#Pinning with @SocialSprite & @NWCreativeUnion

Using Pinterest to Market Your Artwork

Last week I gave you some ideas on how to protect your images online so you could start using Pinterest to get your work out there. If you missed the basics check out this article.

This week I’ll give you some ideas on how to market your work.

Create one or more boards for your work. This may seem obvious, but I saw an artist online say that he hadn’t done that yet…he was having too much fun exploring other artists’ work. What kinds of boards you create depends on your work. If you create in various mediums you’ll want to create a board for each medium. If you have various styles you might want to create a board for each style. Break it up in ways that seem appropriate to your work.

Create boards for your other interests. You’re a whole person with other interests. Share those with the world, too.

Interact with friends and make new ones. Though Pinterest is not Facebook or Twitter it is still social. “Like” other people’s pins. Repin their images if they would go great on one of your boards. Comment on their pins. Interact. Remember, marketing is not all about you. Engage others!

Create an “inspire” board. What inspires your work? Share those things on a board. People like to see how the artist works.

Create a “behind the scenes” board. People not only like to see what inspires an artist’s work, they like to see the work process. If your art entails an involved process perhaps you can map that out in images on a board. Create an experience.

Create a board that shows pictures of your work in the new owner’s home. This can show people how great your work could look in their home or office.

Don’t push sales. You don’t want to be pushy, but if you are out to sell your work it’s a good idea to do three things:

·         Add prices. By doing this your pin will show up in Pinterest’s “Gift” section which you can find at the top of the Pinterest website. This section lists gifts of varying prices and will help get you more visibility.

·         Write a good description. This will make your pin more searchable. You can add your website address here as well to help remind people to visit.

·         Make sure the pin of your work links back to your website. Every pin links back to its origin so pin from your website. This will make it easy for potential buyers to purchase your work.

For more information on what I do, please check out my New World Creative Union profile.

Networking with @SocialSprite & @NWCreativeUnion

Choose who you are before they do – Lessons from a modern day Sherlock Holmes

There are few television shows that have turned me into an avid fan, but a friend recently introduced me to the PBS Masterpiece Mystery show “Sherlock” and now I’m hooked.

One episode has this modern day Sherlock grab a hat on his way out of a theatre in order to hide from the press. The hat harkens to the original Sherlock Holmes. It’s a deerstalker. Well the press gets a shot of Sherlock in it and now everyone wants to see him in the “hat.” He hates it, but now it has become a part of his brand.

So be careful what you choose to wear, say, do online because people will grasp onto things you didn’t mean to do, say or wear. In other words know who you are and then show that to the world. I’m not saying be rigid or put yourself into a box, but know who you are so that when out there you convey that and not multiple, haphazard images.

Once your audience thinks they know who you are it’s very hard to change their minds. This is both good and bad.

The last episode of PBS’s Sherlock played with this idea. Once people started to believe a lie told about Sherlock there was no going back and his reputation was ruined. Mind you he didn’t help himself by being arrogant. People are fickle, but if you are your authentic self and personable I don’t think you have anything to worry about.

So ask yourself, “Who am I and what do I stand for? What’s my passion and what is my mission?” Do this because the world needs your voice, your vision.

Check out my New World Creative Union profile to connect and learn more about what I do.

Networking with @SocialSprite & @NWCreative Union

Words as images – Learn how to create your own jpeg quotes

Images are all the rage on most social media networks these days. Quotes in a jpeg file, also called quote tiles by some, get more action than straight status updates. Words on photos may be even better.

You can find such quote tiles to share on the social networks by doing a Google Image search for quotes. If you can’t find the quote you want you can create your own quote tiles.

If you have Photo Shop or a similar program you can get very creative. But if you don’t you can still join in the fun. These quote tiles can be created in Word and then converted to a jpeg via an online converter like Zamzar.

Words only quote tile

Open Word, click on Insert and pick a shape. I used the thought bubble.

Go to Page Layout, click on Margins and then on Custom Margins. Put all your margins to zero.

Now make your shape nearly as large as the page and put in your text.

You can also change the color of the page so it stands out.

Save your document in word and then save it as a PDF.

Now go to Zamzar and choose the PDF file you just made and convert it to a jpeg.

Zamzar will email you the link to where you can download your newly converted file.

Quote tile with image

Use your own images or free stock photos when creating these quote tiles.

Open Word, click on Insert and choose an image from your computer files.

As above change all your margins to zero.

Make the picture as large as the page.

Now go to Insert again and choose Text Box.

Click on Draw Text Box and you can then drag to make your text box any size.

Once you’ve sized your text box go to Format and do two things to make the box invisible - Under Shape Fill click on No Fill and under Shape Outline click No Outline.

From there add your words. You can choose color, style, effects, etc.

