Resources

More Authors Take The Initiative in Book Marketing

According to the firm Author Marketing Ideas, the myth of the publisher as marketer is declining, as a growing number of authors realize that marketing their books is part of their job. Whether they are working with traditional publishing houses or self-publishing, more authors are taking the initiative to market their own books. 

AMIBookMarketing

The trend includes well known writers, such as Pulitzer Prize winning playwright and author David Mamet who decided to self-publish his new book. He told The New York Times earlier this year, “Publishing is like Hollywood — nobody ever does the marketing they promise.” So of his new book he says, “I am going to promote the hell out of it, even though I’ll probably make my own mistakes.”

Award winning children’s author Sherrill S. Cannon say that “Writing ‘The End’ is just the beginning for me as an author; once my book is written, I move into sales mode.” Cannon has written five successful children’s books and relies on social media to connect with fans and boost sales. “My publisher Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Agency and their sister company Author Marketing Ideas have helped me tremendously and given a huge boost through services such as video book trailers and press releases. But as an author my job is also to be proactive. I blog and guest blog as well as enter contests and submit my books for reviews.”

“Authors such as Sherrill Cannon are what we see more and more as the new normal,” says Ellen Green, Vice President of Author Marketing Ideas. In addition to offering traditional book-marketing services, AMI also hosts educational webinars for authors who want to market their books on their own. To educate and empower every author, AMI also has a “Free Tips” page on their website.

If statistics about the rise of self-publishing are accurate, there’s a whole lot of book-marketing going on. According to the book data company Bowker, the number of self-published titles increased 59 percent last year, topping 391,000 books, The authors of each of these books is engaged in some form of self-marketing. 

LINKS

Author Marketing Ideas

 

Workshop Explains How to Live Your Dream as An Artist

BitMyArtLogoBiteMyArt, the online nexus connecting artists and exhibit spaces, has announced an eight-week, interactive online workshop hosted by art-business expert Sian Lindemann.

The course “How to Live Your Dream as an Artist” will meet for 90 minutes every week for eight weeks using the online and interactive GoToMeeting platform that you can access in the comfort of your home or studio. The first session will be held Thursday, October 31 at 2 pm ET (11 am PT).

Art business expert Sian Lindemann
Art business expert Sian Lindemann

“This is about doing what you love, and sharing it by eliminating the fear of selling,” explains Lindemann. She will explain why clarity is everything, and help course participants articulate who they are, what they do, and why they do it. 

To attract the right clients to your art, you will learn how to:

  • define your authentic voice
  • identify your preferred business model
  • speak about your mission and work with professionalism and fluency

The fee for the eight-week course is $897. Enrollment is limited to 10 participants so Sian can work interactively with each artist. Her goal is to inspire the creation of new ideas and works while simultaneously encouraging growth, depth, and scope in the artists she coaches.

Some of the things you will learn during the course include:

● Three ways to create immediate revenue from your circle of influence
● How to use Facebook, Twitter, and blogs to make marketing more personal
● How to syndicate and cross promote to create your own fame
● How use the FAB (Fact, Advantage, Benefit) approach to make sales.
● How to build authentic, long-lasting relationships after the sale

Sian is an accomplished artist with over 30 years of experience in arts promotion, marketing, and career development for artists. She has provided hundreds of artists with practical marketing and financial expertise that has helped them generate more consistent revenues while pursuing their passions.

About BiteMyArt

BiteMyArt is an online site through which artists can connect with galleries and unconventional exhibition spaces and gallery owners can interact with artists. Artists can upload up to three free portfolios and access the interactive tools with which to present their work to gallery spaces. Artist resources include advice on creating a compelling artist statement, applying for grants, and developing patronage.

Gallery spaces can search artist profiles on BiteMyArt by type, location and other parameters. BiteMyArt provides an easy-to- navigate interface through which gallery spaces can promote themselves and upcoming events, build relationships with the most promising artists, and enhance communication with clients.

LINK

Workshop: How to Live Your Dream as an Artist

BiteMyArt

 

Survey Reveals How Photo Buyers Find and Hire Photographers

PhotoShelter has published results from their 2013 Survey of  What Buyers Want From Photographers. The free report provides insights about how buyers like to be pitched, where they find photographers to hire, and the most important elements of the a photographer’s website.

PhotoShelterCoverofWhatBuyersWant

The survey results are based on 340 responses from photo buyers and creatives at advertising agencies, design firms, nonprofits, editorial publications, book publishers, and corporations who are part of the Agency Access global database. Agency Access is is a full-service marketing resource that helps freelance artists find work.

