Guest Writer, Laura Barbosa
When I first joined facebook I really didn’t know what to expect. My friends & family all had facebook profiles and they were sharing stories, photos, joining groups and just having fun communicating. I decided to give it a try and opened up a basic profile page which led me into creating a fan page for my clients so I could post coupons, special sales, art news and links to my interviews.
NAMES
The first step is to open up a personal page, but before you do, think about what you are going to use as a name. Names are very important because they carry a message to all your contacts without you having to do anything. What do you want people to know about you? For example: my facebook name is “Fine Artist Laura Barbosa” which helps spread the word to everyone on facebook that I am a Fine Artist. Other sample names might be:
Visual Artist Vincent Vaughn,
Art Collector Annie,
Jewelry Maker Annette Bloodstone,
Crafty Julia,
Acrylic Painter Paul Punchy,
Doll Maker Donna, etc…
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COMMENTS
Your name will become an important addition to anything you do on facebook. When you post comments, your name is permanently stamped wherever you want to leave it. This is great when joining groups and becoming fans of companies, galleries or any genre that helps you further your career. This will connect you with influential people in your industry.
Try to leave good comments on every page you visit and this will bring people to your page who want to add you as a friend. By having a name with your craft embedded in it, you will eliminate the potential for spamming and turning people away because you will not have to leave a message saying: come see my art, click on this link, etc… Your post or comment will be all you need to leave on facebook and people will make their own choice about adding you as a friend.
MAKING YOUR FAN PAGE
Again I can’t stress enough to include your talent or craft into your page title.
For example, my fan page is called “The Art of LauraBarbosa” hence the word “Art“. I purposely joined my name together because many people search for me and never separate my name when they use google or other search engines, but this is not something you have to do.
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HOW TO SELL ART ON FACEBOOK
-Add friends in your field of business.
-Leave your name on many gallery, curator and art fan pages.
-Comment in art groups and on many pages in the art world.
Facebook is by far my number one tool in: Collecting new clients, getting interviews by radio show hosts, gathering artist friends, getting galleries to see your work, getting museum contacts, and the list goes on. It is an endless social marketing extravaganza.
TIME INVESTMENT
If you are asking yourself if this takes time, then yes it takes time for any social network that you join, to build itself up and become a money making tool and gateway to new clients and opportunities. It is now an important tool for any business.
After you acquire a good fan base make sure to:
-Post new work
-Announce Events
-Give facts about your business or art or crafts,
-Just make it interesting for your fans to visit your page.
Remember that all your posts are automatically posted on all your fan’s home pages. Another good tip is to suggest your fan page to your personal friends, this is a great way to get the ball rolling.
WHAT NOT TO DO
It is not good to boast about what you are doing. Having a post that says, I just made 300 dollars and sold this work of art, doesn’t sound good. Make sure your posts are classy and tastefully done.
A good example would be: COURTESY POST: “SILVER SURFER” has been *SOLD* Thank you all for your lovely comments.
By doing it this way, you will only be spreading the news about which piece has sold in case other clients were interested in buying it or want to order a similar piece.
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WHAT I LIKE TO DO
I post to my fan page from every day to every other day, and try to give my fans information that they may want to know, by never patting myself on the back. Remember to be professional in all that you do and say and the world will love you for that!
Link to my fan page
Link to High Fashion
High fashion sold to a client on facebook and this led to 3 custom commissions.
I have now sold many paintings through facebook and gained many incredible clients who have also become cherished friends.
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Fine Artist Laura Barbosa
8 comments:
Laura, thanks for the great insights. I'm going to share this on our facebook page.
Cheers,
Rick and Kathy
P.S. We're going to blog this week on "The Pioneer Woman" phenomenon, and why wanna-bes will need to find a different path to fame.
I think Laura has succeeded at the "art of using a facebook fan page" to sell her art in a non obtrusive way. She makes it fun, is straight up about how she represents herself, and she comes across as someone who actually enjoys what she does.
Thank you Rick and Kathy! CHEERS
Grat article. I have so much to do! But your suggestions are wonderful. I will pass this on, I promise!
CHEERS Leslie! BEST OF LUCK ~laura
Wow, what a great article and thank you for sharing.
Excellent article and very good advice all around!
Such wonderful advice and tips, Laura! This was a very helpful article!
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