Social Media As a Creative Strategy
In Your Marketing Plan [Part I ]
by Rebecca Shapiro
www.rebeccashapiroart.com Social Media is a hot topic these days. It seems like everyone is talking about the latest and greatest tools for connecting to people on the internet.
Before we get into the why and how of Social Media, let's look at the difference between Social Media and Social Networking. Social Networking is a collection of online sites, groups of people with similar interests, who are being social, interacting, relating and sharing information. Social Media is the means by which that information is shared, the tools that allow us to do our social networking.
Just like any other small business entrepreneur, artists should consider Social Media as part of their marketing plan. It's become very clear that people these days are seeking connection, meaning and value. What a great time to be an artist! We know how to do that. We offer connection, meaning and value when we create a piece of art. Now, let's port that over into your marketing strategy.
What are the benefits of Social Media:
Low cost DIY. It does cost your time which is valuable so approach it wisely. After all, we need time to create art. But, it costs a lot of money to purchase advertising and Social Media let's you do this for free.
Increases traffic to your website and/or blog. Your website/blog is exposed to huge groups of people quickly through social media. Most artists can't afford to purchase enough advertising to reach that large of an audience to see your work.
People who are drawn to your message will visit your site and recommend it to others. This is known as viral marketing and it's priceless! People are using word of mouth marketing on your behalf to talk about what you're doing. It spreads quickly and with credibility because people keep passing it along with their stamp of approval.
It's complimentary. Once you have set up your social networking profiles and have a plan for why and what you're going to share, you can use the social media tools to cross promote your efforts across social networks. For example, I use twitter but also have an application set up on Facebook so my tweets update my profile there. You can also use services like
www.ping.fm to post to all your social networks.
Positions you as an expert in your field, medium or discipline because you are out there talking and sharing. People like to follow and learn from people who are willing to share. I can't stress this enough. Expertise and sharing are key to your marketing success.
Gives you the opportunity to easily educate people about your process and passion. Again, people like to follow people who share.
Increases opportunities from media exposure to teaching gigs. Within two months of using twitter I have been published on numerous highly trafficked blogs and interviewed in some high profile newsletters and blog radio shows simply because I was networking, sharing and creating conversation about my art. I now also have a monthly segment on AMNW, a local morning TV show, where I share earth friendly and economical crafts.
Allows you to promote your work, workshops, books or lectures you may be teaching. I use Facebook, twitter,
www.twitwall.com and
www.twitpic.com to announce workshops, events and other relevant information about my art.
Allows you to build your following whether they are admirers, collectors, curators, galleries, museums or other artists. I have been able to develop personal relationships with gallerists and museums through social media and have conversations that would otherwise be unavailable.
Allows you to find partners and spread your message. Write one article and then spread it around. I recently posted a Valentine's project on twitter and offered the article to several highly trafficked blogs. My name and project instantly came up in google alerts (
http://www.google.com/alerts) and I enjoyed relationship building, sharing, increased credibility and traffic.
To start preparing for Part II: Choosing Social Media Tools!
Start with this ( this is catered to the artist, but can be easily adapted for all business marketing strategies):
First thing you should do is create a profile that can be edited and used across the Social Networks you want to use. Get a sheet of paper and brainstorm the following:
Describe your personality (introvert, intensive, social, connector, etc).
Describe your art form (style, medium, subject, etc).
Describe your secret sauce - what makes you special and different from someone else who is creating similar art (paint with your toes, use a certain kind of equipment, special technique, etc).
Describe what motivates you as an artist (personal story, passions, inspiration).
Write down who you want to connect with (collectors, curators, museums, artists, collaborators, press, bloggers, media).
Write down what interests you and influences your art (gardening, community, travel, etc).
What kinds of music, books, movies, TV shows & people inspire you?
What are you afraid of when it comes to marketing yourself, the internet and social networking? I'm not recommending that you share this information but it's good to know and see where fear might stop you from being a more successful artist. Some artists I know are afraid of being out in front of the public. Others are afraid of being transparent. Others are afraid their art will be stolen off the internet. Believe it or not, all of these fears have an answer that to address the fear. But, you have to know what you're fearful of first before you make progress.
The next step will be to choose a social media tool....
