What is EVAN's Flourish Programme?
The Eden Valley Artistic Network's Flourish Programme is a learning and development resource just for members. Explore the sections below to find a wealth of knowledge, resources and tutorials, specially curated for local creatives and artists. This page is only for members of EVAN - please do not share the link or the password with anyone who is not a member. Resources are also posted on our members' facebook page.
Got something you'd like to see on the Flourish page or have something you'd like to learn? Contact Jess to have a chat: hello@jessicaboatright.uk
Tech Tutorials and Tips:
- INSTAGRAM: Watch Scott from Blackfell Photography's Flourish webinar about Instagram for Artists here.
- MAILING LIST: Having a mailing list can be a great way to keep your friends and customers updated about what you are creating (and for sales too). For those of you who don't have one yet - what is holding you back? Of course, this tech can be complex if you want it to be - but there are easy ways of doing this too. I would always recommend having a mailing list, even if you only use it occasionally - if social media ever fell offline/your account got accidentally deleted, a mailing list is a good way to make sure you have another direct way of connecting with people which you can back up regularly. There are many ways to host a mailing list but I use mailchimp (MailerLite is another good one). Here is a whistle-stop guide to how to set up a mailchimp to tell people about your creative endeavours: https://youtu.be/g3dgTiSXTmo
- SELLING TICKETS: Running an event/workshop/opening? How do you normally sell your tickets? Eventbrite is a ticket selling platform with a super wide reach, both for in person and online events - and it's free to use (but does take a percentage of paid ticket sales - as they all do!).
We use Eventbrite for online EVAN events as it's a great way to reach people without having to do any extra leg work (and it links with facebook). It also connects directly to zoom and automatically gives attendees those details - so no frantic clicking and sending when people sign up last minute. I've been asked a couple of times how eventbrite works. They've got a great youtube channel. Here's their webinar about how to host an online event through eventbrite.
- PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR ART: So you've made a gorgeous painting and you want to share it with the world (via mailing list, social media or on your website). What is the best way to photograph it so that you get a great picture to show your painting at its best (without a scanner!). Here's some great tips: https://youtu.be/FKgWIzvm3Hs
- WATERMARKS: If you are sharing an image of your artwork on social media or on your website you may want to put a watermark on it to discourage people from taking your work and sharing it without crediting you. Here is a great tool to do this: https://batchwatermark.com/en
- SQUARESPACE: Have you got a website to promote or sell your art (or workshops that you run)? Although it seems like 'just another thing to edit,' i'd recommend having one - even if it's just a landing page (one page website) to direct customers to your etsy/social media/wherever you sell your work. Normally I would recommend WordPress but it can be complex to set up for beginners. Squarespace is happy medium - still great for SEO (search engine optimisation) but easy to use to design as there is no coding - it's all drag and drop. If you'd like to take the leap, here's a super useful tutorial about how to build a squarespace website from scratch: https://youtu.be/u-DnVBrzeLs
- USING PHOTOS TO INSPIRE ART: Do you use reference photos whilst making your art? Don't just use images you find on google! If you are painting from a photograph you will need the photographers permission if you wanted to sell that piece of artwork as the image will be copyrighted. Sometimes that permission can be tricky to obtain - and its not a good thing to find out after the painting is done! If you want to use a reference photo that you've not personally taken, you can find images which aren't copyrighted on sites such as Unsplash (this is my favourite one). This means that you won't run into copyright issues when you come to sell. Always read the license permissions if you are unsure whether you can use an image.
- DESIGNING FLYERS/BUSINESS CARDS: With the Open Studios coming up next month, you might be looking to put together some flyers, price lists, business cards or signs to go next to your work. If you're not sure where to start, I highly recommend that you give Canva (a free design tool with tonnes of templates) a go. They make designing accessible for those who can't afford to hire their own graphic designer - it's easy to make a flyer that looks professional without needing much skill. You can read more about Canva here.
