Carmelita Caruana on Pinterest

The latest craze in social media
There was this little site that started in January 2011 called Pinterest. Called a virtual pinboard by its creators, it can be likened to an online scrapbook on steroids. It’s all about curating and collecting images and videos from every corner of the web. Pin an image to your virtual board, and whoever sees it can trace it back to its source.

That, in a nutshell, is the power of the site: potential customers can find you through collections of bright shiny things your admirers can’t resist.

The growth has been explosive: 389% from July to December 2011. Retailers and single users are reporting significant traffic spikes to their websites.

How it works
You can get an invitation from a Pinterest user, request one from the site itself via email (which may take a few days), or sign up immediately with an existing Facebook or Twitter account. From there, the instructions are easy. Create a few boards, which are simply collections of images based on a theme, and you’re off.

A quick Google search will give you some decent recon on how people are structuring their boards. You can also do a search on Pinterest without an account to see what kind of work is out there.

According to Pinterest etiquette, blatant self-promotion is against the rules. While posting some of your own work is fine, this is not a portfolio site.

It does, however, present incredible opportunities to showcase collections of work by like-minded creatives.

Who’s using it
Not surprisingly, 80% of account holders are women. The core group is between 25 and 44, and according to statistics from ecoconsultancy.com, fall into three groups: Boomers and Boomerangs, Babies and Bliss, and Families Matter Most. 25% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

This is where you inspect the bandwagon carefully to see if all the noise applies to you, or if this is a case of a big site that may fall into the category of There’s No Such Thing as Everybody. You can search the site without an account, and use Google to see if anyone you know is out there (provided they haven’t hidden their page from Google search).

Copyright and piracy
There’s no way around it: if your images are online, they’re prone to being swiped somewhere, sometime. Every image should be linked back to its origin, so you can consider a pin as an image in a magazine. You have to make a judgement call on the benefits and the risks.

You can hunt down your images by using this url: http://pinterest.com/source/yourwebsite and replace yourwebsite with your own URL.

So if we want to see what came from the lovely Carmelita Caruana’s Italian cooking blog, we do this: http://pinterest.com/source/blog.cookitaly.com/

To join or not to join
It looks like this juggernaut isn’t going away anytime soon. It’s big, it’s become hugely popular, and the ease of use is nearly as seductive as the images. With the growth of social commerce across the web, it’s a site, like Etsy, you shouldn’t completely ignore, even if it’s not appropriate for you right now.

Want more information? Check out the beginner’s guide on Mashable for more information (and here are some stats from leading retailers), or head on over to Pinterest.

About the author: Stacey Cornelius is a writer and professional butt-kicker who is well on her way to becoming a social  media burnout. Rather kick it old school with email? Sign up for her free, jargon-busting foundation marketing email class right here. 

Painting, music, and video: A Story in Three Parts
Silk painter Lee Zimmerman and improvisational cellist Kathy McTavish create a beautiful collaboration for the performance of the musical The Secret Garden. The event takes place at the Duluth Playhouse in Minnesota in early 2010.

The video came my way just yesterday.

It’s also a brilliant promotional piece for Zimmerman, McTavish and the theatre where they performed. It’s traveled to faraway places as well as through time to reach new people.

Conversation and connection make their own kind of music
Inkwell Boutique in Halifax, Canada connects online with Bespoke Letterpress Boutique in Brisbane, Australia. Bespoke Letterpress features images of the shop by photographer Daniel MacDonald. The potential audience for all of them is over 6000 people on Twitter alone—reaching people around the world.

When potential numbers are translated into more realistic figures, the message is still received by a significant number of the right people (who are in their respective cities, shop local, and who love things both handmade and beautiful), who can then re-share their content and revisit their websites.

Market without “marketing”
The possibilities for artist collaboration are as varied and exciting as the participants. The tools available to record and share these experiences are both affordable and flexible. They allow creatives to create promotional pieces that are works of art in themselves, that take the dusty, grey stuffing out of “marketing” and transform it into an exploration of both medium and message. They provide backstage passes and glimpses into galleries and studios around the world.

These are the kinds of collaborations that people want to share. A beautiful website, stunning photographs, an inspiring and fascinating video—the experience is something your audience wants to be part of.

Some artists have admitted to me they dislike technology so much they actively avoid it, in spite of understanding the benefits to their businesses. They don’t see it as a medium to discover, a new resource in their creative toolbox. They can’t begin to imagine the fascinating people they can meet and talk to, and share an audience—or project—with.

But you can.

About the author: Stacey Cornelius is a writer and professional butt-kicker. She helps empower artists, designers, writers and craftspeople to do their best work and show it to the world. Want more marketing info? Sign up for her free, jargon-busting foundation marketing email class right here. For high-speed inspiration, catch up with her on Twitter.

Junk mail, hot off the virtual press
Picture this: you follow someone on Twitter. Shortly thereafter you are the lucky recipient of not one, but two direct messages (for non-tweeters, DMs are private messages, like email).

Both offer you something for FREE (emphasis by the sender). With nary so much as a how d’you do.

Here’s another scenario: you email an acquaintance and find yourself on not one, but four mailing lists. At the bottom of each email is a link you can click to join the list in question.

This isn’t good marketing.

This is junk mail.

