Updates October 30, 2009

Today is an aggregate post, a bunch of links and news items about what I’ve been up to and what’s coming up.

First off, I have just finished a major rewrite of my Guide to Getting Started with Social Media for Artists and Arts Organizations.
The rewrites include:

• A fully re-worked chapter on Facebook
• A new chapter on You Tube
• Updated screenshots
• More exercises, which makes it feel more like a workbook.

For those of you who have already bought a copy, thanks. And I’ll be sending you the updates in the next little while. For those of you who are interested, you can purchase a copy by clicking here. It will also be available, in hard-copy, workbook format, later today at Biz Books, 302 W. Cordova St.

I did a couple of interviews last week, too.

One with another Rebecca (Krause-Hardie) who does stuff that is surprisingly similiar to what I do, only in the States.

One with Toronto’s Ian MacKenzie, for his company’s marketing blog, The Big Orange Slide.

One final reminder that Simon and I will be on a panel this weekend entitled The Power of Social Media. We’ll be joined by Angela Crocker and Ryan Mooney, and the discussion will be moderated by Sean Allen. This takes place Saturday, Oct 31, at the Making a Scene Theatre confrence at Granville Island, from 1:30-3 pm.

Finally, stay tuned to my blog next week for an interview I just did with that wonderful Canadian playwright, Daniel MacIvor.

: : : : : : : : : : :

E-book update October 9, 2009

In June of this year, I launched my e-book, Guide to Getting Started with Social Media for Artists and Arts Organizations.

There have been a couple of exciting new developments that I wanted to let you know about.

First off, the book is now available to download in alternative formats through Smashwords. Smashwords is an e-book publisher, and allow me to sell my book, not just in traditional .pdf format, but in other formats as well, like for Kindle, SonyReader, Epub (Iphone) or PalmDocs. You can see it here.

Secondly, the guide will soon be available in hard-copy format to purchase through Biz Books.

There’s some new stuff in the works, as well. I’m in the process of rewriting the Facebook chapter, and I plan to add a chapter on using video and Tumblr in the next few months.

So, stay tuned!

Why social media? August 24, 2009

(the following is an excerpt from my e-book: Guide to Getting Started with Social Media for Artists and Arts Organizations)

Marketing is creating relationships built on trust.

The days of heavy‐handed, high‐pressure sales tactics are gone. The advent of Television, mass print,
and the internet made it easy for advertisers to get their products under our noses. But after many years
of being bombarded with literally thousands of ads per day, we have developed the ability to tune it out.

I see us returning to the day of the door‐to‐door salesman. In the ‘50’s, housewives often bought wares
from a familiar salesman that came around at regular intervals. There was a trust between the buyer
and the seller that was built on personality, and getting to know each other (for the seller, getting to
truly know his housewives’ needs).

While I’m not advocating you start trying to sell your artwork door‐to‐door, I am encouraging you to
jump  into  social  media  because  it  is  a  very  powerful  form  of  relationship  marketing.  Relationship
marketing works because if you get someone on your side, they will bring others to you. Think about
products that you use in your own life. If you really love something, and are finding that it makes your
life easier, won’t you tell others about it? You become, in essence, an ambassador for that product. And
if you tell a friend and convert them, and then they tell someone… well, you get the idea. Social media
makes this process painless, easy, and, immediate.

Any marketer worth their salt will tell you that word‐of‐mouth is always your number one form of
advertising. And the joy of social networking is that you have the ability to reach new, and perhaps
untapped, markets, all from the comfort of your own computer.

I recently came across this great YouTube video, created by the fine folks over at 22 Squared, which illustrates this point perfectly.

: : : : : : : : : : :

Please don’t call me a “social media expert” August 17, 2009

I recently did an interview with Corwin Christie for the Technology in the Arts blog. As you know, in June, I launched my e-book: Getting Started With Social Media for Artists and Arts Organizations. Since then, the good little marketer that I am, I’ve been exploring every avenue to promote it, so I was totally jazzed when Corwin found me and asked to do an interview with me.

I have to say, those were some some tough questions, but I like a challenge. You can read the final post here.

The back says "because this t-shirt says so"

In the introduction to the post, Corwin rightly goes on to reflects on the term “social media expert”, which is a term that I have always felt uncomfortable applied to myself.

Really, anyone with a Twitter account can call themselves a social media expert. I mean, there’s nothing to stop them. There is no professional association of social media experts, no university or college certifications. Our world is so new, we are literally making it up as we go along.

