Art Print Issues by Barney Davey

As a Visual Artist, Are You Press Release Worthy?

The question posed in the title of this post asks you to consider if you are doing something worthy of preparing and sending a press release.

Stop now! Think back to what your immediate reaction to the question was. Examining your self-perception and reaction should be quite insightful to you. There is no wrong answer. There are just three basic ways to respond:

1. You immediately agreed you were press release worthy.
2. You stopped to assess if you were worthy.
3. You instinctively felt you were not doing anything to make you press release worthy.

How you perceive yourself is one aspect of this challenge. And, your concept of the value of a press release and what they do could easily color your decision. There is not much, if any training on how to use a press release, and not much exposure to them for many visual artists. The lack of exposure could easily cause the activity be filed away as intimidating, mysterious, or bothersome; all leading to inactivity and improper assessment in answering the question.

While you are a product of many things, your self-perception nevertheless is your choice.

If you believe you are press release worthy, good for you. It's a shows a bit of confidence and self-awareness that undoubtedly helps you in other aspects of your career. Having a healthy ego is a good thing for artists. It's much easier to convince others about the value of your work if your persona portrays confidence and self-esteem. We might root for the underdogs, but we buy the winners.

Learning from American Idol, who'da thunk it?

Last year in an admission to a guilty pleasure, I posted Art Marketing Lessons from American Idol. Visual artists should take note of the implied advice the show offers. This year, comparable examples for visual artists are obvious. British judge, Simon Cowell, continues to make the point to those who don't portray confidence that talent alone will not win the contest. Artists need to exude self-confidence. It doesn't have to be done in a swaggering braggadocio style. Confidence can be shown in many ways. Whether it is an outgoing or quiet style is irrelevant.

In social settings, we all have radar for how someone feels about themselves.The manner of how it is expressed doesn't matter. We read the person and evaluate them on the subtle clues we observe. This is why the kids with the good voices who come off as not quite believing themselves ultimately will be voted off American Idol.

There practically is no reason for any artist not be press release worthy. If you thought you weren't or were not sure, I hope to help you change that perception. It will come in learning more about how press releases work, what their real value is and how to get a good one written and submitted. Look for information on press releases in subsequent posts here soon. I believe it will be a confidence booster for you to come to realize you are press release worthy.

Related Posts:

How to Write a Press Release for Artists

The Free Google Keyword Tool (and the Top 10 Reasons You Should Use It!)

There is no point reinventing the wheel. Republishing this article serves the purpose of informing you about the Google Keyword Tool and why it is important to your online marketing efforts.

Even if you do not use pay-per-click advertising, you nevertheless should be using top keywords for your Web site content and your blog posts to get the best search results for them. If you know what search terms your potential customers use to find art and services like yours, you owe it to your marketing efforts to utilize this freely offered highly effective tool.

The Free Google Keyword Tool (and the Top 10 Reasons You Should Use It!)

By Andrew Palmer

We often talk about the importance of choosing the right keywords when writing for the Web. It can mean the difference between heavy traffic and no traffic to your landing page... and possibly the difference between a high-conversion landing page and a complete bomb.

In the world of pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, the trick is not just to write good copy but to use keywords that a reasonable buyer would type in as a search query.

For example, someone looking for information on investing in stocks might type in "stocks" or "stock market." They might be more specific and type in "investing in stocks" or "buying stocks." Or they may focus their search even further by typing in "the best low-priced value stocks" or "stocks under $5 for 2009."

Your job as an Internet marketer is to think of all these options... and brainstorm about which search terms would most likely be used. And, most important, to make sure those terms not only answer the search queries but are relevant to the product or service you're selling.

The best tool you can use for this research is, of course, your brain... and any opportunity to brainstorm with friends and colleagues. To further expand what you learn, you'll then want to use an online keyword tool. Keyword tools will not only give you ideas on how to grow your list of relevant keywords, they'll also give you synonyms and data about the popularity of your search terms.

If you do a quick online search, you'll find many available keyword tools. But did you know that one of the best ones is free?

That's right. It's the Google Keyword Tool (GKT).

The GKT is an integral part of the AdWords pay-per-click system, but it's available for free even if you don't have an account.

It's a great way to find new keywords for your ad campaigns.

For example, if you run a dollar store, the GKT can suggest helpful, related keywords like "discount stores," "discount shopping," or "closeouts." Adding these alternate terms can help you find new customers who have questions you might otherwise have missed - questions your offer can provide an answer for.

