Hello again Experts!
We are happy to bring you the second installment of our Flixster Expert Newsletter. From here on out this will be a monthly edition coming your way on all things Expert here at Flixster. Yay!
Expert Newsletter 2 - table of contents:
- A Quick Note
- Tips & Tricks (copy & pasting reprise, design help, linking, etc.)
- New contest
- An Eye on U
- Contact Info
A Quick Note
In the next month or so we will be rolling out some new features designed to make your experience as an Expert even better. Many thanks to all the suggestions and comments you Experts have given us, and please keep them coming. Also, the new features launch will coincide with our next contest! (More on the next contest below.)
Tips & Tricks
Copy & Pasting (reprise):
We got a lot of positive feedback from our Experts in regards to the Copy & Paste tips in the previous newsletter. Something to add to what was mentioned before: If you are copying and pasting from another site it is crucial that you change it up a bit to make the content your own. Changing around a few words per sentence, rewriting sections in your own voice, and altering the order of words, sentences, & paragraphs are great methods to do this. As well, I have noticed some instances of hyperlinks being pasted in that weren't supposed to be there so if you have any stray hyperlinks in your pages you should delete those.
Design Help
Developing a cool looking page can be a challenge. I have found a couple references for those times where you feel like your a bit stumped. Check 'em out!
- garrreynolds.com: This is a good site for some basic insights into the components of good graphic design.
- edweb.sdsu.edu: This site takes the same ideas further. (Ironically, it's not much a looker of a site.)
For examples of great design being applied to Flixster pages check out the pages in our "Eye on U" sections in each edition of the Expert Newsletter.
Linking - a way to share your work with the world!
So you have just finished polishing up your favorite actors profile, now you want to share your work with the world! Here are a couple ways of linking to the page you just made:
- HTML links: Link to your actor pages from pretty much anywhere online. For a tutorial on link creation go here
- Links in the form of pictures: An effective way to promote your page is using a photo from the actor's page. Here's an example using Josh Duhamel (who's awfully lonely without an Expert, btw):
Check out my Josh Duhamel page!
The code for the above link looks like this:
<a href="http://www.flixster.com/actor/josh-duhamel"><img src="http://content7.flixster.com/photo/10/90/21/10902173_tml.jpg>Check out my Josh Duhamel page!</a>
You can find a tutorial on this type of linking here.
- Links using our handy Flixster button: If you'd prefer an icon over a picture to promote your Experthood, feel free to use this one:
http://static.flixstercdn.com/static/images/logos/flixster-leaf-36.gif
Here's what this might look like:
Check out my Josh Duhamel page!
- IM bar: You'll notice we've upgraded the IM bar, and you can share actor pages easily via IM, email, or on Twitter and Facebook by clicking the "Share Page" on the bottom left.
?Where should I place my links??
- Your personal email signature
- Your IM status message in AIM, Gchat, Yahoo, etc.
- Your personal info/bio pages on your website / Facebook/ Twitter/ Myspace, etc.
- Post as links in activity feeds on your website / Facebook / Twitter / Myspace, etc.
New Contest
It's about that time again! Many of you have been asking when the next contest will be rolling around, and it is nearly here. The cool thing will be the way that it will tie into the new things we're rolling out. We're shooting to start the contest in about three weeks, and we'll have more information for you as we get closer. Remember, as always, take a look over your pages in the time being and spruce them up if they are looking empty.An Eye On U
Check out the Angelina Jolie page, brought to you by Experts: SexiVixxEN, Jennifairy, & BellaRayChill. The main page is... MASSIVE :) This is a good example of taking advantage of all the information available on an actor of such popularity. Pics and explainations of tattoos, a run-down of charity involvement, family pics, fan club contact info, and more. Super interesting. Well done!
Next we have the Reese Witherspoon page, which has FoxyNinjaKitty and Jennifairy as Experts. The First thing that stands out to me is the unified nature of the pics. They all look like they could have been taken from the same photo shoot. This gives the page a very slick look. Also, they each showcase Reese's charm which sort of rubs off on the page itself. The next thing you notice as you scroll down is the inclusion of her singing performances in one of her films. This is an excellent example of how you can take advantage of the pages capabilities in order to realize your creative vision. Very cool!
We now move on to the Heath Ledger's page. Experts: SexiVixxEN & FireAndLightning. This is a good example of less is more. You've got a few well-selected pics and a solid amount of intriguing information. Not much else. The reason it works so well is the interesting choice of colors for use in the page. The pink-ish color in the background compliments the tones in the pics and the blue text really well while the off-white that backgrounds the blue text serves as a great tool to improve readability. Very tasteful.
If you have seen or worked on a page you think deserves recognition please give us a holler and tell us your thoughts! We will have some more pages to share in the next newsletter ? keep up the great work! (Oh, and also, good work to the Experts who didn't want me to mention their names here. You do a great job too!)
Contact info
For all things Expert related give a shout to RobGordon
Or, e-mail him directly at: Experts@flixster-inc.com
For Technical Issues (?How do I add a table to this page, resize a photo, etc.?) send a message to Julia:
If you?re interested in the SuperReviewer, you can read more and nominate yourself here
General Flixster Support contact
If you have questions that may fall a bit outside the specialty of Rob and Julia, feel free to contact them regardless and they will help you out the best they can.
OK! That's it for the second newsletter! Keep your eyes peeled for additional messages pertaining to the launch of your new tools and the next contest. As always drop us a line and tell us what you think :)
May the Wiki-force be with you!
Rob & the Flixster Wiki Team
