Marketing your own work may seem uncreative, tedious, and time-consuming, yet, for professionals it is necessary.
For some artists, an online world, and social media, in particular, present a world where they feel comfortable, for others, this social environment may seem a mysterious, yet unexplored place. These are the 5 ways in which many artists are utilizing social media in the wrong way.
#1 Blogs and social media go hand in hand if you wish to have the most of the online presence
Is the “about me” paragraph really about you? Today, a blog is your resume. It is your virtual house, your home, where your private and professional lives are integrated, which most of the artist can relate to. Moreover, blogging is one of the best ways to be found by search engines, and it is necessary when it comes to building your fan base and showing behind the scenes of your creative work, or process.
The “About me” pages on social media cannot truly define who you are. However, social media is there to introduce you better and to help you meet your fans and followers.
Sharing your posts on social media is how you tell a story about yourself and how you inform your audience about your creative work.
#2 Generating the same posts on different platforms will not give fruitful results
Although social media have many things in common, the world of social media differs. A successful social media strategy includes posting diverse and engaging content; however, when posting the same content, it should not be in the same way and with the same approach.
We know Twitter is focused on now, so sharing your story on how you got inspired by you latest sculpture or movie, will not be as successful as posting a picture of your finished work with a 140-character explanation of what inspired you.
On the other hand, posting a picture of the landscape you are going to use in your next movie, for instance, is also a great option for a Twitter post. Sharing your story on Facebook is probably a better idea.
Although most people are active on all major social media, they still may prefer one to another; whether due to communication channels or engagement levels. Different platforms can reach different audiences. Before you start sharing posts on social media, you need to spend some time thinking about your audience on those networks.
#3 Get involved in your community and engage with your audience
It may seem that numbers are important, and although they are, surely not as important as the content you share, and the accent goes on quality. If you are tweeting promotional material 20 times a day, you will not go far in engaging your audience. For an artist, the community is everything.
The first step in engaging with your community and audience is on a personal level. People seek art that they can relate to, and the same goes for the artist. So, in order to get to know you better, tell your audience a personal story or an anecdote, because people remember stories as well. Tell them if you had doubts about your talent, or fears, how happy you were when your story was published, or when your movie was shortlisted. People want to see a human in an artist, not just some talented person who is selling his or her artwork.
Use social media to show your talent; do not just talk about it.
Engaging an audience is not only important, it is necessary if you want to set yourself apart from other artists. If you show your fans how a piece is made, or the location of your next movie, or photography shooting, it will help them feel as a part of the creative process. With Hangouts, group chats, or live streaming, today, the artist can engage an audience in various ways.
As you already know, good artists copy but great artists steal, so do not be afraid to see how others are engaging an audience, you may find inspiration in their approach.
#4 Think of LinkedIn as professional networking and about your professional development
LinkedIn is a network dedicated to business and professionals, and it is good to have a professional network. When people are focused on professional networking, they are also focused on building carriers, doing their jobs better, increasing their professional network, success, or brand building. People also invest time in LinkedIn because they have a specific purpose to either improve themselves or improve their brand.
The posts on professional networks are also different, often focused on career improvement or brand updates. When you build your professional profile, join groups of like-minded artists where you can promote your work, public appearances, shows, or events.
#5 Opt to be effective on one or two platforms, rather than ineffective on all of them
Many artists do not have a marketing team that will effectively monitor posts and updates on social media. Artists are, most of the time, their own marketing team. Although it is great to be active on all major social networks, if you, however, do not have the time, focus on those networks that suit you the best and make the most effective strategy on those particular networks.
Social media is an important part of every marketing strategy. Think how you can use it.
