Instagram Alternatives: A Guest Post by Me

If you’re into Instagram or are curious about alternatives, see this guest post I wrote for Inkifi, a print maker of Instagram images. I cover five decent alternatives in detail (for bonus points, add me as rsmithing if you’re already on ‘em). And please take a moment to comment at the Inkifi post if you can — thanks!

For When You Don’t Feel Like Blogging

Writing a blog post shouldn’t be a big deal, especially if you’re serious about blogging. That said, there are going to be days when you just don’t feel like it.

Check out the full series of blogging-themed images
I created over at Flickr and feel free to use them on your own blog.

Having done this for over a year now, a couple times per week steadily, I can fully attest to the occasional lack of motivation – but I always fight through and deliver the goods. Along the way, I’ve picked up these tips for those dark moments when you might not feel like keeping up with your own blog.

1. Have some posts in the bank

In those spells when you feel like writing, or when an idea hits, try to go with it. Take two minutes to get your thoughts into a few sentences or headings you can easily expand upon later. I’ve found the best tool for doing this is dictation software, or at the very least, the drafts feature in WordPress. I’ll even email some ideas to myself as a way of quickly capturing a subject or notion I know can be expanded upon down the road. That way, when the time is right, the content is ready to go.

Another great site for
writing inspiration:LanguageIsAVirus.com

2. Know your inspiration

Have some role models or examples of sites you enjoy on hand to get you thinking about material for your own blog. Or, as Janet Aronica aptly states over at Shareaholic (among the many other excellent tips there):

“Consume the content you want to create.”

By being able to easily refer to your sources of inspiration, you’ll be more likely to generate your own material with your unique perspective – which is the very best part of having your own blog. Set up some bookmarks, feeds, subscriptions, or whatever aggregation method works best for you so you can get inspired and have your own creative juices flowing.

3. Keep it simple, genius

A blog post does not have to be 10,000 words, nor should it be. In fact, brief is often better. I’ve found some of my most popular posts are sometimes the ones with just a compelling image and only a few sentences. Being handy with the phone cam and always on the lookout for quality visuals to share is something I enjoy, and also something I recommend for having interesting blog fodder at the ready.

What do you think? Are these suggestions useful? What tips would you suggest for drumming up motivation or inspiration in blogging? Let us hear from you in the comments.

Related articles

• Ask an Expert: Does the Length of Your Blog Post Really Matter?(blogs.constantcontact.com)
• Don’t Go Slick (stirrup-queens.com)
• So you want to start a blog… (lipglossismylife.com)
• How To Blog Successfully About Anything (seomoz.org)
• I love blogging but can’t find the time (awesomeelo.wordpress.com)
• An Amateur Blogger’s Tips For Creating A Better-Than-Amateur Blog(sitdownatatypewriterandbleed.wordpress.com)

What Smartphone Apps Have Changed Your Life?

Has the way you live evovled by way of a smartphone app? What’s a non-standard add-on (besides maps, texting, etc.) that’s changed – hopefully for the better – the way you conduct daily life? Not necessarily saying they’re the very best, here are my immediate top three:

1. Instagram

This app has literally changed the way I see the world and connected me with people from all over the globe through a very user-friendly interface, turning ordinary snapshots into art with the barest minimum of effort. I now see the world through “Instagram Eyes” and have gotten so much from what it offers Although the recentspam influx and terms of service update now have me exploring elsewhere, there’s no denying Instagram’s impact.

2. Dragon Dictation

This app listens to what you say and turns it into text. It’s like magic. It’s fast, intuitive, and lets you easily email, MMS, or copy and paste what you say. I’ve used it for years to handle texting and  composing blog posts, and it accurately gets the job done every single time. It’s been life-changing by by bringing my phone new functionality with incredible convenience and capability. Now that speech-to-text is built into the iPhone, I’ve been using Dragon less, but they were the ones to get it right first.

