Brand Yourself as an Artist on Twitter

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Monday Marketing Minute #  Twitter Demystified Series

This is Part 7 in a series of 10 MM Minutes about Demystifying Twitter.

A strong brand is invaluable to artists. Twitter is one of the quickest ways to build brand recognition for you and your art business. A strong and recognizable creative brand is invaluable to an artist and serves to communicate credibility to your prospective collectors and buyers and other artists as well.

We have learned about your @Name, Profile picture and bio, and Twitter and Your Website. This week we learn:

When to Tweet For Impact:

Tim Ferriss tracked and measured his ’tweets’ and decided that the following times are the best ties to tweet for impact and views…

12 midnight – 4am PST: 6, all between 12 midnight and 2am = 3 per hour
4am – 8am PST: none (partially due to the fact that I am sleeping)
8am – 12 noon PST: 8, all 10am – 12 noon = 4 per hour
12 noon – 4pm PST: 11, 9 between 1:30 – 3pm = 6 per hour
4pm – 8pm PST: 9, evenly spread = 2.25 per hour
8pm – 12 midnight PST: 3 = 0.75 per hour

I find it’s worth repeating important tweets up to 4 times in about 18 hours. Typically, that would be evening, late evening, next morning and then the afternoon. Hopefully, that will catch the different audiences. But that’s enough, I don’t want to turn anyone off. ~Guy Kawasaki

Guy generally pre-schedules his tweets 8 hours apart at 7 pm PST, 3 am PST, 11 am PST, 7 pm PST…

Action Step: Use the above information to create a schedule for your tweets.

Part 1 of the Twitter Demystified Series

Part 2 of the Twitter Demystified Series

Part 3 of the Twitter Demystified Series

Part 4 of the Twitter Demystified Series

Part 5 of the Twitter Demystified Series

Part 6 of the Twitter Demystified Series

Part 7 of the Twitter Demystified Series

Part 8 of the Twitter Demystified Series

Part 9 of the Twitter Demystified Series

Part 10 of the Twitter Demystified Series

TweetDeck

DM, Replies, etc.

 

Please add your suggestions by commenting below…

 

Monday Marketing Minute #41
8. The Retweet/RT @: Re-tweeting is a great way to capture the attention of an art organization, gallery or someone you would like to have ‘follow’ you. The re-tweet shares valuable information with other like minded individuals.

Monday Marketing Minute #42
Download and use Tweetdeck (I prefer) or Seesmic. These are efficient and time saving personal browsers used to manage your Twitter & Facebook accounts. These applications are intuitive and easy, but if you are feeling intimidated, I suggest following a Tweetdeck tutorial to help you get started.

On Twitter, at times I will share a a photo using Twitpic (on my Tweetdeck) to post a newly finished painting or one that is in progress. This is a great way to get feedback and spark interest in your work.

I like to share my favorite quotes, knowledge and art tips.

Keep in mind what kind of personal information, links, resources and promotional materials you plan to post.

I read somewhere that a good rule of thumb for tweeting is – one personal tweet for every 10 informative tweets. That said, you will find the right balance that works with your following… I average around 2 per 10. (This does not include all the re-tweet ‘thank yous’!)

Sometimes it is tempting to get something off your chest or share some exciting news as I did when I taught a plein air workshop in France or when a black bear jumped in front of me on a dark trail. A little of this goes a long way, but it also important to show a real real human side.

Also, tweet frequently to build your following and brand recognition. This way, you can grow a small community of people with similar interests and who recognize your name and your brand. Having said that, don’t bombard Twitter or Facebook with numerous tweets & updates. You will find what works for you…and your followers will let you know if they don’t like it.

Monday Marketing Minute #43
9. Etiquette: Don’t forget to thank people for Re-tweeting or replying to your ‘tweet’. Oh, and don’t worry if you lose a follower or two…this happens every day and is the name of the game.

Be a human being, not a marketing drone. Otherwise you will be considered a spammer if you are constantly direct messaging to your URL or product line.

And finally……….

