Make. Do. Study/Dane County, WI Artists

        Welcome to JNS Creative Vision...

                social media solutions for creative business 

I work with artists and other creative business  as a marketing consultant.

 

Fall Still Life © Janis Nussbaum Senungetuk

 

I'm also a working artist, a fine art  photographer. 

To view my photographs please visit: Studio Notes .

 Because I 've lived in Madison, Wisconsin since 1981 and have known and worked with many others involved in the creative sector, the need for affordable studio space is an old story. Much to my delight, it appears that this story may finally have someone listening to it. 

 

Three days ago I received an email from the Dane County Department of Planning and Development. Included was a four page White Paper: Make. Do. Space for Creative Endeavors, that had quotes from artists and creative workers surveyed in 2010 for the City of Madison Cultural Plan.  Respondents

 

"were most dissatisfied with the sufficiency of Affordable Space including spaces for production, studio, storage, rehearsal, administration, experimentation, growing, or display spaces, with over half (55.6%) of all respondents choosing the descriptors 'poor' or 'weak.'"

 

The Madison Cultural Plan goes on to conclude:

"In fact the preeminent finding of the Madison Cultural Plan 2011 is this: Madison is a community rich with creative characteristics, energy, and activity of nearly every sort, but it is bereft of an infrastructure to sustain and grow those riches and to capture their value."

Madison lies within Dane County. The County, opening it's doors wide for economic and community development, is now very interested in facilitating the matching of artists with art patrons and property owners to identify problems or needed resources to encourage a successful creative economy.

  Make. Do. Space for Creative Endeavors.

To quote from the project overview on the Dane County Department of Planning and Development webpage :

 "Artists living in Dane County have identified the access to affordable work and rehearsal space as their most critical need. Meanwhile, many vacant and underutilized commercial, industrial and other nonresidential buildings go unrented, sitting on the market for months or even years. Why aren’t these two groups getting together? A new study from the Dane County Department of Planning and Development hopes to find the answer to that question."

Brian Standing, Senior Planner at Dane County Planning & Development, has given me permission to post the Make. Do. Survey Results presentation that he gave last week at a workshop for artists. He also mentioned in his email:

"We hope to schedule more events soon, so keep your eyes peeled for more information.  In the meantime, feel free to send me (standing@countyofdane.com) 

or 

Pam Andros ( andros@countyofdane.com) 

any questions, comments or thoughts."

 

 This is a wonderful opportunity to make your voices heard. If you need working space, now is the time to speak up!

p.s. Please visit  JNS Creative Vision on Facebook.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/114176264
Make. Do. Survey Results Presentation

Building an Artist Brand on Twitter

Welcome to JNS Creative Vision...

        social media solutions for creative business

Autumn Afternoon © Janis Nussbaum Senungetuk

Building an Artist Brand on Twitter

Twitter is one of the quickest ways to build brand recognition for your art business.

 What does brand mean in relation to your art?

The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.”

A strong brand communicates credibility to your prospective customers and business associates. You want your brand, your work, to find a place in the hearts and minds of your clients, collectors and prospective customers.

Twitter is the perfect site to begin branding your art business online. Remember to use it wisely. The world doesn't need to know, or even care about, your breakfast menu. You'll find many intelligent people sharing links, news, photos, websites, blog posts, videos, podcasts and more.

Finding and networking with these individuals is very important for the artist/business owner.

My short list of suggestions on building your brand on Twitter:

    Create a "brand" name when you pick your Twitter name. Your name, represented by the @ symbol in front of it, is the first thing people will see on Twitter. You want people to associate it with your business. I picked "JanJava" when I opened my Twitter account, because our coffee maker had just broken and I was finding it difficult to think coherently without "java". [Do as I suggest, not as I do.]

    Write a catchy, keyword rich, profile and bio. Choose your profile statement carefully. Use this great opportunity to brand yourself and your business  and tell the world about who and what you are. Make your statement "catchy" and memorable to help people quickly decide if they want to follow you.

