Social Networking Won’t Kill You: A Skeptical Artist’s Guide to Online Promotion

Part One: 12 Simple Steps to Maximize Social Networking

• Are you afraid of social networking?
• Do you see it as a relentless time-suck with no quantifiable payoff?

Your fears are shared by many, and they are justified. Even in our increasingly online world, some creative professionals are still wary of using social networking as part of their self-promotion efforts. Some artists dismiss the idea as a superficial or detached way of trying to make connections and secure future work, while others just see it as the latest passing fad. However, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to justify these perspectives as more and more Art Directors, Agents, Illustrators, and Designers are finding success at building relationships and creating fame through the use of social networking.

12 Simple Steps

Contrary to what some may think, making proper use of the more common social networking sites can boost your profile and spread the word about how great you are, while making potentially lasting relationships with others in your field. Here are some tips that might help you to network online to the best effect:

• Pick a few that work. While it can be valuable to have a profile on as many sites as possible, it’s more practical and effective to devote your time and energy to the ones that are working for you.
• Be genuine. You may have noticed that I’ve used the word “relationships” a couple of times already. While this might seem like an odd way to describe the often impersonal interactions that take place over the internet, real connections do happen. Start genuine relationships with people rather than spam everyone you meet.
• Be generous. Share your knowledge and help those less experienced than yourself. This will help to make the types of connections mentioned above while presenting yourself as an expert in your field. People are searching online to have their needs met, and they will remember those who help them along the way.
• Broaden your scope. You may find yourself interacting with your artistic peers, and that’s great. However, it’s important to avoid the mistake of only networking with your fellow creators. This can lead to some great relationships, but it can also be limiting when it comes to attempting to promote your Illustration or Design business. Try to seek out and connect with Art Directors and others who hire people like you.
• Stay active. Submit regular updates to the few sites that you are most active on. It’s a good idea to stay on everyone’s radar and remind them that you’re an active, working artist, rather than a lifeless robot who posted a profile years ago never to return. No one is going to remember a name on a screen, but they will remember someone who is doing things that pique their interest, or even inspire them, on a regular basis.
• Be professional. It can be easy to overstep the line and start talking about your family, your favorite pet, and what you ate for breakfast. Unless you are providing something of value to people, they will quickly tune you out. Set clear boundaries for yourself to keep too much of your personal life from creeping in.
• Be personal. Balance the last tip with a healthy dose of humanity to remind people that you’re a real person. While it’s not a good idea to divulge to much personal information, real-life stories can be inspiring and helpful to others, as well as a deeper look into who you really are.
• Present a consistent brand. Try to make every aspect of your online presence visually cohesive through the use of logos, images, and color schemes whenever possible. That way, when someone stumbles upon your profile at any given social networking site, you will not only be planting yourself deeper in their memory banks, but you will also be showing yourself to be a professional business.
• Link to your website. Strangely enough, this step is often overlooked., but it’s one of the most important things you can do to draw someone into your world and present your brand and services. Your portfolio website is where you have the most control over your message and your efforts to convince your visitors to contact or hire you.
• Manage Your Time. One of the biggest dangers of social networking is losing yourself in an endless stream of friend requests and useless distractions. This is one of the things that gives social networking a bad name. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. Set aside a few hours a week for this part of your business, and try not to overdo it at the expense of your valuable time. Some artists choose one day each week for social networking.
• Combine with offline efforts. Online networking is great, but don’t lose sight of the value of face-to-face connections and print promotions. Pay attention to any announcements of local networking events, and try to connect with other like-minded creators who live in your area.
• Don’t force it. Even with all these tips, social networking isn’t for everybody. You may find that certain sites are just not a good fit for your brand, your aesthetic sensibilities, or your personality. As with any part of your business, ditch anything that simply isn’t working for you and keep up with what is showing positive results.

Everything’s Going to Be Okay.

Social networking is not going to kill you, or your business. In fact, it can be quite the contrary. Social networking is changing the way the world does business, but it doesn’t mean that you have to abandon everything you’ve learned before. Rather, it’s just another set of tools to choose from in your daily promotional efforts. It can be extremely valuable to try and approach social networking as an opportunity to open some doors and see what lies on the other side.