It’s not the offer—it’s how you make it
Offering something for free doesn’t make it any better. It’s just as annoying as finding a flyer on the windshield of your car.

The reason it happens online is the same as in the real world: the senders are focused on the tools. How many of these can I send out, and how fast?

Great marketing isn’t about methodology, technology, or second class mail rates.

Great marketing is about people.

Where do marketing messages land?
When you send someone an email, there’s a person on the other end of your marketing message. Thanks to social media, you may know what she looks like, where she works, her birthday, and even the name of her cat.

You might know where her computer is—her office, studio, maybe her bedroom.

And on any given day, that’s all you really know.

You can’t be sure about the contents of her In box, how many unsolicited messages have found their way past spam filters, or how many telemarketers have found loopholes in the Do Not Call list.

One thing you can be sure of: she has a life, and you’re trying to be a small part of it.

Acknowledge the individual
It’s up to you to treat that potential (or existing) customer with respect. Respect for her privacy, her intelligence, and her very good taste (she’s buying from you, isn’t she?).

And since she has good taste, she will have little patience for poorly crafted, impersonal messages. She will, however, take notice of something that speaks to her, that’s created with care.

Maybe it’s elegance she wants, maybe it’s something fun and imaginative.

You use the tools at your disposal to create, and then send, your message.

The connection is made with the individual, not her In box.

Look your customer in the eye in 140 characters
The Twitter blunder is easily avoided.

“Thought you might like this—it’s solid info & it’s free…”

Add a shortened link and it’s still only about 65 characters. Plenty of room to make it personal as well as professional.

Don’t think you can do it? Open up your word processor and practice.

Don’t abuse the Send button
The email barrage? Don’t do it.

Knowing someone’s email address does not give you permission to add her to your mailing list.

If you want to invite an acquaintance to an event, make the message personal. Add a personal note. It doesn’t matter how beautiful the graphics are. If it’s an obvious email blast, that sends the wrong signal.

Goodwill is a precious commodity. Don’t make any assumptions.

Even a quick note makes a difference.

“I’m nearly ready for my show. A little nervous, but that’s how openings go. Love to see you there…”

Just like you’d say in real life, to a real person.

Technology should break barriers, not build them
We have the ability to reach people half a world away. The potential is staggering.

And still we find ways to squander it.

We rush, we take things for granted, gallop after the latest trend, frantically follow the example of the latest and greatest online marketing “expert” and we lose our way.

We fall into a trance. Me and my keyboard, little letters on a screen. Shazam.

You want to make real magic? Pay attention.

Conjure up an image of the person you want to reach.

Imagine what will make her smile when she receives your message.

Then choose your tools and use them well.

About the author: Stacey Cornelius is a writer and artist, and when she’s not gnashing her teeth at the unwelcome contents of her In box, she empowers creative people to show their best work to the world. To get more tips and insights on building a great professional creative practice, subscribe for free updates. Want high speed inspiration? Follow Stacey on Twitter.

The hazards of DIY web design
When you build your own website and don’t have a practiced eye (or training) in graphic design, there are a few DIY mistakes that can undermine your presentation.

Some of these you’ve seen, and can congratulate yourself on avoiding.

A couple might send you scrambling.

In spite of the dire warning above, those mistakes won’t be the death of you. Yes, it’s embarrassing—your website is out there for all the world to see—but nothing is etched in stone.

The good news
The great thing about a website is you can make changes on the fly. In many cases, the changes that need to be made are relatively small, but have a big impact on how your site looks.

Here are seven of the most common mistakes that make you look like an amateur, and a few tips on how to fix them.

Mistake #1 – spelling errors
I’ve talked about this before, and I will never stop harping on it: spelling matters.

It’s not a disaster. Typos happen to all of us, and lots of smart people aren’t great at spelling.

It’s generally easy to ignore a typo in a newsletter or blog post. But static web copy? Most artist websites don’t include lengthy essays, so those spelling errors really stand out.

The solution is simple: find someone who is a good speller to proofread for you.

In the meantime, here are a few common glitches that spell check won’t catch:

• it’s means it is (apostrophes stand in for missing letters)
• its shows ownership (the dog wagged its tail)
• you’re means you are (you’re welcome to join us)
• your shows ownership (your taste in art is excellent!)
• their is about people
• there is about places
• breath is what you freshen with mints
• breathe is the thing you do: inhale, exhale, repeat

Mistake #2 – centered text
I understand why this happens: there are a few paragraphs on a page and left justifying doesn’t look quite right. What to do?

Don’t center the text. It makes reading difficult and wreaks havoc on your page layout. Those ragged edges add visual noise.

In many cases, the problem is your column or site window (the width of your pages, not the web browser) is too wide, or your margins are out of proportion. The words look strung out and don’t hang together as a block.

Mistake #3 – a distracting background
This is an example of taking an idea too literally. An artist website doesn’t need an “artistic” background. It’s about the content, not the container.

A sexy header? Sure. That introduces you and helps establish your brand. From there, let the work stand in its own, without distractions.

Your website background should never compete with your work.

That goes for tarted-up templates as well as custom-made backgrounds and solid colours that make your images look muddy.

Have a black background? Consider this: if you don’t format your text carefully, it can be very hard to read.

Mistake #4 – Google ads
I can’t believe I have to include Google ads in the list, but here it is.

