Important Tips for Sharing Content on Social Media

According to U.S. copyright law, it is illegal to publish someone else’s work on your website or blog without their permission. It doesn’t matter if you give proper attribution and link to them. If the artist or writer never gave you their permission, then it is theft.

Content Theft On Websites Vs Social Media

Now, that’s how it works when it comes to scraping text or copying photos, cartoons and videos off other people’s websites and publishing them on your own. But when it comes to sharing on social media, things are a little different.

Sharing someone else’s work is very different from stealing it. You don’t have to look very far on social media to find users who will copy someone else’s images, erase their signature or watermark from the images and then share them as if they themselves had created them. That is theft, and if you do that sort of thing, you will eventually get reported and have your account shut down.

Social Media Sharing: Best Practices

To protect yourself from crossing the line into copyright infringement and content theft, there are a couple of simple steps you should take before copying and sharing someone else’s art, photography or writing on social media.

First, look over the person’s profile to see if they specifically request that people not share their work without permission. Remember, many of these creators are making a living from their work, so they are losing money when people share their work without permission or without attribution. So if they specifically ask not to share, then don’t share without their permission.

Most content creators and influencers will be happy to have their work shared with attribution – that’s why they’re posting their work on social media in the first place. But it doesn’t hurt to check their profiles first. And ALWAYS ask for permission before posting.

Second, when you do share, always tag the writer or artist or account from which you took the content. This is just good etiquette and common courtesy. But don’t just tag them in the photo. Instead, tag them in the caption or text so that your followers will see the tag and click through to see more from that creator.

Many content creators love shout-outs like this to grow their business. So if you enjoy their work and want to support them, then be sure to give attribution in a way that will send more people to their page. But, do be careful not to share from the same person over and over. There’s a fine line between sharing content and scraping/stealing.

Ready to outsource your digital marketing? Top Tier Media provides a full range of social media marketing and influencer outreach services. Contact us today to find out more.

How to Pitch Beauty, Health and Style Influencers and Bloggers

Got a great beauty, fashion, health or lifestyle product to share with the world? Beauty, health and style bloggers can be a great way to reach your target audience. Influencers can get the word out! But how do you reach them? What are the unspoken rules? Not sure how to craft your pitch? Read on!

Here are some tips:

• Send relevant press kits. Of course you wouldn’t send pitches for auto parts to a food blogger. But, go one stop further and read the “About” section and a few blog posts before contacting – don’t make the mistake of sending a cheese product to a vegan blogger!
• Perfect your pitch. Address the blogger by name – make it seem personal and not like a mass email (even if it is – but we don’t recommend mass pitches in general). Don’t forget to include information about your product, small photos or pdfs (don’t clog up in-boxes without asking; “Photos available upon request” works beautifully), a link to your product’s website (you won’t believe how many people forget the link), your contact information, when the product will be released, prices, etc.
• Use the magic words. Include the phrase “press samples available” instead of asking to send products for review. This is a subtle way to encourage bloggers to ask YOU for the product. While there is no obligation for bloggers to review your product (unless you have a written agreement to pay for an “advertorial”), they will be more likely to do so if they have requested the product samples.
• Be professional and courteous at all times. You should cultivate relationships with bloggers the same way you would with traditional editors and press staff. Remember, when you submit a product for review, you are not paying a copywriter to write glowing words about your product – you are asking for an unbiased review. Many bloggers have a wide sphere of influence on the web through blog readership and social media channels. It’s best to keep relationships friendly and mutually beneficial!
• Follow Up. If you have sent a product, but not received a review or an ETA, follow up. You are much more likely to get a review if you maintain communication with the editor. Be careful not to be pushy or demanding, or you may sever future relationships.
• Don’t call. Phone calls are a thing of the past in the online world. Many bloggers see phone calls as negative and intrusive. Send your pitch via email and feel free to follow up, but don’t call unless you have permission.
• Never demand a write-up in exchange for a promotional event invitation. It is implied that bloggers will do their best to write about events they attend, event sponsors, etc. It is considered poor form to demand a blog post, just as it would be considered tacky to invite a TV or newspaper editor to an event on conditional terms. Relax. Even if you don’t get a write-up, you’ve made a connection. Never discount the power of networking!

Need help finding and pitching influencers in your niche? Top Tier Media can help!

How to Credit Bloggers for Their Images

In this day and age it is so easy to do a quick Google search to find the perfect image for a blog post or advertorial. This is, in fact, what many people do to find compelling content. But they’re missing the critical step – crediting the original source for the image.

Contrary to popular belief, Google images, Flickr, Tumblr and Pinterest are not original sources for images. Many times, those sites lose the information on the original content creator, which is sad, especially when it’s a compelling image. So you must take another step to find the original author if you find images by those means. You want to follow the image back to the blog or site it originated from to credit that blogger or photographer. To find the original image source, upload the image to http://images.google.com. The original source will usually be the first or second link listed.

When you are a blogger and you spend hours on your blog creating images, you don’t want someone taking those images and using them without proper credit. To give proper credit, it’s as simple as the following:

Image: Sugarpill Minty Blues eyeshadow via Phyrra

If the text can be hyperlinked (if you’re posting on a website), you want to hyperlink the blog name with the URL for the creator to give them proper credit.

If it’s for Facebook, Instagram or Twitter be sure to tag the influencer or blogger:

Source: @Phyrra

All images are copyright to the photographer that took the images, unless that photographer signs away those rights. So typically, you need to have permission to use that image, unless they have licensed their work for Creative Commons. Most bloggers are happy to have their images used with proper credit. If you’re ever in doubt, just ask! And if a blogger asks you to take down an image, you should do so immediately to avoid a lawsuit.