social media

Toadsquare Provides Global Showcase for Creative Professionals

Toadsquare is a new social network for creative professionals. The site aims to unite the world’s 20 million artists, photographers, filmmakers, scriptwriters, and actors and provide them with an instant, global showcase for exhibiting their talents to agents, producers and collectors.

‘I’ve spent my whole life working with creative people and wondering how we can afford to let so much talent, in so many countries, go to waste,” said Toadquare founder Jane Hrouda. ‘When Facebook and LinkedIn showed the incredible power of social networking I realised this could be the answer to the mismatch between supply and demand in the creative industries”’

Hrouda and a team of ten have spent two years turning her original idea into reality. Toadsquare is free to join and gives every member their own ‘website within a website’ – where they can network and market, sell and display their work – art, photographs, films, video, scripts, designs, and music. Members can also swap stories and tips with other creative professionals, advertise shows and exhibitions, invite expert criticism and seek inspiration.

Actor and producer Joel Einhorn thinks Toadsquare could transform the film and TV industries. ‘There’s never been a single place where you know that producers, actors and directors will look at your work. Now there is, and it’s exactly what creative professionals need. Toadsquare is going to transform the way people in the visual arts manage their careers – it replaces serendipity with an efficient, digital marketplace for anyone selling talent and anyone buying it.’

Toadsquare is a new social network for creative professionals. The site aims to unite the world’s 20 million artists, photographers, filmmakers, scriptwriters, and actors and provide them with an instant, global showcase for exhibiting their talents to agents, producers and collectors.

‘I’ve spent my whole life working with creative people and wondering how we can afford to let so much talent, in so many countries, go to waste,” said Toadquare founder Jane Hrouda. ‘When Facebook and LinkedIn showed the incredible power of social networking I realised this could be the answer to the mismatch between supply and demand in the creative industries”’

Hrouda and a team of ten have spent two years turning her original idea into reality. Toadsquare is free to join and gives every member their own ‘website within a website’ – where they can network and market, sell and display their work – art, photographs, films, video, scripts, designs, and music. Members can also swap stories and tips with other creative professionals, advertise shows and exhibitions, invite expert criticism and seek inspiration.

Actor and producer Joel Einhorn thinks Toadsquare could transform the film and TV industries. ‘There’s never been a single place where you know that producers, actors and directors will look at your work. Now there is, and it’s exactly what creative professionals need. Toadsquare is going to transform the way people in the visual arts manage their careers – it replaces serendipity with an efficient, digital marketplace for anyone selling talent and anyone buying it.’

LINK

Toadsquare

UmeNow Offers Crowdfunding for Indie Authors

The private, social-networking website UmeNow has revamped its features to allow crowdfunding for independent authors and other creative professionals. While many sites allow indie authors to start blogs to promote their work and connect with their readers, UmeNow has added the ability for anyone in the world to donate directly to the author.

“We offer independent authors the tools to attract funding from people who want to do more than just purchase one book,” explains UmeNow founder Evelyn Castillo-Bach.  “If someone wants to donate to a promising author so they can pursue other writing projects, UmeNow offers an easy way for this to happen.”

All funding goes directly to the author and donors are not required to have a UmeNow account. Donors are taken directly to the author’s Paypal account page.

The crowdfunding capability is available at no charge to all UmeNow members. The crowdfunding tool appears within the blog section of UmeNow. Whenever an author writes a blog, the donation button can appear on the blog itself, making the crowdfunding process very easy. The only requirement is that the blog must be posted so anyone in the world can see it. If an author selects privacy settings that allow only UmeNow members to view their blog, the author’s ability to raise funds will be limited to site members.

When a member creates a blog page, they can select to display a donation button that directly links to their personal Paypal account. And because tracking and ads are banned from the UmeNow network, authors can be sure that no one else profits by linking into their readers. Authors can also start groups and invite their readers into those groups, or fans can start groups to discuss their favorite books.

UmeNow’s Castillo-Bach understands the needs and interests of indie authors, because she recently published her first e-book, entitled “Champions, Inc.: Powerful Life Principles.”

About UmeNow

Launched in 2011, UmeNow is known for fiercely protecting the privacy rights of its members. All ads, third-party apps, and games are banned to safeguard members from back-door tracking and unauthorized information extraction.

UmeNow was founded on the premise that you should have the right to socialize and connect with your family, friends, and colleagues without giving up your right to privacy. Information you share online shouldn’t be tracked and monitored by advertisers or data collectors and data brokers who want to collect as much information as they can about you to sell or trade with banks, creditors, future employers, insurance companies and others.

The UmeNow network offers a two-tier membership structure. With a free membership, you can enjoy a full-featured, ad-free, social-networking experience, including blogging, a photo gallery, polling, and a personal profile and wall. The premium membership ($6.00 per month) lets you create private, protected group walls for family members or work groups.

LINK

About UmeNow

PhotoShelter Updates Social Media Handbook for Photographers

PHOTOGRAPHERS. Are you getting the type of results you want from social-media marketing?  If not, maybe it’s time to try new tactics or focus on a different platform. To give you some facts and inspiration, PhotoShelter recently released an updated, two-part version of their e-book on social media for photographers.