“Art” is in the eye of the beholder. There are plenty of opinions about what good art is (and isn’t), but if you’re reading this, you’re looking for my opinion, and I’m hoping I’m preaching to the converted.

Putting Google ads on an artist website doesn’t just make you look like an amateur, it makes you look desperate. Can’t make money selling your work? Jump into Internet marketing!

Those marketing efforts would be better off in a more suitable environment.

Mistake #5 – popup windows
Yes, I know, there are marketing experts who swear by them, and some of those people are art marketing experts (see above item about the broad definition of art).

Someday I will have an extensive rant about why I hate the blasted things so intensely, but for now, let’s just focus on one simple thing:

Popup windows are not classy.

Mistake #6 – stale dates
If you post regular updates on your site, this is a small matter of housekeeping.

If you have a calling card website and a copyright notice that expired two years ago, your visitors might wonder if you’re still in business. They might not click on your Shows or News link to see if you’re still active.

If the dates on your Shows or News pages are stale, you’re in real trouble.

If you’re the type who forgets, put a sticky note somewhere, or add it to your list of New Year’s resolutions.

Mistake #7 – sound or video on autoplay
Autoplay can be a disaster on a website. Your visitor can be startled by a sudden burst of sound, and unless you’re a musician, that sound does nothing to enhance the experience.

This is another example of taking an idea too literally. Restaurants play music, which adds to your dining enjoyment. On a website, it’s cheesy. The restaurateur needs to understand his website is meant to bring people in, not replicate the place on a computer screen.

The same goes for artists. You might think a piece of music is perfect for your work, but your audience might not share your taste.

If you’re a musician, let visitors control what they listen to. That gives them the chance to lower their speaker volume, or to enjoy your music with headphones.

An exception to the autoplay rule
I came across a website that makes terrific use of sound. Go have a look at Level 2 Design. Let the gauge run up to full, enjoy the view, then wait a few seconds and you’ll hear an approaching airplane.

Then watch what happens near the top of your screen.

You might also want to roll your cursor over the neon sign, and click on the radio at the bottom left of the screen to hear a little music.

Sound can be extraordinary, if you do it right.

Do more than avoid mistakes
You don’t have to be an expert in design to make excellent observations.

You don’t have to have a big budget to get the basics right and give your website a professional look and feel.

Watching how the pros do it can be an excellent education in colour, layout, and typography.

Good websites, like good marketing, start with paying attention. You build your skills through practicing what you learn.

Like making great art, it’s something you never stop learning.
Are these tips not quite enough? Tearing your hair out over technology? Check out my creative services to get some professional help on revamping your website.

Fear and fascination in social media
Social media is a funny thing. Some people still talk about it like it was invented last week. Despite the vast number of how-to’s out there, I still see frustrated comments about people using it badly.

Observed: someone was struggling with people posting their stuff on her fan page without asking. She didn’t object to the content, just wished they checked with her first.

I don’t know if they were using said fan page to market themselves, or just blundering in without showing a simple courtesy to their host.

“Courtesy” and “host” are good guide words to use when navigating social media.

You can think of it as a far-flung cocktail party, with the expected cast of characters in attendance.

Some of these people you don’t want to talk to, but they have a few traits you’ll recognize—and might be afraid you’ll inadvertently imitate.

That guy
He marches up to you, half-flattened mini-Mohawk, eyes slightly glazed, and jams a brochure into your hand.

“See what I do? Do you? Look at this! You wanna buy this? You do! You really wanna buy this!”

You lean back, afraid to make any sudden movements, a brittle half-smile on your face. When he finally has to come up for air, you make your escape.

“Right. Well. Enjoy your evening.”

You flee for the hors d’oeuvres table before he has a chance to unleash a second barrage.

The public speaking correspondence course graduate
You recognize the signs: a little too stiff, like his skin doesn’t fit, not quite focused on you because he’s busy reciting course lessons in his head. Step 1, step 2, step 3, choreographed without the slightest bit of rhythm.

He says something meant to be an ice-breaker, punctuated by a slightly shrill laugh. He switches topics, talking about something he saw on the news, then pauses unexpectedly, waiting for you to pick up his meandering train of thought.

Look up “awkward” in the dictionary and there’s a snapshot of you trying to manage a conversation. He seems like a nice guy—but it’s way too uncomfortable.

You politely move on after suggesting he try the dip at the other end of the room.

The fangirl
She’s clutching a martini glass, flitting from group to group, bouncing a little as she speaks. You try to keep your face expressionless as you wonder if she might just spontaneously combust.

She lands in front of you and immediately begins gushing about her sales agent. He has a huge international reputation. She can’t stop talking about him. Somewhere in there she mentions what she does, but it’s hard to pick out the details because every other word is his name.

You take a quick glance at the rubber plant beside you, in case he’s hiding behind it, holding a tiny teleprompter. She races off, and you exhale, wondering if you’ll survive whoever you might encounter next.

The ambassador
She smiles and extends a hand, introducing herself. Asks what you do, listens attentively to your answer.

She talks about her own work with quiet pride. Wonders if you’re familiar with what she does. A little? She fills in the gaps, and tells you a couple of interesting stories.

You suddenly feel like you just ran into an old friend. You’re more than pleased to get her gorgeous business card.

