I could be considered a shining example of an artist who has used the internet to make a start in photography and to get my work out there. Indeed, people do ask me for my tips on how to best use the internet to get noticed.
I started using Flickr in 2006 to showcase my self-portraits and then began to acquire physical exhibitions and print sales thereon. However, this was largely inadvertent, or subconscious, for me at first.
It continues to be a journey of discovery for me, of how to use social media to increase and maintain my profile as an artist.
I've been uploading my work to Flickr for four years and I still generally use my photostream (www.flickr.com/photos/ndybisz) to display my new images.
Flickr
At the beginning, when I was an English student with lots of spare time, I simply created images because I enjoyed it. People's comments and responses encouraged me to keep creating. People became interested in interviewing me and recommending my work, and in the usual wildfire manner of the internet, my name became more familiar and my images appeared in countless blogs and articles, whether I liked it or not! The publicity online, along with interest from the media, led to a local exhibition a year later, then an exhibition in Madrid, and then opportunities from companies, and so on, to where I am today. I still create self-portraits, but I also dabble in commercial projects and my aim is to continue to pursue artistically-engaging photography projects, to write books and present workshops.
liveBooks
It became clear quite early on, within a few months of my Flickr-sharing experience, that I needed my own website. I decided to carry on my nickname, "Miss Aniela," as an artist name, so I grabbed "missaniela.com." It seemed the right step to have my own personal space where I could show a gallery of my photos and have a place to write information about myself, to which I could refer people who had questions about my photos. I also created a blog that I could update with news and thoughts.
I transitioned my website to liveBooks this year. I was considering alternatives to refresh the look of missaniela.com and I liked the look of their sleek, fast Flash sites.
They appeared to be ideal for displaying my photography, so I shared my ideas with a designer, and saw it all come to fruition via a custom-built site. I also like being able to edit my site whenever I want, to edit text, and to add or remove pictures, which is easy enough in the editSuite that comes with every liveBooks site.
I also refreshed the look of my blog, (www.missanielablog.com) on a separate URL, keeping the graphic identity consistent with my liveBooks site, and decided to update the blog more frequently to keep it appealing to viewers.
Blog
My liveBooks website (http://www.missaniela.com) plays the role of the portfolio or gallery, the place where I show what I like to think is a refined collection of my best work. Viewers can navigate easily to the different areas to find out about prints, books, and my contact information. The website is a showcase, a place that is generally consistent. My blog, however, is a place where I constantly update information, share essays or thoughts, and promote events. The way I choose to use Flickr is rather like a studio, where I share lots of images and use it as a gauge for reactions and comments. I also use Flickr as a place to display my images while I determine which ones appeal to me most, and which ones I want to add to the galleries on my main website.
Believe it or not, the idea of using social networks to engage with a new audience or to point them to my website, blog or Flickr stream, is still new to me. The interaction itself was natural, but the idea of "marketing" myself is still fresh, and I am embracing email marketing and am using my new site to invite people to join my mailing list, with the incentive of winning a prize each month.
I have also learnt about the importance of using Facebook and Twitter, as these sites are so popular, and there may be one audience on one site that isn't on the other. By having both a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/missanielaphotography) and a Twitter page (www.twitter.com/missaniela) I can release updates, for example when I have a new blog post, to let the followers or "fans" on those networks know about my latest stuff, e.g. a new picture, an upcoming event or book.
With the advent of the iPhone and Blackberry, and new devices like the iPad, people are sharing and accessing information on the move more than ever, and connecting through social networking sites as a regular part of their everyday routine. For businesses in general, it's a self-promoting opportunity not to be missed. For self-employed artists, it's almost a necessity.
All that said, it's important to use these tools strategically and in moderation. I know it well myself - not everyone enjoys having artists' constant self-promoting updates shoved in their face, even if they are signed up to your Twitter feed, Facebook page or mailing list. My work is very personal, so sometimes the ‘real me' and the ‘artist me' get confused and merged, so to avoid feeling like I am sharing my whole self and life on the internet, I try to keep my posts informative. I know I always appreciate other people's occasional jest or anecdote, however, so I reciprocate with my own, particularly on Twitter. And, just as importantly, if you're like me and trying to get the most out of social networking sites as promoting tools, make sure you also have a life outside of the internet and have a time in the day when you can keep them turned off!
Check out my new liveBooks website at www.missaniela.com and my blog at www.missanielablog.com.
Lastly, if you are a photographer (or indeed, anyone who works with images or art of any kind) and you want a website like mine, or to transform your existing one, check out liveBooks' pre-designed sites. You can use the promo code MISSANIELA to get 10 percent off the $39/month price (forever) and you get a 14-day free trial, too.
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