    Upload a friendly, professional headshot for your profile photo. People relate to other people. If you're totally uncomfortable with using an image of yourself, pick a quality photo of your artwork that represents you and grabs attention.

    Link to your website/blog from your profile page. Twitter will drive traffic to your site if you add your website/blog address to your profile. Make sure your portfolio is easily accessible on your website.

    Choose the best time of day to tweet. Research when your target market is using Twitter [I suggest: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Twitter-Use-2012.aspx] and schedule your tweets for those days and hours. Both HootSuite: http://hootsuite.com/ and Buffer: http://bufferapp.com/ allow you to schedule your tweets.

    Follow people and organizations that could help your career as an artist and are of value to your business. Valuable connections could be galleries, museums, curators, collectors, art coaches, fellow artists, art critics and others you would like to be seen by.

    Post helpful information.  Re-tweet or tweet high quality, relevant content that adds value for your followers. Remember that people are looking for information of value to read and share/re-tweet with their followers. Share a favorite quote,  mention a recent gallery opening, provide registration information on art workshops. You can add personal promotional information, but a little goes a very long way. Approximately ninety percent of your tweets should contain educational/informational content. Social media is not meant to be used solely for broadcasting and blowing your own horn. Remember to be consistent with tweeting. Relevant messages scheduled two to four times a day will not be overwhelming. Your goal is to build a small community of followers with similar interests who will recognize your name and your brand.

 

   Don't forget to re-tweet and credit others for ideas and quotes. Re-tweeting is the act of tweeting someone's original tweet because you think it would be valuable information for your followers. Re-tweets begin with "RT@so-and-so" and then contain the original tweet. They're a great way to capture the attention of an art organization, gallery or someone you would like to have follow you.

    Be polite and follow the rules of social media etiquette. Thank people for re-tweeting and replying to your tweets. Don't worry if you lose a follower or two once in a while. It happens every day and isn't a big deal. Be a human being, not a marketing bot. Constantly direct messaging people to visit your website, blog or artwork is the quickest way to being labeled a spammer.

    Honor the golden rule, it applies to Twitter and all of the other elements of life. Be kind, don't tweet if you have nothing of value to say and respect the intelligence of your followers.

 

I work with artists, creative business owners and nonprofits interested in entering or expanding their social media marketing presence. 

 

 

Visit me on Facebook!

 

 

 

You Don't Need To Be Everywhere

Welcome to JNS Creative Vision...

I work with artists, small business and NPO's

to find marketing solutions with social media.

The Social Media Maze © Janis Nussbaum Senungetuk

 

Spreading yourself too thin on social networks is a huge problem for many online business owners. Keep things simple and focus your efforts on sights that cater to your target audience. 

 

You don't need to be everywhere, you just need to be where your ideal customers are and where they will be most receptive to your message.

 

How do you decide which social media platforms are best for your brand?

Go back to your  strategic plan where you posted your goals and your ideal client/audience.

Do your research to find answers to these three questions:
Who spends their time on that site?
When are they there?
What do they look at?

Use the answers to guide your decisions, but keep in mind that each social media platform has it's own format. What's posted on a Facebook Page needs to be tweaked before traveling to Twitter or LinkedIn. 

 One size does not fit all.

Need help with social media marketing?

 I offer 30 minute phone consultations on Monday's from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, CDT.

608.216.0160 

Visit: JNS Creative Vision on Facebook 

Building A Strategic Plan: Part 2

Welcome to JNS Creative Vision...

I work with artists, small business and nonprofits

to find marketing solutions using social media.

©Janis Nussbaum Senungetuk

Part 2: How to Build A Strategic Plan

There are six steps that you need to go through to determine your strategy. Consider each step carefully.

 

1.     Clearly define your vision. You need to draw a map to your goals so you don’t get lost

        on the way.  Ask yourself where you want your business to be in three years. What    

       landmarks will guide your path?

2.  Clearly define your target audience. Who do you want your business to attract?

    Who is your best client now? Who would be your ideal client? What connections

    would help elevate your client list?