The 2012 edition of “The Photographer’s Social Media Handbook” covers best practices for using Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and Twitter to enhance your marketing efforts and get noticed by potential clients.  Part 1 (44 pages) covers Facebook and Google+. Part 2 (26 pages) covers LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social media platforms that matter.

The first edition of this social media handbook was published in 2010. This updated version talks about major changes that have occurred and looks ahead to changes anticipated this year.  You will see why you need different strategies for each social-media site, and learn how to measure your results.

“The Photographer’s Social Media Handbook” includes interviews with photographers who attracted significant online followings. These photographers provide real-world tips on what works and what doesn’t. They agree that developing a strategy is particularly important, “There must be a method to the madness. Blindly posting and interacting with potential customers will get you nowhere. You first need to ask yourself: “What do I want to accomplish and can this platform help me get there?”

Here’s a brief overview of how photographers can benefit from using four of the most popular social-media platforms.

Part 1: Facebook and Google+

Facebook is a daily-destination website whereas your personal website is not.  It has also become an accepted vehicle for business marketing. Developing a Facebook Page dedicated to your photography business can help build your brand and makes it easier for potential customers to find you.  You can use your page to show your photos, ask for opinions, or offer discounts and promotions.

Google+ is a fast-growing social-media platform that could be considered as an extension of Google itself. Your success with Google+ could directly impact your search-engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Google+ is built for photo-sharing, and accommodates viewing, managing, and editing multimedia.

Part 2: LinkedIn, Twitter, and Other Platforms

LinkedIn can be great for marketing photography services to businesses because it includes more than 54,000 people who identify themselves as photo editors, 28,000+ art buyers, 580,000+ graphic designers, and 644,000+ art directors.  LinkedIn can also help you establish yourself as a reputable source and make connections with people who can vouch for your business ethic and photography.

Twitter connects businesses to customers in real-time. It can help you spread awareness to people who may not know about you, drive signups for your newsletter, get feedback for your images and services, and announce news, special promotions, achievements, and events.

The “Photographer’s Social Media Handbook” advises that “Social media is not something you should pay attention to once a week or only on the weekends. Create consistent times to post, share, and interact with users. This will help grow your following, and increase your chances for solid business opportunities.”

Photographer Bryan Formhals notes that, “You don’t have to be on every platform! Choose the few that you enjoy and commit to them.”

PhotoShelter is a leader in portfolio websites and business tools for serious photographers. It offers a host of social-sharing tools that can help you promote your work via multiple platforms.

LINKS

The 2012 Photographer’s Social Media Handbook

About PhotoShelter

 

Survey Says Facebook is Preferred Social Network of Creatives

When it comes to connecting online with friends, colleagues and acquaintances, Facebook is the favored social-media site of people in creative fields, a new survey by The Creative Group suggests.

More than half (56 percent) of advertising and marketing executives interviewed said Facebook would be their social media site of choice if they were limited to using just one. LinkedIn and Google+ ranked second and third with 21 percent and 12 percent of the response, respectively.

 

Regardless of which social media site someone is using for business, staying active is essential, the survey confirmed: Nearly three in 10 (29 percent) executives said not keeping content fresh is the most common mistake creatives make in their professional online profiles.

The national survey was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service for interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals, and conducted by an independent research firm.

“Those in the creative industry tend to blend their professional and personal lives, including interactions they have online,” said Donna Farrugia, executive director of The Creative Group.

Farrugia cautioned, however, that it’s important to post prudently when business contacts are part of your online network. “Social media profiles have become an important branding and marketing tool for creative professionals. Whether the purpose of your account is purely to connect with friends or drum up referrals and job leads, make sure it paints the best picture of you.”

The Creative Group offers five tips for maintaining a polished and engaging presence on social media sites:

Don’t play the name game. While sites like Facebook and Google+ have guidelines that discourage the use of symbols, numbers or profanities in your username, that doesn’t stop people from coming up with unusual aliases. However, it’s best to stick to your first and last name and select a similar vanity URL that supports your personal brand.

Choose your interests wisely. Just because you’re a fan of reality TV doesn’t mean you have to list every show you watch. No matter how talented you are, a profile that goes into too much personal detail, particularly if those details are unflattering, will work against you.

Share quality content. The average Facebook user has 130 friends, according to Facebook Statistics. You can increase the likelihood others will see your posts by sharing rich content (like photos and videos) as well as information that will elicit comments, likes and shares.

Proof your posts. Always review your status updates and comments before hitting “Enter.” Posts strewn with typos or text shorthand detract from your credibility.

Be a regular. In addition to pushing out interesting content, engage with your online contacts consistently. By commenting on and sharing others’ posts, you’ll build a stronger sense of community.

For additional tips on using social and professional networking sites effectively, download Business Etiquette: The New Rules in a Digital Age by Robert Half, The Creative Group’s parent company. The publication contains insights from industry experts on topics such as email, instant messaging, mobile devices, and phone, video, and web conferencing.

LINKS

About The Creative Group

Business Etiquette: The New Rules in a Digital Age