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sunfire
Joined: 01 Mar 2008
Posts: 1430
Location: Toodyay
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 Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 9:17 pm Post subject: Re - Social Networking Sites |
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Thats great Jasmine, I had a look at your page, lovely work.
I have also been thinking about one for ages, but haven't been quite sure how to go about it, so I have learnt a lot from this thread also, now I just have to decide. yes/no/yes/no hmmm. |
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AvG
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
Posts: 1912
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 8:00 am Post subject: Re: Social Networking Sites |
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| Chrissy Dwyer wrote: | .....It seems like there are so many options out there now, that we are using multiple services (especially the free ones) to get our art out there and seen by more people.
As this is becoming a trend, I wonder if it is worth having two or more sites that do relatively the same thing, ie Your own website and something like facebook. As it would be doubling up on everything of your time and effort to keep these things updated etc..... |
Hi Chrissy Apologies I haven't commented earlier.
Yes I do have a facebook page and a website. I used to have a number of free portfolios across different sites but I found it difficult to maintain control, particularly as my career developed and I wanted to present myself differently so I have removed myself from some (and am still trying to remove myself from others!)
Many 'free artist portfolios' have decent traffic but only of the people who have their own sites on the portal who are checking it out or people who want to sell their services. I have had plenty of offers to show here ther and everywhere, or be in this book or that book providing I spend $$$$ but not much in the way of sales, increase to my mailing list or anything else. In other words I find I am marketed to by being on these sites not marketing myself.
I think one or two different sites that do different things can be very beneficial but I think once you get into a whole slew of sites there is little benefit.
I use two sites.
My website is my main 'professional' site, it is updated when there is a new body of work, new CV entries and upcoming exhibitions. I get reasonable traffic on it and have had good feedback from galleries. But it is very one sided and this is where I have found facebook to be very useful. It is still early days but I am finding people are willing to interact - whether that's to make a comment, or simply click that they like this picture or that picture. I can be a bit more immediate with it and know that people are checking in everyday. It's a bit of a hodge podge of news, links, new work- including works that may not make it to the website since I like to keep that somewhat streamlined - and anything else that interests me at the time.
Probably the singe main benefit to facebook is that there is a huge immediate audience and people who like your work can suggest your page to their friends and so on, so it is very effective at introducing your work to new audiences - far more than a 'join my mailing list' link on a website will ever be.
I have copyright info and am trying to remember to upload not just low res images but small enough images. My facebook pages is open to everybody but I keep my own personal profile quite private.
Hope that helps with your information gathering |
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AvG
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
Posts: 1912
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 8:40 am Post subject: Re - Social Networking Sites |
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Actually I just remembered I also have an Artabase profile which I just update for each major exhibition.
An Absolutearts one I have left lingering because I have had it for so long now I haven't quite been ab;e to part with it (but I will next time any fees are payable)
And I have one on Brushspace which is utterly useless.
And a Saatchi Online profile...ditto.
Think I will spend a bit of time removing the extra ones |
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Chrissy D
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
Posts: 1053
Location: Queensland
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Jade
Joined: 04 Oct 2007
Posts: 536
Location: Mornington Peninsula
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| Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 2:55 am Post subject: Re - Social Networking Sites |
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| Love your studio pics! |
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missyq
Joined: 25 Dec 2008
Posts: 50
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| Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 9:43 pm Post subject: Re - Social Networking Sites |
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| Social networking websites like facebook could be quite addictive and tend to waste a lot of your time.i am off face book since quite some time.i have now more time in hand to be more productive in my job. |
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sunfire
Joined: 01 Mar 2008
Posts: 1430
Location: Toodyay
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marri
Joined: 28 Aug 2009
Posts: 267
Location: Western Australia
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| Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 7:05 am Post subject: Re - Social Networking Sites |
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| I find that I get bogged down in lots of comments in Facebook. The more your network develops the more there are. I think you need to post images regularly and often otherwise your stuff gets buried really quickly in avalanches of unrelated comments. I don't knock paintings out quickly enough (curse you work!!). |
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missyq
Joined: 25 Dec 2008
Posts: 50
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| Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 8:39 pm Post subject: Re - Social Networking Sites |
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| I think professional social networking websites like linked in are a lot better than your regular facebook,myspace and all. you end up making better professional contacts there,which is more beneficial. |
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AvG
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
Posts: 1912
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| Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 6:30 am Post subject: Re - Social Networking Sites |
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Missyq, I think it depends on what you want to use it for. I have had a Linked In profile for years (mostly for my previous 'day job' occupation but also increasingly as an artist). I don't find it terribly useful. Occassionally a discussion comment will be interesting but I haven't learnt much or made any contacts of note. And the groups seem to lean very heavily to US based artists, and some galleries that just aren't of interest to me.
