Charm FX

Archive for August, 2009

Just because you make Art or express yourself creatively doesn’t mean you’re completely different than the rest of the planet. Social networking technology and the business of getting what you do in front of those who may have an interest in it is similar to any other form of internet marketing in many ways. To begin with you need accounts..quite a few. If you have accounts on the short list to the right you’ve accomplished something. If you have more portfolio or video accounts, great!

This is the basis of your social presence and it should reflect what you’re trying to do as a creative. Sure you can put up some personal details and some background, but the content should reflect your goals and work you want seen.

Why have all these accounts? Well, if someone likes what they see they’re going to be likely to follow a link to your personal web site domain back to your blog or portfolio site where they can see more, right? In internet marketing terms this is called a funnel. The comparison is not entirely accurate because many, many people will never follow your posts back and of those who do not all will subscribe to your RSS feed or email list. You’re going to want them to do that to maintain contact with them. If these people really like what you do then they’ve filtered themselves and found their way to you and have accepted your invitation to read your feed or emails now and then…that’s the beginnings of keeping you and what you do on the minds of a community of people who find some value in what you do and that’s your goal, right?

As long as you’re posting useful and interesting content related to what you do and provide, those folks won’t be disappointed when they follow your links back to your domain. You’ll actually be assisting them to find work they’ve genuinely been looking for.

In this sense, technology has combined with creativity in one more way, in addition to whatever technologies you may already use to express yourself.
I personally believe that social technologies are becoming more and more inextricably linked to self expression. Some are using these things badly and some are being quite sophisticated about the use of these technologies.

Uses of these technologies by creatives for purposes of self promotion and finding and communicating with their audience does create some problems and there are ways you can misuse or not use this stuff as effectively as you might…more soon.