Ten things you can do to improve interestingness and increase chances of getting into Explore
I know that some of you are going to yell that Flickr "interestingness" and Explore are silly things to worry about, and that's fine... But for those interested in how it works, let me run down a quick top 10 list. (Yes, this pic made Explore)
Caring about getting into Explore per se is silly, because Explore has a big random component to it. However, Explore is important because it is the only "signal" we easily have about how "interesting" the photo is. Flickr doesn't give us the actual interestingness number so Explore is a good way to know it must be pretty high.
Why does interestingness matter? If you get happier the more people that see and appreciate your work, then you care about interestingness. Beyond your contact network, the vast majority of Flickr views come from search engines. Flickr has a zillion photos, so if you're photo isn't Flickr-interesting, people will never see it come up in the search engines.
Ten things to do to improve Flickr Interestingness:
1. Take good photos.
2. Have a good network of contacts who will view and comment and fave.
3. Post to at least one group, but don't post to more than five for the first few days. During the first week, posting to lots of groups hurts; after the first week, it helps.
4. In first week, don't post to more than a few award groups.
5. Have notes.
6. Have map and camera data. If you block camera data, or use film and don't add the camera meta data, you'll be penalized, A LOT. There's thousands of film people or people who don't want to give up their "secret settings" who can't figure out why they can't get into Explore... This is it!
7. Have a title and tags and text that people will search for, as that drives search engine traffic.
8. Don't upload too much per day. Maybe 3 max? If you upload more than 3 per day it not only hurts interestingness, but it taxes your contact network. It also means any given photo is de facto seen by less people, since most contacts only look at last 1-4 photos.
9. Be active. If you give significantly less than you get, it terms of views, comments, and faves, all of your photos will be penalized significantly.
10. Challenge yourself. There's a lot of competition when it comes to grabbing people's limited attention. Take interesting photos!
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To answer Steve-H's question about why if you get into Explore do you
not get in their more highly ranked?
I am in same boat. Had one reach #9 that is now permanent at #26. Some of it is random. The difference in interestingness between #1 and #500 is like 99.99999 to 99.99998. If you are the lucky one to get in the top (e.g.) 50, then you get a lot of additional views and it becomes self-fulfilling (esp. if women are in pic).
Some of it may be network related. I don't know if they sample central people, or people who are boundary spanners, but that would make a difference too. I do notice that everything else can be essentially equal between two photos and they differ in interestingness because different people commented and faved.
It also depends on the interestingness and timing of surrounding pics. If you have a strong network like ours your pics tend to get the same views, comments, faves, roughly. This is good for getting in but not getting into the top. I think a pic at the top of Explore tends to have much much much better stats than other pics by that artist around the same time. So in the example below, Joe would get one pic high into Explore, whereas Sally would get two into Explore but not as high:
Joe: pic 1--8 views, 3 comments, 2 faves; pic 2--100 views, 21
comments, 28 faves
Sally: pic 1--85 views, 24 comments, 18 faves; pic 2--100 views, 21
comments, 28 faves
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Update 1.29.09... I may be wrong about the groups, at some level.
Above I conjecture that posting to too many groups may be harmful, and
I do believe that is still true. However part of the negative effect
on Interestingness that one gets from posting to many groups is that
it decreases the ratio of comments to views, and faves to views, which
in turn decrease Interestingness.
I have also discovered a possible cumulative limit to how many pics
one can have in Explore at one time. Most of the time, I have about 5
or 10 pics in Explore (versus the hundreds that were in it at some
time but aren't at that moment). Recently some of my older pics have
been getting in and staying in, or mostly staying in, the top 50 or
100. (This is mostly due to Yahoo! using my photos for news stories,
blogs, etc.) As this has happened, my daily likelihood of getting
into Explore has decreased, even though my other "stats" are
the same. It may be that 20 or 25 serves as a practical limit.
-----
... Update 11.18.10...
Regarding the point above about Explore, I now have about 50 in
Explore at one time and don't seem to be getting many more in, so that
may be a saturation point, but who knows... Since I last updated, the
Interestingness algorithm has changed. I talk about it here:
www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/4233691578/
Here are some other essays that may be of interest:
* All About Flickr titles, text, tags, and views
* All about Creative Commons
* The scaling issue in digital art
* How Flickr is diffferent than "great" photography
* At a loss for Flickr comments? Here's a catalog
* Five key decisions in photography.
* How I make the Christmas light paintings.
* www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/3084967790/in/set-721576... on how to improve your photography.
* The Impassioned Eye, Henri Cartier-Besson.
* You can't always get what you give: A study of Flickr award groups
* The skills of enthusiastic amateurs
* Open source photography--are you in or out?
* Suspicion, trust, and Flickr
* I'm bokeh, you're bokeh, pure bokeh
* See the World Through My Eyes and Explore the Motel at Wink's Place in the Golden
Garden of Karma because L'amicizia fa la differenza! (or, Flickr the
Soap Opera)
* Why is one of my photos more Interesting than the other?
