A friend is using Pinterest in a unique way as a tool to facilitate conversation with commission clients. She "pins" a series of images that help her customers hone in on a particular concept, color, etc. For example, a customer says "purple." Well what does that mean? She posts twenty different images of purple and opens a discussion. You can go to http://pinterest.com/kimclayton1/all-shades-of-purple/ for a better example. Again, this can go back and forth. A customer can easily post images for direction and discussion with an artist. One more way social media might have an impact on your business and your finances.
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Ditto, Virginia. I like those ideas, Paul -- really solid and would be useful. Maybe instead of sleeping tonight I'll get on it ;) I'll let you know what happens.
Amen to all you said Carla.
PS...As long as you use Pinterest smart. It is a good tool. Don't pin sexiest men alive and you will have more time.
Ok...I try to "keep up" with art sites, social media/marketing but you really need a new life or to clone yourself to be able to keep up with so many sites and all that stuff. I have my Facebook art page, which helps me to be in contact with my clients and let them know about my events. Sometimes I just post what I'm working on, or I send a link of a paint listed on ETSY. Here comes the other one...ETSY. Trying to keep up with. I promised to myself that I was going to keep it more "shoppable" this year. I added prints, accessories that I make and I included my info in my new postcards. VISIT MY ETSY SHOP. I had couple sales here and there, so I will keep it going. I used to be in couple of those 125 sites in the article you mentioned Connie. The only problem is TIME. When am I supposed to paint if I'm marketing all day? Yes, winter has been easier because it's been so cold so I am happily "trapped" in my office/studio" so I better take advantage and market as much as I can. ANd PINTEREST.....Yes, Pinterest. Well...I use it to pin ideas that I like, colors, some crafts here and there, I actually admit that I have a board of the sexiest men alive. Why?? Why not? It just sucks more time of me that I don't have. I even had a board for "athletes that inspire me" where Lance Armstrong used to be, so I had to go back and find the guy to "unpin" him. That took me couple hours because I got side tracked pinning more useless information. Recipes that I will never cook but look great...I have them, BOOZE...Ideas to make great booze. Will never make them but they look so refreshing. And yes...One board of my paintings, another board of the accessories that I create. All of these have been pinned from my site or ETSY in case anybody is interested to purchase my work...or, copy it! Why not?? Anything you want to browse, it's there. People uses it to get ideas, like me. Not that I copy their work, but I will pin things like:bird art, Doodle art, coffee art, Random cool art, etc etc etc. And to tell you the truth...Once I pin it, I will never see it again. I wish I had time to go back and see what I pinned, but the point again is...TIME...Precious time. Who has it??
Berman Booth Shots, A bb for posting artwork for discussion, ie critique, friends of AFI personal pix, and most important...the gold mine, tips and tactic links to art commerce blogs?
Precisely, Paul. Virginia, I really limit my online time. When people say, "oh you can watch that movie on your computer", I'm not doing that. "Oh, I love to shop online" -- I'm not doing that -- computer is where I work, not play. I rarely have time to participate in other websites discussions. I visit FB rarely, but I have 2 FB pages where info gets spread automatically from this site (way cool, no work). Yet, I've learned to do bunches of things here - even use my (forced upon me) iPhone to take videos that I upload to YouTube. Not great videos, but what you going to do? You have to look at all the streams of possible income and weigh your time and options and what can be automated.
So, on the Pinterest topic, Paul. I will start a Pinterest page but what are you thinking I could put on it for starters?
Yeah, they even have business pages. I mean, Bayou City has a page to promote artists. So, if you are doing the show you can link to their page. Now then, all of your subscribers find your offerings at BC (think postcard mailing from your mailing list) and more importantly all of their subscribers find your offerings and find the bread crumbs back to your website! I realize all of this stuff seems overwhelming. Virginia, yeah, it can be a time suck. However, festivals are on the downside. That is a fact. We all have to figure out how to get as much "juice" out of selling as possible. Heck, you are looking at this page, so you are half way there. The question becomes, "what else?" I am attempting to throw up some options. As I tell people who come in my booth and question the price on a piece..."they are not for everybody." In this case, the internet isn't for everybody. But, ditto with galleries. My gallery sales are in the tank right now. Sooo, the idea is to look around.
Imagine ten or fifteen years ago when you had to make slides of your work. You had to buy film, have film processed then make duplicates. Today, we have access to creating video and posting it for no cost other than the imbedded cost of the equipment and isp service.
So, why not think about using it? Why not talk about it. I love the Banksy quote...
Paul and Connie, when I was forced last year by my college-aged niece to start a Pinterest page -- barely started, mind you, and I haven't been back since -- I seem to remember that the guidelines stated pretty firmly that Pinterest was not to be used for business reasons or to sell products. Is that still the case?
Arrr! Another site to get or not get involved in. Will it never end. I dare say not it will just go on and on as new sites keep coming on line. This is great if us humans don't need to sleep. Time is precious little as it is, do we really need more sites to spend our time in rather then interacting face to face with one another.
I can see Pinterest, if they gave groups a page but rummaging through all that info just is a time waster for me. Our small Marketing group here in Atlanta, has come up with some thoughts as to how much time is spent on the computer which does not foster sales results. One has to really choose what is important because their is so much art chatter on line.
When I was first forced to get into the computer world ( Galleries) I dubbed it "The Time Sucking Machine" It still is and getting worse. Really, How many friends can one have on Facebook and keep up with all of them and for that matter even know them. Some things I do for fun but the rest just causes stress. It is that new thing that has been spoken about in Fine Art Newsletter, The fear of "missing out". Well , we can't do it all and we only have so much energy. Just some thoughts I have on it all.
This is very interesting. I'll check out Pinterest for "Business" which might be a place to hold this info. It is on "my to do list".
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