Flickr is widely used by destination marketers and tourism businesses, and travellers alike. Take a simple test, go to Flickr Search and type the name of your destination or attraction. You will get hundreds, maybe thousands photos. Those photos are taken by people who already have been in your place, and who have liked it so much, that they share their stories with friends and the rest of the world. These people are your volunteer marketers! It is wonderful, isn’t it?

This is first, and highly important reason, why you should start using Flickr – to take care of your online ambassadors, who are passionate about your destination, connect to them and engage. Other good reasons for using Flickr might be:

• raising awareness of your tourism destination using photos
• enhancing information about attractions, activities, events
• creating online library of you photos for easy browse, view and download for your partners and media
• crowdsourcing user generated photos for using on your website

We will discuss more about these issues in coming weeks. But now let’s look 5 first steps on How to start using Flickr?

1) create your account by signing up here. You will get a Yahoo account which is also your Flickr account. If you already have a Yahoo account you can just use it. A confirmation message will be sent to you via email. Verify it by clicking a link in the email message and so you have created your account. You can learn how to use some other Yahoo services if you wish so, or just continue with Flickr.

2) Second step is to choose your Flickr screen name, why not to choose your real name? It can be also your business name or your place. You can change it later, whenever you wish.

3) Now you will personalize your profile, all this can be edited later. Upload your buddy icon from your computer, it can be changed in future.

4) More critical step is to choose your custom Flickr URL. This can’t be changed later, so think twice and choose wisely! It will be your Flickr address so think similar way when you choose domain name for your website. It can be the name of your brand or your destination or something else, a word that you might be interest to be found when people search on the web.

5) Now it is time to use Flickr to find out what other people are saying about your destination and/or your tourism business. Find the photos that help to tell your story. Favourite some pictures that you like by clicking “Favorite” on top left of the photo, it is same as “liking” on Facebook.

Write some comments, be generous. This the way to get connected and start relationship with people on social photo sharing site.

In next post we will look how to upload your own pictures to Flickr and promote them.

Two things that I have learned:
1. Most of European DMOs are using Flickr.
2. There are 3 ways, how the “granddaddy” of social photo-sharing sites is used

Here are these three ways of using Flickr by DMOs:

1) Simplest way is to create a branded DMO account and upload pictures, that marketing organization has bought the user rights. This first level involves organizing pictures in albums on most important themes, seasons, attractions and touristic values of country.

It is the “one way” communication. Almost nobody of 80 million Flickr users is commenting on these pictures. In fact this tactic does not involve an ambition to talk with audience, build a community and engage with them. Anyway, this basic level of Flickr usage is a first step, and better than not using Flickr at all.

Some of the DMOs practicing the basic way of using Flickr include Finland, Swizerland,
Bulgaria, Austria.

2) Second level and a much better way of using Flickr is to create a group. This approach involves crowdsourcing photos of happy tourists, by inviting users of Flickr to add relevant photos to the group created and managed by DMO.

Some of the best practice of Flickr usage include Norway, Greece, Malta.

3) The way people use social web is changing rapidly. Wales national tourism organization has started a project ShareWales, which takes the best practice of Flickr usage to next level. It includes crowdsourcing, community building and a systematic approach to tagging (see Style Guide below)

The most revolutionary aspect of Wales Tourist Organization initiative is the ambition to train the many businesses and organisations around Wales and “move them from relative eBusiness immaturity to being firmly in the digital age”.

I am following with greatest excitement the story of ShareWales.

Do you use Flickr?
What do you think of the different possibilities of using it?

Responsible Tourism Week takes place February 13-19 o n l i n e !

Do you think to take part of it?

www.referralkey.com/ecotours