And now for the top 10 reasons to use the GKT...

1. It's free. Need I say more? Okay, well how about this... all your research is available and easily downloaded in multiple formats, including text, .CSV for Excel, and .CSV.
 
2. It accepts filtering criteria for better results. When using the GKT, you can filter out results that are not helpful. For example, you can specifically request that it not include certain words or phrases. You can also request that it filter out adult content or words already included in your campaign. And you can request that it not show ideas for new keywords, but only show data about the keyword entered. This would include data on advertiser competition, approximate search volume for the previous month, and an approximate average search volume.
 
3. It organizes your keywords into groups. In AdWords, Google will match up every keyword search with the most relevant ad copy and landing pages. By grouping words together in sub-themes and creating separate ads and landing pages for those themes, you can often achieve bigger and better results. The GKT will do this for you automatically, making it easier to break out some words into groups for your PPC campaigns.
 
4. It identifies negative keywords. The GKT can show you off-topic keywords that are similar to your words but are irrelevant or too vague. You want to exclude these "negative keywords" from your campaign.

Suppose you sell a stock newsletter and you research the keyword "stocks" in the GTK. It may suggest multiple uses of the word that are relevant, as well as many more that are not. Terms such as "stock film" or "chicken stock" will not help you sell a stock newsletter. Thus, if you choose to use the word "stock," you need to add these other terms to your group as negative keywords. This helps make sure only interested prospects see your ads.
 
5. It allows you to choose the match type. The GKT automatically produces results based on a "broad match" of the keyword or keyphrase entered. This means your ad will appear if any of the words are included in the query, even if not written in the same sequence as your keyphrase. This also applies to similar keywords, such as plurals and synonyms. Thus, a "broad match" will reach a wider audience and trigger your ad to appear whenever that keyword or similar term appears in a user's query.

The GKT will also let you change the match type for your results. With one click, you can change your results to a "phrase-matched" variation. This means your ad will appear for any query that includes your keyword or keyphrase in the exact sequence and form that you specify. (Additional terms in a user's query can precede or follow the phrase.) This narrows your reach by restricting your ad from showing on irrelevant variations of your keyword. (To enable phrase matching, you enclose your keyword in quotation marks.)

In addition, you can use an "exact match," which is the most precise method for targeting your keywords. Use an exact match when you want your ad to appear only on a query that precisely matches the keyword or keyphrase you've chosen... meaning there are no additional words or letters before, between, or after it. (To enable exact matching, you enclose your keyword in square brackets.)
 
6. It supplies relevant statistics. There is an option called "Show or Hide Columns" in the GKT that allows you to see results with additional columns of relevant information. These are estimated performance statistics about keyword results to help you pick the best ones. Available statistics include estimated ad position, estimated average cost-per-click (CPC), the number of advertisers worldwide bidding on each keyword, the previous month's Google search volume, the average monthly Google search volume over a recent 12-month period, Google's search volume trends over a recent 12-month period, and the month that each keyword received the highest Google search volume within a recent 12-month period.
 
7. It allows you to expand your theme (and be more specific) when your current keywords are performing poorly. Even the most relevant keywords can produce little or no traffic. No traffic means no one's seeing your ad, so you need to find more keywords. The GKT allows you to expand your theme and be more specific. You can even go the other way and test some vague words. The idea is to test any relevant words that could give you a boost in traffic.
 
8. It expands with or without synonyms. When using the GKT's "Descriptive Words or Phrases" section, you simply enter a relevant word or phrase and it will generate wide-ranging synonyms. For example, it might suggest "index funds" or "investing" as a synonym for the keyphrase "value stock." Most people don't realize that this is set by default. You can uncheck the "Use Synonyms" button so it will give only results that contain at least one of the terms you entered.
 
9. It expands based on site content. After you've brainstormed all the words and phrases you can think of, use the "Website Content" option. It lets you enter the URL of your landing page or website, or of any site related to your subject matter, to find more keywords. It scans the content of the link entered and suggests additional relevant keywords. You can even ask it to include other pages on your site linked from this URL.

The best part is that you can enter the URLs of your competition and other related sites and learn the keywords of their content and what they might be buying for PPC.
 
10. It enables you to target when you find a winning phrase. Often, one word or phrase will bring in all your traffic and conversions. If so, follow that thread... and find as many variations on that word as possible. The GKT makes it easy. Just click on the "Existing Keyword" button and then click on your best-performing keywords to generate variations.

Give it a whirl!