On the other hand my facebook page has 'fans' who are gallery owners, artists in galleries that I would like to be in, previous buyers, potential future buyers and just public who want to look and who may/may not mention me to other people, especially when I have an exhibition near them. ..... in other words an 'audience'
Also you might see that on LinkedIn latey there has been a lot of discussion on the usefulness of social networking sites like Facebook so I don't think they are mutually exclusive in any way. But you are right anything that takes time away form making the work needs to be managed. Too often people get carried away with the networking/ marketing/promotion etc. and forget that it is all about the work you make.
Marri, I find it useful to make it a bit more interactive so it isn't just about posting up image after image (I too don't paint nearly enough as I am still juggling 'mum at home' to a little boy who doesn't sleep nearly enough... anyway, I digress). I have included pretty much any news I can think of, posts on favourite suppliers, competitions, asking people for their opinions on things....am still trying to think of other interesting / interactive posts without turning it into a forum.
Most helpful for me is having a backlog of work I can draw on. To be honest I would not have created a facebook page without already having that, and even so I was still worried when I forst created the page that I would find enough to talk about, but it seems to have turned out OK (so far, so good). |
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thecatsgrin
Joined: 18 Apr 2009
Posts: 2181
Location: Gippsland
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| Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 4:32 pm Post subject: Re - Social Networking Sites |
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Amanda, I think your page is great...
I have seen some really good pages, that are interesting and well maintained and yours is certainly among them!
The content is interesting, and not rammed down your throat 8 times a day!! 
I agree also ... Linked in really hasnt worked for me... I am though considering linking my blog to my Face book profile, and giving it another try...
Who knows what thing will resonate the best with the audience without trying it all out first!
I am still having a blast with my page... and I have found the give aways only boost numbers a small amount now... the growth is a steady trickle most days, still with more than 75% interest from the U.S. |
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sunfire
Joined: 01 Mar 2008
Posts: 1430
Location: Toodyay
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| Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 10:06 pm Post subject: Re - Social Networking Sites |
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| Amanda, some really interesting points there, thanks. I also am not a prolific painter, & have wondered for quite a while if a facebook page would work, also I have a problem of just not knowing what too say, so I just decided to jump in & give it a try. |
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Chrissy D
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
Posts: 1053
Location: Queensland
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 10:23 pm Post subject: Re - Social Networking Sites |
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Well...I am becoming addicted...add me to your RedBubble list too!
http://www.redbubble.com/people/ChrissyDwyer
yes these sites are taking up alot of time for me, but that is because I am now establishing a few at once, and trying to network them at the same time too. My FB art page I try to comment once a week in the status. And No I am not pumping them out either. (Well I kinda am for my exhibition but I didn't want to upload to FB as I want people to come to the launch). I though I might just add snippets of the pics???
But thats the thing about these FREE sites, everyone is on them which is great! But it is about marketing yourself, and people aren't just going to stumble upon your website unless you make it know, now for some, they will pay for an ad [now what emerging artist would do that?]. 
For me, I am giving anything a go to help boost my profile and traffic to my website and hopefully buyers will follow. If not buyers of my original paintings, maybe even if I sell my new products of prints and cards through RedBubble, something ($$$) is better than nothing  |
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AvG
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
Posts: 1912
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| Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 7:23 am Post subject: Re: Re - Social Networking Sites |
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| Chrissy Dwyer wrote: | | My FB art page I try to comment once a week in the status. And No I am not pumping them out either. (Well I kinda am for my exhibition but I didn't want to upload to FB as I want people to come to the launch). I though I might just add snippets of the pics??? |
Chrissy I would absolutely load some complete images onto FB.
Not everyone will want to come to your launch, or due to distance be able to go.
Images are not the same as finished paintings in real life, but they do let people know the 'flavour' of what will be offered and they are more likely, rather than less likely to go along if they have seen images they like and are able to go.
Plus if they can't go but they like your images, they may refer your exhibition and/or page onto other friends, or keep checking back into your page, or both.
I am finding people tend to interact more with the page, rather than less, if I add images. And their interest in seeing the work in real life seems to be enhanced rather than diminished.
To me a facebook page without complete images is akin to having invitgations or ads that are only text.
Personally I don't think snippets is a useful compromise (only showing cropped snippets makes me wonder about the artist's confidence in the work). Instead for a compromise I'd load some images intended for the show but not all of them, and when the show is over load more up. |
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thecatsgrin
Joined: 18 Apr 2009
Posts: 2181
Location: Gippsland
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| Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 8:49 pm Post subject: Re - Social Networking Sites |
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I agree with Amanda here, having images on my page has made it interesting... people are still impressed when seeing the real thing... Jo.. and Lyn... you have seen my work in person... it was better (I hope) in real life!!
If copying of images is your fear...make the resolution smaller...but not small enough your eyes hurt!!
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