Making The Most Of Online Resources

Making the Most of Online Making the Most of Online ResourcesResources

A Primer forA Primer for

Professional ArtistsProfessional Artists

Roundtable OverviewRoundtable Overview There are many resources available on the There are many resources available on the

Internet that can help you increase exposure Internet that can help you increase exposure and communication with collectors, galleries and and communication with collectors, galleries and prospective students. prospective students.

Venues such as e-mail marketing campaigns, Venues such as e-mail marketing campaigns, blogs, social networks, video/presentation sites blogs, social networks, video/presentation sites and others will be discussed in detail in the and others will be discussed in detail in the context of marketing your work. context of marketing your work.

This roundtable will provide the information you This roundtable will provide the information you need to decide which of these resources is right need to decide which of these resources is right for you in order to maximize exposure and for you in order to maximize exposure and communication with your target audience.communication with your target audience.

Beyond the Web Site…Beyond the Web Site… Your first venture into online communications Your first venture into online communications

likely will be your web sitelikely will be your web site But if you build it, will they come?But if you build it, will they come? There are other tools and venues that will There are other tools and venues that will

increase your exposure and expand your reach:increase your exposure and expand your reach:

BlogsBlogs E-mail marketing campaignsE-mail marketing campaigns Social Networking sitesSocial Networking sites Discussion Forums / Bulletin BoardsDiscussion Forums / Bulletin Boards Slide and Video sharing sitesSlide and Video sharing sites

BlogsBlogs

A blog (or Web log) is A blog (or Web log) is often used as an online often used as an online journal or method of journal or method of ongoing communicationongoing communication

Articles, announcements, Articles, announcements, tips, presentations, tips, presentations, support materials, support materials, instructioninstruction

Encourages interaction Encourages interaction and discussion with the and discussion with the audienceaudience

BlogsBlogs Features:Features:

FREE!FREE! Easy to set up, no web Easy to set up, no web

design experience neededdesign experience needed Audience can easily Audience can easily

subscribe to postssubscribe to posts ““Tags” draw traffic to your Tags” draw traffic to your

site as well as automatic site as well as automatic traffic generation from new traffic generation from new postsposts

Track visits, stats easilyTrack visits, stats easily Provides real time access Provides real time access

to your news, events and to your news, events and new worknew work

Comments can be Comments can be moderatedmoderated

Things to keep in mind:Things to keep in mind: Updating required, Updating required,

bloggers sometimes lose bloggers sometimes lose interest in their blogs and interest in their blogs and stop posting regularly, this stop posting regularly, this significantly reduces repeat significantly reduces repeat traffic from subscriberstraffic from subscribers

Make sure content is Make sure content is relevant, fresh and relevant, fresh and informativeinformative

Keep posts brief, you are Keep posts brief, you are writing an article, not a writing an article, not a novelnovel

Use images whenever Use images whenever possible!!!possible!!!

BlogsBlogs

Resources:Resources: www.wordpress.comwww.wordpress.com www.blogspot.comwww.blogspot.com www.blogger.comwww.blogger.com

Art Blog listings (links to other art blogs):Art Blog listings (links to other art blogs): www.artblogs4u.comwww.artblogs4u.com www.artbloggin.comwww.artbloggin.com

E-mail Marketing CampaignsE-mail Marketing Campaigns Announcements, Announcements,

newsletters, invitations newsletters, invitations sent via email instead of sent via email instead of regular mailregular mail

Administered by third Administered by third party email serviceparty email service

Service provides Service provides database maintenance, database maintenance, opt out capabilities, opt out capabilities, reports and trackingreports and tracking

Keeps your name in front Keeps your name in front of your target audienceof your target audience

E-mail Marketing CampaignsE-mail Marketing Campaigns

Features:Features: Low cost (typically under Low cost (typically under

$150 per year for 500 $150 per year for 500 contacts)contacts)

Easy to set up, no web Easy to set up, no web design experience neededdesign experience needed

Audience can easily Audience can easily subscribe (or unsubscribe) subscribe (or unsubscribe) to e-mailsto e-mails

Track mail opened, bounce Track mail opened, bounce backs, and other stats backs, and other stats easilyeasily

Things to keep in mind:Things to keep in mind: Need to be careful about Need to be careful about

frequency of mailings – do frequency of mailings – do not go overboard or you not go overboard or you will be perceived as a will be perceived as a Spammer!Spammer!