What alarms me about the term “social media expert” is, people who are just jumping on the social media bandwagon may come across a self-professed “social media expert” and purchase services from them: a course, some consulting, or yes, an e-book. And it’s really buyer beware. Just because you call yourself a social media expert, doesn’t mean you are Gary Vanderchuck or Guy Kawasaki.

So, here’s  a couple of ways to tell if someone is really an expert or not.

1.    What are the numbers? Check out their profiles on Facebook and Twitter. How many friends do they have? What is their Twitter follower-to-followee ratio? Do they have a Facebook Fan page? And if so, how many fans? This point is about sheer quantity.
2.    Do they offer value? Check out their posts on Facebook and Twitter. Are they all personal? Are they all links to cute YouTube puppy videos? Or are they links of value, linking to their own blog, or someone elses’ about the latest and greatest in social media?
3.    Do they have a website? Is their website entirely dedicated to selling, or are there some freebies or useful information? Is there an about page so that you can get to know a little about them?
4.    Do they have a blog? How long have they been blogging for? Does their blog have an about page? A blogroll?

These are all useful criteria for judging expert status.

Personally, I’m uncomfortable with the term. I prefer to think of myself as someone who is learning about this stuff, but I’m just a little ahead of the curve. And maybe a couple of people along the way can benefit from my experience.

For a bit of fun (and some solid info) on the topic, check this out.

: : : : : : : : : : :

E-book reviews July 20, 2009

On June 21, I launched my first e-book: Guide to Getting Started with Social Media for Artists and Arts Organizations.

I wanted to share with you some of the things that other people are saying about it.

From Simon Ogden, The Next Stage:

It’s a simple and well-organized handbook to help you cut through the noise and weirdness of the jungle that is the new way to market. This is a jungle that all businesses, from huge multi-level corporations on down to our little indie theatre troupes have to learn to navigate now. This book is a wonderful resource, and you’re in good hands with Bex as your tour guide.

From Maryann Devine, smArts and Culture:

Here’s what I really like about Rebecca’s book:

She doesn’t assume that you’re a marketing expert. Before she tells you how to create your social media plan, she clues you in on some marketing basics. Like lots of other nonprofit cultural staffers, you may not be the marketing director, but you may still be charged with promoting arts programming. Rebecca gets this, and gives you a bit of a primer.

She doesn’t assume you’re a social media expert. After an overview of social networking, Rebecca takes you step-by-step through the process of setting up a blog, Facebook page, twitter account, and more.

She doesn’t leave you hanging when the book is through. Instead of just handing out advice and saying “The End,” Rebecca includes detailed worksheets that walk you through the process of social media planning, and instruct you on setting up and maintaining specific social networking channels.

From Erin Raimondo, One Degree:

The originality here lies in the well thought out worksheet section. While most ebooks on the topic have suggestions, Getting Started literally gets you started, even for those no background whatsoever in marketing. A great little starter kit!

The book is available at two prices: $19.95 for just the book alone, and $29.95 for the book plus an individualized, half-hour consultation with me (which is a value of $25 on its own!). Both versions include an MP3 version and unlimited free updates. Oh–and a money-back guarantee.

There are two purchasing options:

1. Book alone: $19.95
2. Book plus an individual, 1/2 hr consultation via email, telephone, or Skype (a $25 value!): $29.95

Click here to buy.

: : : : : : : : : : :

It’s here! June 22, 2009

You’ve heard all the hype.

Using online social networks like Facebook, Twitter, My Space, Flikr, and YouTube to market your business seems like a great idea. Everyone is talking about it, and the cost is free or low. But where do you start? How do you know that you are reaching the right audience? Where will you find the time to Twitter? And what the heck is a hashtag??

While its very true that social media is a great way to get in touch with your current and potential clients, learning the interface and the etiquette can be overwhelming. Furthermore, it’s really easy to get lost in social media, and the return on your investment of time may not be what you’d hoped.

What you need is a plan.

If you:

• Are an artist or administrate an Arts Organization
• Have a small marketing budget
• Have been considering getting into social networking, or have started, but feel like you need help

Then this guide is for you!

This 42-page Guide includes:

• Basic Principles of Marketing:
  • Touchpoints
  • Niche
  • Branding
  • Your Story
• Social Networking
  • Basic Principles
  • Creating a social networking marketing plan
• Basics and etiquette:
  • E-Newsletters
  • Blogs
  • Bloggers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Photo Sharing (Flickr, Picassa, etc)
  • You Tube
• A Glossary
• A sample social media marketing plan
• Fill-in-the-blank social marketing plan worksheets

But wait! There’s more!