Complete process by following the same instructions listed above.

Your creations can be used as marketing tools as well. Words from your book or your artwork can be a part of the quote tile. Make sure you add, in small text near the bottom, your website.

I’d love to connect with you. Please visit my New World Creative Union profile to find out how.

@SocialSprites Social Media Tip of the Week ~11.06.12

LinkedIn is an important social network. It’s a place to know and be known by others in your particular field. People think of it as a place for business professionals, but it’s for any professional, poets, writers, artists.

A great way to network on LinkedIn is via Groups. If you don’t find a group whose focus jibes with yours, create your own.

A few things to remember when joining a LinkedIn group:

1. Complete your profile. This is your calling card. It is how others will get to know you. If you don’t have much on it or you don’t have a picture it will be hard for others to take you seriously.

2. Read and follow the group’s rules. To the right near the top you’ll see a link to the group’s rules. Be sure to read them.

3. Promoting your work. Take note that there is a Promotions tab on groups. This takes you to where you can promote your work. Most groups don’t like promotions added to the discussion board.

4. Get involved. In order to get something out of a group you need to put in the time, you need to contribute.

Here are some LinkedIn groups for artists:

Artist/Photography Buyers/Collectors/Curators

True Artist: living the art

Artist Marketing Resources

Here are some LinkedIn groups for writers and authors:

Authors, Writers, Publishers, Editors, & Writing Professionals...

Published Authors Network

Booksconnect - Authors, Agents, Rights and Publishing...

Poets

All of these social networks can be whatever you want them to be. Imagine then create it!

Visit Joanne's NWCU Profile to connect!

@SocialSprites Networking Tips of the Week ~ 28.05.12

It’s not what you know it’s who you know. At least that’s how the old saying goes, but is it true?

“A recent Social Market Foundation report, Disconnected, found that the biggest barrier for young adults from low-income backgrounds in accessing internships in the professions was not lack of pay, but lack of contacts in the sector they wanted to work in. Indeed, Professor Ronald Burt’s work reveals that those who sit between many different social networks tend to be the most successful.”

~ From Talesfromthelou’s Blog

As we can see from this, at least in some cases, it is who you know that matters. And some say in the social media world it’s not just who you know, but who knows you.

How do you get known? For starters, get to know others. Join groups like New World Creative Union, set up profiles on at least a couple of online social networks, know your focus and create content to share based on that, find like-minded people and talk to them, and be sure to share their work.

Many of you here live this so this is just a reminder. For anyone new I can tell you it works. Just ask anyone here.

Once you have a network, you and your work will get known by a wider audience. This is because those in your network will share your work with their networks both personal and professional. Those they share with may not be creators; they may be appreciators and even buyers.

If you are an old pro, but find that you’re floundering lately go back to the basics and refocus. What do you want to be known for? Keep it simple and focus on one thing for a while. Build your clout/Klout in that realm.

Now you’re ready to take the world by storm!

@SocialSprite's Tip of the Week ~14.05.12

Social Sprite’s Tip of the Week

As I discussed two weeks ago 30-40% of your total content is original and 60-70% of it will come from third party sources. What kind of content should you share?

What you share depends on your audience. I can’t stress enough how important it is to know your audience. Once you know who you are targeting you can generate some ideas on what to share. Here’s a list to get you thinking:

Tips

Trivia

Pictures

Music

Inspirational stories or quotes

Some of your favorite things

Timely stats relevant to audience

Take polls/surveys/ask questions

·         Use the Questions application on Facebook sparingly.

Invite guest authors on your blog

Interviews/Profiles on your blog

Create guides and other things to help educate your audience

Events

Direct visitors to articles on your website

Reward your fans

·         Recognize and interact with those who make an effort.

·         Give discounts, gifts, etc.

News

·         Share news about your organization or news about your industry. Don’t just post a link to a news article, read it and ask a question of your fans about their opinion and or offer your own insights.

·         Set up Google Alerts to help you find news stories about your industry or other topics of interest to your audience.

Join groups and forums to find out the latest in your industry

Read your RSS feed daily for ideas

Take cues from what you’re reading or watching at the moment

You can also optimize this content to be more easily found in searches:

·         To do this use keywords on your status posts and link shares.

·         Use Google’s Keyword Tool to help you find the best keywords.

Visit Joanne's profile to learn more about her and Social Sprite Media Services and how she can help you take your networking to the next level!

@SoulSprite 's Social Media Tip of the Week ~07.05.12

Social Sprite’s Social Media Tip of the Week

What you share on your social media platforms matters. When you share is a key factor in your success as well.

Last week I talked about finding that sweet spot, that balance between sharing your own material and things from a third party on your social media profiles. Studies came up with a 60-40 split, 60% third party and 40% original material.