* Photography versus video
* Flickr life
* Live photography
* All about Flickr contacts
Comments and faves
prdsra, Mary Trebilco, Guylaine_B, mferrol, and 282 other people added this photo to their favorites.
lepuzzi (57 months ago | reply)
These are everywhere here too!
Nice take!
prdsra (57 months ago | reply)
Compliments, I like it;
Please add this photo to
"your preferred picture" group
Glen Ballis (57 months ago | reply)
Very interesting info! nice capture!
Mary Trebilco (57 months ago | reply)
I love these big round bales!! I took quite a few pics of them last summer too. Love the layering with those white fences as well.
Great advice as well for anyone interested in seeing their work make it into Explore.
Guylaine_B (57 months ago | reply)
Superp composition! Happy Saterday kevin!
mferrol (57 months ago | reply)
muy linda composición y excelente imagen
kretyen (57 months ago | reply)
I think #9 is important. On days when I surf the Explore pages and leave comments, I think my own photos have a better chance of moving up.
I rarely see fences this pretty.
--
Seen in my contacts' photos. (?)
Lady Smirnoff-cambiante pero estable (57 months ago | reply)
hahahaha! you are so clever! Love those tips!
Nice pic as well!!!!
the-father (57 months ago | reply)
excellent.
You are my winner!
Please add this photo to
www.flickr.com/groups/mywinners/
Ekler (57 months ago | reply)
thanks for the tips :)
nice shot! :)
Kelvin Wong (Away) (57 months ago | reply)
This is sooo beautiful shot Kevin! I like it a lot!!!!
Your tips are absolutely correct!! I was going to tell this actually, but I think i can leave it now as you already did!! My photos didn't get into explore at all for a year~ and then it started to get into explore almost everyday since July~~~ haha...( even 2 photos got in a day) because i only show my camera EXIF file since JULY~!!! that's the biggest problem that why my photos could never get into explore before despite i got many comments and faves~~
This is Perfect!
This photo has been selected for The Perfect Photographer Award
Please add this image to The Perfect Photographer, Awards & Fave 2
And tag the photo with "The Perfect Photographer"
DeniseJC (57 months ago | reply)
That's a lot of serious analysis! Are you a professor or something? lol!
Love this shot - the composition and colors are superb.
(Hope it gets to Explore!)
rubenss(slow..... (57 months ago | reply)
great capture!
Hobbyfotograf Jürgen aus Rheinhausen (57 months ago | reply)
wonderful !!!
~This Photo is invited for~Beautiful Capture Group~
eriani (57 months ago | reply)
Excellent shot my friend... thanks for interesting info... :-))
KLnyc (57 months ago | reply)
You got me :P
Cool analysis, Prof.Kevin :)))
--
Seen on your photo stream. (?)
*setsuna (57 months ago | reply)
so peaceful shot!!
and interesting info~ :D
mafiland (57 months ago | reply)
lovely
MakingMemories(Deja-Vu photography) (57 months ago | reply)
wonderful image my friend...love the hay...I think I get into explore all the time is because i have the best contacts ever...
Zé Eduardo... (57 months ago | reply)
Beautiful Image !!
Sati Kobashi (on and off) (57 months ago | reply)
A very cool play with shapes!!
jchatoff (57 months ago | reply)
very nice!
Steve-h (57 months ago | reply)
First, a grand pic as always. But the important thing about this one is the caption. i absolutely agree with you. I find the problem isn't getting into Explore, it's what do you do to get high up in the listing. I have several contacts who regularly get into the top 50. Out of the 300 pix I've had in Explore only about 4 have made the front page. Why ?
Melinda ^..^ (57 months ago | reply)
nice field!
plaisirdevivre (57 months ago | reply)
excellent work
kevin dooley (57 months ago | reply)
To answer Steve-H's question about why if you get into Explore do you not get in their more highly ranked?
I am in same boat. Had one reach #9 that is not permanent at #26. Some of it is random. The difference in interestingness between #1 and #500 is like 99.99999 to 99.99998. If you are the lucky one to get in the top (e.g.) 50, then you get a lot of additional views and it becomes self-fulfilling (esp. if women are in pic).
Some of it may be network related. I don't know if they sample central people, or people who are boundary spanners, but that would make a difference too. I do notice that everything else can be essentially equal between two photos and they differ in interestingness because different people commented and faved.
