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03-Jan-2005
How can my friend get his watercolor notecards out to the public?
By Chris Dunmire
Q: I have a very good artist friend who paints very
tasteful and captivating notecards. He's English, so most of them
feature
areas in and around London, including the famous Henley-on-Thames
and the Thames river in watercolors. It has a rather calming effect
on a lot of people! He sent me one of them once and I thought he
just bought it in a card shop. When he told me he made it a few
years ago, I told him he should consider getting them out to the
public somehow. He doesn't know where to start and neither do I.
Would you have any suggestions or pointers for him? He is really
quite talented. — Victoria S.
A: Victoria, do you know how many artists would
love to have a friend like you? Not only do you possess an appreciation
for your English friend's artistic talent, but you are a great
motivator and agent helping him to move to the next level in his
artistic career. And I bet his cards are just breathtaking!
So how does your friend get his work out to the public and begin
promoting his watercolor cards to the world? It seems like a
daunting task, doesn't it? But guess what? It's not! Years ago it
was a heck of a lot more difficult for unknown artists to find promotional
opportunities in galleries and stores, but today,
thanks to the Internet, a worldwide
audience and potential customer base is only a click away. That is, when one has their own Web site.
Of course, there are lots of other things involved in establishing
oneself as an artist
— online or off. But because having a Web site is such a fundamental
self-promotional tool in this day and age, I'm going to discuss
this as a primary starting point for your friend and briefly explain
how he can use his site for his artistic endeavors as a dynamic portfolio,
an online store, and a worldwide networking tool 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week.
A Web Site Can Function as... A Dynamic Portfolio or Product Gallery
The graphical and textual nature of the Web is a perfect
platform for artists to showcase samples of their work online
to anyone in the
world with an Internet connection. Think of it like a
PowerPoint presentation. Thus, with a click of a mouse, a
visitor can view a presentation, parse a gallery of artwork,
or browse
a
virtual
shelf
of
products in a few minutes and learn anything about the artist
he wishes to share. Plus, the site can be updated with news,
information, and product offerings whenever he chooses.
This kind of Web site is the most simple and cost-effective
to design and maintain. If your friend knows basic Web design
and
image editing, he can take this project on himself. Otherwise,
he should consider hiring an experienced Web designer to do the
work
for him. (See also: Web
Design Resources.) An Online Store (E-Commerce)
A Web site can also function as a online store, allowing visitors
to browse products, add selected items to a shopping cart,
and pay for them through a virtual checkout. So if your friend
wants
to sell
prints
of
his cards, he can simply showcase them on his site with quantity
and
price, and allow visitors to purchase them online. Once a transaction
is made, he can ship the cards to his customers or make them available
in a downloadable form.
The design
and development requirements associated with e-commerce Web
sites
vary,
and
will cost more than
a simple stand-alone portfolio Web site. Other considerations
are international shipping costs, local and state laws, and
online merchant
requirements. A Networking Tool
Whether your friend's Web site functions as a portfolio,
online store, or both, it will promote his work around
the clock to anyone who visits. Plus, the instantaneous nature
of e-mail and other information sharing creates an open channel
for
communicating
with promoters, buyers, sellers, and other interested parties.
The cool thing about the Internet is that people
from all over the world interested in watercolor painted Henley-on-Thames
notecards will find your friend's talented offerings without ever
having to visit London or physically meet with him. Additionally,
other watercolor artists around the world may wish to network with
your friend and pool Web site resources.
Victoria, I certainly don't want to minimize the other work
your friend will have to do to promote his work to the
public. Having a Web site is just a start, but
once it's online, he'll find it an invaluable tool for self-promotion.
Finally, a key element that works hand-in-hand
with having a Web site is Web site promotion. Nobody will
know about his
site
unless he tells them about it. The easiest way to getting the word
out is by
putting
the Web site URL (the www.address.com)
on every
piece
of communication
he gives away. This includes business cards, e-mail footers, card
samples, and anywhere else it will tastefully fit. Then he should
get himself
into major search engines
and directories such as Google and Yahoo! and
find related Web sites or businesses to reciprocal link with to
benefit from cross-promotional networking.
It's almost a given that once your friend follows through with
the above steps, his work will not only be out in the public, but
he'll discover that interest in his notecards will come from places
he'd never imagine. In fact Victoria, when your friend gets his own
Web site up, have him contact us and we'll gladly link to it from
this page to further
help promote his captivating notecards to the world. •
Helpful Resources
About
Greeting
Card Writing
Information and resources for learning how write greeting cards,
or break into the business of writing for major greeting card companies.
About
Web Design
Resources for beginning and advanced Web site design instruction. Includes information
on setting up a Web site, HTML
and WYSIWYG editor tutorials, graphics programs how-to, and design tips.
How
to Add Your Web
Site to the Google Directory
Google indexes Web sites in their directory for free. Read how to add your site
and
learn other valuable tips for Web site design and promotion.
© Chris Dunmire. All rights reserved.
Creativity Portal hopes you enjoyed this feature, which is copyright © Chris Dunmire and not available for reprint on your Web site, blog, or publication. Please respect the creator's copyright by not duplicating this material elsewhere.
 About the Author | More by Chris Dunmire
Chris Dunmire is an artist, humorist, workshop facilitator, and the driving force behind the Creativity Portal Web site. Chris trained as a creativity coach with Eric Maisel, Ph.D. and inspires people of all ages with her Web sites and printable playbooks — including the world-famous Dollar Bill Origami Money Plant.
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