How does she do it?

Simple.

The magic is in plain sight
She listens.

She gives the conversation breathing room. The party will still be there tomorrow. And the next day.

She’s not afraid to talk about her work, not afraid to let you take your turn at center stage, and not afraid to tell you she’s interested in doing business.

She’s not trying to win points with anyone, not desperate for attention, not hell-bent to gather hordes of people around her. It’s not about knowing the most people, it’s about knowing enough of the right people.

She knows word will spread because she makes good work.

She knows people enjoy spending time with her because she treats them with respect.

A little character redemption
The remedy for That Guy? If it shouldn’t happen in person, it shouldn’t happen online.

Public Speaking Dude needs to take a deep breath and remember people are just people. Like his close friends, the ones he relaxes and laughs with. A script won’t work if only one person has a copy.

Spontaneity is better. Not knowing what will happen next just means there’s more to discover.

Fangirl? The point of marketing is to allow people to make a connection with her and fall in love with her work, not who’s selling it for her. It’s great that she loves her online marketplace or bricks and mortar shop, or her online community or favourite A-list blogger, but that name shouldn’t overshadow her or her work.

There’s getting noticed, and getting noticed.

A conversation is a living thing
We can’t all be ambassadors or brilliant salespeople right out of the gate.

Speaking as a card-carrying introvert, I can tell you I’ve made my share of gaffes and to be honest, I’m far more comfortable behind my keyboard than in any strictly social situation. Put me in a party with people I don’t know, and I’ll be the one wanting to hide behind the rubber plant.

Online marketing and social media are a work in progress for all of us, something that happens to take place with words and images and madly clicking mice instead of face to face.

Practice is required. Relax. One way or another, we’re all at the same party.

I want to get the words, “There’s no such thing as everybody” printed on a t-shirt. I’ve been thinking lately about the alleged necessity to sell online. Some creatives are doing it and getting great results. Others, not so much. And there are plenty more who haven’t yet jumped on board.

I’m not much into bandwagons or one-size-fits-all thinking. Not with t-shirts, and definitely not in business.

Here’s a little anecdote: recently I had a conversation with a couple of women about online shopping. Specifically, artisan-made jewellery. They were both 40-ish, and neither was too thrilled with the idea of buying jewellery online.

“I want to see it, touch it, try it on,” said one of them, “It’s our generation. And we’re the ones with money.”

I thought that was an interesting response, so I asked someone else the same question and got an entirely different answer. The second person in my highly scientific poll said he and his wife had no problem buying jewellery online. They’re probably in their early to mid-30′s.

I wouldn’t bet the farm, or a business, on this extremely small, very subjective sampling. But it got me to thinking about ideal customers, their buying habits, and how tough it can be to decide whether or not to make the leap into selling online.

Playing the numbers game
Let’s look at the flip side: statistics. As I started writing this, I did a quick search on “online jewelry sales statistics” (used the American spelling to get more results) and among the top results, got a nicely written article about how sales were on the increase—dated 2002.

Take out the word “jewelry” and you can get stats that say online sales of jewelry in January 2010 were up 6% in the US from January of 2009.

Yes, I know. Take out the word you want stats on and you get stats on the thing you were looking for. This is why doing statistical research online drives me half crazy.

I got that figure from the International Diamond Exchange website, but I didn’t bookmark the page and now (five minutes later) I can’t find the blasted thing. So, okay, a 6% increase is promising. But the figures don’t specify what kind of jewellery. They make mention of bridal jewellery sales being on an upswing, but again—are we talking major retailers and artisan made jewellery, or just factory-made items? It’s probably the latter.

If you’re curious, I tried finding numbers on artisan-made jewellery. I didn’t have all night to slog past the sites that tell you how to turn your hobby into cash or that you should sell online.

It’s no wonder people who run micro businesses don’t want to go down this road. It’s frustrating and time consuming and doesn’t necessarily give you good results. At least not without some serious digging.

And even if I did find numbers, they wouldn’t break down into categories that will be of any help to you if you’re a silversmith, lampwork bead maker, or off-loom bead weaver. You can’t get there from here.

Real people, real opinions
If you want good information on who’s buying what and where they’re buying it, you’d be wise to go to the source—the customers themselves. Preferably your customers.

If you have a mailing list, send out a survey with specific questions. Offer an incentive to people who respond—a gift certificate, or a coupon for a small amount of design or consulting time. It doesn’t have to be something big, just something to let your people know you value their time and input.

You should also ask very nicely, and make the introduction very warm and personal. And the questions shouldn’t be corporate. Be real, be gracious, and exercise good humour. That way your survey won’t seem so much like a survey. Approach your readers like they’re respected colleagues and collaborators on your fact-finding mission. And keep it short. You don’t want to abuse your mailing list.

If you have the opportunity to see some of your customers in person, you can get immediate information. Ask their opinion about trends—in general, and if they’re going along for the ride, or if they’d rather let the bandwagon roll on by.

You can ask other people in your field. Don’t limit yourself to your own medium. Somebody will know someone who can tell you more.

Throw a question out on social media, or on your blog. Say please and thank you, and ask away. Responses will vary depending on your question and the size and nature of your audience.