3. Pandora

This is the mobile version of the already robust website, but I mention it here because of how it’s impacted my enjoyment of music. Pandora is streaming radio where you create stations based on artists, songs or themes. It serves up related music, and gets better over time as you thumbs-up or thumbs-down what plays. I couldn’t begin tell you how much great music I’ve discovered this way. It’s a simple premise: “if you like this, then you might also like this” — and Pandora’s highly personalized  approach wins the day for me, even though I also enjoy similar services like 8Tracks. Even TheStreet.com says Pandora has “rendered terrestrial radio, on a grand scale, obsolete.” Consider how long radio has been in our lives as you consider that statement.

What do you think? What apps have made a difference in the way you do things? Let us hear from you in the comments.

Related articles

• Know Your Apps: Pandora (samsung.com)
• First Test: Pioneer AppRadio (motortrend.com)
• The Next App Store Is in Your Car (adweek.com)
• ‘Cheap iPhone’ Could Launch This Year: WSJ Report (huffingtonpost.com)
• Pandora Announces December 2012 Audience Metrics; Adds Intergration With Chrysler (allaccess.com)

Flickr to Instagram: It’s ON!

I just had my first whirl with the new Flickr mobile app. And… woah. It’s good. I mean really good.

Flickr’s New App. Shown here with the “Mammoth” filter. Look out, Instagram…

The new Flickr app for iPhone sports filters, easy browsing, a nice uploading interface… all on top of Flickr’s superb online Pinterest& Twitter integration. Overall, I must say it looks like Instagram got Flickr to step up its game. To that I say, well-played, Flickr. Well-played indeed.

Operation: Target Instagram

If Instagram feels like it’s in the crosshairs, it’s with good reason. I had long been a fan of Flickr for general storage, but gravitated toward Instagram for the image discovery & immediacy of sharing. I have a feeling that’s going to change. And not just for me — I know more than a few folks who have been less than pleased with and seekingalternatives to Instagram lately thanks to spam or yanking its previews from Twitter.

This is not to say it’s perfect. It’s still not as snappy as Instagram, since applying filters and edits takes a bit longer — but you can do meaningful edits right from within the app like adding text, brightness/contrast, and basic retouching. You have to use aseparate 3rd party app at present to do any of that for an Instagram upload. Conversely, features like the ability to tag people in photos, browse your favorite groups, and do batch uploads (thanks, Emily @_@) were already baked into Flickr. Having these tools now in the mobile app — along with just basic functionality like being able to zoom in — makes Flickr’s app superior to Instagram on a number of noticeably important fronts.

Given the massive leap forward of this latest edition, I’m optimistic that things will only improve further for Flickr going forward. Here’s a closer look with video of the new app fromFlickr’s blog:

 

What do you think? Are you a fan of Instagram or other online photo networks? What’s your experience with Flickr been like? Let us hear from you in the comments.

If you like this, share it on Twitter (and thanks).

Related articles

• Unlike Instagram, Flickr latches on to Twitter (venturebeat.com)
• Yahoo revamps Flickr app to join Instagram-Twitter photo-filter fray(mercurynews.com)
• Redesigned Flickr for iPhone adds filters two years after Instagram (theverge.com)
• Flickr earmarked as top priority for investment by Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer(guardian.co.uk)
• Silicon Alley Insider: Marissa Mayer’s New Flickr Is Beautiful And Deep With Functionality Far Surpassing Instagram (YHOO) (businessinsider.com)
• Flickr for iPhone app takes on Instagram (slashgear.com)
• Marissa Mayer’s Flickr revamp takes on Instagram (bizjournals.com)
• Pinterest adds Twitter Cards Support (Kelly Lieberman)
• Step Aside, Flickr. Instagram is Replacing You (pixelbits.wordpress.com)
• Will Instagram be the Next Flickr? (arikhanson.com)
• Understanding Instagram and why Flickr Just Might Have a Chance (giga.om)
• Instagram Vs. Flickr? (nalicharan1.wordpress.com)

Instagram Spam Protest – Go Private December 4

Instagram spam is exploding, with no stop in sight. Formerly attractive hashtag photo groups are now becoming polluted with ads for more followers and get-rich-quick schemes:

Users are increasingly annoyed at the situation, and have organized an informal “instaprotest,” by setting their profiles to private on December 4 and using the hashtag “#OneDayWithoutSpam” in related posts.

