Marketing in the arts
I Just Received The Best Compliment Of My Career!
“Change your thoughts and you change your world.”
Norman Vincent Peale
One would think that it would be about my art, or writing. I guess in a way it does have connections to that. I received this compliment by a member of the Houston Arts Association while lecturing on marketing in the arts. Next Monday is the workshop on the same topic. They have spaces open if anyone is interested. Just let me know you are coming.
“If you want a quality, act as if you already have it. If you want to be courageous, act as if you were – and as you act and persevere in acting, so you tend to become.”
Norman Vincent Peale
Anyway, the comment was as I talked about Norman Vincent Peale someone said, “You remind me of him.”
I do have many of my own goals in life, however, my deepest hearts desire is to help others get past their own stuff and realize their own goals.
To the member who likened me to Norman Vincent Peale, I am so very flattered. I can only pray that I achieve what he has in the ministry to others.
I’m looking forward to working with all of those who have signed up for the workshop. See you next Monday.
“Our happiness depends on the habit of mind we cultivate. So practice happy thinking every day. Cultivate the merry heart, develop the happiness habit, and life will become a continual feast.” ~”
Norman Vincent Peale
The Business of Art- A Workshop
I will be speaking at the Houston Art Society Monday April 9th from 10-12:30. This will be an introduction or a teaser to what I will be covering in the Business of Art Workshop schedule for Monday April 16, 2012 From 9:30-2:30. The location is Memorial Church of Christ on Echo Lane in Houston, Texas
Many years ago there was a Channel 8 PBS Segment created on my work. The introduction was “Making a living while living a dream— An artist makes a happy compromise between business and pleasure.” This workshop will focus on those experiences and things I have learned that have helped me to achieve my dreams.
The art workshop is $35 non members and $25. for members. The space for the workshop is limited. If you think you are interested in this event or are a student or intern of mine and you think you would like to attend please contact me as soon as possible.They are opening up a few more spaces specifically for my guests.
If you would like me to create a similar event for your organization or might like to attend an online event please also contact me and let me know. Also, be sure to sign up for my newsletter to see future events and possibilities.
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Bridgette Mongeon is a sculptor, writer, illustrator and educator as well as a public speaker.
Her blog can be found at https://creativesculpture.com.
She is also the owner and creator of the God’s Word Collectible Sculpture series
Follow the artists on twitter twitter.com/Sculptorwriter twitter.com/creategodsword
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/bridgette.mongeon
Listen to The Creative Christian Podcast or the Inspiration/Generation PodcastClick on Podcast Host Bios for a list of all podcasts.
Listen to the Art and Technology Podcast
Hey, If They Can Do It Maybe I Can
Do you had dreams of writing or illustrating children’s books or young adult novels? I certainly must recommend the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). SCBWI is a huge organization, and you are bound to find a chapter in your area. Join the chapter and you are joining the national organization. How cool is that? But you don’t need to join to attend their local meetings. What are the benefits of joining?
Meet people who are struggling and have insecurities-just like you.
- Meet people who made it after struggling and share in their excitement. You will be saying, “Hey, if they can do it maybe I can.”
- Learn about your craft.
- Cull from vast amount of resources and information that is always part of a professional group.
- Get inspired.
- Stay inspired.
Get connected- Join a group!
The Society for Children Book Writers and Illustrators National website.
Find a chapter near you
My Houston Texas Chapter of SCBWI
LinkedIn For Those In The Arts?
I created a recent post HOW DO I MAKE A LIVING BEING CREATIVE AND DOING WHAT I LOVE?
I asked a friend who is beginning a new career if she was on LinkedIn. She is working hard at a masters degree, and she would like to become a science writer. She told me she did have an account but did not know what to do with the account. I thought I would try to write a bit about LinkedIn and how to use it.
We are probably all familiar with social networks, especially ones like Facebook. People find you on Facebook, “friend” you and you get to have connections to long lost friends, old classmates, relatives you have not seen since you were two or whatever. Linked in is a social network but there is a difference. Facebook is a big open party and LinkedIn is like going to a networking social for your business. You would act differently in each setting; therefore, your profile should be different, as well. Consider LinkedIn as a way to present yourself as a professional.
