Digi-Art Statements: Using Today’s Podcasting Apps To Promote Art
by Natasha Wescoat

“You have the audience you deserve. To enlarge or improve your audience requires all of the energy you have. You get back what you put out.” - Alex Kat

In an internet integrated world (or as we are now calling it, WEB 3.0), we have every web communication tool possible to promote our work in ways that reach our target audience as well as attract new prospects. As I always advise, determine your niche audience and plan accordingly first. For the majority of artisians, we can utilize applications such as podcasting or videoblogging to promote a specific piece of art, or an entire body of work with much success.

I like to call this a “Digi-Art Statement” or digital art statement. This is done by recording an audio “sound bite” or video clip of yourself, or whoever you’d like talking about that particular work of art or collection of works.

According to Wikipedia, “a soundbite is a very short piece of footage taken from a longer speech or an interview in which someone with authority or the average “man on the street” says something which is considered by those who edit the speech or interview to be the most important point.”

And for reference, Podcasting is syndicated online media content in the form of videos, audio clips, or the like.

You can upload these to several places, like iTunes for example. Listeners and viewers can subscribe to the podcast to recieve updates via email. Through podcasting, you can stir up interest in your work for prospective collectors and provide a supplement to your already growing fan/collector base.

Selling art on the internet has its stigmas. I think we still have some defensiveness towards purchasing anything from the net in general unless we know its from a reputable online venue or a well known store we’ve frequented. A new artist or unknown artist launches a website and they will find it difficult to sell a work direct, even if they have been selling art on eBay for years! It can be daunting and inconvenient to potential buyers to consider purchasing from the internet instead of a gallery or shop. They cannot feel it or see it in person, and the artist could be living in outer space for all we know. Forget that their home address and phone number is on their website, they are still apprehensive. The artist is from outer space I tell ya!

However, with podcasting content, we can tear down some of those walls, those stigmas, and provide a closer look at the work. Podcasting allows a closeness with the artist, and a personal connection with the art that would have otherwise been exclusive to the brick and mortar experience. They can hear the artist’s speak, see the work in movement, in real life time, and it sparks interest, it stirs desire for the work. This is the beginning of altering your art brand’s web presence. Think of all the ways you can share and promote your work! It makes for some exciting marketing, doesn’t it?

The idea is, to create a simple artist statement in audio form or in video format. An example of a video artist statement are my new Art Candy episodes on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/postmodernartist) in which viewers can watch me, the artist paint and talk about that particular painting. You can be simple or creative in how you want to present your work. Maybe you want to do 15-30 sec soundbites/videos of just you talking about that work, and include in on the page or auction with the artwork being discussed on that clip. Maybe you want to create a continuing story in video/audio that has recurring episodes about that one piece. Do what you wish and be creative with it.

Nowadays, there are built in applications on your Windows and Mac OS in which you can record and edit your videos. I highly recommend the tutorial videos on FreeVlog.org to get started. It helped me alot in the beginning. And also, remember that your videos may NOT be the best thing in the world, but the more you make, the better and sharper your editing and content skills will get!

Audio podcasts can be done short and simple, or flashy and creative with computer programs such as audacity, garageband, and other audio applications. You can make soundbites about your work, or elaborate podcast shows. Several helpful podcasting sites can be found by simply googling them, but I also recommend Odeo.com
and Utterz.com for beginners. I like to use those to record simple podcasts on the spot, but you are also free to upload prerecorded audio media through their site.

SO, IN SUMMARY TO GET STARTED:

1. Determine your goals. Simple or creative? Storytelling or simple statements? Soundbites or Shows? Knowing the nature of your brand should help you determine how you also want to represent it through your podcasts. Think about your target audience and what they like.

2.Plan your podcast schedule. Spontaneous or a daily/weekly/monthly episodic type? Remember to advertise regularly to your mailing list members, and through your site/blogs when they are uploaded. Encourage newbies to SUBSCRIBE!

3. Train yourself. Learn the tools, research other podcasting applications and inquire from peers and artists about what they like to use. Determine whether you want to broadcast/upload these podcasts to new sites or sites that are popular(lots of new traffic). Make lots of podcasts until you have refined your skills and podcasting style. YES, there is a podcasting style. It should compliment your art’s brand and presence.

4. Keep creating art Without art, what can you show in your podcast? hehe. this one is obvious of course. But sometimes we get caught up in so much research we forget to organize our time to get back to the real work! Creating art!

5. Advertise accordingly Get the word out to your peers, fans, collectors, prospects through the tools you use now and through any web apps you are learning to use. Social media is a great way to get the news to people at a much faster rate and personal approach than traditional PR can ever provide. Places like Myspace have tools like creating EVENTS and COMMENTS in which you can send out the news about your new and exciting podcasts.

Find ways to include it on your site or blog. If you sell your art on eBay or another auction venue, find a way to embed the podcast onto your auction page. Put it on your website, and mention it whenever you are blogging. Also, include your podcast show address on your replies in every email you send or comment you make on the web.