pinterest. However, once school is over and summer vacation starts (I’m a teacher here in the Philippines, and school ends this week…but now without its extreme stress) it would be the top thing for me to explore.
However, will it help me, a dad blogger who blogs about parenting and faith? I heard its usefulness depends on the blogger’s niche.
Pinterest is like a lot of tools in that its utility is contingent upon the skill of the user.
At the same time not every tool is appropriate for all situations.
If nothing else it might serve as a conduit for ideas.
Only recently did it occur to me to pin the pics in my blog b/c I’m not very adept at blogging. But I finally clued into that one . Of course I then end up spending hours upon hours looking at other people’s pins and finding out all kinds of things I never knew before. It’s rather addictive!
Hi Holly,
It really is addictive. It has been a good source of inspiration for me. I have found more than a few ideas have been generated because of it.
I have also been adding pictures to my posts lately, but I haven’t seen any traffic from pinterest 🙂 I guess I need to add them myself, and then things might start to happen.
I find most of my free pictures from Flickr using the Creative Commons search.
I haven’t seen any traffic yet from Pinterest but I am just starting to try to figure out how to make it work for me. Will keep you posted. I like the Flickr Creative Commons search too. I have found some good shots that way.
Have heard a lot of good things about Pinterest recently, but I find it so hard to keep up with all of the cool new stuff online! I think I need to get involved.
Thanks for the links to image resources. I have found it really hard to get good images in the past, and they really do make all the difference on a site. Thanks for sharing!
Pinterest is pretty cool.
Hey there! Yes, Pinterest . . . I’ve been enjoying though it IS for sure distracting me from writing . . . just like Twitter . . . and the blog. . . and the baby!
I do find it hard to find quality pictures. (for free, at least). I’m not really clear on how having pictures on posts will make sense for Pinterest, although I do always have a picture. As a Pinterest user, I’m looking for ideas for recipes, decorating, clothes . . . it’s such a visual site. Not sure where regular blog posts fit in.
But maybe I’m missing something?
Hi Nina,
I think that the rationale is that people will pin the picture(s) on your post and that will send more traffic to your blog.
Thanks for the shout out!! : )
After the way you made my grandfather smile, how could I not. 😉
Hee hee, that story made me laugh.
I think I am really lucky that mysister is a photographer and all I have to do is say bring your camera or go through her files to find just about any picture I need.
Hey Bridget,
That is really convenient. I’d much prefer to have more files on hand that were mine or owned by a close relative.
Hey Jack,
Pictures are interesting, they say a lot, they convey many messages. But being worth a thousand words is something I don’t really believe in. Many it reflects on my disability of clicking crappy pictures.
Not every picture is worth the proverbial 1000, but some are worth far more.