NOTE: LinkedIn, in some ways, is not like Facebook. I will friend just about anyone on Facebook, but I covet my LinkedIn contact. I only link to those I know or those I really want to know and that I feel I have something to offer. Remember, those who you link to have access to all of your connections. Think of it this way, you are at a cocktail party with all of your LinkedIn friends. Would you recommend them to your best connections?
Many of the sites below will tell you how to get connected with others on LinkedIn. It may start as simply as connecting to those who are in your field or that you know through your work in that field. Don’t forget those who you have worked for. If you are a student then do try to connect with your advisors or with the places where you intern.
If you are trying to learn how to use LinkedIn LinkedIn has a New Users Start up Guide
There are many articles on the Internet that tell you how to use LinkedIn.
- Here is one from the linedinelligence.com website titled 100+ smart ways to is LinkedIn.
- A blog talk radio show by Nicolette Tallmadge giving LinkedIn Tips for Artists.
- Here is a wonderful article title Artists Online Presence- How one artist does it? by Moshe Mikanovsky. It talks a great deal about marketing int he arts and some on LinkedIn.
- Renee Phillips talks about Getting Linked on Linkedin
- Merly’s Notes talks about LinkedIn
I hope this helps to get you started. Your marketing goal for this week might be to spend time pulling together your profile and a designating a few hours reading about using LinkedIn. The point about all of this social networking is getting connected.
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Bridgette Mongeon-Sculptor, Writer and Speaker
Bridgette Mongeon is a sculptor, writer, illustrator and educator as well as a public speaker.
Her blog can be found at https://creativesculpture.com.
She is also the owner and creator of the God’s Word Collectible Sculpture series
Follow the artists on twitter twitter.com/Sculptorwriter twitter.com/creategodsword
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/bridgette.mongeon
Listen to The Creative Christian Podcast or the Inspiration/Generation Podcast Click on Podcast Host Bios for a list of all podcasts.
Listen to the Art and Technology Podcast
HOW DO I MAKE A LIVING BEING CREATIVE AND DOING WHAT I LOVE?
I know of several people who are searching for work in the arts. In this economy, it can be difficult at best. Here, are some suggestions to assist you in, “Making a living while living a dream.”
LINKED IN
Are you on Linkedin? If not, create a professional page for Linkedin. You can also link your blog and twitter account to Linkedin, however, if you are tweeting crap or “woe is me” posts or “someone hire me stuff,” then don’t link it to Linkedin.
If you do create an account, and have people that you have worked for that, are also a member of Linkedin, ask them for a recommendation.
If you are a student and have an internship, ask the company that you are interning with for a recommendation on Linkedin.
NOTE: Linked in is not Facebook. I will friend just about anyone on Facebook, but I covet my Linkedin. I only link to those I know or those I really want to know and that I feel I have something to offer. Remember those who you link to have access to all of your connections. Think of it this way. You are at a cocktail party with all of your linked in friends. Would you recommend them to your best connections?
NEVER LET THEM SEE YOU SWEAT
“Never let them see you sweat.” “Bullshit until it becomes real.” You can disagree with me on this one, and I am stepping out there by saying it, but I think it is important to make it look like you are a sought after creator. Avoid blogging or posting any negative stuff, or things that say, I am trying to be a whatever. Instead, find information that will be of help to those looking for you or find someone that does what you do and post about that. Find those who you love who are doing what you are doing. Write a blog about what they are doing and how much you like their work. Link to their blog. They will get a ping back and be thankful that you wrote about them. ( A pingback is a a notice to a blogger that their blog has been mentioned somewhere on the web.) Is it your favorite author, or illustrator? Ask if you can put their work on your site. It is a terrific way to contact those in your industry. While you are doing this, you are giving positive information that others will want to come back to your site to see.
BLOGS
Some people are overwhelmed by blogging. Blog posts don’t have to be long, a 500 word post is a good length. It is also good to bullet items or provide some graphics. The eye gets tired of reading long posts, and bored. Short posts may help you to contribute to your blog on a regular basis. Also posting about others work gives you content. How often should you post? Once a week is a terrific start. Try to work yourself up to 100 posts.
Be sure to link your blog. My blog is linked to several different sites. It is linked to my Facebook (warning Facebook is temperately in this. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not.) I also have my blog linked to several other sites. That means, when I update my blog about five different sites are being updated at the same time.
