Social Networking and Other Websites for your Mer-persona

[AniaR]

So, in my quest to continue to provide people with info to help their mer-careers I was shocked I didn't do this sooner but then I remembered certain people sort of exploiting it the last time I did something similar. Well, to hell with them! This is for you. Below are a list of websites I use and you can use to help build your online presence. Each site has their own pros and cons. Where applicable I linked to my own profiles simply so you can see how a profile is set up.

http://www.facebook.com facebook pages
This one is sort of a no brainer but I stuck it in here anyway. Creating a FB page specifically for your persona can open a lot of doors. There is quite a large mermaid community on FB as well, and most mers find that they have some opportunity they can accredit to their FB page.

http://www.ozoshare.com My Page
This is like FB but specifically designed for environmental groups and people interested in ecological issues and activism. It works a lot like FB but you WILL be booted off if your content isn't related to these topics. It's great for networking on the environmental end of things.

http://www.twitter.com My Account
Twitter works best when you attach it to your FB page and any other websites you use. I use it to follow a lot of different people. I have had a LOT of opportunities simply from using twitter and being present so I realllly recommend it. Start by following whoever you want, and people with similar interest will follow you. You can post statuses and images, websites, videos etc and connect it to other websites. I use twitter the most from my phone. it's a great app and depending on what other accounts you follow you can get news, weather, enviro issues, movie info, ANYTHING in your feed. It's really easy to use and I believe very underused in the community. I have had a lot of opportunity through twitter so give it a try.

http://www.blogger.com (or ANY blogging platform) Mine
I have kept many blogs over the years. Blogs are a great way to keep track of your mermaid journey. People seem to enjoy reading them and following along.

http://www.modelmayhem.com Mine
Don't be deceived by my profile. I had an older account for years that had a lot of activity. I closed in when I decided I didn't want to work with any new people for a while. This one is just for my mermaid stuff. Every professional mermaid should strive to have some professional photos. MM is a great place to connect with local photographers- many who offer time for print services instead of paying. Also a great way to share your images. Several mers from the community are on here.

http://www.tumblr.com Mine
By definition tumblr is supposed to be used like a blog but many people use it for answering questions and sharing images. It can take a bit to get going and get the hang of it but mermaids are INSANELY popular on tumblr. Having a tumblr account and linking it to your website, blog, twitter etc will bring you in LOTS of new fans! Word of caution: your images will get shared a lot so make sure they have your website on them. Most people try to make sure credits stay intact but from time to time they get removed. You can also set up your profile so people can send you questions and as you answer those questions your answer turns into a post. several mers from the community are on tubmlr.

http://www.deviantART.com (one of) mine
So deviantART has been the driving force behind a LOT of what I do. I have 3 accounts, one of them is 9 years old and has close to 300K pageviews. It's an art website for uploading photos, traditional art, digital art, crafts, literature, photomanips, modelling, tail making- just about anything really. You're able to submit your work to groups to get it more attention. You may end up getting a site wide feature (I had 4 they're awesome) which would bring more exposure to your work, and there is an integrated system for selling prints. For the most part it's a bustling and positive community but like any place there are some low lifes. Quite a few mermaids are on DA- it's how I met a LOT of people in the community. This is also one of those sites that I think is underused in the community.

http://www.worldcosplay.net mine
I only just got on this site at the suggestion of a friend. I haven't gotten much from it- but I haven't put much into it. If you have some Ariel cosplays etc I think it's a great place for you if you don't already use it. They do have an "original" category which is where I've placed my stuff. *shrug* couldn't hurt. Just make sure you have your credits in everything so people know where to find you.

http://www.flickr.com mine
I don't use it much. Good for image sharing. Couldn't hurt to have since it has a big community. Quite a few beautiful mermaid photos on there. I think you could get a lot out of it if you put some time into it. I haven't updated mine in a while. Like anything else it just takes some effort. Make sure all your stuff is credited.

http://www.imgur.com mine
Another image sharing website. This one is where a lot of viral images come from. It's also great for hosting images that you want to share elsewhere on the web (like here! hint hint) as it'll give you the codes and can be more reliable than photobucket.

http://www.youtube.com mine
If you've got videos- youtube is a must. If you don't have any videos... make some slideshows with your images! The nice thing about youtube is that it gives you the embed code for other websites. So if you have a personal website or blog you can attach videos. One of the downsides is that they'll remove your video if it contains SOME music. Now, some musiciains dont care- so youtube doesn't either. But if a band/musician/record label has gone on record to youtube saying people can't use their stuff- it gets pulled down. YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHICH PEOPLE ARE COOL WITH IT AND WHICH AREN'T. It's very trial and error. You'll see some of my videos have music on them- in every case it's because the artist is okay with it. I only found out that AFTER it uploaded. Some videos aren't availible in certain countries. It's very try and see. So be careful!

http://plus.google.com mine
I don't use mine enough. I find it a lot like FB and while I want to really like it and use it... it just hasn't done much for me. Can't hurt to have tho

http://500px.com mine
Another image sharing website. Pretty self explanatory.

These are the ones I use the most. If you have one feel free to share. If I remember any others that I have forgotten I'll post them here. Hopefully people have found 1 or 2 they maybe never thought of before and this has been useful.

[Mermaid Fenicia]

- facebook merpage: http://www.facebook.com/mermiadfenicia
- facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mermaidfenicia
- youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/mermaidfenicia
- my website: http://www.the-mermaid.tk
- photobucket events: http://s665.photobucket.com/albums/vv13/Fenicia_photo
- photobucket dolls & collection: http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/b...rmaid_Fenicia/
- cosplay.com: http://www.cosplay.com/member/10190/
- cosplay lab: http://www.cosplaylab.com/cosplayers...?memberid=8652
- american cosplay paradise: http://www.acparadise.com/acp/display.php?a=10121

[Mer_Adella]

Thanks AniaR this was very helpful

[Ayla of Duluth]

I use weebly for my mermaid website, and its really nice because they encourage you to get yourself out and be seen and heard. They have a little checklist to run down once your page is up and running, and one of the things on it is to make a blog. the website will provide the blog page for you so it becomes a tab on your website. its really nice. Mine is linked in my signature.

[AniaR]

yeah I think I'll do a separate post on websites for hosting your own websites. This one is mainly focused on networking

[Mer_Adella]

Does anyone know if there is a spot on mernetwork where other mers share their google+ accounts? i thought that would be a good thread to see or start (if it isn't on here).

[AniaR]

I haven't seen one, there's on for fb and one for tumblr. Go ahead and start one

[Sea Pearl]

Great info Has anyone had any success concerning being contacted for work opportunities though places like FB, blogger and youtube? Just curious.

[AniaR]

All my work comes through that. I got booked for a music video because of a youtube video I posted. (made a thread about it) I get a lot of modelling work through DA, MM, and I book a lot of my work through FB and Kijiji! I'd say MOST of my work comes from online networking, and then after that it's from word of mouth

[Mer_Adella]

I started a blogger and a "fan page" on FB and a lot of my family members have asked me if I plan on doing parties because they know some of their friends that would love to have me be a mermaid for their kids...and honestly I haven't even thought THAT far ahead yet...I live in MI summer is over and I have less than a year to plan that stuff and I am already getting swamped with friends of family taht want me at their kids events