Combine your resources to get a comprehensive picture
When you’ve gathered all the information you can, from the generalities of published statistics to face-to-face feedback, you’ll have a reasonable view of the online landscape.

If your customers are online shoppers, you’re in business. But remember you still have to do the marketing. There’s no gallery owner or show organizer to spread the word. That should be obvious, but if you’re not used to doing all your own marketing, it’s easy to forget that little detail.

If it’s not yet time, or if you just can’t wrap your head around the whole online enterprise thing, my best advice to you is to watch carefully. Social media numbers continue to grow at a wild pace, particularly among people 35 years of age and older. Online shopping numbers continue to grow.

And there are still plenty of businesses that don’t need online buying to be profitable. Smart entrepreneurs know where their customers are, what they want, and how to deliver, and are always mindful of the evolving marketplace.

Have your say
Are you an avid online shopper, or are there things you just don’t want to buy online? Are you an online seller, contrarian, or sitting on the fence? Do you have any tips of your own to share about gathering online intelligence?

Do you ever want to unplug from the 21st Century and send messages by carrier pigeon? Do you ever have one of those days where you just want to give up and live in a nice, comfortable, media-free bunker?

Friday, 5:15 pm. I receive an unsolicited email about a business opportunity. Over 100 other people received the very same message. I know this because the sender neglected to create a proper email list, so I can see the address of every recipient.

Do I need to explain why I don’t enjoy having my email address broadcast that way? Do I need to tell you, dear reader, the hazards of exposing your mailing list to dozens of people in one fell swoop?

(Note: if you don’t know already, there is legislation governing direct marketing. There are also best practices, and national marketing associations where you can learn how to do it, online and offline, legally and properly.)

Things just get better from there.

How to (not) win friends and influence customers
So I’m instantly annoyed, and wondering what kind of yahoos I’m dealing with. To give the benefit of the doubt, these people might be thoughtful, kind, and wildly enthusiastic about creating a mutually beneficial business relationship, but if you call yourself a marketing professional and can’t create an email list, you don’t exactly make a stellar first impression.

Next comes the body of the email.

The pitch doesn’t sell me the benefits of participation. It doesn’t really sell anything at all. It’s mostly an introduction to attached documents. I get a sense of “if we build it, they will come,” plus the hope that just jumping on a hot trend will be sufficient to ensure success.

Strike two. I’ve seen too many failed ventures that start with that exact mindset. Plus a lame pitch doesn’t encourage me to bother clicking through to the attachments.

(Another note: the quote is, “If you build it, he will come.” Not they. Different idea entirely. Despite what many people seem to think about business, creating a venue isn’t enough.)

It really is in the details
There are two small images at the bottom of the message, jammed together side by side, but the image files aren’t the same size, so they’re misaligned.

Small detail, yes?

Not really.

If you want to present a professional image, get the visuals right. Two mismatched images at the end of a short email stand out. Since I’m already unhappy, I notice it more than I would if I were eagerly looking for the rest of the information.

There was no unsubscribe option in the email. See above note on best practices.

Say it like you mean it
The first attachment is an overview of the event. It’s a scanned document. And it’s crooked. The title begins with “Re:”

It’s a memo. They’re trying to sell me on an untried business opportunity with a crooked freaking memo.

I give up counting grammatical errors. I gnash my teeth and decide copywriting should be an adjunct to English classes in high school (replace “English” with your language of choice). Both should be mandatory. And anyone assuming a job title with Marketing or Communications in it should be required to pass a writing test and then required to obtain a license to use words, dammit, or sent packing.

Stay with me here. I’ve worked my way into a fit of righteous indignation. Hyperbole is a fringe benefit, and I get to enjoy every infuriating minute of it.

Robotic writing is for robots
The last paragraph begins with “We thank you for your interest…”

Yes, I know. Everybody closes cover letters that way. Except there’s no such thing as everybody, and it’s way past time we stopped acting like pod-dwelling, hairless, follow-the-herd robots and got a little more, I don’t know, animated, when we talk to each other. Like real humans, not the holograms in glossy magazines who wear more botox, silicone and Photoshopping than you can shake a virtual stick at.

Okay, fine. Maybe the person who wrote the letter hates her job and would rather be a chef. And I suppose it’s not fair to chastise someone for following conventions.

So I should yell about conventions that have largely outlived their usefulness. At least where copywriting is concerned.

Well, then. If you’re stoked about your new project, tell me about it. If you want me involved, tell me that, too. Sincerely. The way you’d tell a real person, because I am a real person. Form letters are dead air, and if the best you can do is go through the motions, don’t expect me to believe you have the imagination—or the guts—to make this thing happen.

Two days later I revisit the email to see if I was being unfairly critical. I realize there’s a PowerPoint presentation.

Let’s not go there.

Set your standards and stick to them
You might think I’ve gone over the top with this. But we’re not talking about somebody hacking together a tiny seat-of-the-pants business with no experience or training. These people aren’t absolute beginners. One of the organizations involved in this little shindig is an international company. They have resources.

And this is where they have chosen to set the bar.

These are also the people who will take care of marketing and promoting the event.

But it’s a small event, so none of this should matter, right? Plus if a big company does it that way, you should be able to do the bare minimum, too, and all the mistakes and ignored details in your initial contact with potential customers won’t matter one bit. Will they?

