Press Release Templates:

Additional Press Release Resources:

• coming soon!

The post Working with the Media: Press Release Basics appeared first on Arts District Houston.

With Angela Carranza and Reyes Ramirez. Moderated by Sydney Mitchell

Thank you to the 18,000+ viewers we’ve had over the last 9 weeks who have joined us for our virtual workshop and live streamed conversation series! We’ve received dozens of questions regarding our live streaming methods so join us for a candid behind-the-scenes chat and Q&A with the Fresh Arts team. Sydney Mitchell and the programming team (and tech newbies) Angela Carranza and Reyes Ramirez share their adventures in self-teaching, producing and hosting live streamed content.

https://www.facebook.com/fresharts/videos/1670149323132929/

Related Virtual Conversation:

[Video] Virtual Conversation: Live Streaming Tips with Medley

Part-Webinar, part Q&A conversation with Ashley Small, Medley, Inc. and moderated by Reyes Ramirez, Fresh Arts

• https://artsdistricthouston.com/live-streaming-with-medley

StreamYard Tips and Tutorials:

[Video] How To Go Live With StreamYard

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-KCcneuWic

[Video] StreamYard Tutorial: Exploring the studio and going live

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpiFRKf9AuA

Catchup on our series of COVID-19 Crisis Response Videos and Resources:

• https://artsdistricthouston.com/resources-for-artists-to-survive/

The post Virtual Conversation: Fresh Arts Adventures in Live Streaming appeared first on Arts District Houston.

Video filmed live on Thursday, April 30th at Noon

Live Streaming Tips for Creatives

Webinar and Q&A conversation with Ashley Small, Medley, Inc. and moderated by Reyes Ramirez, Fresh Arts

Ashley Small, Communications Strategist and Founder of Medley Inc., will share an overview of top live streaming platforms to connect with existing and new audiences. This session will include best practices on testing out new technology to ensure success and how to market your live event before, during and after. Viewers will walk away with insight on how to successfully create an engaging virtual experience and stand out during a time where active users are online more than ever before.

This session is geared towards artists and creatives but is relevant for anyone using digital technology to engage audiences.

Additional resources

Facebook Live Video: The Complete Guide to Live-Streaming

• https://blog.hootsuite.com/facebook-live-video/

StreamYard Tips and Tutorials

[Video] How To Go Live With StreamYard

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-KCcneuWic

[Video] StreamYard Tutorial: Exploring the studio and going live

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpiFRKf9AuA

YouTube Tips and Tutorials

[Video] How To Live Stream On YouTube – Start To Finish 2020

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xka4OLgzW9Q

Zoom Tips and Tutorials:

How to Multi-stream with Zoom

• https://restream.io/blog/how-to-multistream-with-zoom/

SUBSCRIBE TO FRESH ARTS RESOURCE NEWSLETTER TO RECEIVE UPDATES:

http://bit.ly/ArtistResourceNewsletter.

The post Virtual Conversation: Live Streaming Tips for Creatives with Medley Inc. appeared first on Arts District Houston.

Digital footprint is about all the strategies that essentially helps you push your marketing efforts even further. The difficulty level can vary from strategy to strategy. So, take a look at the ones that we have come up with for you.

SEO

What are the benefits of SEO for Your Business? DevriX has put together 15 benefits that SEO will bring to your business. One benefit is SEO leads to a better user experience. If you’ve ever been on a company’s website and it seemed very unorganized, you couldn’t find certain information, and the photos just didn’t match the mission of the company’s, then you understand the importance of this one benefit. Learn the other benefits here.

Now that you know the benefits, SEJ: Search Engine Journal has the complete guide to be successful at it, especially since it’s more complex now than two years ago. So if you feel as though that this is what you’re needing, check out A Complete Guide to SEO.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the most efficient ways of marketing that’s available. It’s not complicated nor time-consuming to design an email marketing campaign. It’s perfect for your use of time and budget. Top 5 benefits (source) :

1. Build strong customer relationships
2. Develop you own unique brand
3. Become an expert with expert content
4. Email marketing is efficient with your time and budget
5. Build credibility as a business

Below you will find a video explaining the use and importance of email marketing.

If you’re really considering this, then take a look at the various type of email marketing tools to choose from. Then take a look at some examples from Hubspot.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is just of many popular digital software. Google’s free web analytics service is the reason why we are allowed to analyze in-depth detail about who visits your website. This will help your business strategy for the best. You want to be able to understand and study the behavior of our visitors if you’re building a business around customer’s habits and likes.

1. Its free
2. Automatic collection of data
3. You can create customization reports
4. Easy integration with other tools and platforms
5. Ability to measure internal site search
6. To understand why visitors are bouncing off your website
7. To know the age, gender, interest, device and location of your audience
8. To understand which social platforms to target
9. to understand what kind of content you should write
10. To check if you are achieving goals

For more information regarding the reasons as to why its good to use, Dinesh Thakur is a digital marketing consultant that can give you more insight.

Did you know you could also get a certification in google analytics? If you’re trying to up your marketing game for jobs reasons or even just a better understanding, it wouldn’t hurt to get certified.