- WHAT TO PUT ON YOUR WEBSITE: In one of the earlier points we looked at physically how to set up a website. This article however, digs deeper - rather than looking at the 'click this button' level, it explores the whys and whos - and many other things you could consider whilst putting together your own website, alongside how to make yourself do them! Take a look: https://thecreativeindependent.com/guides/how-to-make-a-website-for-your-creative-work
- HASHTAGS: So - hashtags (#) - what are they and why do we use them on social media? #'s are really useful in grouping things that are the same together. For example, if you write in a post on any of the social medias #watercolour, this means that someone who is looking for watercolours can search for that hashtag and find your work - without being a follower (they can't see what is in private groups or on private threads though). This is a great way to find new appreciators of your work. This is a great article on the hows/whys of hashtags on instagram (most of what they say can be used on twitter too).
- USING FACEBOOK TO PROMOTE YOUR ART: Looking to use facebook to promote your artistic practice but not sure where to start? Here's how to set up an artist page on facebook (it's different than your profile - I get that question quite often!). Also, this article has some great questions that you should ask yourself whilst you are creating a page.
- EDITING PHOTOS (for non-photographers): Luna Pic is one of my favourite photo editing tools, which has definitely helped when I've got stuck on adding effects to photos. It's completely free but has a vast amount of stickers, filters and tools, which can help you do things like play with colour balances/switching colours, add mirroring, switch brush strokes (e.g. watercolour to pen) and turn your art into something digital and fun. It's super simple to use too. Check out Luna Pic here.
- CARD READERS FOR TAKING PAYMENTS: You might be wondering how to take payment from people who would like to buy your artwork at events like the Art Trail as people don't often carry cash - being cash only can be a barrier to making a sale. Card Reader technology has hugely moved on and is now very simple to use (although slightly reliant on internet). I've used SumUp before - all you need to do is buy the card reader device (it costs £19) and then download the app from your app store on your smartphone or laptop and you are pretty much ready to go (more instructions here). It will take a record of all payments too, which can be useful when it comes to doing your tax return. There is no monthly payment but they do take a very small percentage of each sale. If SumUp isn't for you, other card readers include Zettle and Square.
- TITLING YOUR PIECES: Do you give your pieces of art a name or title? If not, you absolutely should! There's a myriad of reasons why to avoid it being called 'Untitled' - but an important one is that if your piece does not have a title, it will be almost impossible to find online, which could mean you miss a sale. But how do you come up with a good title - one which means it is searchable but also describes the piece effectively? This article explains a little bit more...
- SELLING YOUR ART (Numonday): Are you interested in selling your artwork but not quite ready to make your own online shop via your own website? Etsy is an option but Numonday is another good one - they both handle all the selling process (aside from posting the order!), including the payments - though they do both take fees (in different ways). However, you do get the benefit of their platform, which means more people are likely to find your work through their search function than on a website just for you. Here's a bit more about how Numonday works.
- STUCK ON TECH - HELP!: Are you stuck on a technical issue (e.g. digital strategy and marketing, digital content creation, eCommerce, data analytics, social media, email marketing, ticketing and CRM, websites and search engine marketing etc) that you just can't solve and you need to seek some external advice? The Digital Culture Network has free support at the click of a button from tech champions if you are an organisation or linked to an organisation - or loads of free guides if you're not.
- PUTTING YOUR ART ON A DIGITAL WALL: So, you've mastered how to take pictures of your art work to show it at its best. But perhaps you'd also like to show people what it would look like on the wall (size as well as matching the decor!) - this could be for their specific wall or on any wall (if you can't take a picture on your own). This is particular important if selling artwork online to help people envision it or working with a client investing a lot of money. Here's a brilliant blog that painstakingly takes you through every step, using photoshop, that you do in order to make it look like your art work is on the wall without it being on the wall (the other blog entries on here are great too!)
- PROMOTING YOUR EXHIBITION: In this digital age how do you get the word out there when you are putting on an exhibition? Or do you want to see some contemporary art and need to know what's on in the area (even if you're on holiday)? ArtRabbit is a free platform for promoting international contemporary art exhibitions and events -you can discover events and galleries as well as posting your own too with their free tool. This site walks you through each step of promoting your exhibition (click on the link in the menu to be taken through it).