Search engines search Blogs, so if you can put keywords in your blog it helps. Keywords are words that people will search for when looking for your services.
DO I HAVE TO CONFORM?
The hardest part about being in business with your art is that we want to create what we want to create, but the government determines if it is a hobby or business by our ability to conform to the needs of clients. Sorry creatives, we will have to do some conforming. That means we need to evaluate what the market needs and create what they need in order to market ourselves and get work.
GET CONNECTED
Social media offers a host of ways to get connected. Again, find those who are doing what you love and talk about them. Take the focus off of what you don’t have and put it on to their success. You can also do this concerning the tools that you are using. Do you have a favorite software or medium? Talk about using that medium or tool. Do this through posts on Facebook, blog posts and Twitter. Find those who you love and read their blogs, follow them on twitter, retweet what they are tweeting. Take the focus off of what you don’t have (work a career) and put it on to what someone else is doing or how you can help. I promise you it will come back to you.
LINKING
I hope some of these suggestions assist you in your creative marketing endeavors. Please drop me a line and let me know if they do. You are also welcome to repost this article in your blog or online. Please give me a link back when you do. My last suggestion, when you link your articles or blog or when you are linking to others it is best to link a phrase or key words to your post instead of just the url. For example, you could link this article like this. This is a wonderful article about marketing for those in the arts. Or, help yourself get employed in the arts by following Bridgette Mongeon’s suggesting. That is much better than saying Here is an article.
These suggestions may take time, but they may also help you to develop a business with your art that feeds your soul. Good luck and be creative.
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Bridgette Mongeon-Sculptor, Writer and Speaker
Bridgette Mongeon is a sculptor, writer, illustrator and educator as well as a public speaker.
Her blog can be found at https://creativesculpture.com.
She is also the owner and creator of the God’s Word Collectible Sculpture series
Follow the artists on twitter twitter.com/Sculptorwriter twitter.com/creategodsword
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/bridgette.mongeon
Listen to the Art and Technology Podcast
The Internet is Great, But Sometimes You Need Hard Copy. My Suggestions For Three Printers
The Internet is great for marketing, but sometimes you have to have things printed. There are advantages to having hard copy. You can hold it, save it, file it and put your hands on it when you need it. The studio is working on several different snail-mail marketing campaigns. It is important to have things printed. I thought I would share with you the three printers that we have been using.
This printer does a great deal of wonderful photograph printing in a variety materials. Christian Sizemore at Diliberto Photo Design had recommended them. WHCC does some nice work.
Color Printing Central is doing all of my printing on the marketing material we are creating right now. In this economy, price is a strong factor and Color Printing Central gives me the best price. My rep there is Jenny Gilchrist.
We just sent off the new marketing brochure to Color Printing Central.
OVERNIGHT PRINTS
Again, when price is a factor, I would check with this company. Like Color Printing Central Overnight Prints is quality printing at a good price.
There you have it. Three suggestions of printers to use for your print work. Happy marketing!
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Sculptor, Writer and Speaker
Bridgette Mongeon is a sculptor, writer, illustrator and educator as well as a public speaker.
Her blog can be found at https://creativesculpture.com.
She is also the owner and creator of the God’s Word Collectible Sculpture series
Follow the artists on twitter twitter.com/Sculptorwriter twitter.com/creategodsword
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/bridgette.mongeon
Listen to The Creative Christian Podcast or the Inspiration/Generation Podcast Click on Podcast Host Bios for a list of all podcasts.
Listen to the Art and Technology Podcast
Marketing Information For Artists/Writers with Blogs
I have been very busy with my other blog on my collectibles website. For those interested in marketing and the Internet here is a little crash course in what I have learned.
For several years now my God’s Word Collectible series has been at Network Solutions server. However this is a shopping cart, and according to Network Solutions having a blog on a shopping cart is not a good idea, therefore they don’t offer it. ( I think this is the way they are coding, but a different article entirely)
This has been extremely frustrating for me. I know from this Creative Sculpture website that often more traffic comes through my blog than through my front page. We also have a podcast that we created and is sponsored by the God’s Word Collectible series.
