Getting more views on your creations

Velocity · Posted: 04/21/2008 6:50 AM Post subject:

I see a lot of people out there who make some really nice cannons, but really do not get the recognition that they deserve for it. Usually it is not because of a fault in the build; rather, it is a fault in the presentation of the build. Too often do I see a nice creation packaged in an ugly, unfriendly post. If you want people to see your work and appreciate it, using the following tips as help might be beneficial.

1.) Give the cannon a nice name. No one wants to see something called "My amazing cannon!" or "I finally finished it!", because that gives absolutely no description as to what the viewer will be seeing. Using a name that somehow relates to the cannon or some aspect of the cannon is always a good thing. It can be completely creative, like calling a BBMG "Hurricane", or it can be more descriptive, like calling a piston valved golf ball launcher "Piston-Valved GB Launcher". Just have some sort of a decent name.

2.) Add a little thumbnail image. When I scroll down the finished cannon section, I usually overlook the ones without a thumbnail attached, because I don't know what I will be looking at. A proper thumbnail that catches the eye can get you a lot of views, which turns into a lot of constructive criticism as well as complements.

3.) Use proper spelling and grammar. If you just spent time and money perfecting a work of art, don't disgrace it by writing "0iVi6 L00i< @7 ivi@ 5VV337 C4iiViiV0iiV!!!1!!!one!!!eleven!!!"

4.) Post plenty of clear pictures. If you have one picture of the barrel of the launcher, it won't attract anyone. Post a lot of pictures (a minimum of three) showing off your creation from all angles. And please, no cell phone pictures. It is understandable that you are excited to post your work on Spudfiles for the world to see; do it justice by having clear images.

5.) Videos can be good. If you have a video with good resolution, proper flow, good music, decent editing, well done damage shots, and informational content, it will get your creation many views. If you have an OK quality video that has a short clip of a single damage shot, include it; it will keep a few people entertained. If you took a video of your cannon charging to 10 PSI on your cellphone...leave it out.

6.) Provide the proper facts. Include basic information like chamber size, chamber volume, valve type, valve details, barrel diameter, barrel length, fuel used, pressure rating, ammo type, etc.

7.) Provide comprehensive explanations. If you have a special or detailed part on your creation, tell the people about it. Don't say "I built an automatic breech loader. It is good." Write a paragraph or two describing it's inner workings in detail.

8.) Include some stories if you have them. If anything funny happened while you built the cannon, collected parts, designed it, fired it, etc, write about it. It will make your post more complete.

9.) The post should be organized. Don't make your post one big chunk of text. Cut it up into more manageable pieces. One paragraph can be dedicated to the facts, another to special parts, another to stories, and so on.

10.) Have a balance of images in your post. When I make a post, I like to have one big picture at the top, and then hyperlinks to the rest of the images. This is not a good idea. People might just rush through your post and skip the hyperlinks. Have a good amount of full images on the page, and only hyperlink to certain images. Needless to say, all of the really good pictures should be viewable just by opening up the topic about your cannon; the ones which are less good can be hyperlinked.

11.) Post your cannon in the right section. Come on now...

These are just a few tips that should help you out. I know there are certainly more, but here are just a few that I think take away from 90% of the cannons posted here on Spudfiles. I certainly do not follow all of these guidelines; I recognize that. Hopefully by following some of these suggestions, your cannon will get the recognition it deserves. If you have any really good suggestions that you think I should add to the list, please tell me, and I'll consider it Cool

.