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Boost Your Art Business with Microcredit

Microcredit started as a way to help foster entrepreneurship in poverty stricken countries. A logical modern interpretation of the Chinese proverb, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Organizations such as Kiva and Heifer International are great examples of how lending money or providing farm animals lead to sustainability for impoverished people. As tough as many have it today in the U.S., we are still blessed in ways citizens of other countries cannot imagine. Consider giving to them if you can.

I first wrote about Prosper.com a couple of years ago. Prosper was created as the first people-to-people lending marketplace to make consumer lending more financially and socially rewarding for everyone. It works on an eBay auction like basis where lenders bid on loans of interest to them. Some of the amounts loaned are as small as $50. The successful bids are aggregated to create the necessary amount to fund a specific loan. It is currently closed to new investors and borrowers as it is in a required "Quiet Period" as part of its filing a registration statement that should improve its ability to continue its unique brand of micro loans.

Now the need for microcredit in the U.S. is becoming more popular. This AP wire story published on MSNBC, Recession ups U.S. demand for microloans - Would-be borrowers turn to Third World-style lending system, features how a couple used microcredit to raise money for their art restoration start up. They worked with ACCION USA to successfully launch their business. It is an inspiring story. The Audeamus blog that focuses on covering social responsibility published this informative post in June 2006, Microcredit Sources in the USA. Despite the age of the post, most the links look like they will be viable to follow.

If you have a good idea for a business and are cut off from traditional lines of credit, or find what is available to be usurious, then these resources would be a good place to investigate. Just because the loans are small, don't take anything for granted. For the best and quickest results, approach getting a loan from one of these lending sources as you would a large bank. That is, have a believable, achievable business plan backed up with good data.

The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
English novelist (1812 - 1870)

Art and commerce - Making room for both

Some find pursuing commerce in parallel with producing art a soulless pursuit. I can understand such sentiment. Since this blog mainly is about the business of art; about helping artists make a living from their art, I suppose not many who feel that way regularly read it. 

Just acknowledging art comes from an intensely personal place makes it easy to grasp that sales and marketing activities sullies the process for some artists. The Art Biz Coach, Alyson Stanfield, neatly summed up the notion in the title of her bestselling book, I'd Rather Be in the Studio.

On a personal level, I quite honestly would rather write for a living than work at marketing and sales for a high tech firm. It's not that the work is distasteful or unrewarding because it is neither. It's just not what I'd do if I didn't have a need for decent benefits and a steady income. With no regrets, I suppose if I'd had the epiphany to think this way in younger years, I would have done things differently. Younger artists reading this, please take note.

Many very successful print artists rose through the ranks of illustrators

If you study the history of many artists who have "made it", you find a common thread. That is, many of them supported themselves by toiling away doing other things. Look at the number of fine artists who began as illustrators and ended up with significant careers in the print market. Their ranks make an impressive "Who's Who" list, including Howard Behrens,  Arnold Friberg, Richard Thompson, Norman Rockwell and Andy Warhol. A list that represents a mere smattering of artists who traveled this path.

In some ways, a career starting as an illustrator is the ideal training vehicle for would-be fine artists who seek a commercially viable career. They learn to create art that is both utilitarian and beautiful on demand. They learn the value of creating art that enhances commercial efforts. They learn to imbue their creativity into mundane things. Who could argue with the outcome?

There are those who decry the ongoing decline in the use of traditional illustrators who have seen their role usurped by technology and digital art. It is sad to think the system that bore so much fruit is no longer as necessary and one wonders how will new artists find their way now. From a nostalgic perspective, I agree. From a realistic perspective, I accept and welcome change and the unexpected outcome it will bring.

We are on the precipice of being amazed by how the best among us use technology to create art

I'm eager to see what the future holds for young graphic designers and artists working their magic on Wacom tablets in Painter, Illustrator, Photoshop and similar programs today. It will be fun to see how they have learned to harness the power of technology. It's hard to imagine what they will bring forth from their own experiences toiling away in the halls of commerce while simultaneously working on their skills and building a body of work. This is not to say there aren't already plenty of examples of artists creating phenomenal digital art that is creative, beautiful and thought provoking because there is. It is more to say years or decades of experience in a disciplined field tend to produce results unlike any other.

Some worry that technology tends to dumb down the culture with a "Calculators have no place in school rooms" mentality. The logical extension would be Photoshop, Painter and Illustrator make it too easy for hacks to get by. I argue the intrinsic qualities that make an artist unique will make that artist stand out against the best equipped hack. And, despite the occasional slip, the wisdom of crowds nearly always prevails allowing the best among us to properly be recognized and rewarded.