The most common titles of the respondents were art director, creative director, art producer, editorial photo editor, copywriter, graphic designer, and senior designer. Some of the companies they worked for include Olgivy & Mather, Saatchi & Saatchi, Conde Nast, Harper Collins, McGraw-Hill Education, Texas Creative, IPC Media, and Modern Luxury.

In the 2013 “What Buyers Want” survey report, the responses are grouped into four categories:

  • Hiring photographers
  • Marketing to photo buyers
  • Websites and file delivery
  • Working with photographers

The results answer common questions such as:

  • Do video skills get you a gig?
  • Where do buyers find photographers and photography?
  • Do buyers hire new photographers?
  • Do buyers search for new talent?
  • Is a photographer’s location key to getting hired?
  • Do buyers take in-person meetings?
  • How important are personal projects?
  • Is a photographer’s company knowledge important?
  • How many images should go in your portfolio?
  • How do buyers like images delivered?

Here are some key findings from PhotoShelter’s 2013 survey of photo buyers:

  • 75.6 percent say that compared to 2012, their budgets are increasing or staying the same.
  • 35.4 percent have discovered a new photographer through social media
  • 71.7 percent say they look at unsolicited marketing pitches that are relevant to their needs
  • 33.6 percent cite “easy navigation” as the most important element of a photographer’s website

PhotoShelter has supplemented the statistical data with interviews with major photo buyers and tips on email and direct-mail promotions.

“A direct-mail piece doesn’t depend as much on the quality or size as it does on the image and typography,” said the photo editor at an editorial publication.”I don’t need fancy envelopes or multi-page glossy hardbound books If the image is memorable, I will put it up on my wall or in my box of promos to keep.”

On the importance of personalizing a pitch, one ad agency creative director offered this advice: “Make sure your email comes across as genuine. This means don’t act like a car salesman with gimmicky phrases and subject lines. Make the email personal. We can smell a form letter in seconds.”

Factors that influence hiring decisions include the photographer’s personality, level of interest in the project, location, pricing, and schedule conflicts.

One marketing agency representative said, “Personality and a photographer’s lack of interest can be major obstacles. We have found artists based on their work, but once we call to get to know him or her better, their personality can sway our decision.”

Learn from Previous Surveys

For an even more thorough understanding of what photo buyers look for, download the survey results from 2011 and 2012. The 2011 and 2012 “What Photo Buyers Want” surveys are part of PhotoShelter’s ongoing series of free business guides for photographers. PhotoShelter’s library includes 30+ educational guides on topics such as creating a successful photography portfolio, email marketing, and starting a photography business.

About PhotoShelter and Agency Access

PhotoShelter offers professional, reliable and innovative online tools to build and grow a successful photography business. Its latest release, Beam, offers a suite of portfolio website templates built with the latest technology to showcase images at their best. Over 80,000 photographers use PhotoShelter’s websites, social and SEO tools, online image archives, and image delivery and e-commerce tools.

Two PhotoShelter executives, Allen Murabayashi and Andrew Fingerman, will present a seminar on “Building the Right Audience Online” at PDN PhotoPlus Expo in New York. The seminar is scheduled from 1:30 to 3:30 pm on Thursday, October 24.

Agency Access provides direct marketing for commercial photographers, illustrators, artist reps and stock agencies. They offer educational services, consulting and design services, integrated marketing tools, phone marketing support, and access to a global database of 90,000-plus commercial art buyers at ad agencies, magazines, book publishers, in-house advertising departments, graphic design firms and architectural firms.

LINKS

PhotoShelter

2013 Survey: What Buyers Want from Photographers

PhotoShelter Library of Business Guides for Photographers

Agency Access

 

B2B Marketers Plan to Spend More on Content Marketing

WRITERS. DESIGNERS. The continuing growth of B2B content-marketing may provide new opportunities for writers, designers, and other content producers.

According to a study recently published by the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs, 93 percent of B2B marketers in North America are using content marketing. Seventy-three percent of these respondents are producing more content than they were a year ago and 58 percent plan to increase their budget for content marketing over the next 12 months.

CONTENT MARKETING INSTITUTE PIE GRAPH

Entitled “B2B Content Marketing: 2014 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends–North America,” the report publishes findings from the fourth annual Content Marketing Survey conducted by the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs. More than 1,200 B2B marketers in North America from diverse industries and a wide range of company sizes responded to the survey in July and August 2013.

Here are a few key findings:

Compared to last year, marketers are using more content tactics (13 compared to 12) and more social-media platforms to distribute content (6 compared to 5).