- CROWDFUNDING: Want to do a really cool arts project but have no funding? Running an online 'Crowd Funder' could be the way to go (if you are prepared to post on social media about it regularly)... the premise is simple: you set up a page on a crowd funder website and then people who like your idea donate - or pledge money in return for a reward that they’ll receive once your project succeeds (normally increasing in value for the size of donation (e.g. donate £5 they may get a public thank you on social media from you, £10 they may get a card, donate £25 and they might get a print of a piece of work etc). Some platforms give you the money whatever happens, or some expect you to raise your target or you don't receive any funds and everyone gets their money back. The platforms crowdfunders are normally hosted on are step by step and explain things well, but just in case the technical elements are putting you off, Crowdfunder have a series of brilliant guides talking you through every step (scroll down to the bottom of the page after clicking on the link to find them).
- KEEPING A RECORD/INVENTORY: How do you keep a record of all the pieces you've made, written or composed? And, if you're taking your artistic practice a step further, how do you keep track of how much they cost to buy, sizing and - quite importantly - if physical pieces, where they are currently located! A tracker or inventory of some kind helps you to keep track of your art. There's two ways to do this - you could use an Excel or Google Drive system, which works when you don't have many pieces (there's a link to one here that you can use as a template) or you could use an app that is designed specifically to do this, like Artwork Archive - but sometimes you do need to pay for these. As a poet, creating an inventory of poetry submissions has been very worthwhile - I very much recommend doing it whatever your chosen artform.
- BUY ME A COFFEE (FUNDING): Have you heard of Buy Me A Coffee? The premise is simple: you set up a page (it only takes a few minutes and the website walks you through it) and give the organisation a place to pay in to (normally a paypal account). Then, when you do a gig or display a painting in a gallery (if they agree) or do a talk you can ask people to donate or 'buy you a coffee' via the link for the page you made if they appreciate your work. It can feel nicer than asking for donations and, as people don't often carry cash, can be a simple way to ask for audience donations as a performer. You can also run a membership through Buy Me A Coffee - but that's a whole different ball game!
- FILMING A TIMELAPSE: Fancy filming a timelapse video of the creation of an artwork like this one here? Phone apps have now made this super easy to do (I recommend Lapse It or Hyperlapse) - and some phones have timelapse functions built in too. People love watching a piece of art come to life, especially on social media, so it can be a fun thing to do for your followers. Here's a hugely detailed how to article on how to film your own timelapse video (they suggest some fancy gear but as long as you can prop your camera up, you don't necessarily need it):
- QR CODES: If people are viewing your work in a gallery, how do you direct them easily to your website? They are unlikely to take the time to type a website address in to their phones, and business cards aren't super popular (and easily lost) - but a QR code that they can immediately scan with their phone which brings them to your website might do the trick. You generate this on a website, such as 'QR Code Monkey' and then can put the barcode that is generated on a poster or card next to your piece - you can include a logo in the middle too or change the colour of the 'barcode' to your brand colours. The website walks you through it step by step - you input the web address and any added extras like logos and colours and then click 'Create QR code' and then, after it's done, download QR code. You can then use it however you'd like!
- AMAZON BUSINESS: Do you use Amazon? If you do, and you are a limited company, you can get discounts and savings by joining Amazon Business as well (it's completely free!) - as well as getting things like VAT invoices and different payment methods, which lots of businesses need. Here's an article about why it is useful to have a business account with amazon (alongside/instead of a personal account). Materials can get expensive and if you are happy to buy them from a place like Amazon, something like Amazon Business is a good way to save a little bit of money. It talks you through how to register too - or just google 'Amazon Business' for more information.
- FACEBOOK GROUP NOTIFICATIONS: Anyone who works with social media will tell you that getting people to see your posts is infuriating, as the algorithm favours people who pay facebook lots of money - which means when someone posts in groups like this one, you won't necessarily see it on your feed. If you'd like to know every time someone posts in this group (or any group that you like), you can ask to be notified each time. For this:- Go on to the group in question (here is the EVAN facebook group) and then click on where it says 'joined' near the top of the group
- Click on 'manage notifications'
- If you'd like to hear whenever anyone posts something new, select 'all posts' from the top list. You'll then get a notification every time there is something new to see.It's as simple as that! You can also use the above information to stop notifications too, if you prefer.
