Flickr - not as popular with MOC'ists/MOC appreciators anymore?

[TheOneVeyronian]

So, I've been pondering over this a while, I'm not sure if it's just me wondering this or if others have noticed too. But after an MOC I posted to Flickr today didn't get as much appreciation as I thought it would based on my previous history, I thought I'd better ask the wonderful EB community to chime in with their thoughts on Flickr, arguably the most popular "social" MOC sharing place:

So, let me explain why I think that Flickr may not be as popular with FOL's as it used to be: For the past 2 years I've built up a reasonable following of LEGO fans (mostly Constraction builders, as I primarily build in that system) on my Flickr page from scratch, promoting my new builds in as many ways as I could by submitting to lots of appropriate groups and posting them on sites like here. Back at the start of this year, I had something like 265 followers (okay, I know it's not loads but it's reasonable) and whenever I uploaded a new MOC, it would typically get a few comments and 40-50 faves with 80% of those coming within 2 days of posting (again, reasonable). I took a hiatus from building due to lack of motivation a few months ago and returned to building just this week with fresh ideas (well, building with LDD anyway - my physical parts have been somewhat inaccessible for the last few months). But even before I took the hiatus in April, I had 272 Flickr followers. I have 273 now, new followers just don't seem to be coming anymore at the rate they used to, even ignoring the long gap between posting builds in my case. And to add to that, followers I do have don't seem to be terribly active anymore, once where I might have got 30 faves in 8 hours of posting something, now it's more like 10-15, even though the general quality of my builds is always increasing (the last MOC on my Flickr is probably the most complex build I've done to date, I'd argue it's better than anything I did even just 6 months ago ). Nobody seems to comment at all even when I request feedback, but that's true of many places I like to post my MOC's.

Now, I'm curious. Has anyone else noticed this recently? Is this just a natural dip in activity (since it's "summer" in the northern hemisphere and everybody's outside? ) or are many FOL's not as active on or migrating from Flickr? And if it is just me experiencing this, am I doing something wrong? It does feel like that the only way to get more followers on Flickr these days (once you've exhausted the usual promotion methods like posting to groups), you have to have an MOC blogged by The Brothers Brick... out of all my MOC'ing friends I'm the only one who hasn't been blogged at all. Bit sad really, I know!

But anyway... thoughts on the question in the title? I'm curious. And since I shared mine, feel free to share your own Flickr experience too. (also, any advice on how to break through my current "follower stall" and get more followers (without using TBB. Or mainstream social media ) would be appreciated).

[-zenn]

But after an MOC I posted to Flickr today didn't get as much appreciation as I thought it would based on my previous history

Okay not too sound harsh, but here it goes, some explanations;

- It just sucks, and nobody cares. Or just don't care because its build in a certain theme, which isn't in their frame of mind.

- Too many uploads from other peoples pic's around certain times of a day can make your pic's drown in a sea of pic's. They don't stand out among other pic's in a group.

- Repetition is boring, people wanna see new interesting amazing stuff. Not something that's been done before.

- All aboard the hype/fad train! You aren't following up your builds with the current style and or seasonal trends.

But hey, let's be real here; just build what makes you happy. It isn't about the fav's, followers or being blogged. If people like your stuff, they will come.

And other social media, nothing 'social' about it; just other forms of the age old popularity contest.

Do your own thing, don't care about anything else.

Edited July 16, 2016 by -zenn

[BrickCurve]

Strange. I am actually in a pretty similar point with Flickr followers, 270 or so and the same rate of faves and comments. It hasn't dried up for me so perhaps to get your MOCs noticed again, try adding them to new groups and the like.

I assume you are posting them on here? EB was actually the biggest popularity boost for my Flickr page, as a lot of the expel on here have Flickr accounts also.

[TheOneVeyronian]

Okay not too sound harsh, but here it goes, some explanations;

- It just sucks, and nobody cares. Or just don't care because its build in a certain theme, which isn't in their frame of mind.

- Too many uploads from other peoples pic's around certain times of a day can make your pic's drown in a sea of pic's. They don't stand out among other pic's in a group.

- Repetition is boring, people wanna see new interesting amazing stuff. Not something that's been done before.

- All aboard the hype/fad train! You aren't following up your builds with the current style and or seasonal trends.

But hey, let's be real here; just build what makes you happy. It isn't about the fav's, followers or being blogged. If people like your stuff, they will come.