Blogging

Blogging is one of the most popular ways of communicating and spreading information and news. You’re able to express yourself which helps your audience better capture your personality through the screen. It’s also a great way to make some extra cash. But ultimately, blogging brings awareness to your product or service by gaining their attention. Its gives you the credibility of being an expertise in whatever area you specialize in. If this sounds like anything that would benefit your marketing strategy, take a look into how to get started with Blogging Basics 101 by Jessica Knapp. She has a beginner’s guide with very elaborate detail. If you’re needing to know which platform you should choose, check here.

Videos

Creating a video is an effective way to get the word out about your business. You want to teach people something that they may not know already. Maybe a demonstration of how you create your artwork or derive your ideas before actually creating. Have you ever though about just reciting your poetry or playing your instrument? Anything counts! Just be your authentic self because that’s a priceless marketing strategy that will definitely take you far.

Social Media

As much as some people want to ignore social media, you just can’t. Now what you can do is choose wisely to see which ones would pertain to you and your craft. You want to post your products, your thoughts, and connect with your audience. You could even do contests and giveaways. Once you get on and build momentum, it’ll get easier.

If you’re looking for a more in depth conversation about social media, go to our social media section.

More Resources

Top 10 Art Marketing Strategies for Brand Recognition

SEO For Artists – Get Your Art in Google

The post Tips for Creating a Digital Footprint appeared first on Arts District Houston.

What is social media and why is it so useful? As we all know, social media are these apps that keeps us all connected by sharing photos, opinions, and events to our family, friends, and even strangers! But social media has turned the business world upside down and now EVERYBODY has a little business…literally. So why is that? How can artists and creatives benefit like everyone else?

Social Media Platforms

Instagram.

Can be linked to Facebook and if you run an ad on Facebook you can also run it on Instagram. You can run an advertising campaign straight from there too. Check out this Instagram advertising campaign how-to guide.

Collaborating with influencers and building relationships with them can help build your brand awareness.

Check out Lyfe Marketing for more information.

Facebook.

As an artist, you may think that Instagram is the only social media platform worth your time. It fosters niche communities and offers users a lot of creative inspiration.

• Be authentic. When people go onto Facebook, they’re usually there to watch a funny dog video, share a few memes and keep up to date with friends and family. That’s why it’s important you remain authentic, showing your personality whilst still being on brand.
• Give people incentive. Out of all the artist Facebook pages, why should someone follow yours? Well, firstly, you need to carve out your target audience and establish the types of content they consume. From there, you should be able to decide what your page is going to offer followers. Much like a story, your Facebook needs an angle, and the content should differ from your other online channels. (source)

Tumblr.

Tumblr, believe it or not, has a dedicated art community. With time, you will find, follow, and be followed by others. And here is the best thing: the community is great and social and will mostly always answer or react if you write to anybody. Tumblr is a popular platform for online fandom discussions regarding art, music, movies and TV shows. Because of its smaller audience, the engagement, and dedication is relatively higher. (source)

Hashtags ###

Hashtags can push your business to new heights, but if overused or without a clear strategy, they lose its meaning. Hashtags basically are a way to categorize your posts. They help reach a target audience, but also help you find your target audience. Users are more likely to engage with your post because your post displays exactly what they want.

There are several hashtags that make the top trending of 2018, but using them doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be found because it’s trending. It very much so could mean that your post would get lost in it.

Some of the top trending hashtags:

1. #life
2. #beautiful
3. #travel
4. #fitness
5. #happy
6. #repost

For the rest of the list and information about what each of them mean, check out Hubspot’s article on hashtags. Their article will also tell you step by step on how to search hashtags.

Reposting

Reposting on Instagram can bring attention to the person you just reposted their content from. Especially if you tag them in your picture, or give them a shoutout in your caption. If you happen to get permission from them first, they may do something in return for you by reposting one of your photos on their page to their followers. To repost, you can either take a screenshot of their picture or download one of the many apps such as, Repost, Instarepost, or DownloadGram. Check here for a more in depth look.

Other Resources

How to Build Your Social Media Marketing Strategy

Instagram Captions

Apps to Bring Your Posts Some Life

Facebook Tips for Artists

Create a Profitable Instagram Advertising Campaign

Tumblr Tips for Artists

Social Media For Writers

How to Make Money as an Artist on Instagram

Instagram Post Ideas for Creative Pages (Artists, Designers, Illustrators)

Social Networks for the Creative Freelancer

The post An Overview of Social Media Terms appeared first on Arts District Houston.

1. Network through organizations.

Join organizations such as the chamber of commerce, business networking groups, church groups, hobby clubs and others. Tell everyone you meet you’re an artist. Liberally pass out your business cards. Volunteer to speak at meetings. Keep a mailing list from the business cards you receive to send show invitations or notices about your new work. This will keep reminding everyone you’re a local artist.

2. Volunteer at school art programs.

Become a volunteer at schools by offering to help teach art classes, act as a supervisor for an art club or an adviser on school art projects. Send a letter home with each student introducing yourself to the parents, complimenting their child’s artistic talent and inviting them to your next scheduled show.