- EDITING VIDEOS: If you've mastered the basics of posting images on social media, you might want to start spicing things up by posting short videos too. Once you have recorded one - which can be done on your smartphone - you will probably want to edit it before you post it, even just to add your logo or name in the corner and pop on a filter. To edit videos I use a programme called Wondershare Filmora - it is simple to use (mainly just drag and drop into a timeline) and has tonnes of features - and lots of good tutorials online too to teach you the basics. If you are interested you can read more and download it here.
- FILLING IN AN 'UNFILLABLE' PDF: Have you ever received a PDF form and been super frustrated that you had to print it, fill it in, scan it back in and then send it back via email (including a walk to the local library if you don't have a printer)? This could be a funding application, an exhibition or venue form, a festival registration etc. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat (which is expensive), you can use an online programme called PDFescape, which enables you to fill in an 'unfillable' PDF for free. All you need to do is upload the document you need to fill in and then click 'text' in the lefthand corner where you need to type and type away! You can also write a signature freehand or upload one. You can then download the document ready to send back by clicking the green button with two white arrows in the lefthand menu. This helps save paper, ink, time and the planet!
- HEX CODES: Do you need to find out the hex code of a colour in an image or logo? This might be so that you can use the same colour elsewhere in a poster that also includes that logo or image, for example, or to make sure that the colours that you are using on your website are accessible . All you need to do is upload your image or logo online to 'Image Color Picker' and then click on the colour with the 'x' pointer that you want to find out the hex code/RGB balance for. This website also tells you what colours go with that colour - click on 'show more' once you've found the colour you want to focus on in the image. Enjoy!
- FINDING ART ONLINE: I know I spend a lot of time googling pieces of art, especially whilst we're still in a pandemic and getting to galleries and exhibitions is trickier. Google almost has TOO much information on it, so a website like WikiArt is wonderful - the search feature is great and on there is art by 3000 artists to take a look at, as well as short films. Definitely worth clicking on the link and having a scroll...
- ONLINE TUNER: Here's one for the musicians - or anyone looking to have a bit of a jam! I know that I lose my ukulele tuner ALL the time, and playing with others when your instrument is out of tune can be, well, painful. As with most things, there's no need to be carrying around a pitch pipe or physical tuner any more (for the majority of situations) - you can just use an app on your smartphone like Cleartune (this one does have a tiny cost involved, but it's only the price of a coffee). Cleartune (available on iOs and android) is a chromatic instrument tuner and pitch pipe that allows you to quickly and accurately tune your instrument using the built-in mic in your device. It's very flexible and a piece of tech that is well worth having around.
- HEADERS/PROFILE PICTURES ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Profile pic appearing pixilated (fuzzy) on social media? Header on twitter being trimmed weirdly? Social media platforms change the ideal size of pictures in these areas all the time. To save some embarrassing pixilation or trimming, it's better to crop your image in a program such as Canva before uploading. But what dimensions should you use? There's lots of conflicting advice online as this changes so quickly. The best way of finding the correct size at this moment in time is by googling "Facebook Event Header Image Size 2022" (or whatever image you are looking for a size for) - the year is particularly important. That should then give you the correct dimensions so you can avoid designing twice. Here's a cheat sheet where you can see the current recommended sizes.
- RECORDING AUDIO FROM THE INTERNET:
If you've ever been interviewed by the radio about your latest gig, exhibition or project, you'll know that interviews like these usually disappear offline after 24 hours - or maximum 30 days. What do you do if you want to keep a copy for your records or for a funder to refer to? Sometimes the radio station will keep a copy and will send it if you ask, but if not, you can record it using an add on for your internet browser (I use google chrome as my browser). Here's how to do it:
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Click 'Add to Chrome' (blue button, right hand side at the top)
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When a pop-up pops up, click on 'add extension'
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You'll get a little notification/pop up on the right side at the top of your screen, showing you where your add ons are in chrome (internet browser)
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When you are on the page that you would like to record (the radio station episode, in the right place) click on the add on that looks like a red nose at the right hand side top of the screen.
