Many web users have at least heard of Flickr or used the site at some point to upload personal photos. However, there are also some key ways that Flickr can be used to build community and engage others in conversation around a specific topic just like any other social networking or content sharing tool.

Nonprofit social media guru Beth Kanter wrote an article for Techsoup about “How Nonprofits Can Get the Most out of Flickr” back in March. I really enjoyed Beth’s bottom-up approach, first addressing the basics and then providing more details about the critical importance of everything from descriptions and tags, categories and groups, to how to utilize creative commons licenses.

With tight budgets, nonprofits are frequently looking for ways to help increase awareness and action around their mission. Defining set objectives and embracing social media with a well-planned strategy can be key to helping work toward accomplishing that mission.

Hop over to the Nature Conservancy’s site for a prime example of how a nonprofit has utilized Flickr to build community through a photo contest. Over 8,000 members and 83,000 submissions posted on their Flickr group!

-Scott