Consider this: everywhere you choose to conduct business, it’s you. Your brand. Your image. Your profession.

There are no small events.

What kinds of marketing drives you crazy? Have you seen something lately that was so good you want to tell people about it? Leave a comment below.

I got an email in response to my call for your burning questions: how do you get the right people (curators, dealers, buyers) to find you on the web?

That’s the big one. How to find them, get their attention, and make them love you, plus conduct this apparent feat of magic without ever looking them in the eye.

Piece of cake. Throw a few pictures on Flickr, sign up for an Etsy shop, sit back and wait for the cash to roll in and the lovesick groupies to shower you with fan mail.

If you’re reading this, you already know that doesn’t cut it. When you set out to establish an online audience, you take the same basic steps as you would to build an audience offline. It requires time, energy, and smart decisions.

Find the right audience—do some detective work
You are not selling to anyone who spends money on art (or craft, or design). You sell to the people who love what you do. If you make raku sushi sets, you don’t go looking for thrift store treasure hunters. You look for the people who have the money to spend on handmade dinnerware as well as people who eat sushi.

That may sound painfully obvious, but there are countless numbers of people running businesses who don’t realize they shouldn’t try to please everyone.

So how do you find the right audience? Pretend you’re a customer. Where would you go to find yourself? Would you search on Google? An online shopping site like Etsy or Artful Home? Would you check out the arts or design organizations in your city to see work online and then buy it in person?

Test the theory. Do some searches on Google. Check online shopping sites to see who’s out there. If you’re a raku sushi set maker, look for blogs about Japanese cooking. Do a search on Twitter, Facebook, or Linkedin for potters, ceramics or ceramic artists. You will find other artists, but you might also find people who are looking for artists.

If you’re still having trouble, or if you’re freaking out, back up and kick it old school.

Start local, go global
Never underestimate the power of starting small and starting where you live. Join your local arts organization. As in, the official, non-profit association that puts on shows, workshops, publishes newsletters and is under constant threat of having its meagre public funding slashed into nonexistence. Take advantage of any online member services they have (a curator from the UK found me that way. She planned most of the exhibition remotely and put the show together in person shortly before it opened).

Now that local news is online and small towns have their own websites, a small show, review, or article has the potential to help you connect with people half a world away. It’s often easier to get local press coverage, so use those opportunities to help you gain exposure and build your reputation. Don’t dismiss the little things—they can add up to big things, or garner some high quality attention.

Tell your friends and clients you’re online. Most people are happy to help spread the word, particularly if you’ve done a good job establishing a professional online presence. That way they feel smart about bragging you up, because their friends will be impressed by their good taste. Then their friends mention you to someone else. Word of mouth starts anywhere and can spread anywhere. Don’t limit your thinking or your marketing—good buzz knows no boundaries.

Show them your best stuff
Give your audience something they’ll love: high quality images, good copy, clean layout. Write a solid artist’s statement. Get a grammar geek to proofread it. Hire a designer if you can swing it (rumor has it Flash sites aren’t search engine-friendly, so be forewarned). If you have to go with a template, your content becomes even more important.

Make sure your site is easy to navigate and easy to read. Just an FYI—some people have trouble viewing websites that use black backgrounds. It is physically uncomfortable. I’m one of those people. If I really want to read the copy, I highlight it, but usually I just click away. I’ve found a few exceptions, and all have been designed by pros who know how to use type extremely well.

You don’t have to put your whole portfolio online. Sometimes less is more. That’s particularly true in the online world, where people are so overloaded with information they can’t take it all in. Be your own curator and show a good body of work.

Connect with your people
The easiest thing to do when networking online is to find people in your field and hang out with them. While it’s true that artists buy art, and that existing clients are more likely to buy from you again, limiting yourself to that audience isn’t the smartest way to do business. Artists have notoriously small budgets, and there’s only so much wall and shelf space in anyone’s home. Business cards and websites generally don’t need a twice-yearly redesign. There might be a long gap before that client buys from you again, so you need to reach a little further.

If you’re still fretting about finding potential buyers, connect with professional organizations and publications on social media. See who they’re following and who’s following them. You might be surprised at who you find on those lists.

(Speaking of publications, writer and painter Lori Woodward recently wrote an article about getting your work published. She has some good tips for painters that can also be applied to other media.)

Be real and well-rounded
If you follow me on Twitter you will quickly realize I don’t just talk about creativity. I’m also into garden design, wildlife preservation, food, and vicarious world travel. I talk about those things because I’m genuinely interested in them, and because constantly yapping about your own work is just as tedious online as it is in person. The online attention span is much shorter, and social media is far less tolerant of people who only show up to sell something, so if you do that, be prepared for the fallout.

Let’s go back to our sushi example. I suggested looking for blogs on Japanese cooking. If you make sushi plates, you might also be into Japanese cooking. Which means it’s entirely appropriate to make comments on a Japanese cooking blog. Not about the fact that you make sushi sets, but about Japanese cooking. Yes, I know. It’s obvious when you read it, but when the online marketing monster has you by the throat, you might be too distracted to notice.

