What is ThingLink?
ThingLink is a service that allows every image to become an experience through embedded videos, music, text, commerce, sound players, and social links. It also enables the user to share and purchase content right from the image, resulting in the ultimate branded image from companies which can be shared socially or even on your own blog or website.
ThingLink images has recently announced that it is now available on Facebook so that users may experience richer media and new brand experiences, as all content can be linked. For example, Giorgio Armani currently has a ThingLink image on their Facebook page, and when you click the bubbles, the content takes you to each piece of the model’s outfit so fans can purchase goods directly from the page. The downside, however, is that images are not automatically interactive – users must click a link which opens the image without changing the page, which is a feature we hope becomes more integrated into Facebook eventually.
How Does it Work?
When you sign up for a free account on their website, or through their Facebook page, you will be uploading images in no time, and they even offer a plug-in for the Google Chrome browser. Once you have chosen and uploaded an image, you can begin added content, or tags to it. You can also add links to almost every site (a list of sites can be found here). You can also comment on other people’s images and follow your favorite people, companies, and brands. All images are embeddable and shareable. They can be sent with a click to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and via e-mail.
How Do You Get It?
The easiest way to get ThingLink is to sign up on their web site, but you can also sign up through their Facebook page. If you go the Facebook route for sign-up there are a few steps you will need to complete. Once you are signed up though, you will be able to create and share new images right in Facebook.
- “Like” the ThingLink Facebook page.
- Click on the box that says, “Try ThingLink Now” (located right under the cover photo).
- You will either need to register or “sign in with Facebook.” If you sign in with Facebook, make sure you open the link to do that in a new tab/window or the content will not show up.
- Create a new image.
- Upload from your own hard drive, Facebook, or an image URL.
- Add “tags.” Tags are the media you will embed, such as, Facebook links, Twitter, web sites, or audio/visual media.
- Save the image. In this same window you will see the option to “share on your Timeline.” You can also make the image public or private, depending on your needs.
It sounds complicated, but once you go through the process the first time, it will be as easy as navigating your Facebook page. Again, once you are signed up with ThingLink, you can create new images within Facebook and you do not have to go to the web site, which offers added convenience for users who want to upload content quickly.
ThingLink is a great way to add multiple types of media to one image, in one post, to maximize the amount of impact you have with users in the least amount of space.
