Content Marketing:

Content Marketing is a form of marketing focused on creating, publishing, and distributing content for a targeted audience online. It involves choosing what to post and on which social platform based on the audiences that are on each one. Marketers research the audience on the platforms and then which content receives the best feedback so that they optimize that platform.

Successful Content Marketing:

Some of the companies that I find most effective are Target and Chipotle. They both are consistently active on big platforms like Instagram and Twitter, but also on Facebook, Youtube, and Pinterest. On Instagram for example, Target uses IGTV to share and highlight their customers’ feedback and customer service.  They also do a great job at marketing their seasonal items, like Easter stuff in April, on their pages. Chipotle, on the otherhand, uses trendy humor on twitter and then also shares twitter activity on Instagram. They do a great job at highlighting their rewards programs and new menu items. On Youtube, Chipotle posts a series of videos that target their competitive advantage- real ingredients. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=249oyKBMX0Q#action=share

These companies’ success takes a lot of critical planning but with the help of some online tools that help schedule content, it makes it a lot easier for the team. Here is my first Editorial Calendar for the rest of the year for my art business.

Instagram
As of 3/17/19 my followers on Instagram are 313 and my average likes per post are 37 (from my last 6 posts) my plan is to reach 500 followers by end of semester and get a new average of 55 likes per post. My strategy to reach these goals is to post 2-3 times a week with a painting or drawing, add to my story 2+ times a weeks, use a few key hashtags on the posts, post between 12pm and 1pm to reach peak activity, and try out at least 2 “like to win” contests.

Facebook
As of 3/17/19 my followers on Facebook are 79 my plan is to reach 100 page likes by end of semester. My strategy to reach these goals is to add any posts from Instagram or twitter, post any pieces for sale on my page, and host a live video of a painting/drawing.

Twitter
As of 3/17/19 my followers on Twitter are 15  and my plan is to reach 35 followers by the end of semester. My strategy to reach these goals is to post similar content that I have from Instagram, reply to at least 5 posts a week, and create lists to follow content closely related to mine.

Social communities are an integral part to social media marketing. Some of the most successful companies have a great team of marketers that know how to deal with and involve their customers in their company. When looking for other art related companies who do an effective job at nurturing these communities, I thought of Blick Art Materials. They know how to keep successful social communities.

They listen to their customers by prompting discussions with articles and product highlights and then take in feedback from their audience. Not only do they prompt these discussions but then they do a good job at replying to the customers’ concerns and questions. They keep it simple and personal by providing the name of the person helping the situation.

Being good listeners is a key aspect of using social media that some companies miss out on. I was disappointed to find my favorite art stores, like Hobby Lobby and Michaels, miss out on this opportunity to listen to their customers and create this sense of community. I noticed that several customers commented weeks ago about being unhappy with service or products with no reply or sign of being helped.

1. Personal branding statement, first attempt:

I empower other creators by sharing my passion for the arts.

2. For my personal media accounts I will stick to behind the scenes feed for my followers into my personal life outside of the art world but it’s important to plug in my business into this feed as well with mentions and tagging so that for those who follow me personally can easily reach my other accounts.

3. I choose to personally not have a personal LinkedIn and Twitter account. Therefore I have art business accounts on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Then, I have separate personal accounts for only Facebook and Instagram. On the business accounts I keep my feed usually strictly art related to my artwork, events, articles and news.  I also use the business setting for the Facebook and Instagram accounts that offer tools to manage and oversee activity.

For example, here are my art accounts – personal, and the art account before and after I switched it to a business account;

Personal account

Business account before switching

Business account setting