Making the argument that these are the worst of times is not difficult today

The state of the economy and the scary news around it is as great as nearly any living person can recall. Reading the front page or watching the evening news is a testament to our fortitude. Can any of us honestly do these things without feeling a bit or a lot uneasy? Certainly, what we are living through with unending waves of layoffs, bankruptcies, foreclosures and shocking economic bad news in many ways qualifies as the worst of times. You'll get no argument here.

It is just as easy to make the argument this is the best of times for artists

I've said it before and will continue to say it as long as the many years ahead I plan to write this blog: This is a great time to be an artist. I go beyond just saying it's great timing to be a visual artist, which encompasses fine artists, photographers, digital artists and graphic designers. It arguably is a great time to be a musician, an actor, or a writer, too.

Technology has made so many things possible, like this blog, for instance. Print-on-demand technology and increasing advancements in video and audio recording all put tremendous power in the hands of individual artists. Couple those advancements with the ability to deliver their creative output via the Internet and other digital distribution methods and you have a strong argument for this being the best of times. I think it is easy to forget that in the good old days breaking in as an artist in any genre was tough. It still is. What is different now is that artists of all stripes can make their own luck in ways not available to previous generations.

Life's checks and balances seem fully in play just now

Perhaps it is the curse that comes with the blessing that these remarkable tools and advancements would arrive at a time of tremendous hardship and difficulty for many of us. Just as we are poised to make and deliver our best work, brilliantly made and eloquently presented, we are struck with a collector pool stunned by bad news and fears of worse to come.

It seems to me this is a time to learn not only how to harness technology for our individual gains, but also to learn how to use it in new ways to make for the collective good. That is for our fellow artists and for our shared body of collectors. How such a quaint and grandiose notion gets implemented is not for this post. It is rather for an ongoing dialog between all interested parties.

The light-speed evolution of social media and networking offers unwanted diversion and welcome opportunity

Most of us are still grasping with how to make good use and not foolish waste of time use of new and interesting tools such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs and even Web sites, for that matter. To be alive now is to be a living witness to changes that we feel and see everyday which ultimately will take us to new and different ways of making art and making distribution channels to deliver it. Some of these tools will go the way of VHS tapes and audio cassettes while other will evolve into deeply integrated aspects of our lives on nearly every level. It will be the best of times and a bit of a joy ride to participate and see how it all unfolds. You'll be telling future generations about these times.

Don't stop now

Technology is not a tool to make the works of hacks and amateurs passable. In the hands of the most talented, it will lift us and inspire us in ways we have yet to imagine. To my mind, it is the worst of times to be a pessimist and the best of times to be an optimist. It is a time to cautiously go forth with one's best plans, and to be cautiously aware those plans will need to be monitored and adjusted to inevitable changes. If you are like everyone else, you have already slowed your roll a bit, which is natural and prudent. I do admonish you, however, to keep on moving and leave you with the wisdom of the Great Depression era's best humorist and philosopher: 

Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.
Will Rogers (1879 - 1935)

Start Your Own Art Marketing Group

I've been inspired by my previous post, Visual Artists - 30 Ways to Get More Art Collectors. This suggestion goes deeper than the one-liner ideas proposed in that post.

Here it is: Create your own viable sustainable distribution channel in the form of a referral network. You start it and you will be king or queen at least long enough to mould it to your needs and desires.

In another career, unrelated to the art business, I was involved in a Business Networking International (BNI) group. BNI has more than 4,000 chapters worldwide. Each chapter consists of local business owners seeking use a strong referral market to grow their business.

BNI is successful because it monitors the level of participation from each member. It has a motto, "Givers Gain." The idea is to meet for breakfast or lunch weekly and exchanges referrals among the members. Each meeting, one member gives a presentation on his her business. The other members give a clocked one-minute presentation. I'm here to tell you it works although the monitoring can be somewhat onerous at times. And, the pressure to produce quality referrals can be difficult.

Create Your Own Power Marketing Partners

Within each BNI group, there are Power Marketing Partners. These are mini-groups comprised of professions that have a natural affinity to each other. For example, an insurance agent, a financial planner, a real estate agent and mortgage broker all have clientele in various stages of need that should allow easy referrals. This is especially true when you have gotten to know someone and have had positive feedback on how they conduct themselves.