Monday Marketing Minute #44

10. The Golden Rule of Twitter: “Tweet others the way you want to be tweeted.”

~ Lori

If this article was helpful, you might enjoy:

5 Reasons Why Artists Need Social Media & Eye Opening Stats to Back it Up

Simple SEO Tips to Rank Your Twitter & Facebook Pages Higher on Google

How Artists Can Use YouTube to Improve Marketing

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FILED UNDER: GENERAL, LORI’S FEATURED ARTICLES, SOCIAL MEDIA, ART MARKETING & BLOGGING TIPS, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE & MORE TAGGED WITH: ART TIPS, BRANDING ART, PERSONAL BRANDING, TWITTER TIPS FOR ARTISTS
About Lori McNee
Lori McNee is an internationally recognized professional artist who specializes in still life and landscape oil paintings. Lori shares valuable fine art tips, art business tips and social media advice on her blog. Currently, Lori ranks as one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women on Twitter & was named a TwitterPowerhouse by The Huffington Post.

Read more: http://www.finearttips.com/2009/09/brand-yourself-as-an-artist-on-twitter/#ixzz1FGCXSeoA

 

Here are important branding tips to think about: Please add your suggestions by commenting below…
Monday Marketing Minute #35
1. @Name: Your name is the first thing that people will see on Twitter. Use the name you wish to represent your artist brand. When I first started on Twitter I used @lorimcnee, but quickly changed my name to @lorimcneeartist and gained followers rapidly. It is easier for people to associate me as an artist this way. Also, when people search ‘artist’, my name appears. Once your Twitter page is complete, I suggest you consider adding yourself and your interests to the free Twitter Directory, WeFollow. This way, you can track your ranking, status and influence on Twitter. Currently, I am ranked as one of the most ’influential artists’ on Twitter according to WeFollow!

Monday Marketing Minute #36
2. The Profile & Bio: Choose your profile wisely. This is a great opportunity to brand yourself on Twitter. These few words will say a lot to the world about who and what you are. Make it ‘catchy’, this description says a lot about you which helps people make the choice to follow you or not. A custom page is a good way to immediately grab attention.

3. The Profile Picture: Remember you are building your artist brand. It is noted that most people relate to and want to see a friendly face. If you are not comfortable with this, then pick a great image of your art that represents you and grabs attention.

Monday Marketing Minute #37
4. Your Website: Do not forget to add your website to your profile. Make sure your portfolio is visible. Twitter will drive traffic to your site.

Monday Marketing Minute #38
5. When to Tweet For Impact:

Tim Ferriss tracked and measured ’tweets’ and came up with the following best times…

12 midnight – 4am PST: 6, all between 12 midnight and 2am = 3 per hour
4am – 8am PST: none (partially due to the fact that I am sleeping)
8am – 12 noon PST: 8, all 10am – 12 noon = 4 per hour
12 noon – 4pm PST: 11, 9 between 1:30 – 3pm = 6 per hour
4pm – 8pm PST: 9, evenly spread = 2.25 per hour
8pm – 12 midnight PST: 3 = 0.75 per hour

Guy Kawasaki states: I find it’s worth repeating important tweets up to 4 times in about 18 hours. Typically, that would be evening, late evening, next morning and then the afternoon. Hopefully, that will catch the different audiences. But that’s enough, I don’t want to turn anyone off.

Guy generally pre-schedules his tweets 8 hours apart at 7 pm PST, 3 am PST, 11 am PST, 7 pm PST…

Monday Marketing Minute #39
6. Be a Good Follower: Next, follow people and organizations that could help your art career and are of value to your business. I suggest you follow galleries, museums, collectors, art coaches, fellow artists, and others you would like to be seen by. Do not underrate the average Joe or the newbie tweeter…he might be your next big collector! It is good to learn how to be a better follower and follow interesting people from all walks of life.

Monday Marketing Minute #40
7. The Tweet: Tweet, re-tweet or post high quality content that adds value for your followers. Remember, is micro-blogging. People are looking for something of value to read and share or “re-tweet” with their followers. Each ‘tweet’ has a limit of 140 characters. Make sure to keep your ‘tweet’ to a maximum of 130 characters in order for others to easily re-tweet your tweet! Save extra characters by shortening links by using a URL shortener like Bit.ly or TinyURL.