So are you a DC area artist and new to Twitter, or you just haven’t used your account much. I’ve been hassling you, and you decided to start. First off, you’re awesome, and thank you. Here are a few thoughts I’ve complied while on way too much coffee. Please forgive my typos.
#1 Be sure, if you don’t have one yet, select a good name that’s short and makes sense. Want to bounce one off me? Ok.
#2 Have a solid description. Please don’t abuse hashtags.
#3 Link to your artist’s website.
#4 Consider investing in a real website domain name. Own your name if you can.
#5 You might want some followers that are relevant beyond the porn spam that floats around.
#6 How to get those followers? Follow a few artists.
#7 Need to find some DC area artists? Follow the 170+ artists on my list https://twitter.com/artdc/lists/art-profiles/members (really I spent a lot of time finding these folks)
#8 Not on my list? Tweet to me something like @artdc I’d love to be on your DC area artist’s list. Or some thing like that.
#9 Want more relevant followers? Actually tweet to artists on this list. That is, compliment someone that you like ” @whomevertheartistsis love your work keep creating… “ Or something similar. You get the picture.
#10 Follow some DC galleries. This list might not be completely up to date, but it’s a good starting point https://twitter.com/artdc/lists/art-spaces/members
#11 Repeat #9 except tweet to the galleries. For instance, tell them that you liked whatever show you’ve seen at their space, or that you dig an artist they represent.
#12 Buy me coffee for the help! :) Seriously this is optional but appreciated. I have in the past brought really good customers (in my day job) a Starbucks card as a thank you.
#13 Remember that twitter is about 2-way communication, and not just another glorified RSS feed, so talk to people.
#14 Don’t get upset if someone doesn’t respond to your tweet. They might not be listening, but you should.
#15 Remember, we are all salespeople here, in addition to being creative, it’s our job to sell our own art as much as it is to find people to do it for us. Being proactive and professional means a lot, or so I’m told!
All of this is optional. Just a thought, but it helps our energy out in addition to yours. Oh and we’re talking about 30 minutes of work here if you’ve had a lot of coffee like me.
Need to get in touch? Reach out here. I’d love to hear about your Twitter success. This is just a starting point, but it has been useful for me.