#FlipboardChat Summary: How Photographers Can Use Flipboard Magazines

Jenn de la Vega / October 14, 2015

Every Wednesday evening, members of the Flipboard Club—an unofficial group of passionate evangelists—hold a Twitter chat about a Flipboard-centric topic. We share the tips and ideas discussed there each week. Join in the chat at 7pm PT / 10pm ET via the #FlipboardChat hashtag on Twitter. If the time zone doesn’t work for you, join this Facebook group to stay in the loop.

Last week, participants chatted about “How Photographers Can Use Flipboard Magazines.“ Here’s what they said:

What websites and tools do you use to post or share photos on the web?

• I use Instagram and Facebook to post my own photos.
• My latest has been to use IFTTT with Slack to gather photos en masse. I can quickly scan through multiple photos.
• I post natively to Instagram and share from there to Facebook and Twitter (via IFTTT).
• My favorite photo sites are 500px, Flickr & NASA who has a space photo of the day.

What are the benefits of using Flipboard to showcase or find great photography?

• Photos in Flipboard mags look great. Mike McCue said that was one reason he invented Flipboard, to make mags look good.
• Search! You can search for keywords for specific images (i.e., corgis) and find high-res photos.
• Use Flipboard to browse photographic sites like 500px and Flickr.

What are some creative ideas for Flipboard magazines that photographers can curate?

• Hone in on a specific topic. I’m not a photographer but I have a Starbucks mag where I post creative cups & mugs.
• Curate a magazine of your best photos with Compose. Flipboard mags are an easy way to show your work, on a mobile device or on the Web!
• I would love to see a photo mag from the daredevil people who dangle off buildings & high places. Scary but amazing!
• Curate a bucket list of places you would like to go photograph. Or a mag of photos from photographers that inspire you.

What are the best ways to add and organize photos in a Flipboard Magazine?

• Add via the mobile app. Organize on the Web editor.
• If you’re flipping from social, flip through the app. Have themed mags to organize your pics.
• I usually like to intersperse a comment or an article next to a very nice picture.
• Pay attention to the layout of the photos. Move things around in the Editor until you like how the photos look in a mag!
• Invite other photographers to contribute.
• Double check how the photos appear in different devices. Sometimes they look wonky or off center.

What should photographers consider when selecting a cover and title for a Flipboard Magazine?

• Covers NEED to be hi-res, esp. for photography magazines.
• Shorter titles are better, generally.
• I imagine that other photographers would gravitate toward high res, sharp photos with interesting images.
• Test on multiple devices. Make sure your focal point is actually the focus on different screen sizes.

What are your best tips for promoting photography using a Flipboard Magazine?

• Most photographers have websites. They should embed their photography mags into their sites.
• Promote mags devoted to specific events using hashtags!
• Share with your existing networks and any photography groups you belong to, offline or online.
• Promote your magazines using #FlipboardFriday on Fridays.

How often should a photography magazine on Flipboard be updated?

• As often as possible. Quality over quantity, though. Don’t flip just for flipping sake.
• If there are enough photos for your mag’s focus (pun, pun), then mag can be updated every day even.
• And the longer we flip, the better we become at curating and learning to discard.
• Fresh content is important. I truly enjoy browsing great photos, a stress reliever!
• Some magazines are more evergreen than others. I may change weekly instead.

Besides photos, what other types of content can photographers curate into Flipboard Magazines?

• GIFs! They’re basically a photo/video hybrid. Also, videos may be relevant.
• DIY and how-tos, tips and tricks. Especially when using a smartphone camera.
• Videos and GIFs made from your photos.  For photo mags, search topics and social feeds.  Use #hashtags and Twitter lists.

Don’t forget to join the #FlipboardChat this week. Start chatting on Twitter on at 7pm PT / 10pm ET, or come back to this blog for an update.

~jdlv on behalf of the Flipboard Club

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