So how can we direct people to listen to the podcast and also direct traffic to our site?
To remedy this situation I have a list of the podcasts on what I call the Host Bio’s page. This resides at http://www.godsword.net. I really like this page and it serves a purpose that no other page does. It shows all of our podcast all the way back to 2008 with a description and a link so that you can listen to them. It also has short bios about our hosts.
However ,a blog with my podcast offers so much more. I can post information, news, ideas, and thoughts. I can also post pictures of my guests and their books, videos of their work and a variety of other material, so a blog was necessary. Well my only recourse was to put a blog on Blogger and link to it from the godsword.net website.
Years ago I hired someone to make the blogger header look like the website. The idea behind that is that people would not know they left the site and they could still do such things as “return to shopping cart.” Which if they clicked on that link in blogger just sent them back to the God’s Word Website. Are you following me?
I did feel like my hands were tied with the rest of the “look” of the blogger blog and was really too embarrassed to post anything else there. Or to advertise it. The good thing about having the blog is that I linked that blog to God’s Word Collectibles Facebook Fans page and therefore, when I would post the new podcast on the blog the God’s Word Collectibles Facebook Fans page would automatically be updated. I loved this, and I love that people can listen to the podcast from Facebook. The bad part of having my blog on Blogger is that if I did get any traffic to the blog the godsword.net website was not getting the Search Engine Optimization Blogger was!
I had to have a blog connected to http://www.godsword.net!
I have wanted to switch my shopping cart to something else entirely, but that is something I am researching right now. For the time being it will stay at network solutions as a shopping cart. Tto resolve the blog problem I am adding a blog with this domain name http://www.blog.godsword.net This will actually be housed at an entirely different server than the shopping cart. It will be hosted on Host Gator. We consolidated all of our websites into one resellers package at Hostgator. It is a lot cheaper in the long run. Eventually- somehow once I figure it out God’s Word Collectibles Shopping cart it will also be switched to Hostgator. But I’m still looking for the appropriate shopping cart system.
HERE IS MY ENLIGHTENMENT!
I had not known that I cold have the same web address, URL or really something similar that would reside on two different servers. Note http://www.blog.godsword.net and http://www.godsword.net are a bit different.
I have put a Word Press blog on my host gator server at http://www.blog.godsword.net. Host Gator has done some magic in the background so the blog will not go live until I am ready and I can work on it. I imported the 3 years of posts from my blogger account. This was quite simple to do and was really just a click of the button. I have spent about 2 weeks finding a theme ( the look of the blog there are so many “skins” to choose from), arranging items, and presently, I’m fixing all of the posts to look better. Yes, 3 years of posts.
I’m also trying to work with optimization of the blog. What does that mean? Well I’m simply making use of all of the wonderful things Word Press has to offer to make my website come up first in search engines. That means making sure all of my photographs have everything they need behind them, in the code, to get searched. This sounds a lot more complicated than it is. Word Press offers you ways of doing this quite simply.
For further explanation here is an article by Krista Kopetsky at Interent Marketing Tips & Tricks on SEO For Word Press Image ALT Tags.
How about optimizing each blog post? Well here is a great resource Black Hat Source on How to Improve SEO of your WordPress
So just tweaking each post to make it look pretty is not all I’m trying to do. There are a lot of things on the back end.
I have also not used categories or tags for my posts before this. I will be working on that and posting some hints and helps on the best way to use those for optimization. This is a huge task, but not as big as changing this present Creative Sculpture site of 108 pages and 300 images over to a WordPress website. That is what I will tackle next year. A HUGE undertaking.
Hope someone finds this article helpful. Yes, marketing and spending time marketing is important in the arts. I look at my time in the last week and think, boy, it would be great to get back to the art. This time will pay off. Time well spent.