And other social media, nothing 'social' about it; just other forms of the age old popularity contest.

Do your own thing, don't care about anything else.

No, not harsh at all. I do think your second and fourth points are true about me though. I do my own thing, whether it's a fad or not (I'm resistant to jumping on hype trains though I must admit that I do make fanart and fan models from time to time), and I make each build different to the last. I must admit to doing the last build just to get something up on my Flickr that took a lot of time, thought and effort, since I hadn't posted anything in a few months. Guess it just drowned in a sea of other uploads from other people thinking Saturday = best time to post I've been doing so many other things recently I haven't been as inspired to do MOC's than I have been previously so maybe my last one was a little forced.

I don't like being popular, yet I don't like being a nobody either

Strange. I am actually in a pretty similar point with Flickr followers, 270 or so and the same rate of faves and comments. It hasn't dried up for me so perhaps to get your MOCs noticed again, try adding them to new groups and the like.

I assume you are posting them on here? EB was actually the biggest popularity boost for my Flickr page, as a lot of the expel on here have Flickr accounts also.

Funny what different things work for different people! I can't remember where most of my followers came from but I think it's from a variety of sources. I don't recall ever getting a large surge of followers even when I've had MOC's frontpaged on here and on BZPower. I post a lot of what I build here, but I normally build with Constraction so that goes into the Action Figures forum... it can be very quiet there sometimes

But most bizarrely, I think most of my followers come from Flickr itself - funny story, THIS is my 4th most faved photo. And it got me a lot of followers (some subsequently dropped off quite quickly, not sure why they followed me in the first place ). Why? Because Flickr frontpaged it. Of all the things they could have picked from my gallery they picked a rushed WIP pic... weird what becomes popular isn't it? Especially when the finished model didn't get quite as many faves

I'll see if I can find some new groups where my stuff could belong, though I never really liked Flickr's group search function personally, I find it makes it hard to find suitable, active, populous groups that I want to join. I'm sure I joined most of the Constraction groups there a while ago...

[BrickCurve]

Funny what different things work for different people! I can't remember where most of my followers came from but I think it's from a variety of sources. I don't recall ever getting a large surge of followers even when I've had MOC's frontpaged on here and on BZPower. I post a lot of what I build here, but I normally build with Constraction so that goes into the Action Figures forum... it can be very quiet there sometimes

But most bizarrely, I think most of my followers come from Flickr itself - funny story, THIS is my 4th most faved photo. And it got me a lot of followers (some subsequently dropped off quite quickly, not sure why they followed me in the first place ). Why? Because Flickr frontpaged it. Of all the things they could have picked from my gallery they picked a rushed WIP pic... weird what becomes popular isn't it? Especially when the finished model didn't get quite as many faves

I'll see if I can find some new groups where my stuff could belong, though I never really liked Flickr's group search function personally, I find it makes it hard to find suitable, active, populous groups that I want to join. I'm sure I joined most of the Constraction groups there a while ago...

Yeah, that happened to me a while back. I believe at some point, every Flickr member gets one of their photos added to explore, it is usually the least interesting Lego ones in the case of people like us!

It is also a good idea to join the generic Lego groups, as that's how TBB find most of the models they showcase.

[TheOneVeyronian]

Does anybody have tips to keep followers on Flickr? It seems nowadays that every time I post something there, my follower count actually decreases, and I can't gain followers fast enough to keep the number moving up. Any ideas?

It is also a good idea to join the generic Lego groups, as that's how TBB find most of the models they showcase.

Can you point me towards a couple of good generic groups, maybe ones that have worked for you even? There is a lot on there, it's hard to pick out the good ones. It's overwhelming!

[dr_spock]

Yeah, that happened to me a while back. I believe at some point, every Flickr member gets one of their photos added to explore, it is usually the least interesting Lego ones in the case of people like us!

It is also a good idea to join the generic Lego groups, as that's how TBB find most of the models they showcase.

How do you find out if your photo have been posted to Explore? I try to stick to posting the best single photo of my MOC on Flickr. The other photos of the MOC I post to Brickshelf. That could be one way to avoid the bad ones on Explore. Also make the photostream less cluttered for the viewers.

Does anybody have tips to keep followers on Flickr? It seems nowadays that every time I post something there, my follower count actually decreases, and I can't gain followers fast enough to keep the number moving up. Any ideas?

Can you point me towards a couple of good generic groups, maybe ones that have worked for you even? There is a lot on there, it's hard to pick out the good ones. It's overwhelming!

