Facebook and Social Networking for Artists

Social networking websites, Facebook in particular, can be great ways to spread the word about your art. As with any communication model, though, you have to know how to use it in order to get where you want to go. Facebook is no panacea and just because you sign on doesn't automatically mean your art world profile destined for success. The following list of do's, don'ts, recommendations and suggestions is designed to help you accomplish your art-related goals with maximal benefits to you and minimum irritation to others...

DO'S:

* Treat other people as you would in real life. Just because you can't see them and they can't see you is no reason to conduct yourself in a manner other than how you would conduct yourself if you were speaking to them in person.

* Update regularly. Very few people will return to a page that's updated once a month or less. If they return at all, guess how often they'll return? About as often as you update... if that.

* Decide why you're on Facebook and focus on that. What do you want people to know about you and your art? Why are you here? What are your goals and expectations? The better you understand and maintain focus on your motivations and intentions, the better others will understand them as well.

* Decide how public or private you want to be. If you are on Facebook for public reasons, especially to advance the cause of your art, then make your profile and postings as public as you feel comfortable doing. The more private you make yourself and the less accessible you are, the more difficulty people will have trying to communicate with you. Plus if everything's private, then you give the impression that you don't want to communicate anyway.

* Be consistent in the content of your postings. Unified posts on similar topics or with similar purposes make it easier for people to understand who you are and where you're coming from.

* Make it interesting. Develop a story line or a theme or a plotline or a position or an opinion or whatever; make people want to return repeatedly to your page for the next exciting episode. Facebook is kind of like a blog in real time-- and an interactive one at that. The possibilities to actively involve others in your drama are limitless.

* Give people a good reason to visit (and revisit) your page. Offer something; tangible or intangible makes no difference... as long as it's something. For example, talk candidly about your art or your day-to-day life as an artist-- your challenges, triumphs, inspirations, perspectives, and more. Make it something that others can be part of, learn from, gain insight from, relate to, share or participate in, comment on, or respond to.

* If you want people to see your art, give them a good reason. A good reason is more than "look at my art." A good reason includes the viewer and at least intimates some benefit for them. Post about your time in the studio, sourcing ideas, the progress of particular works, your process, your goals, the purpose of your art, your broader mission as an artist, and so on.

* If you want a gallery owner, dealer or anyone else in the art community to look at your art or your website, or you want to know whether they can help you in any way or even give you a show, make sure IN ADVANCE that they're involved in some way with art that's similar to yours, and represent or assist artists whose credentials or career experience are comparable to yours.

* Participate in other people's postings, especially ones you'd like to know better. The best way to show people you care is to contribute or respond to their postings. Being generous and taking the time to focus on others is appreciated as much on Facebook as it is anywhere else.

* Get to know people gradually-- just like in real life. Friendships evolve over time. Respond to their posts, "like" their posts, "like" their art and maybe-- very occasionally at first-- send them a short supportive or complimentary email.

* If you're looking for feedback or input about your art, offer feedback or input on the work of other artists or art people who you respect or appreciate-- assuming their posts invite those kinds of responses.

* Use chat functions sparingly, especially with people you hardly know or don't know at all. If you must, then have a really good reason for starting a conversation, and ask first whether the other person is busy or whether they have a moment to speak with you... before getting into your agenda. Initiating a Facebook chat is no different than walking up to someone at an art opening or anywhere else and starting a conversation.

* Think about who you want to friend and why. If someone you want to friend doesn't know you, briefly explain why you are friending them. This is especially important if most or all of your personal information is private and the person you're friending doesn't know who you are.

* Review a potential friend's publicly available information on Facebook AND elsewhere before friending them. That way, you'll be better able to explain yourself in case they ask who you are. Better yet, explain yourself in advance. Nothing complicated is necessary here; a well-worded sentence or two will do just fine.

* If someone requests your friendship, review their available information on Facebook AND elsewhere before friending them. If you're not sure why they are friending you, ask. Make sure that you have at least some form of connection or commonality with everyone who asks to be your friend-- especially with respect to your art. The purpose of Facebook is not to pile up friends for no reason other than to have piles of friends. All that does is distract you from your efforts. The purpose of Facebook is to initiate and hopefully establish mutually beneficial relationships.

* When you post images of your art to your page, choose examples with thumbnails that resolve clearly and entice people to want to click over to the full-sized images. Images of your art may look great in full size, but if you can't get people to click over to view them, then what good are they?

