Is your Social Net working, this is part 2, it follows you around wherever you go to be social. If it’s not working for you here are some great rules to follow.
There are some rules I try to follow:
* Be positive – if you have a bad day, don´t let others be bothered with that. You DO NOT HAVE to update your status every day.
* Be friendly – encourage others when they do something positive. Remember to greet them when they share something positive and say “happy birthday” when you can.
* Clean your site – remove “tags” on photos you do not like, remove negative comments if you do not want them, and so on
* Never – ever – overdo it. Be careful about how often you invite someone to (the same) exhibition. It is much better that your connections ASK you for updates, than being overflowed by it. Kristine Maudal
Social Media is not a fad and has in fact made a great impact on the ability of artists to network, share resources, get advice and make sales. As for Twitter, like anything else it is a tool to be used judiciously. I only follow other professionals in my field who have useful information and can direct me to relevant content.
It is true that outgoing people pick up social media pretty quickly. That is why they put me in charge of internet marketing and social media three years ago. I’ll talk to a telephone pole if it will stand still long enough. In the beginning I thought it would be laborious and time consuming, and it was for the first two weeks or so until I got the hang of what worked, who was a waste of time and where the smart people hung out. Now I spend two hours a day or less keeping up with and making new contacts, leaving comments, but remember, I am doing it for a company, not just for myself.
Social media, can absolutely have an impact on how to connect to the “average person who hasn’t a clue”. Blogging is one of the best ways I know to get information out to a broad audience. Buying original art online or otherwise isn’t the hip, hot thing to do but I guarantee you, if Oprah talked about it, encouraged it, or wrote about it in her magazine, the whole world would start buying art.
We can’t afford to be elitist about anything anymore. Do we want people to buy art or don’t we? WE have to be the educators, the communicators, the marketers and the advocates. In order to reach people we have to go where they are, and that is on the internet.
Social media is a way to determine your audience, generate interest, get valuable feedback, connect with other artists and professionals and get your work in front of millions of eyeballs.
Mary Lawler
I see the value in social networking, but my biggest problem is that there are only so many hours in my day. I believe in the whole concept, but it so much of a time investment. If your business IS social networking, then yes, this is great to be able to spend hours and hours talking about it. But if you’re a solo entrepreneur who has to create your own work and then manage all the other aspects of running a business, it gets very overwhelming!
I fit more into the introvert category; I force myself to go to networking events because I know I need to.
Debbie Viola
Social networking should be about creating relationships. That is hard to do when you are all over the social networking map. It takes time to cultivate relationships online. How do any of you create the time to devote to one forum, one Linkedin group, enough to create relationships which are meaningful enough to enhance your art related businesses?
Kirstie Bennett
When I first started learning about social media I thought it would be way too much of a time investment for nothing. At first, it was a time investment, many hours a day, but very soon it was pare down to about an hour a day sometimes more sometimes less. I am in control, if I want to chat with friends, read blogs and look at pictures I can. If I want to keep up with business connections and look for or create opportunities for artists, I can do that too.
The contacts I have made and the people I communicate with, could never have happened without Social Media. Gallery owners are coming to scout out emerging artists, artist members are getting their work seen on TV in independent coffeehouses in California. Decorators are looking for art for their projects. That could never have happened without my social media network.
It is an investment that can work for your business not just your “social” life.
Mary Lawler
This is the end for now..what comments do you want to add about your Social Net – is it working for you? Courteous comments welcomed.. If you like this article read this one Part 1
Follow me:
http://linkedin.com/in/MariLynHHarris http://twitter.com/heartatwork
