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5 Free Photo Editors For Viral Image Creation

May 24, 2013 by Kelsey

Thanks to the exploding popularity of sites like Pinterest and Wanelo have shown that creating visual interpretations of content (like infographic creation), as well as substituting images for the written word itself, can have a big impact. As the web gets larger and larger, it seems like its users are looking toward a more beautifully-design Internet that both inspires and educates them.

Photo manipulation has grown from correction to more of an art form, allowing anyone with an iPhone and the Instagram app to create edited photos with filters applied, easily and in a matter of seconds. This has created a demand for more photo apps that have greater features that are easy to use but can make a photo look how a user wants it.

If part of your social media strategy includes quotes or sharing images of projects or products, then the following free photo editors can certainly help. Each has its own benefits and set of unique tools that can make any image posted on your social media accounts, websites, or blogs stand out better than ever.

Pixlr

Pixlr is a popular and easy to use app because it mimics the major tools of Adobe Photoshop, but it is free and online. This means that you can access Pixlr from any internet browser without having to download (or pay for) any software. Pixlr is great for basic image correction and editing, including resizing, color correction, and cropping. It is easy to save images and the process is fast. Pixlr also has an app for iOS.

PicMonkey

PicMonkey is what most Insatgrammers probably envisioned a great photo editor should be. The controls and options have fun references (e.g. you save file sizes as Roger (Federer? Ebert?), Pierce (Brosnan), or Sean (Penn)) and there are so many creative and fun features: cool fonts, seasonal clip art add-ons you can lay on top of your photos, custom filters that can be applied to only certain parts of the image, beauty filters like wrinkle remover and blemish fix, and so much more.

There are certain fonts and features that are only accessible with a paid membership, which is $4.99/month or $33 per year.

QuotesCover

QuotesCover is an image editor that was created to put words on patterns or images, with a typographic, artistic emphasis. There are hundreds of quotes you can already choose from on the site, as well as color combinations to create the perfect background. You can also upload your own words or images for the background. When you have chosen your words, you chose from 5 different image types: Facebook Cover, New Google Plus Cover, Viral Images (these are square), computer wallpaper maker, and for art prints.

Once you have chosen your image size, it then takes you to a creation tool where you can choose from pre-designed font and color combinations. You can also add your image background.

Once you are ready to download your image, click Download Picture. When saving, do not change the file name until the image is downloaded. Otherwise it won’t download (for reasons unclear).

Using the viral image size is also a great option for creating unique Pinterest pins that can help get your Pinterest account more traffic.

FotoFlexer

This free image editor is online as well. It has a robust set of features and lets you upload a photo from your computer as well as get your photos from a variety of online sources, including Facebook, Flickr, and SmugMug. Once you have chosen your photo, you can begin to make edits, which include the ability to fix red eye, smooth wrinkles, add glitter text and stickers, or even a border. There are also a wide selection of effects (or filters, to the Instagrammers) to add to the photo.

There is even a Geek section, which allows you to use Smart Resize, Smart Recolor, and the Morph feature. Because of its fun stickers and actual photo editing features, FotoFlexer is a great choice for creating viral images with text or just retouching a few images that need help with coloration or red-eye.

GIMP

GIMP is the only downloadable program on this list, and it is most similar to Photoshop. For that reason, it is useful to have some Photoshop experience before using it. GIMP is completely free and has a variety of features, including a customizable interface, photo enhancement, and the ability to open several different kinds of photo formats, including .PSD, the default Photoshop format. GIMP is a great alternative to Photoshop and while it cannot do everything that Photoshop can, it is a great alternative, especially because it is free!

While these are just some of the copious amounts of free image editors online today, these 5 will give you a great start toward creating viral images that could help you get more traffic and views online.

The Problem with Every TOS You Sign

January 2, 2013 by jonathan

Last month, a change to the Instagram terms of service (TOS), which was scheduled to go into effect January 16th, sparked controversy as it led many users to believe that photos uploaded to the system could be used in advertisement without payment. Fortunately, the controversy turned out to be much ado about nothing as Instagram not only clarified but backed away from the new TOS.

Still, it appears that at least some damage has already been done. Some figures estimate that Instagram may have lost as much as 25% of its users after the debacle and competitors, such as Flickr, are stepping up to snatch those users up.

But even if the impasse blows over, it’s just the latest in a long line of TOS-related controversies including Google Drive, Craigslist, Ancestry.com and many more.

However, the problem isn’t just with those sites and services, in fact, it isn’t limited to any one company or kind of company at all. The problem is with the Web itself and with the way we handle contracts.

As we discussed back in March, you sign a variety of contracts to run your site but the problem is that all of those contracts are horribly one-sided. They are all written and signed for the sole purpose of protecting the company that wrote it, not you.

This is something to keep in mind the next time you click “I accept” on a TOS, as you are giving the company you’re signing with an incredible amount of power and trust. Trust that may be misplaced. [Read more…] about The Problem with Every TOS You Sign

Is Your Company on Instagram?

October 19, 2012 by Kelsey

Does your company have a marketing presence on Instagram? If not, it should be looked into. For companies that can share interesting images related to their business, office, products, or services, Instagram might be a great way to get more exposure online via this booming mobile social network.

Instagram Marketing

It is possible to do some marketing via Instagram, but it needs to be done in the right way. Instagram is a place for users to share images in a creative space, and over-spamming this space with company advertising and promotional material will be met with a negative response. However, finding out what your target market is doing on Instagram and then joining them can help you become successful.

Finding Your Niche

For instance, an athletic apparel company can comment on users who are posting on Instagram about their recent workout, diet, or activity. They could hold contests for users to post an athletic-related post with a unique hashtag (e.g. the company’s name) for an entry to win prizes or free company merchandise. Additionally, the company could post models in their apparel, inspirational health and wellness quotes, or photos they’ve taken of their own employees getting active. These types of posts will be of genuine interest to their target market.

For ecommerce websites, ask customers for photos of them using the products they have purchased from the website. Then (with their permission) post them on Instagram! This is a visual testimonial and gives current and potential customers the benefit of seeing the company’s products in action.

Staying Connected

An easy way to gain exposure when creating a new Instagram account is to link it with Twitter. If a company already has an active Twitter followership, automatically posting links to Instagram photos can help Twitter followers then start following their Instagram profile. Also adding an Instagram icon to the company’s website, blog, newsletter, and other online marketing materials can get the word out about their new profile. Also including the company’s profile on online Instagram and social media directories, like Followgram, can help increase exposure as well.

Just like with any social media profile, it is important to keep Instagram updated, as users will only be exposed to new posts and are less likely to find a company’s profile when they only update on a weekly or monthly basis. Instagram is a great way to reach customers as a new digital medium, but it’s important to be respectful of the space and not crowd it with advertisements!

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