DON'TS:

* If you don't do it in real life, don't do it on Facebook. As impersonal as Facebook might seem sometimes, your actions affect real people with real feelings.

* Don't tag someone unless what you're tagging is a photo of that person (or a photo they took), or a post or link or thread that they're likely to be interested in. For example, do not tag self-promotions, show announcements or images of your art with the names of people you want to see it. That's super irritating, plus now they'll have to waste time untagging it (and maybe unfriending you as well). Tag images of your art with people's names when it's portraits of them-- and that's it.

* If most or all of your information is private, don't friend strangers without first introducing yourself or explaining who you are or the nature of your request. If people have no idea who you are, then what reason do they have to friend you?

* Don't spam or send mass emails or messages. If you're sending an announcement or invitation or request to more than one person, make sure the reason you're sending it has something to do with them. "Look at me" or "Look at my art" are not good reasons. If you're having an event, start an event page. And absolutely don't use apps to spam friends on your behalf.

* Don't sign someone on to a group you're either starting or already belong to unless you ask their permission first. If they don't want to be in the group, they're forced to go to the group's page and leave.

* Don't ask people you don't know for free stuff-- merchandise, favors, services or whatever. Either have a good reason for asking them (one that they can understand and appreciate), cultivate a relationship with them first, ask whether they mind if you make a request, etc.

* Don't use "Facebook Questions" to ask your friends questions en masse. This is too impersonal a way to start a conversation-- especially if you're asking for feedback about your art or for other types of personal opinions. If you have a question for someone, ask it more personally-- like in an email or chat. Or if you do use "Facebook Questions," first explain why you're asking your question... and then ask it.

* Don't post video after video of your favorite music or other non-art related pastimes. Are you in this for art or are you in this for music or whatever? Make up your mind. Plus, supposing someone likes your art, but hates your music? Now you're screwed.

* Don't post on someone's wall unless that post has something to do with that person, that person's interests, something to do with a particular post on their page, or something you know they or their friends will be interested in seeing. If it's all about you and has nothing to do with them, save it for later when you know them better and they'll understand what you're up to.

* Don't post your response to a discussion thread separately on the wall of the person whose thread it is. Post it in the thread. Posting outside the thread just makes you look like you're more interested in calling attention to yourself than you are in the thread. Plus, those participating in the thread will not see your post.

* Don't use other people's discussion threads to promote yourself or your art-- unless those threads relate in some way to your art, or your comment or promotion relates in some way to the post.

* Don't post unflattering photos, unrelated links or photos, or inappropriate links and comments on other people's pages.

* Don't initiate chats with people you don't know-- especially if your only reason is for them to look at your art, come to your show, go to your website, answer questions, or respond to other requests. If you want to chat with someone you don't know, email them first and ask whether it's OK.

* Don't send app or game requests to friends who don't use those or other apps or games. Visit their pages first to see whether they use any now, and assess how likely they might be to accept. If acceptance looks unlikely, don't make the request.

* Don't clog your page with games and apps. People who might be interested in your art but aren't interested in apps or games are unlikely to waste time plowing through oceans of irrelevancies. Plus an overload of games and apps makes you look like your diddling your life away.

* Don't email people to ask what they think of your art or your website or whatever. Post these requests on your page and ask your questions there. That way, you give everyone the option of responding without pressuring them. Forcing people to look at or respond to your art is uncomfortable for them and counterproductive for you.

* Never mislead or misrepresent your intentions. For example, don't email someone a link to what looks like an article about social justice or the environment when it's really a request for them to look at a piece of your art that relates to those topics.

* Don't ask friends to do things for you unless they're actually your friends-- like in real life-- or you can explain the nature of your request in terms they can relate to and understand. Better yet, position your request so that there's something in it for the person you're asking.

* If you email someone to ask them for a favor and they email you back to decline, then send them an email thanking them for at least considering your request. Simply not responding because you didn't get what you wanted is really rude-- and makes you look really self-centered.

* Don't be a taker. Facebook is not a vehicle for you to try to sponge up as much free information, advice, favors, feedback and other perks for yourself and your art as possible. If you want to get somewhere, give first; ask later. The more you give, the more you get back in return. People are far more likely to respond positively to your requests when you make yourself available to them in some capacity first.