• A 30-minute individual consultation with Rebecca via email, phone or Skype
• Free MP3 audio recording of the guide
• Free updates

All for just $29.95 (Canadian)!

But, because you’re nice, and I like your face, for you, an introductory, limited-time offer of just $19.95!

Why should you trust me?

I make my living as a theatre publicist, and I have been exploring the uses of social networking in marketing my theatre productions for two years, now. This guide brings together my knowledge as a marketer and my experience in social media. I don’t think you’ll find anything else out there that is like this guide–it really helps you to create a marketing plan for your arts business using Facebook, Twitter, E-Newsletters, and other social media.

Tell you what–if you are not entirely happy with the e-book, I’ll give you your money back. So that pretty much takes care of all the risks. What are you waiting for?

Click to buy my e-book: Getting Started with Social Networking for Artists and Arts Organizations.

: : : : : : : : : : :

8 Types of Tweets June 19, 2009

Today, a third sample from my  e-book:

The eight types of Tweets

• Personal: this is where you answer the question “what am I doing right now?” These types of tweets are important, because they help your followers to get to know the ‘real’ you.

• Link tweets (direct business): Because space is limited to 140 characters, many people use Twitter to drive traffic to websites or blogs. Every time I publish a blog post, I drop the URL with a teaser into Twitter. 47% of the traffic to my blog comes from Twitter in that way. Note that, because you only have 140 characters, you need to use a link-shortening program for your links. These are readily available at sites like www.tinyurl.com or www.snipurl.com.

• Link tweets (tangential business): I also post links to interesting websites or blog posts (usually from blogs I subscribe to through Google Reader) that I think people who follow me might be interested in (because I was!). Some of these blogs may also link back to my own blog.

• Link tweets (fun): This is the latest silly YouTube video, etc.

• Re-Tweets: ReTweeting is great because each time something is re-tweeted, it reaches a different audience. In the world of Twitter, the retweet is the highest form of compliment.

• @Replies and Conversations: There is some controversy on Twitter about how conversations seem to be taking over, but I still do it all the time. This allows you to respond to something someone has said in their tweet, and begin a relationship with them.

• Help! or Ask Tweets: Asking people for help from a good restaurant for lunch to technical questions to questions about your product or service is a great way to create relationships.

• Photo Tweets: use http://www.twitpic.com to upload and share photos directly to Twitter.

The book contains one more (a bonus 9th!) and suggestions about what percentages to tweet each category.

Click to buy my e-book: Getting Started with Social Networking for Artists and Arts Organizations.

: : : : : : : : : : :

Creating a Social Media Marketing Plan June 17, 2009

Would you like some purple Kool-Aid?

Sometimes I think people I interact with think I am some kind of zealot. And, to be honest, they wouldn’t be far off. I’m very passionate about social media, and a great deal of the reason for that is because I see its incredible potential. Through social media, you have the ability to reach thousands, possibly millions of new clients. And all it is going to cost you is your time.

I still hear resistance to this all the time. “We’re underfunded. I need to write grant applications so we can produce our shows, I don’t have time to Twitter.” “I’m overwhelmed by the amount of email I get every day, there’s no way I can add another thing to it.”

On the other hand, you’ve been hearing all about social media applications. Perhaps your colleagues are getting onto Facebook and Twitter. You’re intrigued, but you are still really concerned about having enough time.  I get it. It’s overwhelming: how do you run an arts organization, or your art practice, and still have time to participate in social media?

What you need, my friend, is a plan.

A plan that takes into account your level of comfort with social media and the amount of time you have to devote to it. And that is exactly what my e-book, Getting Started in Social Media for Artists and Arts Organizations is all about.

So, today, another excerpt from the book.

Creating a social networking marketing plan

• Set goals: What do you want to get out of social networking? Increased traffic to your website? A higher profile for your cause? Sales? Public relations? Try to be specific with your goals, ie: “To increase website traffic by 30%.”

• Keyword searches: If you already are using Google Analytics or some kind of keyword tracking service, you have some idea about how people are finding you online. Put your keywords aside, we will revisit them later while making the marketing plan. If you are not currently tracking how people are finding you online, you need to start.

• What kind of readers do you want to attract? People who are already buying your product/service, or a new audience? Conquering your current sector might be enough to start off with.

• Choose someone to be the ‘voice’ of your company. If it’s just you, then it’s just you. But many small-to-medium sized companies use their marketing manager to be their social networking voice online.

