So Long Social Media | by Noe Gaytan

After a great 10 months, my time at Welborn Social Media has come to an end. While I have enjoyed working for Zeb and our clients, I am choosing to take on another opportunity I have been presented with. During my time with Welborn Social Media, I have also been working as an after-school program teacher in Ontario. I have been offered a full time position as an administrative assistant with them and will therefore no longer be working in social media.

I am grateful to Zeb and Lacey for giving me the opportunity to work with them, and I am happy to have been part of something that I’m sure will continue to bring together passionate individuals. The experience allowed me to develop many valuable skills that I’m sure will continue to help me in whatever path I go down. It was great working with Beau and the good people at System 1.  I wish them well. Zeb, thank you for everything and best of luck with all your current and future endeavors.

– Noe Gaytan

Thanks Noe Gaytan for everything you’ve done!

Is It Legal to Post Photos From Google Images On My Facebook Page? | by Noe Gaytan

Photo Credit: MikeBlogs on Flickr

If there is one thing that I have learned from working with social media, it’s that people love photos. Just look at the countless image sharing web sites that have popped up such as Instagram and Flickr. Almost every good article that you will come across on the internet will also include a picture. When we make Facebook posts for our clients, we always get more Shares and Likes if we include an image. For whatever reason, people are just naturally drawn to visuals. So when the need for photographs arises, many people look to Google Images and don’t think twice about posting it on their Facebook. While this may be morally or socially acceptable to do on a personal page, there are deeper legal and ethical implications when doing this on a business page.

There is a term in law known as “the three a.m. stoplight”. If you pull up to a red light at three in the morning, and there are no cars around, is it illegal to run it? The answer is yes, it is illegal. However, chances are you won’t get caught so most people choose to take that risk. The same applies to sharing images on the internet. If I were to take a photo from somebody’s blog and post it on my Facebook page without proper attribution, I would be infringing on their copyright. Internet culture has evolved so that most people don’t really consider copyrights. We choose to run that red light because, hey what are the chances that blogger is going to happen upon my Facebook page, right? Most people may choose to take that risk with their own personal accounts. But business owners with their reputation on the line will certainly think twice about it.

Luckily, there are ways around this. So you think that picture of the cute kitten would be perfect to post and show your followers? Well you can get permission the old fashioned way: just ask nicely. Wherever the image originated from, you might be able to contact the owner. However, since the internet is a share-happy place, the post you find might be a re-post of a re-post of a re-post, and the person you try contacting may not be the proper copyright holder. In that case, it would be safer not to use the image. Another approach is to specifically search for “free to use” images. These can easily be filtered through an advanced search on most image databases. In most cases you will be required to properly attribute the work by including a link or naming the author. There are even ways to shorten the URL and make the link less intrusive.

Many people look to Google Images to find pictures because it is what they are most familiar with. But the question “Is it legal to post photos from Google Images on my Facebook Page?” Google Images is a search service that compiles images but it is not a database. Any image found through Google Images is coming from a separate site. It would be that site that holds the copyright. There are other web sites that ARE media libraries where you can find photos and videos, often for a price. Getty, AP, and Reuters are the top paid sources. Flickr is an excellent place for finding free to use images.

If you come across an image you want to share, you can take one of two approaches. The first option is to share the link. You can do this by copy and pasting the URL onto your Facebook status, or by clicking on a “Share” or “Like” button that might be on the page. Each one is formatted differently on Facebook, so try both and see which you like better. Or, you can upload the image yourself and be include as part of your post something like “Image by MikeBlogs on Flickr”. Nobody wants to get into a messy copyright infringement situation. But business owners should not let that keep them from sharing images. If you use the proper tools embedded on to most sites, then you are sure to be safe. That is why the share button exists. Social media is all about sharing. Just remember to play nice and give credit where credit is due.

Noé Gaytán Joins Welborn Social Media

Noé Gaytán

After I graduated with my BA in studio art, I knew that establishing proper web presence was the next step for me. I bought my first domain and set up my first web site using WordPress.  I started shaping my Tumblr to be a more “professional” blog where I posted my writings, art, and events. In February I started working on what came to be Nomad Art Project, a traveling art gallery I run out of a tent, and used KickStarter to help fund the project. This was a way for me to stay more involved with art, but more importantly, a way to help out other artists looking to show their work. A strong sense of community and “paying it forward” has always been important to me, which is also one of the reasons I wanted to join Welborn Social Media.

When Zeb first offered me a position, I was excited to join the team. I spend so much time on the internet anyway; it made sense to finally get paid for it. I think the internet is a pretty fascinating thing. As humans, we can enjoy keeping in touch with friends and family on Facebook, find people with similar interests on Tumblr, or share our videos on YouTube. For business, the internet is more than just a place for social entertainment; it is a vital part of their success. Want to let your customers know the latest news? Writing a blog post is a great way to get the word out. Don’t want to pay for printed coupons? Post a link on Facebook. Want to show up on Google? An effective SEO campaign can go a long way. Knowing the right tools can make all the difference.

For a small business, it is essential that they tap in to their community. With people spending more time on their computer than watching TV, and becoming ever more attached to their smartphones, the best way to engage a 21st century community is through the internet. Social media marketing is great in that it reaches the most people in the easiest way. And if you’re good at it, it can come across so seamless and natural that a business becomes less of a “company” and more of a “friend”. That is why I enjoy the work I do. It’s not so much about “link building”, its more about “community building”.