WordPress Image Plugins

There are several ways of inserting pictures into your posts, the easiest way is to use the "insert image" button at the top of the image editor, but there are times where that button is not enough. For instance, if you have a large number of photos to insert, you may want to create a slideshow, but that button won't let you create one.

Without further ado, here are the plugins that I'd recommend:

Flickr Gallery:

I've used this one on a couple of different sites. Yes, Flickr does give you an embed code snippet that you can use, but I find that this plugin loads faster and is less cumbersome. You can insert images from one set, insert images with a specific keyword, etc. etc.

Check out the WordPress page for all of the information about this little gem. It has worked great for me in the past, and I expect it will continue to do so in the future.

NextGEN Gallery:

This image plugin can simply be described in one word. The word is: INSANE. I mean that in the best way possible. It can handle just about all of your image needs. It has a special admin panel where you can create different users with different levels of access. You can also create different galleries that will display in different sections of your site, etc. etc.

NextGEN Gallery is very flexible, in fact, it is so flexible and has so many options that it can be overwhelming in the beginning. Read the description of the plugin and see if it will meet your needs, and don't be overwhelmed by all of the options. Take the time to learn the ins and outs of it and you will be rewarded.

The Value of Social Bookmarking

Marketers are thrilled when someone decides to Digg their most recent article. What does it mean to Digg and why should you care? Good questions.

At one time you might have visited a website and saw a link that said, "Email to a friend". This was the extent of delivering content you appreciated to others. Today you have all kinds of ways to let others know about content you like. You can easily place a link to the content on Facebook.

Other Social Bookmarking Sites

While not comprehensive here are several sites that can allow others to intentionally or unintentionally help drive visitors to your site include...

Del.icio.us Stumbled Upon Techorati Seed Newsvine Reddit! Yahoo!

The Simple Dynamic

Social media has become one of the great milestones in Internet history. People can connect with friends, family and classmates with an ease that places other fee-based services at a distinct disadvantage.

Search engines have held most of the cards when it comes to a search for products and information, but they may be surrendering part of the deck to social bookmarking.

What this process does for the user is allow them to share information they have personally read and really like with people who share a similar background and interest. The implications of this dynamic are that individuals might be more inclined to ask trusted friends for advice on products, information and even vacation destinations. Their social media friends will likely have information better suited to their likes and dislikes because they know them better than a one-size-fits-all search engine.

It might be possible that social bookmarking could be responsible for a rethinking of Internet search functions.

How to Bookmark

In many blogs and news posts you now have the option of clicking an icon that boosts the social bookmarking status of the content you just read. This encourages site visitation and provides a service to friends who follow you in social media.

This is non-intrusive and infinitely better than all those undesirable forwards we all receive via email.

By placing icons that link your content to bookmarking you can allow site visitors to help you market your site. This is an advantage to those websites that have dedicated themselves to content development focused toward information consumers. Their diligence pays off in what can become a viral article as friends share the content with friends in an expanding social media network.

Some marketers have even shifted directions and are developing their content on sites already geared toward social bookmarking. WordPress is one site that does just that.

Part of a Multi-tiered Strategy

This strategy may be new to you, but some of the old rules still apply. By constructing your content with accepted Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies you appeal to search engines where general queries provide proven enhancements in traffic. If you add the ability to bookmark the content socially you then appeal to a unique set of searchers.

In online marketing you will find the combination of multiple strategies can provide great opportunity in reaching potential buyers. Secondarily, the backlinks in social bookmarking also provide a greater trust factor for search engines looking for a good reason to elevate your site rankings.