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Click 'Start Capture' - it will then be recording your browser page that you are on, including the sound from that page. Press play on the radio episode and listen to your interview whilst it is recording.
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When you're done, click 'Save Capture' - you may need to click on the red button again first. This will open a new tab in your browser. Click 'Save Capture' again on the page that opens. Done!
- HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR WEBSITE: Sometimes it's far easier to learn about the technical parts of running a creative endeavour or business from a webinar (rather than reading endless text, which doesn't show you exactly what to do). Here is a webinar from UK Theatre as part of their 'Theatre Means Business' series of digital resources - this one guides you through how to improve your website. Well worth a watch...
- IMPROVE YOUR ENGAGEMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA: UK Theatre has put together a free webinar about how to improve your social media engagement - basically, so more people see your posts and go to your gigs/buy your art. Social media is so important and what works is different for everyone. This will give you a practical baseline of knowledge on how to make sure you're not just shouting into the abyss but making use of social media as a tool for your creative endeavours - plus they demonstrate it practically, which is a massive help when trying to learn. It's free - worth checking out!
- SOCIAL MEDIA SCHEDULING AND ALT TEXT: Do you post images of your work online? It is very (very!) important that these are accessible for everyone - therefore ALT Text is a must. ALT Text is how a screen reader user views these images - it is important for every single image you use online or on social media (or even in word documents or presentations, especially if you know you are sharing them with a screenreader user).Unfortunately not all social media schedulers (programmes you can use to plan social media posts in advance and automatically post them) let you add ALT Text to your images. BUT! I've done the hard work for you - if you use https://publer.io/ on their free plan you can add ALT Text easily to any image you use, whatever the social media platform you're using. You just click on the little speech bubble on top of the image once you've uploaded it and type in the box. No other scheduler makes it this easy - I highly recommend using Publer.If you want to know more about accessibility, I recommend joining Connect With Your Crowd's mailing list - she offers tonnes of free advice on how to make your work more accessible.
- DIGITAL DETOX: Have you been tempted to go on a 'digital detox'? If quitting social media doesn't seem to be the right thing to do for you and your creative practice (whether you sell art or books or put on shows - a presence is always useful unfortunately), a way to start managing digital wellbeing is by putting app timers on to your phone. This means you limit the amount of mindless scrolling that you do, keeping your online time more focused. Here's step by step instructions how you can do this on Android and here's how to do it on iPhone. If you don't fancy using your phones built in timers, there are also apps out there - you can download these to use by clicking on the app store or play store icon on your phone. Social media really does have its benefits for organisations, artists and freelancers but if you need a little extra help to step away, this is a great way to start.
- CV AND LINKEDIN SUPPORT: Do you use a CV or LinkedIn as a freelance creative? As a freelancer it can be hard to get feedback on the things that you use to promote your services or what you offer. Freelance UK provide a fantastic service where they will look at your CV or LinkedIn page and provide detailed personal feedback about what you can tweak to make both things more effective, boosting, for example, the number of gigs you get or the number of sales you make. It's free and there doesn't seem to be a catch! You can sign up here - it looks like they make it super easy to receive this free support.
- STORING CUSTOMER/AUDIENCE DATA: Did you know that if you store and use any sort of information (data) at all about your audience/clients/customers, you may need to be registered with the ICO (Information Commissioner's Office)? If you need to be registered and you're not it can get you into a pickle later on, so it's worth doing a check to make sure - the ICO provide a handy tool to do this. I've linked an article here which tells you a little bit more - and links to the tool too. PS: Remember to store data safely!
