There I was presenting a workshop on arts marketing and I casually asked the group of 45 artists and people working for or volunteering for arts organizations how many used a blog as part of their overall strategy. One person put their hand up!
My learnable moment had come. I was humbled and realized how easy it is to think that because I do something, others must also be aware or be even interested in doing the same. Of course this is a good lesson for all of us. So often we make the mistake of thinking that others think like we do.
Mitch Joel calls this “the market of one” and it’s a dangerous place to be because you can end up making all kinds of decisions that your audience may not be the slightest bit interested in.
Like a Don Quixote I will persist in encouraging you to consider having a blog for your arts business. Perhaps think of it, not as a blog but rather as just a part of your web site that you use to put out little updates on what you’re up to or what’s important to you or your organization.
Jazz artist Karin Plato uses a blog to post a monthly (or every so often) update about what she’s up to and what she’s thinking about. It’s a way to let her fans into her life and it’s also a great journal for her career. She stopped for awhile and people asked where she’d been.
The simplest step you could take would be to get a free blog at WordPress and link to it from your site then write something once per month about anything that matters to you.
It’s not that difficult.
Print
Facebook
Twitter
I have been recently working a lot with Facebook and Twitter and am finding those are reasonable substitutes for a functioning blog.
I suppose everyone’s needs are different — I work for an arts presenter and we already have quarterly newsletters, e-newsletters, regular press releases or columns in the paper about our events. (perhaps a bi-weekly column in the newspaper counts as an ‘old school’ blog?)
For our framework, there is really no necessity for a blog that I can see beyond what we’re already doing with Facebook and Twitter. Our Facebook account automatically updates our twitter feed, which is prominently displayed on our website.
While I do see a blog useful in some cases, unless you have more to offer your visitors than can be provided through social media, is a blog really worth it?
Brian, you bring up a good point. I think in your case, you are already hitting so many points that it’s not necessary. I just see a lot of organizations that I think could benefit from at least doing something that they can control and put out there.
I love your “old school blog” comment about a bi-weekly column in a newspaper.
John,
The past week got away from me, so I missed reading this post. But this morning I came upon it and just need to tell you how important your observations are: first, regarding knowing your audience and second, whenever I think of Don Quixote I think of the story within the story.
Sometimes we need to learn how to manage our story. By this I mean, I often do a review of a potential client’s social media campaign. And what I find is that companies will determine they “need” all of the tools like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, a blog, a newsletter, etc; however, they don’t approach it systematically. Instead they run out and “set-up” one or TWO or THREE of every type of tool. They won’t even think through ownership of the tools.
It reminds me of my husband being told he needed to buy a “strap wrench” to be able to work on a sink faucet which was not easily accessible. So he bought the strap wrench to the tune of $60+ back in 1979. He never used it because my husband’s 6.3 200lb frame was too large to reach into the small sink cabinet in our first home. What he needed to do was call a plumber! He eventually did call the plumber who fixed the problem in about 15 minutes! By the way, the strap wrench was never again used and we sold it as part of the inventory of our inn many years later (1997).
Thanks for making me think. Wishing you a good week.
Judy
Judy, thanks for dropping in and offering very thoughtful observations from your own experience with clients. The “jumping on everything” syndrome is one that is very alluring and can sure sink you fast versus considering what will work for you and what is manageable.
Trust you to bring in a story to illustrate your point (you are so good at that) about your husband and the small sink cabinet. That’s a great way to visualize the situation. It had me smiling. My, how often we do that with so many things in life.