What do you think? Will a protest make a difference? Have you noticed more spam on Instagram? Could this affect Facebook’s stock price? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Related articles

• Instagram, will the increasing levels of spammers put people off? (alexmoorehead.wordpress.com)
• Instagram’s increasing problem with spam (kullin.net)
• Security flaw in Instagram could let someone steal your account(forums.pinstack.com)
• Spammers Trick Instagram Users into Signing Up for Premium Mobile Services(news.softpedia.com)

Thanksgiving in a Sub: Bob’s Gobbler Galore

Here’s what I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving: discovering the Gobbler Galore at Bob’s Big Gas Subs & Pub. It’s a traditional Thanksgiving meal all in one single, delicious package: turkey, cranberries and mashed sweet potatoes topped with stuffing and gravy. IN A SUB. And it totally works.

I’m no food blogger, but Bob’s Gobbler Galore warrants documenting.

It’s only available three days a year, and I’ve consumed one on two of those days. It probably would have been all three if I’d known about it on Monday.

Bob’s Big Gas Subs & Pub

Located in in Winston-Salem, NC in a building from 1938, Bob’s serves up a range of subs and other goodies, all with super-friendly service in a stylishly casual environment. Check them out if you’re in the area. Here’s what folks are saying over at Yelp andUrbanspoon.

Then:

Now:

Besides the Gobbler Galore, I personally recommend trying the Sassy Kat sub. Or if you’re really hungry, go for Bob’s Big Gastrointestinal Challenge, as made famous (infamous?) by local newscaster, Nicole Ducouer. You can even get a dollar off with this coupon from Carolina podcasters, The Less Desirables.

What do you think? Ever had a meal in a sandwich? Would you try a Gobbler Galore? What are you thankful for this time of year? Let us hear from you in the comments.

Related articles

• Bob’s Big Gas Subs & Pub Facebook Page (facebook.com)
• Cobbler beating Gobbler in White House Thanksgiving turkey election(politico.com)
• What kind of gobbler are you? (berries.com)
• Thanksgiving Mayhem – B/X and DCC (punverse.blogspot.com)

Foursquare: Do or Die Time?

Here’s something interesting: I often look to the media for blog post ideas, but this time it seems to have happened in reverse. Case in point: a few weeks back I heard a broadcast from Marketplace Radio speaking to Foursquare’s CEO. Amazingly, just a few weeks prior I asked this very question on LinkedIn: “Has Foursquare’s time passed?” There were several good answers and a general consensus that it’s too early to tell.

Not long after I posted my question, Foursquare released a major update to its mobile app and got its PR machine cranking. What’s interesting here is that both Marketplace and I shared the same thought: Foursquare was introduced in 2009, gained massive popularity, and has been gradually cooling off ever since. Is that a sign of its having peaked already or just the fleeting attention span of the digerati?

Life After Death of the Check-In

“Life After Death of the Check In” -Jon Mitchell via ReadWriteWeb

Earlier this year, months before any of this, Jon Mitchell of ReadWriteWeb did this excellent and provocative article on the death of the check in. He rightly notes that it can be overkill:

…it’s a mundane performance of “I’m at the grocery store!” which is annoying noise to one’s friends and followers.

I started using it in early 2011, out of curiosity and to have something to do – like taking photos – while waiting in line at places or making art out of routine trips to places like, well… the grocery store. Hey, at least I try to make my activity interesting – but I sure as heck do NOT post every single update to Twitter, Facebook, etc.