3.  Clearly view your competition.  You want your business to stand out from the crowd.

    Are you saying the same things and offering the same products as your competition?

    If you look and sound the same, you don’t stand out. Remember the frog in the lily pond.

4.  Know why your business is special and different.  Ask your valued clients what they

      like most about your business. Why they chose to work with you? How they think you

      are special?  Why are these qualities valuable to them?

5.  Develop your special message.  After you’ve finished all four steps, you should

    have enough information to complete your new marketing message. You will use this

    new message in everything you do to promote your business.

6.  Get started.  Use your new message to promote your business. Now is the time to

    design a website, Facebook Page, business cards and all other marketing materials.

    Use your message describing your business when speaking with prospects and

    clients, and at networking events.  Let the world know about your unique business!

 

Social media marketing is really about having the courage to take a step forward

towards your customers.

 

Let me help you make your business social.

 

Contact me:

Janis N. Senungetuk

jns.studionotes@gmail.com

facebook.com/JNSCreativeVision

Your Strategic Plan: Part 1

Welcome to JNS Creative Vision ...

I work with artists, small business and nonprofits to find marketing solutions using social media.

 

©Janis Nussbaum Senungetuk

Is your business as hidden as this frog in the lily pond?

 

 The frog needs to be well camouflaged to survive, but to maintain and grow a thriving business, you need to be noticed and known in your community.

 

One of the hardest things to do as an artist, or small business is communicating your value to others.

  When asked what you do, how do you describe your business, and why you're different than all the many others?

What makes your work, your business or organization special?

 

Your Strategic Plan

The biggest mistake that artists and small business people are making when it comes to marketing is focusing time and energy on promotion before having a strategic plan in place.

What type of plan is it and why is it important?

For an artist or small business, a strategic plan is a written document that answers the following information about your business:

•     Your vision
•     Your ideal audience
•     Your competition and how you stand out from them
•     Your unique difference
•     The personality of your business
•     The values of your business
•     The imagery that accurately represents your business

This plan is your guide to absolutely everything you do in your business. It provides a foundation to build your business on. You may be working really hard, but without a solid foundation in place, your business won't stand.

 

Part 2: How To Build A Strategic Plan

watch for it to be published soon!

 

 

Why Use Social Media

Welcome to JNS Creative Vision ...

I work as a consultant with artists, small business owners and nonprofits

 to find social media marketing solutions for their business.

 

Garden Visit Monarch ©Janis Nussbaum Senungetuk

 Why Use Social Media

As a small business, an artist or creative, there are so many things that demand your time and attention that adding one more can seem overwhelming.

       Here you are, exploding with this fantastic idea, music, dance, video, drama 

fill in the blank

     that you want the world to know about and beat that proverbial path to your door.

 How can you possibly spend the time marketing without having to stop 

your other activities?

The answer is to wisely use social media to spread your idea.

You want to get your message out to those who really care and who will share that idea with others.The people who are listening are your supporters and will buy your product.

The Major Benefits Of Social Media

1.   Increases Traffic to Your Website

2.   Improves your Search Engine Optimization = Found = More Sales/Support

            93% of all purchasing decisions start with an online search

3.   Amplifies Your Message through ‘Word Of Mouth’

            People interested in your product/idea mention it to others.

4.   Communicates and Engages with Your Fans

          

5.    Spreads Your Content

            locally and/or worldwide

What Should You Do Next?

          Contact me.
 Visit : facebook.com/JNSCreativeVision

Egret at Acewood Basin 3 ©Janis Nussbaum Senungetuk

Welcome!

This website contains examples of work

completed for class assignments

and a three month internship

during my Social Media Certificate studies

at Madison Area Technical College.

Since receiving my certificate in December, 2011

I have continued my training in social media

under the direction of Donald Stanley.

Now combining years of experience as a working visual artist with skills as a social media strategist,

I am available as a consultant 

to artists, art organizations, 

other small business owners and nonprofits;

 assisting them in finding their way

 through the social media maze.