- BUYING TICKETS FROM EVENTBRITE: Want to buy a ticket on Eventbrite for an online creative workshop or event? Make sure you're logged in to your Eventbrite account rather than checking out as a 'guest'! An account is free to set up (and you might not even need a new password if you link it to facebook or google) and is done quite easily by going to eventbrite.com --> clicking on 'sign in' in the top righthand corner --> clicking on 'Sign up for eventbrite' then following the instructions.
Why set up an account? This means that if you can't find your ticket in your inbox just before the event, you can log in to eventbrite, click on 'tickets' in the right hand side drop down menu (as the top of the screen), then click on 'online event page' or similar for the event you need - and the information will be right there. This saves an email to the event organiser!
- RECORDING YOUR SCREEN: Do you know how to record your screen? I find this particularly useful when showing people how to do things - but you could use it for a myriad of creative reasons. For this, as a Mac user, I use Quicktime player (open quicktime --> go to the task bar at the top of the screen --> Click on File, then 'new screen recording' --> Select how much of your screen you want to record then click 'record' --> click the stop button when you're done - it's normally on the right hand side of the task bar at the top of the screen --> save to your computer) but there are also options for Windows computers. Find out more information on how to do this by clicking here.
- STARTING A PODCAST: Have you ever pondered the idea of starting a podcast? This might be to explore your own projects and ideas, or to interview others working in the same area as you - or maybe even an EVAN podcast (the possibilities!!). There's quite a bit of funding out there for podcasts and they've grown and grown in popularity. Beginning a podcast doesn't need to be daunting. It's actually pretty doable with minimal financial investment, if you are happy to do a little sound editing and work on promotion. There are lots of websites out there telling you how to start, but here is a particularly good one to help you on the technical bits to get started
- COPYRIGHT: Copyright isn't what most people WANT to be thinking about on a casual Tuesday in April. However, this is something all artists need to consider, whether you make music, performances, visual art, photographs, sculptures, poems etc etc etc. The information out there can be SO confusing but Copyrightuser.org have put together a fantastic series of videos and blogs explaining it in a really simple way (both the basics and the more complex aspects). Definitely worth a watch in a quiet 15 minutes.
- SEO (don't be scared!): Today i'm going to tell you about a bit of a scary term - SEO. It's actually not that scary, when you think about it - Search Engine Optimisation just means that you've had a research and think about what sort of people you want to find your website, and then you make tweaks to the words on your website to make sure when those people go to google, they find your website quickly. This means that you can compete with the bigger organisations more easily and that your work is seen and acted upon (purchased, attended etc).On most website builders (Squarespace, WordPress e.g.) the ability to do this is built in or can be an added (Yoast is a great plugin for this on WordPress). Even if you just think about a tiny bit of SEO (for example, writing page descriptions to be found by google which have some 'key words' in), it will help boost how many people find your website.There are many tech guides out there about SEO but I think this one provides a good introduction and some of the basics. It's worth giving it a go - it's not as scary as it seems!
- LIVE STREAMING: The need to Live Stream gigs and events hasn't gone away with the withdrawal of covid restrictions. Live streaming means that more people can access your gig, class or event, ensuring it remains accessible to as many people as possible. But where do you begin? And what do you need to make it happen? The Space has a great guide and lots of recommendations on how to live stream (and the answer is barely ever 'put it on zoom'- as that is not the best way to do it!).
- GOOGLE ALERTS: Google alerts - what on earth are they?! Well, it can be useful as an artist to set up a google alert so that if something is written about your business, art, book or performance, you get it flagged to you via email so you can read where you're mentioned (never miss a review again!). They're super easy to set up - here is a video telling you how. When you're ready you can set up an alert or two by clicking here. There's nothing stopping you setting up alerts for things you're really interested in or that your competitor is doing too. It really is a useful tool.
- FACEBOOK SHOPS: You may have spotted on Facebook and Instagram over the past year or so that it is now possible to sell directly on these platforms. No need to send anyone to Etsy or Numonday or your website any more (though that is sometimes good too)! A facebook shop is worth doing as the less 'clicks' a person needs to do to buy your product (this has to be a physical product or piece, not a ticket), the more likely they are to buy. Here is a really simple guide that breaks down how to set up a shop on your facebook page. It's worth a try!