I took all these photos of my local grocery store with my phone for Foursquare check-ins.
I always try to include a photo with each one. Hey, it keeps me entertained.

Businesses Could be Using Foursquare Better

Here’s the secret ingredient: Photos. Include fun photos of your storefront, employees (smiling, preferably), specials, or a behind-the-scenes view of what’s going on. These kind of unique details draw people in, and it can certainly be endearing to customers. I’d love to see an “ask us about this photo” post at some place I check in, then feel like an insider when I take them up on the offer. I’d be getting to know the business better, and maybe even getting a special deal.

I’m glad to see Foursquare innovating and I look forward to what’s next. The real test will be adoption. It won’t be genuinely interesting  until more businesses and users get in on it and get creative. I just hope the next major developments don’t take as long – and with any luck they won’t. I’m sure Foursquare itself has also surely noticed its buzz decline, like Marketplace and your humble author.

What do you think? Are you on Foursquare? Have you been on it and lost interest? Have you ever gotten a deal somewhere because through the app? Let us hear from you in the comments!

Related articles

• FourSquare Anyone? (nickisnook.net)
• Location, Location, Location: Your Business and Foursquare(trozzolopassinglane.wordpress.com)
• Foursquare Encourages Action With Promoted Updates (v3im.com)
• Portland Maine Is Better at Foursquare Than You Are(chapmanchapman.wordpress.com)
• Find Out If You Should Stay Until After the Credits with New Foursquare Connected App (webpronews.com)
• 10 ways to get the most out of Foursquare (Kyle Lacy)
• This Is the Best FourSquare Perk Ever [Wtf] (gizmodo.com)
• Leo Laporte: Why Apple Should Buy Foursquare (readwriteweb.com)
• 8 Celebs With Surprising Foursquare Mayorships (mashable.com)
• Luxury brands cozy up to Foursquare (greatfinds.icrossing.com)
• 5 Brands Testing Foursquare’s New Ads (adweek.com)

Social Media Selectiveness

Where are your contacts landing?
Photo by Håkan Dahlström / Edit by rsmithing.
Click for original.

Are social networks a gamble? Do you spin-off your contacts from one to the next?

With each new social network I actively participate in, beyond simply creating an account for, I become more selective with the people I follow. This started with MySpace. Initially, I followed bands and other folks whose profiles seemed vaguely interesting. I made some real friends (still in touch to this day), and as my offline friends got into social networking, I racked up contacts at a steady clip. This was fun until MySpace started to go downhill with spammers and overly customized profiles. But that was fine, because Facebook was ready with open arms as a fresh start.

Facebook Got This Right

Once on Facebook (just after they opened up beyond universities in 2006), I made it a point only to add familiar folks and people I knew in “real life.” What a difference this made! Pretty soon, I was reading status updates on MySpace about how folks were abandoning their profiles there and going to the cleaner, faster, more relevant Facebook. It’s my theory that this “fresh start” element was part of Facebook’s early mass appeal. That they got other things right also helped — photo sharing is what really sold me on embracing Facebook.

The one exception is Twitter, where following can become a free for all. Being selective there is somewhat counter to the experience, because content there moves so fast. I personally tell folks new to Twitter that until they follow about 200 active users, the experience just won’t be that interesting. I also use lists to sort those I’m interested in, some of whom I may or may not follow.

That said, I’ve been selective about my Instagram, LinkedIn, and nowPinterest accounts. As I’ve become familiar with Pinterest, I’ve found the experience at the site more rewarding now that I have a stream of cool and inspiring images coming in– rather than lame pictures from folks I don’t even know (or may actually know, but whose tastes don’t match mine).

So did LinkedIn

LinkedIn is another example of the fresh start approach, at least in my experience. The longer I’m there, the more steadily my colleagues trickle in. And I can truly say I’ve worked with, done business with, or somehow professionally interacted with each contact there. For me, LinkedIn represents quality over quantity rather than a numbers game.

