The dos and don’ts of using Flickr for PR

If you’ve browsed the photo sharing Web site Flickr, you may have wondered if there’s any PR traction to be gained in using the site to connect with the media or customers. Of course, Flickr has anticipated this question, stating in its community guidelines:

“Don’t use Flickr for commercial purposes. Flickr is for personal use only. If we find you selling products, services or yourself through your photostream, we will terminate your account.”

So much for using Flickr for PR—except that many PR pros do indeed take advantage of the social networking aspect of Flickr to build awareness of a brand or an organization. They use Flickr to encourage the growth of communities that support their mission or product and in many cases, allow the community itself to drive the growth of “Flickr Groups.” Here are their Flickr success stories.