• Time, and the best use of it. How much time does the person who is going to be doing the social networking have to devote to it? What platforms will you participate in?

Included in the e-book are handy-dandy fill-in-the-blank social media plans that you can create for yourself or your organization. Cool, huh?

Now, can I pour you a glass of Kool-Aid?

Click to buy my e-book: Getting Started with Social Networking for Artists and Arts Organizations.

: : : : : : : : : : :

Guide to Getting Started in Social Media for Artists, Pt 1 June 15, 2009

All this week, I am going to be offering you samples from my up-coming, soon-to-be-launched, e-book: Guide to Getting Started in Social Media for Artists and Arts Organizations.

This is to give you a sense of what the book is all about, and how it might be helpful to you. Today, we start at the beginning: with the basic principles of social networking.

Basic Principles:

Social Networking is NOT direct selling. In fact, if you start direct selling, you will be shunned (or branded a Troll. Trust me, it’s bad). Social networking helps to increase your brand, connect one-on-one with your audience, create conversations, and educate. It will affect your bottom line, but exactly how may be difficult to track.

Social Networking takes time to get going. You need to build up an audience, create a network. If you are planning on using Facebook, Twitter or writing a blog, then get them started 3-6 months in advance of your art event or launch. That way, you will already have a system in place when crunch time comes.

The basic underlying philosophy of social networking is collaboration and cooperation. What that means is, in order to be accepted in the community, you need to offer information up. It can’t be all about you all the time (although sometimes is okay). You need to participate and interact.

Social Networking has leveled the corporate playing field. Huge corporations like Starbucks have blogs and Twitter accounts, and need to manage them exactly the same way you do. Having millions of dollars in their advertising budget is not necessarily an asset with social networking.

You need a plan. I think you will waste a lot of time on social networking if you do not have a clearly mapped out plan for how you are going to conquer it. (Which, of course, is what this guide is all about!)

Be your authentic self. People are going to buy into your business because they are buying into you, your story, your passion. You need to create a balance between your personal, “real” self, and your business persona.

All social networking platforms work on the same basic principles: 1. sign up and establish your username and password. 2. create a profile that can include your name, a short bio, interests and activities, photos, etc. and 3. start to connect with others.

Think of it as an investment of time, not money: Social networking is, essentially, free, but your investment is in time. You will get a return on that investment–I guarantee it.

Click to buy my e-book: Getting Started with Social Networking for Artists and Arts Organizations.

: : : : : : : : : : :

Announcing.. June 12, 2009

I’m writing a book.

Okay, so not like the great American Novel, or a treatise on World Peace. But I’ve been doing a lot of work lately in social media, both in my blog, and with individuals and organizations. And for the past few months, I’ve been putting this information into an e-book, which is called Getting Started in Social Media for Artists and Arts Organizations.

In our current financial climate, it’s harder than ever to attract audiences to our work. The media, which I rely upon heavily to get the word out about the shows I am doing publicity for, is cutting staff and space for the arts. Using social media to market your business seems like a no-brainer to me: 200 million people alone are on Facebook, and 14 million (and rapidly growing) on Twitter. This is a great potential new market.

While folks might be buying into the idea of using social media to promote their arts biz, the execution of it is another thing entirely. A friend of mine on Facebook recently put as his status line: “Too much useless garbage and not enough real communication!!” (re: Twitter). Truth is, if you use Twitter properly,  it could be your greatest marketing tool.

What is lacking, is a plan. Essentially, what I’ve done with this e-book is to combine my knowledge of social networking platforms with my skills as a marketer to help you to create a social media marketing plan for your business that will not suck up every last second of your time.

Because, let’s face it, if you are in business for yourself, or you’re running an art gallery or dance company, you need to be writing grants, accounting, buying office supplies, and–oh, yeah–actually creating your art. What my book will help you to do is to create a plan that you can live with, based on the amount of time you have to spend, and to make the very most of that precious time, to get the greatest return on your investment.

I am planning to launch the book (all going well) the week after next. Next week’s blog posts will feature highlights from the book (so you can get a taste), and on Monday, June 22, I will announce all the details!

As they say on Scooby-Doo: “Yoiks!!”

I’m writing this blog post, because I need you to help me to be accountable. I’m very deadline-driven, and I have been working on this thing, and tinkering with it for months. The time has come to just put it out there (if you buy it, I will supply you with updates as they become available, because this world changes rapidly). So, today I am  committing to June 22. In writing.

Gulp.

: : : : : : : : : : :