While Twitter makes socializing with art collectors and licensing partners a breeze, there are a few things you should know when it comes to tweeting. So today, we’re going to take a look at 6 things you should take into consideration before you send out your next tweet.
1. Protect your art
Serena Ehrlich, Director of Marketing for Mogreet, says “While artists should be using social media to help increase their presence online, they should be protecting their art at the same time. . . they should never, ever tweet an image without a watermark.”
“For many artists,” Serena continues, “social media has made art theft a real possibility. Rather than buying artwork, people can search for what they want, download the image, use electronic frames, and print real art, for free.”
2. Never lie
Kathryn Vercillo, author of Crochet Saved My Life, believes it’s important to always be truthful when engaging in conversation with your fans, art collectors, and licensing partners.
“Although it may seem obvious,” says Kathryn, “I think that the most important thing for an artist to remember when being active on Twitter is to never, ever lie about anything.”
It’s important to remember that “you are putting information out there that can be repeated by others and checked for accuracy. . . putting out lies can really come back to haunt you and ruin your reputation.”
Finally, Kathryn says, “Artists should remember that Twitter helps represent their brand as an artist. They should ask themselves what they want to present to the world and keep their tweets in line with that message while always being authentic and honest.”
3. Avoid sharing your political views
Patti Johnson, Chief Ambassador for the number one interior design chat on Twitter, and owner of Patti Johnson Interiors, believes the number one thing you should never tweet about is politics.
“Everyone has an opinion and everyone is entitled to it,” says Patti. “But not when tweeting from an account that represents your business. . .”
“Designers who wish to be political should open a second account and keep their political preferences separate from their business account. You are on Twitter to promote your business and tweeting or re-tweeting political expressions are guaranteed to be offensive to 50% of the people observing.”
4. Choose your words carefully
Patti also says to remember that “every tweet—even the ones you’ve deleted—go into the Library of Congress as they are part of the airwaves. They never, ever go away.” So think before you tweet!
Professional Voice Actor, MercedesRose.com, agrees that choosing what you say, and what you don’t say on Twitter is very important.
“Tweeting about an audition/hold/booking without permission” isn’t smart, says Mercedes. “I know too many actors and voice artists that have lost a gig (some even after recording) because they spilled the beans! Err on the side of being mysterious!”
5. Don’t trash talk
Steph Calvert, graphic designer for Hearts And Laserbeams, wants to remind artists to “stick to the high road” by remembering “the old adage: ‘if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.'”
“You want to come across as a creative professional on social media, and you’ll never be perceived that way if you’re trash talking other artists and designers,” says Steph.
If you must criticize, Steph suggests that you “avoid sounding like the next snarky Simon Cowell by keeping criticisms in the constructive realm. Offer something you like along with something you may have done differently.”
Freelance Voice Actor, Paul Hawkins, agrees. You should also “never speak badly about a gig or employers, even if it was a horrible experience. It looks bad and may harm your chance for future work.”
6. Don’t respond to bad reviews
Christina Steinorth, Licensed Psychotherapist and author of Cue Cards for Life: Thoughtful Tips for Better Relationships says, “the one thing an artist should NEVER do on Twitter is respond to a bad review.”
“The worst thing you can do as an artist is be defensive. It makes you seem insecure and as though you can’t handle criticism. If you get a bad review, just ignore it. Accept the fact that not everyone is going to be a fan of your work and move on.”
In many ways, Twitter is a lot like real life—and thinking before you Tweet is just as valuable advice as thinking before you speak. By following these six tips above, you’re sure to find Twitter a fun and rewarding place to be!
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