Social Scapes

The face of marketing is changing and it’s changing fast. With today’s changing technology it is difficult to keep up with all the new online social trends. And with all the social networking applications available, which do we choose to help us market our product? I think using any medium of getting your message across is worth trying. If you’re an artist or writer, or selling a product, you can use any or all of the social media tools available.

How to use them is the key. You don’t want to push your business in their face. The social networking scene is just that, a “social” scene. And if you use it in a way that’s unobtrusive, you will reap the benefits of the technology out there. Years ago, if you had a product to sell or service to offer, the first thing you would do is tell your family and friends all about it. So if you had an art exhibit at a gallery, wouldn’t you tell everyone you knew about it? Of course you would.

In a social networking environment such as Twitter or Facebook, you’re sharing your life with people and giving them a glympse of your world. There’s no need to start selling them something. Just sharing information such as family photos, holidays, and what’s going on in your life is the best way to build a rapport. Adding links to your webpage or a blog is a important step that will attract visitors.

Let’s say for instance, you have an artist statement located on your webpage or you’re speaking at a gallery. You can easily mention your work without putting on a “hard sell”. Talk about who and what inspires you and when you first recognised your talent. You’ll want to share your journey and experiences and what you’ve developed along the way. Convey the dedication you have for your craft and create a story that will tempt people to really take a look at your creations. If you create excitement they’ll feel it and their interest will be piqued. Bear in mind, you’re not pitching, you’re sharing your craft and this will create a word-of-mouth marketing. Have business cards handy with your webpage URL on it.

Your blog should be linked to your website. Blogging can build up your business considerably. Potential clients are out there and you can gain their loyalty using your blog. It doesn’t matter if you’re a CEO of a big corporation or solely selling your paintings from home, blogging can transport your business into a whole new realm. The point of blogging is similar to what you’re doing on Facebook and other social networks, but your blog can be much more direct and give a clear picture of what you’re all about. Your conversations on your blog are open to the world. Think of it as if you were attending a cocktail function, sitting with a group of people having a conversation about your favourite wine. Across the room, another group is having a conversation about the art world. Since your gallery exhibit is opening shortly…you mosey on over, include yourself in the chat and innocently mention your exhibit.

The bottom line here is, you’re creating, building, and developing relationships. And isn’t that the ultimate goal of marketing?