- WHY VIDEO IS YOUR FRIEND ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Wondering what to post on your artist social media today? The answer is probably a video - people LOVE videos (even more than pictures - though you should post them too). It doesn't have to be long (or even what you deem as particularly interesting). It doesn't even have to feature a person or have sound, and can just be filmed on a mobile phone - no need for fancy tech! Here's a great webinar from the Crafts Council about why you should use video and also how to use it with your audience and customers to boost sales, engagement and other wonderful things. Can't be bothered to watch the video? There's a cheat sheet PDF on there too. Enjoy!
- BROKEN LINK CHECKER: Have you got a website for your creative venture? If so, it's worth running the URL (web address) through a 'Broken Link Checker' every so often. This free service goes through your website and finds any links that aren't working because of changed URLs or moved pages - saving you loads of time in finding them yourself (and making sure your customers have a smooth experience on your website - there would be nothing worse than them clicking on a ticket link, for example, and the link being broken - and then them leaving the page without buying!). Here's the one I use.
- INVOICING: Sometimes as creatives, especially ones that are employed to lead workshops or perform at events, we have to send invoices. As someone who works for multiple small organisations I have seen a vast array of invoices in my time - you would be surprised how often the vital things are left off (just this week I had to ask someone how they would like me to pay them as their invoice had no bank details on it 🤔). But no one teaches this stuff so how can people know what to include?! Personally, I use a piece of free invoice software called QuickFile to make my invoices - it makes sure all my invoices look good, are easy to follow, easy to generate and have all of the vital info on them without having to type it each time. With the government whispering about everyone making tax digital, it might be useful to start using an invoice generator like QuickFile (QuickBooks and FreeAgent are other ones that you need to pay for) - you can also track your expenses and income through this software, which ticks all the boxes. Where should you start though? Luckily it's a pretty easy process which the Quick File website walks you through. You can read more about it here and here's their 'knowledge base'
- TIKTOK: Even I, in my early 30's, feel a bit old to be talking about TikTok (a very short form video based social media platform). However... it is a known fact that it has exploded in popularity and now it's not all about silly dance routines - it can be a useful tool for artists to reach massive audiences too. Today I'm not asking you to get your creative business onto TikTok but instead to have a think as to if it might be a platform which works for you to expand your reach (enjoyably, perhaps). Here's a couple of useful articles: How artists can and should use TikTok, and some top (tok) tips and here's how TikTok can relate to selling art.
- PROTECTING YOUR WEBSITE: How do you protect your website? If you don't know the answer to this, you need to! Protecting your website is super important to prevent hacking and attacks - this is particularly important for those of you who take payments for your creative work on your website. The good thing is it's pretty easy. I use WordPress, and on there there is a great plugin for security you can add easily and for free called Word Fence. Here's how you add a plug in. If you search for Word Fence it should come up. Then click install and activate and it will talk you through the set up. Want to read more about Word Fence? You can do so here.
- DOWNLOAD YOUR MAILING LIST: When was the last time you downloaded your email list from MailChimp or MailerLite? Although it is fantastic to have these online programmes to send emails, you should not rely on them to store all data about your customer/followers/subscribers - if those websites, one day, fell off the internet or hackers destroyed them, you'd lose all that data and would be left with no way to contact them! The best way to avoid this happening is to export your contacts regularly and store the file digitally somewhere safe. This is your reminder to do it!
How to export your contacts on MailerLite
How to export your contacts on MailChimp
- REVERSE IMAGE SEARCH: Have you ever done a reverse image search online? People normally use these to discover if anyone has stolen your art for their website, find the source of an image you want to use, find an artist by using an image or find artists creating similar work to a picture you like. It's a really useful tool.You can use an extension called 'TinEye' or this is how you can do it using Chrome and Google Search:
- Right click on the image on the web page
- In Chrome - click on 'Search Google for this Image' or 'Search image with google lens'. Chrome delivers matching images and pages on which the matching image can be foundHere is an article with more information on how to do this and why it may be useful
- HOW TO SPOT ART SCAMS: It's not something any of us enjoy thinking about but have you revised your knowledge on how to spot art scams online recently? These could come in many forms which vary in severity - vanity galleries, email approaches to buy artwork, fake art or fake art materials, money laundering when purchasing art etc. This web page has a wealth of knowledge on individual situations as well as how to spot scams and how to deal with them when they arise. Worth a read!
