Social media is a fundamental shift in the way we communicate. It’s not a fad, but many artists and galleries remain intimidated and confused by the idea of joining the social media revolution. Learn 5 ways to harness the power of social media and improve your art marketing.
1. Build your brand:
What is a brand? The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as: « A name, term, logo, symbol or design, or a combination thereof, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to distinguish them from other sellers. »
- Social media is the fastest way to build a brand for you and your art business.
- A solid brand image makes you stand out.
- A strong brand is priceless and conveys credibility to your potential customers and collectors.
- Use Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to build your brand by posting images of your art, tutorials and recent blog posts.
2. Networking:
- you are not alone! Being an artist is a solitary profession, but one that requires social networking.
- Reach beyond your niche art market and attract new clients.
- Get instant feedback or criticism on your latest painting or blog post.
- Learn from other artists and business leaders.
- Get inspired by others.
- Become more business savvy.
- Facebook is a great way to make “real connections” within my art niche. Twitter quickly and easily transcended the realm of art. I sell my art through Twitter.
3. Take the pulse:
- Artists are movers and shakers of the world and need to stay informed.
- Artists should follow new trends in design, decor, fashion, and technology and how it affects your art and sales.
- In this challenging economy, being a successful artist is not only about creating great art, but also about creating a strong business.
4. Marketing:
- If you don’t have a website, you’re invisible. A website is a must, a blog is even better.
- It’s time for artists to “think outside the box” with art marketing!
- SM is already changing the rules of the market.
- Use YouTube to share videos of your latest art tutorials or artwork. This builds brand awareness and increases traffic to your website or blog. YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world after Google!
5. Don’t be a dinosaur:
- Artists and galleries must continue to evolve to remain competitive. It’s clear that those artists and galleries that don’t join will likely go the print media route.
- Now is an era of natural selection and survival of the fittest.
- Even if you don’t understand it yet, jump in!
Source by Lori Mcnee