I don't worry too much about followers. They come and go as people delete their Flickr accounts or get tired of me.

LEGO: https://www.flickr.com/groups/lego/

Eurobricks: https://www.flickr.com/groups/eurobricks/

Groups specific to your MOC theme or style. Join the ones that has a lot of members. More members could mean a wider audience seeing your work.

[BrickCurve]

Does anybody have tips to keep followers on Flickr? It seems nowadays that every time I post something there, my follower count actually decreases, and I can't gain followers fast enough to keep the number moving up. Any ideas?

Can you point me towards a couple of good generic groups, maybe ones that have worked for you even? There is a lot on there, it's hard to pick out the good ones. It's overwhelming!

A few weeks ago, when I was actually keeping an eye on the amount of followers, the number varied by about ten people, so for example, from 280 to 270 but a week later, (now), that number is back up to 279. I think wiht me it's mainly because I used to post my photography to that account and I don't anymore as I created a seperate one for that and the people who aren't as interested in Lego are unfollowing that account. Actually, the number that I have lost in the Lego one moved over to the photography one so I can't complain!

This is the main Lego group on Flickr, which is where everybody posts anything to do with Lego, so it is pretty saturated with inferior quality things, but according to their website, that is where TBB actually look for new MOCs. https://www.flickr.com/groups/lego/

This one is a curated group and is the only one I actually keep an eye on. https://www.flickr.com/groups/thebricktime/

Have a look at the groups I am in for more. (Link in signature). I did a pretty thorough look through the Lego groups about a year and a half back and joined all the reasonably popular generic ones.

How do you find out if your photo have been posted to Explore? I try to stick to posting the best single photo of my MOC on Flickr. The other photos of the MOC I post to Brickshelf. That could be one way to avoid the bad ones on Explore. Also make the photostream less cluttered for the viewers.

I don't worry too much about followers. They come and go as people delete their Flickr accounts or get tired of me.

LEGO: https://www.flickr.com/groups/lego/

Eurobricks: https://www.flickr.com/groups/eurobricks/

Groups specific to your MOC theme or style. Join the ones that has a lot of members. More members could mean a wider audience seeing your work.

There is an invitation to add your photo to explore on that photos page and in the activity and notifications part of the site.

I generally stick to three photos per MOC, and less for smaller ones. I find its the best way to show all the details without filling up my page.

Also have a look are popular MOCs and see what groups they are in, you might find some new ones that way as well.

Edited July 18, 2016 by BrickCurve

[TheOneVeyronian]

There is an invitation to add your photo to explore on that photos page and in the activity and notifications part of the site.

I generally stick to three photos per MOC, and less for smaller ones. I find its the best way to show all the details without filling up my page.

Also have a look are popular MOCs and see what groups they are in, you might find some new ones that way as well.

How do you find out if your photo have been posted to Explore? I try to stick to posting the best single photo of my MOC on Flickr. The other photos of the MOC I post to Brickshelf. That could be one way to avoid the bad ones on Explore. Also make the photostream less cluttered for the viewers.

That's weird, I never got such a notification when my photo was added to Explore. I only noticed when that picture recorded an unsually high amount of views and random people that didn't follow me posting "congratulations" in it's comments section, and that prompted me to have a poke around and I found the photo on the Flickr Explore page Mind you, this was some time back.

Nowadays I also do the single picture on Flickr thing and direct people to additional images on another hosting site (Bricksafe for me). Wouldn't do it any other way now.

Well, I don't know how I missed the one major generic LEGO group, the one TBB checks, when I initially combed Flickr for groups! I ended up finding another 15 or so, would have been more but I don't bother trying to join groups that require you to send a request in order to join, neither do I bother with small groups. Maybe I should follow some more builders, apparently that's another way to get followers. Not that it's really worked for me on other sites though!

I guess Flickr is still very popular with the LEGO community contrary to the activity I've experienced recently. I've just got to try even harder to push through my personal stall My question is pretty much answered.

[Capn Frank]

I never cared about number of followers, faves, or comments on Flickr. I don't have the time to worry about it. I'm too busy on EB.

Sharing your builds with more groups is a good recommendation.

BZ likely has a Flickr group or two. I know there are people on the Classic-Pirates Flickr group that aren't part of Eurobricks that regularly share MOCs with the group. If I see some decent MOCs, I'll share them on EB as Flickr finds.