- REMEMBER TO SHUT DOWN: Just a quick one today! When was the last time you shut down your laptop or computer? Like properly shut down, not just allowing it to go to sleep? If the answer to this wasn't in the past week, go do it now - even if it's just a re-start. This helps to keep your computer healthy. It's even better to give it a shut down break overnight! It's easy to forget to do this so this is your reminder to shut down 🙂 Your computer (and, perhaps, your energy bill) will thank you!
- ALT TEXT ON YOUR WEBSITE:
Have you put ALT text on the images on your website? ALT text is very important - if the images don't load, or someone is using a screen reader, this is the only way that they can 'see' what your image it. We've spoken about this before in the context of social media but we didn't mention websites. Luckily, this is super simple.On WordPress:1) Click on the image in a post or page2) Click the edit pencil3) Type in alternative text into the box at the top of the page4) Click save
On SquareSpace:
1) Click on the image in a post of page
2) Click the edit pencil
3) In the box that appears, scroll down slightly, and then add alt text into the field that says "Image Alt Text'
4) Exit the image - it saves automatically
PS: Make sure the images on your email newsletters contain ALT text too!
- OUT OF OFFICE: When you take time off, do you know how to put an Out Of Office on on your emails so that you don't come back to a grumpy inbox full of people chasing you? It's always worth it - just remember to turn it off when you get back!!- Here's how to do it in Outlook
- Here's how to do it in Gmail
- Here's how to do it on Mac MailNot sure how to do it for your email provider? Google 'autoresponder how to' or 'out of office how to' and your email providers name - the first few google hits should give you clear instructions. Enjoy!
- LINKTREE: LinkTree is a free tool that you can use in your social media bio when you want to direct people to more than one place (e.g. your etsy, your website and your mailing list), when that social media platform doesn't allow for more than one clickable link in your 'bio.' This is really useful on instagram especially, where 'link in bio' has to cover an awful lot. This article shows you how to set up a free LinkTree. You then just put the link to your 'Link Tree' in your bio on social media, and it solves the problem ☺️ Done!
- MAKING SHORT LINKS: When you are making links to put on social media posts, posters, business cards, flyers etc, you want these to be short and memorable. However, sometimes, that just isn's possible with your original link (perhaps you are sharing a google form, for example, or a mailing list link). So how do you make them short? I use bit.ly for this - it takes around four clicks and then you have a short link you can use on everything (you can also track how many people click on it, which some people find useful):1) Go to https://bitly.com/ and click 'Sign Up Free'
2) Click the orange 'CREATE' button in the bar at the top of the screen. The button is to the right hand side.
3) In the box that is highlighted, paste the URL that you need to shorten. You can ignore everything else on this page. Then click 'Create'
4) Where it says 'customise back half' write what you want to be the url (e.g. for an Eden Valley Artistic Network form I might write 'evan-form;'). Click save
5) The link will now read 'bit.ly/evan-form' (or whatever you put) Copy the link by clicking on the blue copy button so that you can put it wherever you need to. Done!
- EMAIL MARKETING HOW-TO: I've been thinking a bit about email newsletters whilst doing some research on good artist ones for you all to subscribe to (we'll be posting these here on Fridays in July). Do you send out your own email newsletter? Writing copy can be tricky and knowing how to pitch it for your audience (especially when you want them to do something) is key.This article from Textile Artist shows in good amount of detail (but also basic step by step) how to write a good newsletter that will, eventually, get you a great audience who will buy your products or attend your events. The main question to ask is value - what are my subscribers getting by opening my newsletter? The balance should be 20% promotion, 80% other things. This might be slightly different in a community business where the things that you are promoting are free to attend, but all the things in this article are still relevant. Give it a read!