This week I’ll share some ideas about when to share.

This great infographic by KISSmetrics gives you the best times to post on Facebook and Twitter based on a recent study. It looks at where the population is densest and that in turn gives you an idea of what time zones you might want to cater to. The findings also say that you can get a higher click through rate when you tweet between 1-4 times per hour. They also show that on Facebook the most sharing occurs on Saturday and that peak times of any day are a little after noon and after 7 p.m.

Be sure to check out the infographic for more great ideas, but you will need to take your particular audience into account. Facebook Insights are great for getting a handle on who is following your posts. But having some idea’s in general about your fans or followers will also help. Do they stay up late? Are they busy parents? What time zone are the majority of them likely to be in?

Having access to all this information can help you reach more people. Now try it out on your particular audience by setting up a schedule of times to post. After a week or two take note of your Facebook Insights or on Twitter how many RTs or follows you get. If you don’t like what you see reconfigure your times. Keep working on it. Soon you’ll find the best times to reach your audience.

Visit Joanne's profile to learn more about her and Social Sprite Media Services and how she can help you take your networking to the next level!

Social Sprite's Social Media Tips 23~04~23

Social Sprite’s Social Media Tip of the Week

The data is in!

About three weeks ago the 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report by Social Media Examiner came out. There are a few things I’d like you to take note of.

1. 85% of marketers said they had increased exposure even with a minimal time investment using social media.

2. 74% of participants in this study found they had an increase in traffic even with as little as six hours a week on social media.

3. For those using social media for at least a year, 65% found it useful in building loyal fan base. The more time invested did make a difference here. Those using social media six or more hours a week had better results opposed to those using it for five or less hours a week.

What these numbers tell you is that social media is a useful tool to get your name and product out there, to increase traffic and build your fan base.

Some of you may have already experienced these outcomes. If you haven’t then you may want to evaluate what you are doing.

Ask yourself these questions:

How much time am I spending each week on social media for my business, book, art…?

I’m spending more than six hours a week. Ask: How am I using those hours? (Really take a look at how those hours are spent. Keep a log for a week and track what you do. You may find your answers to why it isn’t working in that log.)

I’m spending less than six hours a week. Ask: Can I afford to spend more time? If not, can I get help?

If you’re spending too much time and it’s time you can’t afford to spend then you need to ask: What platforms am I using and do I need to use them all? (You may not need to be on every social media network. Find out where your fans live and do that one well.)

It’s a good idea to revisit your efforts every few months and use reports like this one every year to reevaluate your strategy.

Good luck! And if you have any questions just ask.

Visit Joanne's profile to learn more about her and Social Sprite Media Services and how she can help you take your networking to the next level!

Social Sprite's Social Media Tip of the Week! 16.04.12

Social Sprite’s Social Media Tip of the Week

Reciprocity

The definition of reciprocity on Wikipedia says, “The focus of reciprocity is centered more on trading favors than making a negotiation or a contract with another person.” It also mentions that, “Because there is a sense of future obligation with reciprocity it can help to develop and continue relationships with people.”

So if you want to spread the word about your work on the social media, spread the word about the work of your fellow creatives and partners. This is the model that is used here at New World Creative Union.

When you reciprocate you are also building relationships. This is an important part of social media marketing. Reciprocation and expressing who you are, sharing a little of your life goes a long way toward building bonds online.

Here’s one take on how you can put this into practice.

  Make a list of all the people whose work you enjoy.

ü  Follow them on the various social networks.

ü  Share and retweet their posts about their work.

ü  Mention that you like their work in your own posts. Tell them and your friends.

ü  Get creative in the ways that you share their work.

ü  Soon they’ll start sharing your work with their friends…thank them.

Social media is about reciprocity and not persuasion. Your friends share links to your work because they are passionate about it, but do not try to persuade anyone to like it, just to sample it. Your object is to get your work seen or experienced. Then, when it resonates, it should be easy to purchase.

Visit Joanne's profile to learn more about her and Social Sprite Media Services and how she can help you take your networking to the next level!

Joanne Elliott ~ @soulsprite

Joanne Elliott
Poet, Author, Social Media Services

I’m a poet and writer of fiction who occasionally does some online journalism. You can find my poetry and other musings online at my blog Orchards Windows Roses.

My mixed bag of tricks also includes Social Sprite Media Services, a company I started in March 2011. My mission is to support authors, artists and spiritual organizations because the world needs their message/vision.

The most important thing I do is study Science of Mind, Hermeticism, Shamanism, Druidry, & poetry healing to help create a better world.

Basically I'm your friendly neighborhood weaver of worlds, relationships and realities.

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Call or email me if you want to chat about, writing, creativity,

the meaning of life or your social media marketing.

562-945-2359 or jelliott@socialspritemediaservices.com