Now that I’ve got you thinking about the conversation I want to you think about what you’re brining to it. This breaks down into two primary areas, your voice or style and your message or content. They overlap in many ways and definitely work together, but I feel thinking about them separately will help you define yours.

Let’s start with message or content. Successful blogging has an end game, a purpose or a goal. This also goes for posting on twitter or facebook. What sort of message do you want to share? Are you sharing tips about running an art-based business? Are you offering tutorials on DIY projects or styling? Or maybe it’s inspiration that you share, other artists that you love, images you stumble across, music that you listen to while you create. Pick something that resonates, that you feel inspired to talk about over and over again.

By creating an overarching theme for your writing and posting you not only create consistency for your readers and followers, but you also establish yourself as an authority in the area you’ve chosen. Just like in your art you want to be known for something.

Once you’ve figured out what you want to share with people, what your message is, then you need to focus on how you’re going to say it. Will you be funny, conversational, authoritative or informational? This voice or style should mirror or compliment the image of your business. If you make delicate metal jewelry with soft flowing shapes, most likely your tone won’t be short and quip or use a lot of slang. Your tone comes across in the words you choose, the phrasing of your sentences, and even the references you choose to link to.

Georgina Laidlaw wrote a great article with some tips on keeping a consistent voice over at problogger.net. And one of the best analogies about developing a voice is in Steve Kamb’s article “How to Blog Like Bond. James Bond.” on copyblogger.com.

Here's the seminar details (don't worry I'll get back to the hightlights):

HOW TO BUILD A SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
FOR YOUR ART BASED BUSINESS

 

Social Media is more than just a buzz phrase; it’s way of connecting with both your peers and potential customers. Social media is a tool that when used with a little planning puts your business into the conversation and your name on the tips of people’s tongues.

This engaging workshop will cover:

What is Social Media and Why Should You Use It?

How to Develop Your “Rolodex”

Crafting Your Message

Setting a Schedule You Can Stick To

Measuring Results

And Much More...

This 3-hour workshop is targeted to those with creative, art-based businesses and will help you answer the key questions in developing a strategy that fits your goals. Key resources and a few in-class exercises will prepare you to hit the ground running. 

When:  Saturday, Oct. 16^th 11am – 2pm
Where: 1890 Bryant, 3^rd Fl. Suite 311
Cost: $75

Register: by emailing [email protected]

I am currently working on pulling all my social media strategy tips together for a seminar I will lead next month. Don't worry I'll pass on all the info as soon as it's confirmed. In the meantime I thought I'd share a few highlights with you.

In my years of keeping notes on what works and what doesn't the main thing I want to stress to everyone is the ultimate goal of using social media... You want to be a PART of the conversation. Throw out thoughts, make comments and get in there!

There's a lot of conversation going on so it's important to really find the ones that will help you reach your goals. Take the time to do the research on the influencers; it will pay off in the end. Then you need to read, comment, post and link, in that order.

Start by reading the blogs that you would love to be mentioned on. What are they saying? Who is responding? Get your own comments in there and make sure you put a link to your website in your comment. It will get checked out.

Once you’ve got a handle on the topics that are interesting people start posing your own questions or sending out calls to action on your blog. Make sure you link to the original article that gave you the inspiration. Not only is it just common courtesy it keeps you in the conversational loop.

Think of it as a spider web, the more threads you have connecting to other sources the stronger and bigger your web. And the more you’ll catch, as in readers and potential customers. Also take a look at the article Emily Soares Proctor wrote for socialmediaexaminer.com, it's a great get you started piece.

So get out there and start spinning that web!