Put the pieces together
I wish there was a magic formula for marketing, offline or online. There isn’t. You do the best work you can, learn what you need to know about promoting it, find the tools that work best for you, and apply them. That’s not magic. It’s thoughtful planning and a process that requires professionalism and persistence at the very least. It can be a creative project in itself, if you approach it the right way. If you think of your website as an evolving art/design exhibition, complete with a bio, descriptions of the pieces, and contact information, you might even start to enjoy it.

Which is the way it should be. It’s definitely a good experience when you come across somebody who’s doing it right.

When I retweet my friend Rachel’s garden design posts or comment on her blog, I do it because I’m into garden design, I think she does great work, and she’s fun to talk to. And now you know about her, too. I met her through an online community. Would I give her a shout out if I thought her work was crap, even though I like her? Nope. Would I tell you how great she is if her work was fabulous but she was an arrogant jerk? Not a chance.

(If you don’t know this already, a lot of artists are also into gardens. Not just looking at them as subject matter, but actually digging in the dirt. Gardeners also seem to be fond of books, both reading them and writing in them. At least, the ones I know. Just tossing that out there for your consideration.)

The power of the message
You may have noticed I flipped the question of how you get the right people to find you to how to find the right audience. There are a couple of reasons for that. One is the obvious problem of the wealth of information lurking on the Web. It’s usually not staring at you. What tends to land in your field of vision are those stupid, annoying ads that clutter your screen when you’re looking for something important. You have to dig a little for the good stuff. A website isn’t like a shop on the busiest street in town. People “just passing by” don’t find you the same way. Someone browsing an online shopping site or professional directory might stumble across you, but your chances are wildly better if you walk up to that person (literally or virtually) and introduce yourself.

(Which, by the way, can be highly effective. You want a curator to think of you when he’s gathering artists for his next exhibition? Send him an email. Tell him how much you liked the show you just saw—the one he curated. Tell him why you liked it. Make sure your contact information is in your email signature line. Is that sleazy or textbooky marketing? Only if you don’t mean it. When you come across something that delights you, take a minute and tell whoever created it. Forget about what connections they might make for you. Those random messages can mean a lot.)

The other reason I flipped the question is more important: marketing is not passive. I’m sure the person who wrote me doesn’t think of her website as an online lottery ticket. It’s well designed, so it’s clear she’s got her head in the right place.

But here’s the thing—words have power. How do I get someone to find me puts you in the wrong frame of mind. It steals your momentum. Don’t wait for them to find you. That will happen naturally through smart marketing, but your goal is to get your work in front of the right people. When you switch the message to match your intention, you put yourself in the right mindset to make that happen.

Over to you: what’s your favourite online marketing tool? What magic marketing solution turned into a pumpkin? What stops you from marketing online?

Do you have online digs with your own domain name?

If you’re starting a business, it’s time. If you’re already in business, it’s way past time. Say goodbye to the Blogger account and stake your claim.

Domain registration and hosting plans can be had for very little money (see if you can beat the price at Network Solutions). When you have your own domain name, you show the world you’re an owner, not a renter. You show the world you’re here to stay.

If it comes down to choosing between the electric bill and a domain name, obviously you’ll hold off on the domain. Otherwise, get the vanity license plate, already.

Then put your website to work.

Put your stamp on it
Good design goes a long way to establishing your personal brand. If you can’t afford a designer just yet, you can try a free WordPress blog theme. If you have a small budget, it’s possible to hire a designer to tweak a free theme to make it look like a custom design. Most hosting plans let you set up a WordPress blog, and have a selection of themes available. There are a staggering number of themes available (Google “free WordPress themes”), and there are lots of WordPress tutorials to help you set things up. You can also import a BlogSpot blog into WordPress.

Sell your work under your own banner
If you sell tangible items, you don’t have to spend a  fortune on an eCommerce solution to sell through your website. If you sell one piece at a time, PayPal is an easy, low-cost way to do it. It’s also a decent solution if you sell services online. If you need a reasonably priced shopping cart, check out E-junkie. (I have no commercial interest in either, and they’re not the only solutions available, but both are worth investigating.)

Sell it your way
If you and your customers are strictly old school, list your prices with the items you want to sell from your website. Make it as easy as possible for your buyers to say, “I have to have that. How soon can you get it to me?” Have them send you a cheque or money order, and ship when the cheque clears. Old-fashioned mail order still works just fine, even in the 21st Century.

Addressing the elephant in the online selling room
Etsy is inexpensive and relatively easy to use, but you still want your own domain name—you should only send customers there to buy from you, and only if you don’t have a better alternative. The idea is to establish your site as the destination for your customers.

You’re working hard to attract prospective buyers, so you don’t want to sell under someone else’s brand. You’re stuck with their template, which may not allow you to show your work in its best light. All of that has an impact on how your customers perceive your work. Before you go that route, or continue on with it, think carefully. It may not be right for your audience, your medium, or your selling price. If you have to go with an online shopping site, start planning your escape now. Your own presence will be much stronger in the long run.

(Whatever solution you choose, make your purchasing, shipping and return policies crystal clear on your site. And make sure you figured out your shipping costs and capabilities beforehand, particularly if you’re crossing international borders.)

Bring visitors back with good content
If you only want a calling card website with directions to your studio, hours of operation and show dates, at the very least, switch out photographs every few months, and make sure dates are current. If you mostly sell through shops and galleries, a calling card may be all you need—just keep in mind you will attract a bigger audience if you give people a reason to visit more often. Maybe you can only manage to do a monthly newsletter. If you publish on the same date every month, your audience will watch for your updates.

