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Portfolio (in)Sanity - Part 2

Updating your Portfolio Sites

Using portfolio sites (some call them sourcebooks) like FoundFolios or Dripbook are a fantastic way to expand your brand, or even to try to find a new client market for your work.  Sites like these are great places to share your work because they provide a centralized hub for art buyers and other creatives to view talent; it saves them time when they need to quickly compare twenty portrait photographers in San Francisco, for example.  Another example: if a buyer is looking for a pre-existing stock photo, they can easily find your work through proper keyword tagging or searching the appropriate specialty.  This makes these sites an indispensible resource for finding work. 




Now Trending: "Daditude"

Now Trending is a new series by consultant Karen D'Silva. A few times a year, Karen will take a look at emerging and current trends in the advertising industry to help commercial artists gain insight into what art buyers and other creatives are looking for.

When we talk about what’s trending, most people think the conversation is going to be about new fashions strutting down the runway. Though knowing Pantone has deemed emerald green the new black for 2013 can be valuable, keeping an eye on trends is also about understanding the things that shape our society into what it is today. Trend following is an integral part of understanding our world, and it provides useful insights that can be worked into any advertiser’s marketing strategy. When trends in media and advertising are taken into account, you can increase the relevance of your images to your clients.




Marketing To Your Existing Clients

Question:  I have a marketing plan for attracting new clients. What about my current clients? Should I separate them from that pack and make my marketing efforts more personal, or mix them in with the “new” crowd at times? 

My first question in response would be “who is your target market?”  The second question would be “is the target market for new clients looking for a different type of photography than what you’re currently shooting?”  These are important questions, because the images – and marketing plan – must be relevant to the work you’re trying to promote.




The Next Steps: A Post College Odyssey

An interview with photographer, cinematographer, and recent college grad Bobby Bruderle.

As a young emerging talent your drive and work ethic is so important. I always say that passion and perseverance equals success. In todays marketplace, the quality of your work is almost a given. What distinguishes one talent from another is your ability to build relationships and your ability to market yourself. 




Portfolio (in)Sanity - Part 1

Question: There are so many outlets for sharing your portfolio. You have your main website, possibly a portfolio site, social media and your actual print/tablet portfolio. Should I keep all of the sites cohesive, from using the same images to updating them at the same time?

Choosing the right images for your portfolios could be the most important thing you do with your marketing.  That’s a lot of pressure, and for good reason — creatives often view multiple artists’ work every day. If they don’t see good work right away, they’ll move on to the next artist who shows the right spark. 




Generation Hustle: Working Your Angles

  These days sometimes it seems like the only people working are either those who were born with silver spoons in their mouths or those who became successful before the economic crash.  Becoming successful in the arts is “an ambition that, like pretty much everything else in society, is rigged in numerous ways to favor people who start off with money,” says Gawker’s Cord Jefferson.[i] 




To Rep, or Not To Rep: That Is The Question

Question: What makes some artists work well with reps while others don’t use them at all?

You must have strong work that reflects what is being commissioned for the marketplace, but you should also be well organized and comfortable negotiating. You should know the value of the work for an array of markets and understand the rights that are being required for each project. If you have the time, energy, and skills to research and contact potential clients, then you will do just fine without an agent. It’s all about making the process smooth for all—meeting deadlines, negotiating fairly, understanding the contracts, and delivering beautiful work.

 




Protecting Your Assets

Question: What are the main steps I can take to protect my freelance artist business? From financial investments to copyrights to contracts – anything and everything I may need.

While covering “anything and everything” is a little ambitious for a single post, here are 5 of the most important ways to protect your assets:




Detoxing Your Career


Top indsutry consultant Amanda Sosa Stone offers tips on how to clear your head and make the most out of the last three quarters of 2013:

You can drink wheatgrass shots, eat kale salads all day, or bubble wrap yourself – but that won't detox your career.  Here are 6 easy steps I would advise commercial artists take to get healthy professionally in 2013. Remember, the goal with any detox (body, mind, spirit, or even work) is to clear out the junk and let the good stuff in.





No Client? No Problem: How To Make A Living Off Of Your Art

 

Question: What are some creative ways to still make a living off of your art when client-based work is sporadic?

 There are three ways to make money off of your art, other than client-based work.  And as a freelancer with unpredictable income it is important to have a backup plan if the industry gets dry.  For each method, I recommend keeping a list of potential projects.  When you have free time, just pick one you can finish and check it off.




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