Hi, all - Patch.com is a network of online news and information sites, owned by America On Line. There are about 1,000 Patch sites now, and each focuses on a specific town or city - or part of a city.
Patch is free to everyone, to read and to use for announcements and blogging. And it's very easy to use!
If you have an event in a town with a Patch site, go to the site, look in about the middle of the page and find "List an Event." Click on that, fill out the form, upload a piece of art and click Submit. There you go.
You can also post a blog on Patch, and this is a great way of marketing your event or simply marketing your work. Again, scroll down to about the middle of the page, click "Start a Blog," and you are off and running.
A blog post can be as simple as "Here's my newest work:" and then post a photo of your newest work, and of course, where it can be seen, what's the price, etc., or whatever info you want. It's really important to have art with everything - that helps the editor feature it.
A really smart thing to do is to plan and execute a regular blog that you post, say, on Mondays. In each blog, talk about some aspect of your work, or talk about a different piece you created, or a part of the creative process, or how a student would learn to do X, Y or Z - in other words, when you set out, have a plan that will result in a sustained presence for you and your work. Finish each blog post with a blurb saying: Your Name lives in Your Town where she creates Your Work. You can see more on Her Blog at address. For instance: Carrie Jacobson lives and paints in Wachapreague, VA. You can see more of her work at carriejacobson.blogspot.com. Email her at carrieBjacobson@gmail.com.
When you post the blog or event, a smart thing to do is to email the url to the editor - you'll find his or her name, photo and email address in the upper left-hand corner of the page - and ask him to please major-feature it.
That's also a great opportunity to ask the editor to do a feature on you and your work.
If there's no Patch in your town, or any nearby town, check for towns where you are doing shows, and post events and show-related blog posts there. And tell promoters to use Patch, too! It is FREE and it is easy, and in many places, it has HUGE readership.
I worked as an editor for Patch before leaving to make and sell my paintings.
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