3. Donate art to nonprofit auctions.

Find nonprofit associations that raise funds by having art auctions. Donate a piece of art and include a small, professional-looking card with your name, phone number and your artist’s statement to be placed near your work. Attend the auction, talk to people and pass out your business cards or an invitation to your next show.

4. Volunteer at your community theater.

Volunteer at a community theater and help create the sets or design artwork for the program cover. Ask for a mention in the program or free ad space in the program. Or volunteer to write a brief article on how the sets were created and include your byline as “Mary Smith, artist.” Help promote the theater when you talk to people at other organization events you attend.

5. Have shows at your studio.

Hold an art show at your studio to tie in with other community events from “art walks” to homecoming or the local fair. If you work in your home, clear the furniture from your living room and create a gallery for a day. Promote the show with the tie-in event.

6. Show your work everywhere.

Enter local shows. Find restaurants and other businesses that hang local artists’ work and participate in their programs, or help these businesses start one. Join with other artists and hold joint shows. Place a small, professional-looking card with your name, phone number and your artist’s statement near each piece of your work

7. Teach a community education art class.

Examine the community education art classes that are offered and create one that offers something different and matches your talents. The school will promote your class, but you also need to promote it at all the organizations you belong to. Keep a mailing list of students and invite them to all your shows.

8. Develop your public relations skills.

Send a media release to your local newspaper, radio stations and television stations every time you do something newsworthy. If a reporter covers a play at the community theater and you designed the sets, ask to be interviewed. Create a media kit containing your photo, your art resume, photos of your art, and a letter stating your availability to be interviewed on short notice for any news stories or features involving art.

Enjoy meeting people and talking about your art. Keep at it. Sooner than you think, people will start remembering your name and seek you out.

Written by D.L. Hawley, courtesy of Artists Register.com. D.L. Hawley is a freelance writer and oil painter.

Reprinted with permission from www.artistsmagazine.com

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10 Tips You Must Do To Promote: From event hashtag to selling special tickets.

The post 8 Tips for Promoting Yourself appeared first on Arts District Houston.

Explore the various apps and web platforms that you didn’t know existed.

Apps and Sites

Photo and Video Editing & Content Creation

• FilmoraGo – allows you to trim a video clip, create subtitles and text, speed up the content, add filters, and add overlays. Can add music and different themes. Free version with in-app purchases to choose from.
• Magisto – easy to use. Goal is to turn images and videos into stories. Has editing styles including real estate, memories, dance, storyteller, and more. Can add your own music or get music for commercial use. Free version with option to have a business plan to reorder movie scenes.
• Adobe Premiere Clip – Has more simplified features away from the full desktop version. Two editing styles to choose from: automatic and freeform. Can add your own music. Free version with options for paid plans.
• Canva – free, web-based design tool to create unique images to share on blogs, social networks, and more. Can also be used as photo editing. App and web is available.

Social Media

• Layout – An app for making better collages. Allows you to remix your own photos to create a one-of-a-kind layout for your Instagram.
• Square Fit – Allows you to post an entire photo on Instagram without cropping it.
• Photo Grid – Great app to grid your photo and video together to share on Instagram story, Facebook, or Twitter.

Literary Arts

• IA Writer – Free writing app for short blog posts and articles. Great for smaller writing projects.
• A Plain Text Editor – Best used for writing anything wherever you are
• Ulysses – Features for keyboard shortcuts so that writers can be faster. Great for writing articles and blog posts

Performing Arts

• Theater and Acting – Only for android. A free app that serves you theater and acting news as well as casting calls.
• Shakespeare Pro – Has great search and glossary functions with complete works of Shakespeare. Costs $9.99.
• ShowTool SM – Only for IOS. This app offers stage management utilities for the stage and performing.

Visual Arts

• MoodBoard – Similar to Pinterest, this app creates various numbers of boards filled with pictures and designs that you can share with anyone. Perfect for showcasing inspirational work.
• Sketchbook Pro – App is for both novices and professionals. It has a wide range of cool features, tons of innovative sketching tools, a color wheel, and easy-to-use intelligent interface.

Web Platforms

Wix – Platform to create your very own website with templates and full customization with no coding skills needed.

WordPress – Perfect for creating a free website or blog with free, customizable, mobile-ready designs and themes.

Shopify – One of the best ecommerce platforms that helps you to sell online, on social media, or in person.

Other Tools

Sproutsocial – A social media management and engagement platform for business that makes it easy for brands to effectively engage with current customers and prospective customers.

MailChimp – email marketing tool that is perfect for small businesses to distribute a massive amount of emails at once.

Bandcamp – helping musicians sell directly to their fans and have control over their content. Can bundle your digital music with physical merch, like t-shirts, posets, or vinyl.

Additional Articles

The 16 Best Video Editing Apps You Must Use in 2018

41 Must-Have Digital Marketing Tools to Help You Grow

11 Essential Online Music Marketing Tools

Best Writing Apps and Software

Useful Apps for Film, Photography, Editing, Animation, Theatre, Screenwriting, and Acting

15 Art Apps for Visual Artists

Apps for Actors

The post Digital Tools to Support Your Creative Business appeared first on Arts District Houston.