The types of tactics used has remained relatively constant. The ten most popular tactics are:

  • social media (87 percent)
  • articles on their own website (81 percent)
  • e-newsletters (80 percent)
  • blogs (76 percent)
  • in-person events (76 percent)
  • case studies (73 percent)
  • videos (73 percent)
  • articles on other websites (68 percent)
  • white papers (64 percent)
  • online presentations (63 percent)

ContentMarketingCoverThe number of B2B marketers using infographics jumped from 38 percent last year to 51 percent in this year.

Large B2B companies outsource content creation more frequently than small companies: 72 percent of large companies (1000+ employees) use a mix of in-house and outsourced professionals for content creation. Only 33 percent of small companies (10 to 99 employees) outsource some of their content-creation work.

Writing and design are the two functions most likely to be outsourced: 64 percent outsource writing; 54 percent outsource design; and 22 percent outsource editing.

Other functions that B2B marketers outsource include content distribution/syndication (30 percent), measurement/analytics (22 percent), content planning and strategy (8 percent), and the creation of buyer personas (5 percent).

The Organizations Behind the Research

CONTENT MARKETING INSTITUTE BOOK COVERContent Marketing Institute is a content marketing education and training organization. CMI teaches enterprise brands how to attract and retain customers through compelling, multi-channel storytelling.

One way to learn what B2B clients are expecting to achieve with content marketing is to read the newest book by CMI founder Joe Pulizzi. The book’s title alone explains a lot: “Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break Through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less.” 

MarketingProfs is a marketing education and training company that offers actionable know-how to more than 600,000 MarketingProfs members.

The research study was sponsored by Brightcove, a global provider of cloud services for video. Brightcove cloud content services can be used to operate video services across PCs, smartphones, tablets, and connected TVs.

LINKS

B2B Content Marketing: 2014 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends — North America

About the Content Marketing Institute

About Marketing Profs

Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less

 

The Creative Group’s 2014 Salary Guide Lists Eight In-Demand Jobs

TCG-Salary-Barista-Cover2The 2014 Salary Guide for professionals in creative and marketing fields is now available free from the website of The Creative Group. Entitled “Salary Barista,” the guide serves up fresh data on the average starting compensation levels for 134 different jobs.

The Design and Production category lists salaries for 34 jobs, including Creative Director, Art Director, Studio Manager, Medical Illustrator, 3D Animator, Package Designer, and Presentation Specialist.

The Interactive category lists 26 jobs such as Interactive Creative Director, Game Designer, Blogger, Motion Designer, Web Production Artist, Video Editor, and Mobile Developer.

The Content Development and Management section provides salaries for 15 positions such as Copywriter, Medical Writer, Curriculum Developer, Proposal Writer, Copy Editor, and Content Manager.

The Advertising and Marketing category includes salary ranges for 49 corporate and/or agency jobs. Agency jobs include President, Account Manager, and Social Media Account Manager. Corporate jobs include Chief Marketing Officer, Marketing Director, and MarCom Specialist. Jobs that can be found in either an agency or corporate setting include Media Director, Brand/Product Manager, Web Analytics Specialist, Event/Trade Show Manager, and Market Researcher.

The Public Relations category lists salaries for 5 agency jobs such as Account Executive and VP/Group Director and 5 corporate jobs such as Public Relations Director and Public Relations Manager.

For each position, the guide lists national average low and high starting salaries. To determine the estimated salary range for positions in your city, use the “variance numbers” listed on page 12 and 13 of the guide.

For example, jobs based in Chicago have a 123.0 variance number; jobs in Fort Wayne, Indiana have an 81.0 variance number. If the national average starting stalary for a content manager ranges from $62,500 to $83,000, the salary range in Chicago would be 1.23 times higher (i.e., $76,875 to $102,090). In Fort Wayne, the salary would be 0.81 of the $62,500 to $83,000 range (i.e., $50,525 to $67,230).

Eight in-Demand Jobs

Salary Barista lists the eight most in-demand creative and marketing jobs and describes the required skills. The eight jobs include:

  • Digital Project Manager
  • Front-End Web Developer
  • Interactive Marketing Manager
  • Mobile Designer
  • SEO/SEM Specialist
  • User Experience (UX) Designer
  • Web Content Writer
  • Web Designer

The guide notes a continuing shortage of creative talent with digital expertise, particularly in the field of mobile design: “Companies need people who can help them develop content for small screens…Responsive design also is becoming a greater priority for businesses that want to provide customers with optimal experiences on their devices and browsers of choice.”