Who’s Next?

My theory is that Pinterest will experience similar adoption, but these are still early days, and the site is more about visual content than social interaction. Only recently have I gotten serious about the site, and it takes some work to findboards to follow that really catch my eye. I think that’s a good thing for now, since it keeps the content I see relevant – not unlike when I signed up for Facebook after ditching MySpace a few social networks ago.

Did you welcome Facebook as a fresh start from MySpace? Do you welcome Pinterest as a fresh start from Instagram, now that Facebook owns Instagram? Do you follow people on different social networks all the same way, or does your criteria change from one to the other? Let us hear from you in the comments!

Related articles

• The Instagram Story (socialsamosa.com)
• On Our Radar: MySpace Fashion Rolls Out New Features (fabsugar.com)
• Facebook will disappear in the next 5 years – here’s what will replace it(postdesk.com)
• MySpace set to relaunch in late 2012 (slashgear.com)
•  3 Instagram Alternatives: Beyond Facebook’s Instabillion Buy(rsmithing.com)
• You need to become a total slut on social media (chrisabraham.com)
• Facebook will remain king, but social pure plays will fade (socialmedia.biz)

Link Instagram and Pinterest with Flickr

Flickr to Facebook: I’ll see your Instagram and raise you a Pinterest. Photo by Courtney Patubo / edit by rsmithing. Click for full size.

Flickr to Facebook: I’ll see your Instagram and raise you a Pinterest

Hot on the heels of my post on using Pinterest for Instagram images with sites like Gramfeed, Flickr has made this even easier by including Pinterest as an option under the “Share” menu at the top left of any Flickr image. And the best part is, all photos are automatically attributed to the owner – including all photos ever previously pinned from Flickr!

This is HUGE, because not only does it mean easy and proper posting from a site with millions of great images, but also it makes posting from Instagram easy as well, since Instagram users can easily link their accounts to post to Flickr when uploading at Instagram.

Just two steps gets any Flickr image on your Pinterest board. Click for full details at Flickr’s blog.

I personally only started using Flickr seriously as a result of Instagram’s integration, and I now swear by it as a great tool for managing your images with some neat social functionality thrown in. It’s highly customizable, easy to use, and a great value whether you subscribe for free or have a Pro account.

Bottom Line: Flickr Gets It Right… First

Maybe they were too busy being bought by Facebook to notice, but the folks at Instagram missed out on being the first major image sharing site to hook up so seamlessly with Pinterest. I’m fairly sure that day is coming, since Instagram already integrates with Twitter, Tumblr, Posterous, Foursquare, and of course,Flickr, but given the competitiveness in Silicon Valley these days, it’s not a given.

Pinterest’s growth is impossible to ignore, and Flickr did the right thing by integrating easily with the site. Rather than interfere with its own goals, this makes an already great platform like Flickr even better.

I don’t work for Flickr, but if you haven’t checked it out – and especially if you want to pin your Instagram images like a boss – definitely give Flickr a look… even if only to find cool images for your Pinterest Boards.

What do you think? Do you use Flickr in conjunction with Instagram? Do you use Pinterest and have you pinned Flickr images there? What has that been like? Will you be trying this now that Flickr makes it easy to share images originating on Instagram? Let us hear from you in the comments!

Related articles

• At Flickr, All Things Just Keep Looking Better (betabeat.com)
• What’s Your Take on Pinterest? (The Artist’s Road)
• How to Use Pinterest’s New Flickr and YouTube Attributions(sproutsocial.com)
• All the Interest in Pinterest (Beagle Research Group)
• Flickr, Pinterest team up, signal movement toward better attribution(agbeat.com)
• I’m Starting to Like Pinterest… (The Buttry Diary)
• Pinterest launches new ‘Pin It’ button for Flickr (simplyzesty.com)