Over the past three years, I’ve spent a lot of time talking about building your art blog. But what happens once you get your art blog looking the way you want it, and filled with content you believe your fans will enjoy?
In the old days, when you wanted to tell someone about your art or your gallery events, you’d write a letter and mail it to a list of people who provided you with their snail mail address.
You’d also mention your art shows during a small business gathering, you’d find a way to bring it into the conversation while visiting various online groups, forums, or message boards, and you’d essentially network with people who would not only be interested in your art, but have the money to purchase it.
Fast forward to today. . .
Today, there is social media. It pretty much works the same way as old-school networking but with one slight catch. . . you don’t have to leave your home, or art studio to do it!
• You meet people online: through blogs, social media platforms, and forums.
• You get to know those people by engaging in real conversation.
• You offer advice when asked, and you ask for advice in return.
• You casually mention who you are and where you can be found online, whenever the opportunity arises. . . but you don’t force it.
Sounds simple, right?
It can be. But you should also know a few things, like that:
• Social media is an ever growing, ever changing phenomenon that requires staying up-to-date on their latest changes so that you fully understand how these various platforms work.
• Social media requires a two-way conversation. You have to give of yourself in order to get something back in return. That means sharing little pieces of your life, or your business, that you might otherwise have felt were non-essential.
• Social media requires you to understand your target audience. . . Who are the people most likely to be interested in your art? What interests do your target audience have? What’s most important to them and how can you share information that meets those needs so that they’re more inclined to return to your art blog, to attend your events, and to purchase your art?
Taking the time to understand social media can drastically improve your chances of succeeding online, of growing your blog readership, and of improving your marketing efforts.
Are you up for the challenge?