It also depends on the interestingness and timing of surrounding pics. If you have a strong network like ours your pics tend to get the same views, comments, faves, roughly. This is good for getting in but not getting in at the top. I think a pic at the top of Explore tends to have much much much better stats than other pics by that artist around the same time. So in this case, A would get one pic higher into explore than B, whereas B might get two into explore but not as high:
A: pic 1--8 views, 3 comments, 2 faves; pic 2--100 views, 21 comments, 28 faves
B: pic 1--85 views, 24 comments, 18 faves; pic 2--100 views, 21 comments, 28 faves
Steve-h (57 months ago | reply)
the other thing I mostly do not do is to map my photos. I tried just now and got one of today's two photos on to the right place on the map. I could get the other one into the right place , but the map kept on calling the area by the name of the wrong part of Dublin and I don't know how to change it.
ilsebatten (57 months ago | reply)
OH you analytical man you. Thank you for that. And this photograph is one that made my jaw go slaaaaaaaaaack. Brilliant work dear thing
Vali... (57 months ago | reply)
Oh my gosh....so much translationwork for a weekend : (((((
FREEflick you just have 50 Pools free!
First I read was interesting for me as a beginner, because I was watching what my contacts doing...... But its soooo different. And depentend as a not american from the time.
I saw some they dont pool at all and have a good network, but that needs a while. One upload just once a week even less and its always veeery successful. Some are sooooo busy uploading day by day + getting into 50 Groups just to get enough awards???? Cant make holidays, sitting the whole day infront...nIghtmare
And what is a good picture..... some I like because they are just perfect, some are just interesting and helping me to go forward, some are good for comunication + pretty. Some are pretty, perfect, but just boring............
I cant show my camera or tell something, you just would laugh loud. But I dont care ))Some, telling a lot which cameras they all bought and its just boring pics..((...maybe Im envy ;-))
Steve-h (57 months ago | reply)
Oh, and I meant to add that the single most important thing is to comment on your regular network of contacts with the hope that they comment yours. And make sure that you always respond when someone does comment.
Another thing is that I do not send a photo to any groups on the day of posting. If the photo gets into Explore at over 150 or so I might post it to one or two groups to see if that gets me a higher ranking. But I have found that is a bit of a gamble. When you post to one group it changes the Explore rating and it can fall down the rankings unless you get a lot of comments and faves. If you don't post it to any groups and your contacts come back and comment / fave then you have a pretty good chance of getting higher in Explore.
But the only time I had a photo in at #33 it got over 1,000 views and if I remember rightly over 100 faves in one day. Then when I sent it to groups it did NOT do very well at all....haha!
hey mr. tambourine man (57 months ago | reply)
excellent shot !
Ciao, sono amministratore di un gruppo chiamato rotoballe. Ci farebbe piacere aggiungere l’elemento al gruppo.
thanks from Italy !!
giorgio
Stephen K. Willi [deleted] (57 months ago | reply)
Thanks Kevin. I'm sort of new at this, so this is dog-gone near gospel.
Nice picture too !
Márcia_Marton (57 months ago | reply)
Wonderful shot!
toalafoto (57 months ago | reply)
Un trabajo genial !!
andie.smith (57 months ago | reply)
love the rolled hay!
♥ Hazed ♥ (57 months ago | reply)
Just a gorgeous shot!
loydyoo (57 months ago | reply)
Oh...!!!
Juan Ospina (57 months ago | reply)
interesting info, thank you for that.
great composition here!
♫ jon argos ♫ (57 months ago | reply)
...this is terrific, Kevin...I miss seeing these...lolol. Thanks for the info on Explore, and congrats, by the way, on making it. Have a wonderful weekend. :~}
DeborahsDreamPhotography (57 months ago | reply)
Thanks for all the info!
I wish I had more on explore...like everyone else..lol
Love your shot!
--
Seen in the interestingness archives. (?)
peggyhr (57 months ago | reply)
Excellent work! Great research:-))
sREe inspired. (57 months ago | reply)
very informative....well composed..
Congratulations!
Your pic becomes nominee of "Shield Of Excellence"
Please add this photo to the Shield Of Excellence Group.
Please be sure this is tagged "SOE"
reiffgladys (57 months ago | reply)
You are invited to add this image to www.flickr.com/groups/bigfave
Please tag this photo with ABigFave when you add it to the pool.
THANKS FOR INFO. I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT TAGS WERE ONLY FOR THE GROUPS THAT REQUIRE YOU TO TAG. OTHERWISE I DON'T REALLY KNOW. THIS PHOTO IS DONE VERY WELL GREAT JOB
reiffgladys (57 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called ALL KINDS OF BEAUTY (NEW RULES! CHANGES!!!), and we'd love to have this added to the group!
reiffgladys (57 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Gold Seal of Quality *INVITE ONLY* Post 1 Comment 3, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Trinimusic2008 (57 months ago | reply)
Kevin,
This is wonderful advice. I just joined Flickr and have been busy uploading many photos, every day - the practice is good for improving my skills.
Wonderful shot, congratulations on the many times you made Explore. I always wondered how they choose interestingness.
Fiaz Tariq (57 months ago | reply)
Very Nice composition Man.. lovely Shot
A+++ Grade Photo
South China Moaning Poster (57 months ago | reply)
A+++ Grade Photo
theY-o-Y-o [deleted] (57 months ago | reply)
A+++ Grade Photo
Philippe Brevet (57 months ago | reply)
A+++ Grade Photo