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Bridgette Mongeon is a sculptor, writer and educator as well as a public speaker. Her blog can be found at https://creativesculpture.com. She is also the owner and creator of the God’s Word Collectible Sculpture series Follow the artists on twitter twitter.com/Sculptorwriter twitter.com/creategodsword Facebook http://www.facebook.com/bridgette.mongeon Listen to The Creative Christian Podcast or the Inspiration/Generation Podcast Click on Podcast Host Bios for a listing of all podcasts Listen to the Art and Technology Podcast
Ahhh Such A Sweet Post About Me on Someone’s Blog
I often take time out of the monthly schedule to post messages to others about desiring an interview for my Inspirational podcast. We are on number 80 something now. Have committed to three coming out a year. But while returning to a website and an interview from an incredibly interesting man who represents a wonderful lot of talent I found this post on his blog. He states, “I recently did a radio interview with a very interesting lady who is a world class sculptor.” So nice of him to comment. and you can listen to the podcast if you are intersted. Great insight into marketing and bringing God into your business. Thanks for the plug Michael Smith. Ah, maybe some day this man will represent me and all of my creative endeavors! First, I must continue to build my platform and pray.
What Is On My Marketing Check List?
Some wonder, “Do you sleep?” What are your marketing endeavors?
I do have a list in my head, but here are some I have going now, as well as some that I have achieved.
√ 1. Contact SCBWI about letter of reference on marketing workshop
√ 2. Post support material for marketing workshop
3. Twitter on posts about the above.
4. Research Christian Agents- Check out the video in the post Great Resources for Writers on Finding an Agent.
5. Must figure out how to redo the God’s Word website, and changing servers. Looking at different shopping cart options. ( HUGE UNDERTAKING. DEADLINE FOR CHANGING THE ENTIRE WEBSITE- END OF YEAR IF NOT SOONER! )
6. Help as many people as I can, because it is a good thing to do.
7. Schedule November Podcasts- all podcasts are marketing in one way or another.
8. Look into the new, wonderful terrific idea I had to support the writing of this present book. ( sorry guys can’t share this yet.)
9. Post on blog
10. Edit and put up podcast that was recorded last month to Budapest
11. Look at taking marketing workshops into online webinars.
12. Ride my daughter, because she is creating new marketing material for my fine art and taking a very, very long time to complete them. But I love her and am busy with other things.
13. Write a letter to the kids at Culture Shapers, this is more need to inspire than to market.
14. Research websites that can find and monitor tweets per subject.
Did You Attend The Workshop? What Did You Think?
If you attended one of the two workshops at the Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators-Houston meeting, please send me your comments. I’d like to know what you thought and I can then post them here. Please include your name and description. You can send a small picture of yourself or one of your books, if published, but it is not necessary. But, if you have a website please include your URL so that I can post that link on this blog. We did not get to cover a lot of the Search Engine Optimization techniques, one is to having links to your website on other people’s blogs. I’d love to hear from you and help out with that.
Great presentation last night bridgette.
Bruce Foster
Obviously, there is a lot more you have to share and I for one, am all ears!
Paper artist
Thanks Bruce, I am always so impressed with the quality of illustrators, and writers we have coming to our SCBWI- Houston meeting. I came home and told my husband about your incredible pop up books. Congratulations on the Harry Potter Pop Up Book Releasing November 16th. I went to your website and was also pleased to see you were using video to help market your books. We didn’t get to talk about that subject yet. GREAT MARKETING TOOL! I never heard the title “Paper Engineer,” but I have great respect for one. I am an adult fan of pop up books. It might be because I love anything miniature, and loved paper dolls. Keep up the good work and we definitely have to explore more of the marketing tools for writers.
Bridgette mongeon is a successful artist and promoter, and is determined to help others achieve the same success. Her upbeat workshop, guided assignments, and generous follow up information went far towards making us feel we can follow in her footsteps. Best of all, for us who are-less tech-savvy was her constant reassurances that she was on call if we needed more help.
Pat Miller, LMS
www.patmillerbooks.com
Thank you Pat. I appreciate your enthusiasm. Just went to your website and checked out your great children’s books.
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Sculptor, Writer and Speaker
Bridgette Mongeon is a sculptor, writer and educator as well as a public speaker. Her blog can be found at https://creativesculpture.com.
She is also the owner and creator of the God’s Word Collectible Sculpture series
Follow the artists on twitter twitter.com/Sculptorwriter twitter.com/creategodsword
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/bridgette.mongeon
Listen to The Creative Christian Podcast or the Inspiration/Generation Podcast Click on Podcast Host Bios for a listing of all podcasts
Listen to the Art and Technology Podcast
Programming Co-Chair, SCBWI-Houston