Keep your lists up to dateKeep your lists up to date Keep a back up copy of Keep a back up copy of

your contact database in your contact database in Excel, Outlook, or other Excel, Outlook, or other spreadsheet / mail format spreadsheet / mail format on your hard driveon your hard drive

E-mail Marketing CampaignsE-mail Marketing Campaigns

Resources:Resources: www.constantcontact.comwww.constantcontact.com www.patronmail.comwww.patronmail.com

Social Networking SitesSocial Networking Sites

Builds online Builds online exposure in a passive exposure in a passive wayway

Adjunctive to blog, Adjunctive to blog, web siteweb site

Youth-orientedYouth-oriented Some provide Some provide

opportunity to sell art opportunity to sell art onlineonline


Features:Features: Good for reaching a Good for reaching a

youthful audience: for youthful audience: for example, prospective example, prospective studentsstudents

Some allow you to sell Some allow you to sell your work online and your work online and will process will process transactions for youtransactions for you

Things to keep in Things to keep in mind:mind: Be careful how much Be careful how much

personal information personal information you share about you share about yourselfyourself

Don’t become a slave Don’t become a slave to postingto posting

Limited value unless Limited value unless you are at the you are at the emerging level in your emerging level in your careercareer


Resources:Resources: www.myspace.comwww.myspace.com www.facebook.comwww.facebook.com www.linkedin.comwww.linkedin.com www.selfportrait.netwww.selfportrait.net

Discussion Forums /Discussion Forums /Bulletin BoardsBulletin Boards

Announcements for Announcements for exhibits or classesexhibits or classes

Job resourcesJob resources Submission callsSubmission calls Gallery listingsGallery listings Art Supplies / Art Supplies /

Equipment for sale or Equipment for sale or purchasepurchase

Meeting other artistsMeeting other artists


Features:Features: FREEFREE Easy to useEasy to use Geographic and limited Geographic and limited

demographic targeting demographic targeting capabilitiescapabilities

Anonymous communication Anonymous communication capabilitiescapabilities

Give / receive critiques of your Give / receive critiques of your work and that of other artistswork and that of other artists

Things to keep in mind:Things to keep in mind: Be careful how much personal Be careful how much personal

information you share about information you share about yourself yourself

Don’t get into heated Don’t get into heated discussions with other discussions with other participants, they may be trollsparticipants, they may be trolls

Be careful if you engage in Be careful if you engage in online critiquing, especially if online critiquing, especially if you sell professionallyyou sell professionally

Limited graphics capabilitiesLimited graphics capabilities For sale items best limited to For sale items best limited to

art supplies and equipment, art supplies and equipment, not original artworknot original artwork


Resources:Resources: www.craigslist.comwww.craigslist.com www.etsy.com (more geared toward crafters www.etsy.com (more geared toward crafters

rather than fine artists)rather than fine artists) www.myartspace.comwww.myartspace.com

Slide & Video Sharing SitesSlide & Video Sharing Sites

Share portfolios and Share portfolios and presentations of your presentations of your workwork

Gallery proposals and Gallery proposals and communicationcommunication

Student handouts & Student handouts & demonstrationsdemonstrations


Features:Features: FREEFREE Easy to useEasy to use Adjunctive exposureAdjunctive exposure Interactive, multi-media Interactive, multi-media

capabilities, slidecasts, etc.capabilities, slidecasts, etc. Great for instructors: Great for instructors:

classroom handouts and classroom handouts and demosdemos

Things to keep in mind:Things to keep in mind: Some proficiency with Some proficiency with

Power Point or video Power Point or video editing capabilities requiredediting capabilities required

Be sure to put copy right Be sure to put copy right symbols on your materials symbols on your materials and artworkand artwork

Don’t over-package Don’t over-package materials, less is more materials, less is more approach often works bestapproach often works best


Resources:Resources: www.slideshare.netwww.slideshare.net www.youtube.comwww.youtube.com

SummarySummary

There are many resources available There are many resources available You need to develop a plan that profiles your You need to develop a plan that profiles your

target audience and your goals: whom do you target audience and your goals: whom do you want to reach and what do you want to say to want to reach and what do you want to say to them?them?

Use the information provided to match your Use the information provided to match your needs to the resources availableneeds to the resources available

You don’t have to use everything that is out You don’t have to use everything that is out there—pick and choose carefully to maximize there—pick and choose carefully to maximize exposure and productivity!exposure and productivity!

Technology

Making The Most Of Online Resources