My thought here is to start an Art Marketing Group based on BNI's Power Partner theory. As a local artist, who would be your best candidates for such a group? I think it would be a picture framer, an interior designer, an art gallery, an upscale home furnishings, decorative accessory boutique or high-end gift shop. It might also include a home builder, or a local hip coffee shop or restaurant that likes to support the arts.

I used to get my haircut at a salon that has a gallery and supports local artists. (She's closed on my current days off.) The wife of one of the members of my former BNI group runs a day spa and also does shows and uses her walls to support local galleries. If you have a winery, or even a local brewery, you might include them.

Begin with a Core Group of Your Best Prospects

Start small. Get a core group of three or four like minded promotional marketing oriented members together to hammer out some details. There is lots of information on running referral groups to be found on the Internet. I suggest making yours less demanding than the typical BNI group. Instead, make it more toward planning joint ventures and events that would benefit all the members. Putting lots of restrictions and "must do" on creative types would probably fail anyway.

Decide what you want to do. Have a semi-annual or quarterly event. Have monthly meetings to exchange ideas and referrals. Figure out how to pool marketing dollars and create interest with the local media by doing something extraordinary. Decide how much work, effort and expense will be required. There is no point in recruiting a great prospect if she or he is not capable of making the full commitment to the success of the group. Meet regularly to keep up enthusiasm and to encourage or help anyone struggling to stay on board.

Don't Let Anyone Struggling to Keep Up Let You Down

Keep tabs on the strugglers, but don't let anyone take the group down. Be firm they have to produce or they will have to be replaced. If you get the right people to start, this will be far less of a problem.  That means being tough and smart enough to not include friends who fit the description, but whom you already know to be over involved or incapable of making the necessary contribution.

This is not a quick fix suggestion. It will take some time, leadership and organizational skills to get an idea like this off the ground. Do it right though and you will have others clamoring to participate when they see the success you are enjoying. Tie-in with an established local charity to create a win-win for it and your group. You will be able to tap its membership and visibility with local and regional media to add more buzz to your events.

Visual Artists - 30 Ways to Get More Art Collectors

Here are a few things I've been thinking nearly any artist can do without spending very much money to generate more interest and sales. Succeed at a mere handful of these suggestions and watch your business grow. I'm not saying they don't take effort, or some money, but what successful program doesn't? This is neither the time to sit it out nor to hope someone will come along and make things magically happen for your career.

1. Ask a family member to buy or introduce you to someone who might.

2. Ask a friend or colleague to buy or introduce you to someone who might.

3. Befriend an interior decorator.

4. Seek influencers. You know who they are. The people everyone goes to for advice.

5. Write a column for your local newspaper.

6. Give a talk at an upscale 55+ housing development.

7. Put art on consignment in alternative spaces, e.g., salons, spas.

8. Paint your car.

9. Do a series of targeted postcards campaign.

10. Get listed in every local phone book and local directory.

11. Go to Chamber of Commerce social meetings.

12. Be involved in a local charity.

13. Start a meetup group to visit local galleries or wineries.

14. Have an annual party for collectors and friends.

15. Never leave home or studio without business cards and something to show anyone who asks what you do.

16. Arrange interviews with local radio hosts on a relevant subject you've studied, e.g., the benefit of the WPA arts projects and how it relates to today.

17. Send a personal thank you to every one who shows an interest.

18. Get the email address of every one you meet. Send them note and offer to put them on your mailing list with the chance to get an advanced purchase discount on your next new print or free quarterly drawing for a print.

19. Host a an hors d' oeuvres, wine and art party at someone else's home or office.

20. Have an ecommece means of selling your art that you control fully, i.e., sell direct from your Web site or blog.

21. Start a newsletter about art events in your area. Get every email address you can get. Be relentless.

22. Rent an empty retail space and have an "art happening" with other artists and musicians.

23. Let your imagination run free and do something you would never do.

24. Find those talented people who are not interior design professionals, but who always seem to be helping others with working on their home.

25. Pitch ideas for stories or decorating or other themes involving your art to local morning TV talk shows. Do you have any idea how many people they need to book each week to keep the content fresh and audience interested.

26. Be interesting. Learn to tell some art related stories. Talk about how Picasso was eccentric, or anecdotes about artists you admire and why.

27. Learn to talk about how you come up with ideas for your art and how it makes you think and feel to produce the result.

28. Don't be shy about asking someone to buy. Often they need to be reassured it is a good suggestion.

29. Get local framers to carry your work and recommend it.

30. Be your own best agent and marketer. No one can talk about your art the way you do.