According to a recent study conducted by The Creative Group, more than half (52 percent) of the 400 marketing and advertising executives surveyed said it’s challenging to find skilled creative professionals today.

In a section listing five hot trends affecting hiring, the authors of Salary Barista observe that “Professionals with in-demand skills recognize that they have more choices in the current employment market and are open to pursuing new avenues, even if it means leaving a stable job. Consequently, managers are redoubling their efforts to retain top performers.”

Freelancers Bring Flexibility and Specialized Skills

To help manage heavy workloads and access specialized skills, organizations are bringing in freelancers more frequently (and for longer periods).

In a section that promotes the benefits of flexible staffing, the Salary Barista notes that, “The percentage of people who are working on a temporary or part-time basis is rising – for a variety of reasons. Specialists at very high levels often choose interim assignments over full-time work because of the schedule flexibility and diversity of projects this option provides.”

The “Salary Barista” 2014 Salary Guide includes

  • four characteristics to look for in creative talent
  • tips on preparing job offers applicants can’t refuse
  • statistics on perks and willingness to negotiate compensation

Starting Salaries Up for Creatives and Other Professionals in 2014

A division of the Robert Half professional staffing services agency, The Creative Group specializes in placing interactive, design, and marketing professionals on a project and full-time basis.

The salary guide for creative and marketing professionals was one of five salary guides released by Robert Half this week. Robert Half also released salary guides for professionals in accounting and financial services, information technology, legal services, and office and administrative support.

Overall, starting salaries for professionals in U.S. are expected to increase an average of 3.7 percent in 2014.

Technology positions are expected to see the largest gains among the fields researched with a 5.6 percent increase in the average salary for newly hired workers. Accounting and finance professionals can expect starting salaries to rise an average of 3.4 percent.

Salaries for professionals in creative fields in the U.S. are expected to be up by an average of 3.3 percent, as are starting salaries for administrative and support staff. The starting salaries for legal professionals are expected to rise 2.7 percent.

Robert Half has been publishing salary guides for businesses owners, hiring managers, and professionals since 1952. Ongoing salaries are not reported because salary increases are affected by factors such as seniority, work ethic, job performance, and training.

LINKS

The Creative Group 2014 Salary Guide

The Creative Group

Robert Half

Robert Half Salary Guides

Free Guides Offer Expert Tips on Building a Portrait Photography Business

PhotoShelter, a leading provider of portfolio websites and online sales tools for professional photographers, has published two free educational guides for anyone who wants to build a business around portrait photography.

“Growing Your Portrait Photography Business: Part 1” offers tips for photographers who want to shoot portraits  of families, kids, and high-school seniors. Part 2 is for photographers who want to shoot commercial or editorial portraits for ad agencies, publications, and corporate clients.

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Both of the “Growing Your Portrait Photography” guides are available free from the PhotoShelter library of business guides.

Part 1: Families, Kids, and Senior Portrait Photography

The introduction to this guide points out that, “Photographers in this market have to enjoy working with groups, understand family dynamics, and should be great with children, teens or babies.

This guide explains how to build a portrait photography business from the ground up. Read how to price work, create a personable brand, and influence word-of-mouth referrals.

The guide discusses how to:

  • Grow a presence online
  • Capture a subject’s personality
  • Read body language
  • Find the right location
  • Manage the styling
  • Be an expert storyteller
  • Demonstrate a unique style when shooting kids and seniors.

Successful family and senior portrait photographers explain how they target their ideal clients, determine pricing packages and fees, build real connections with clients, and develop a brand. 

Laura Novak, founder of Little Nest Photos, explains that, “There isn’t one way of developing your brand, but you must have a heightened awareness of every interaction with your customers and think about things from their perspective.”

Part 2: Editorial and Commercial Portrait Photography

Shooting portraits for editorial and commercial use is substantially different from shooting photos for families and kids — mostly because you have the develop relationships with both the subject and the client. Clients for editorial and commercial portraits are creatives for publications, corporations, and marketing agencies.

Editorial portraits (of celebrities, writers, etc.) are created specifically for publications. Commercial portraits are used for personal promotions or advertising campaigns.

In this guide, you’ll find expert advice on how to:

  • Impress photo editors with an exceptional online portfolio
  • Prepare for a shoot by asking certain questions before you arrive
  • Provide the type of customer service that strengthens relationships with clients
  • Price your services and negotiate contracts and licenses

Seasoned editorial and commercial photographers such as  Brian Smith, Jim Jordan and Jason Myers share tips on shooting killer portrait photography, including secrets to great portrait lighting and techniques for capturing big personalities.

