Social Networking for artists

Used to be, front porches were places where people sat, played music, rehursed lines for school plays, played with the dogs and cats and kids. Used to be, front porches were where you went to find out stuff. Used to be, front porches were for shouting matches and intimate conversations and confessions and acusations. The front porch was the place we learned about good news and bad.

Now the front porch has moved on line! First with Facebook and now Twitter, the social networking scene is becoming the place for almost everything that used to happen on front porches. Want to meet your neighbors? They may still be sitting on the porch, but they probably brought the laptop out with them! Want to exchange recipies, look at family photos, tell a story, share good news or bad? It's all there.

I've been thinking a lot lately about this new front porch and how, as artists, we can utilize it to tell our stories, make new friends, promote work, spread the word about things we think are important and whatever other ways we can discover to use this tool. 

One thing I have discovered is that this tool is NOT just for simply broadcasting yourself! That would be like the guy standing on his front porch, shouting at the neighbors and preaching all day long! It tends to turn people off. But as artists wanting to promote our work, need to use the "broadcasting" side of the tool sometimes. We want people to read our blogs, look at our work, buy stuff! Here's a great article on Mashable.com about social network marketing that's useful for anyone with something to say, sell, spread, or talk about on the network!

So the trick is to keep it interesting, compelling, informative and creative. I'm trying to learn as I go how to say things on Twitter and Facebook that are useful and interesting to people who are following my updates. It's not just what I had for dinner, and it's not just advertizing prints for sale.

So I invite you to follow me on Twitter  and become a fan on my Facebook Page. Join the conversation and let me know how I'm doing, and what you're doing.

Picasso and friends had their salons at Gertrude Stien's place. Today we've got the internet! 

Amor y Paz

Cyrus