If you sell services, you can do the same. Write short articles showing you’re an authority in your field. Encourage your audience to ask questions and give you their opinions. Web 2.0 is about interactivity. Smart marketing is like that, too—reaching your audience also requires listening.

Consolidate your online position
Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, MySpace, Flickr—they’re all good marketing tools, and all serve to reinforce your personal brand, but you don’t want to send people all over the web to find you. If you use social media, give people a choice about where to follow you, but make your website a place where they’ll want to stay a while. Give them good things to look at, good things to read, good things to listen to—provide the best possible online experience they can have with you and your business.

Don’t be an absentee landlord
Maintain your online presence. A brochure-style website is okay, but people have bigger expectations when it comes to social media. If you have social media outposts, make sure they’re active. If you haven’t tweeted in three weeks, you lose some of the credibility you’ve worked so hard to build. There’s nothing worse than someone seeking you out, only to find your Facebook fan page hasn’t been updated in nearly a year. Are you still in business? How hard will that person work to find out?

Rule your domain like you mean it
If you promise to publish a newsletter on the 15th of the month, do it. If you have a blog, decide how often you publish, and stick to the schedule as closely as you can. Pay attention to your audience, pay attention to your content, be consistent, professional and personable. What more could anyone ask of a benevolent despot?

Over to you: What’s the most important thing about a website? What’s your favourite online artistic stopping place? Are you avoiding claiming your own domain?

What do you think of when you hear the word “networking?” If you’re even slightly inclined towards introversion, you might experience an involuntary twitch. If you’re a card-carrying hard core introvert, you might find yourself wanting to curl into a fetal position.

I fall somewhere in the middle. In a straight up business situation, I’m fine. If you invite me to a swanky social event, don’t be surprised if you find me in the kitchen, talking about Bugs Bunny cartoons or car repairs with one of the catering guys. Working the room? Not likely. I’m the type who likes to have big conversations and big laughs with very small groups of people. I can talk business. I can’t do social networking.

At least I thought I couldn’t.

Enter Twitter. There are highly respected bloggers who have written posts about being late to the game. They say they didn’t get Twitter at first, but figured it out fast. What they say about how great Twitter is makes sense, but social media—still intimidating for an introvert.

I asked a friend if she had a Twitter account. She quipped, “You mean it’s not only about Ashton and Demi?”

Not if you do it right.

My first tweet was October 28, 2009. “Editing is easier than starting from scratch. Not so much writer’s block as the intimidation of the big blank canvas.”

I note with a small amount of pride that I didn’t talk about what I was having for dinner.

The real surprise, 442 tweets later, is it was nearly effortless. Twitter is a giant candy store filled to overflowing with ideas. For many creatives, ideas are like oxygen. It’s hard to resist.

I can’t recall where the connection was made, but Josh Frankel has become my dealer—for design, typography and illustration ideas. Fellow NSCAD alum Terri Robin Vernon gives me a fine art fix. I’ll likely never interact with him (360,000+ followers), but I follow Tim Siedell, a.k.a. Bad Banana, for brilliant one-liners and a master class in sarcasm. His website is pretty great, too.

Some Twitter users track key words in your tweets and auto-follow you. That can be irritating, but sometimes it pays off. You can block the spammy followers, and watch the ones that seem promising.

One of those individuals posted a link to a video at the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford. The video is a five-minute intro to a Steampunk exhibition. Go watch it, it’s fascinating.

I emailed the link to a former university roommate who is working on a PhD in Art History. He forwarded it to a colleague, who is writing about Steampunk in her thesis. She hadn’t heard about the exhibition. She was glad to get the information, he enjoyed looking smart, and I was happy someone found it useful.

Over the past two days I helped someone who was having trouble formatting an e-newsletter, and someone gave me a hand with some copy I’m working on. Favours freely offered in both cases.

Welcome to social networking.

If you’re not a social type, it might take you a minute to realize you’re actually doing it. It’s not that it’s happening, it’s the scale. You can interact with a surprising number of people in a very short time.

You don’t need a complicated plan to make the most of Twitter. You don’t need an account to see what people are saying. Visit websites and look for a link to Twitter. You can try a few galleries, museums or arts organizations, people who write blogs you read, or who are on forums or membership sites you belong to. You’ll only see one side of the conversation, but you can read announcements and follow links to websites.

Once you have an account, follow the people and organizations you like, and grow organically from there. Finding people who are doing cool work is not an agonizing process. Go to Listorious and put in a key word (you don’t need a Twitter account for that).

Let people know when you have a new blog post, or new work, or a show, but don’t make it all about you. Tweet and retweet (as in, tell your followers what someone else is up to) what’s interesting or relevant, and sometimes the person who posted the original tweet will check out what you’re doing and follow you—or you’ll follow them. Or you can follow each other.

The speed of the information flow can be astonishing.

Twitter might not be the best place for you to connect with people. Everybody’s a little different. You’ll likely not see me on Facebook anytime soon. But if you think Twitter is just a place for senseless babbling, you might be missing out on something good.

What’s your favourite way to connect? What’s your favourite social networking venue? Is social networking valuable to you?