The guide points out that photographers who specialize in editorial or commercial portraits must juggle client’s expectations and visions while building a rapport with the subject(s): “You need to be a good people person, build great relationships, make sure your subjects feel comfortable — and network, network, network to get the word out.”

Photographer Nicolle Clemetson says it’s OK to relax and be yourself. Instead of trying to shoot and act like I thought others in the industry wanted to see, she says, “I found that I was happiest and producing my best work when I stopped caring about what others thought… Now, I’m shooting the projects I want to shoot with people who have the same attitude and energy that I do.”  

About PhotoShelter

“Growing Your Portrait Photography Business, Parts 1 and 2” are the latest in PhotoShelter’s ongoing series of free business guides for photographers and marketing professionals. PhotoShelter’s library includes 30+ educational guides including topics such as creating a successful photography portfolio, email marketing, and starting a photography business.

PhotoShelter offers professional, reliable and innovative online tools to build and grow a successful photography business. Its latest release, Beam, offers a suite of portfolio website templates built with the latest technology to showcase images at their best. More than 80,000 photographers use PhotoShelter’s websites, social and SEO tools, online image archives, and image delivery and e- commerce tools. You can try PhotoShelter free for 14 days

LINKS

Growing Your Portrait Photography Business Part 1: Families, Kids, and Senior Portrait Photography

Growing Your Portrait Photography Business Part 2: Editorial and Commercial Portrait Photography

PhotoShelter Library of Free Business Guides

About PhotoShelter

 

Learn to Focus Your Art Marketing Efforts at Guerrilla Marketing for Visual Artists Webinar

BarneyDaveyARTISTS. Art marketing expert Barney Davey will present a two-hour webinar “Guerrilla Marketing for Visual Artists” on Thursday, October 10. The webinar will run from 1 to 3 pm ET (4 to 6 pm, PT) The registration fee is $29.

The event will be hosted by J. Jason Horejs, owner of Xanadu Gallery in Scottdale, Arizona.

“Barney has been working for some time to develop a new workshop that speaks to the many challenges and opportunities that face an artist today,” says Horejs. “I’ve always done well when I’ve listened to Barney’s guidance, and I encourage you to register for this new workshop so that you can tap into Barney’s clear vision and advice.”

During the workshop, you will learn how to:

  • Determine what is most valuable to you in your career
  • Develop a list of prospects worth pursuing
  • Bulletproof your career through networking and referrals
  • Mix online marketing, social media and traditional art marketing for exceptional results
  • Coordinate your marketing to wring the best return from every dollar you spend on it

Barney says he understands how hard artists are working to get their careers on track and why many are frustrated with the results.

“The solution is to create reachable goals that work for your situation and your desire,” explains Davey. “Your definition of success is 100% unique to you. If you have been floundering in uncertainty about what to do, or trying to copy someone else’s ideas of how to succeed as an artist, it’s no wonder you’re frustrated.”

He says success in today’s challenging art market requires you to do five things:

  • Set realistic goals that equal your resources
  • Identify your best prospects
  • Create direct sales channels to your collectors
  • Employ powerful marketing tools matched to your capabilities
  • Act on a plausible plan to achieve your goals

GuerillaMarketingforArtistsDavey provides practical advice for getting your art career moving in the right direction. He will discuss art-marketing tools that can get your work seen and sold and explain how to simplify and streamline your art-marketing processes. He will teach you how to focus on the marketing tools at your disposal and increase your sales without spending more time and money on marketing.

“Sometimes we think others were just born with some kind of magic “entrepreneurial lobe” of their brain,” says Davey. “They weren’t. At one time, every artist started where you are right now.”

The Guerrilla Marketing for Artists webinar will help you choose the right art marketing tools and techniques for your art career. You will learn how to break down your marketing processes so you can utilize the components most valuable to you. By emphasizing what works best, you will vastly improve your results.

If you can’t listen to the live webinar on October 10, register now and you will receive a link to the recorded webinar, so you can listen to it at a more convenient time.

About Barney Davey

Barney Davey is a workshop leader, consultant, author, and blogger. Through his advice and counseling, he has helped thousands of visual artists improve their careers. Davey is the author of four books on art marketing, including Amazon.com best selling books “How to Profit from the Art Print Market” and “Guerrilla Marketing For Artists.” 

He also has contributed numerous art business articles to The Artist’s Magazine, Art World News, and Art Business News, among others. Since 2005, he has published more than 500 art marketing and art business articles on his art-business blog: Art Print Issues.

LINKS

Webinar: Guerilla Marketing for Visual Artists

Book: Guerrilla Marketing for Artists