Jan 10

Jan 10 Using Social Media as Part of your Artistic Journey

Episode 13: Using Social Media…

Social media can be a huge benefit to any creative person wanting to promote what they do, but it needs to be used intelligently and it should be the artist using it as a tool, rather than being an end in itself. In this Podcast Laura and Peter talk about their own experiences with Social Media and how it has helped them to further their careers and businesses.

In this episode Laura and Peter reveal how they’ve become fluent users of social media despite their almost total lack of computing skills, their busy artistic lives and their complete inability to pull a decent selfie pout.

In this episode…

1. There’s no need to be a technology expert to use social media, but you must commit to posting regularly to grow an audience. Laura and Peter aim to post daily with Laura posting as she goes and Peter scheduling his posting.

2. Cherry pick your platform to suit your work, your technology and your audience. Better to limit yourself to a couple of platforms where you can add content consistently than spread yourself too wide and only post sporadically.

3. Separate the personal from your art. There’s a lot to be gained from a carefully curated insight into your life as part of your ‘brand’ as an artist, but keep it professional and engaging. Laura’s husband Ben appears as The Talented Mr B on her social media and has become something of a celeb in this guise.

4. Social media is all about the visual so keep writing to a minimum. Photos of your work are great, but photos of you at work and progress shots are a game changer. The latter two will fill out and enrich your profile and showcase your skills. Stop worrying about how you look; leave that to the Kardashians and focus on the benefits the photos will bring.

5. Be a sharer. You don’t have to give away all your secrets, but the more you share, the more people will engage. Respond to comments and be generous in sharing and commenting on the work of fellow artists. The more pro-active you are, the wider your reach and the better you will be able to grow a supportive network of fellow artists and engaged followers.

6. Don’t lose your temper on social media. Take time out before you hit the keyboard and keep it calm and professional. Just think of all the celebrities out there wishing they’d remembered to do the same.