Video Monday 10

With special guest Ben Boudreau.

What does your work *say*?

What does your art say about the people who buy it?

If you want people to buy your art and hang it in their apartments, houses, office reception areas, corner offices, and so on, you should be able to explain what owning that piece of art says about the person who bought it.

If someone has a party and pulls out some organic, locally brewed beer from their fridge to serve to guests, that says something about that host.

If people arrive and the host is playing 30s jazz on the stereo, that says something about her.

If she has your art hanging on her wall, what does it say about her?

Hugh Macleod calls the statements that these things make about the person who purchased them and what they reveal "social markers." He says that if you can't identify how your product (or your art) is a social marker, you should give up.

I'm saying that you should be able to articulate, if you intend to sell your work, why it's unique, what it says about the purchaser, and why anyone should care in less than three sentences.

Once you can identify what your work says about the people who buy it, you can figure out how you should write your blog, who your audience should be, and how you can connect with them.

This is pretty much step number one.

It's not just about what your work means to you, it's what your work says about the people willing to give you money for it.

By describing what it says about you in your blog or marketing pieces, it adds meaning to the work that someone else can take and have it mean something to them.

Basically, art is like a child. The artist, or parent, has all these deep personal feelings about the child. Why they love them, why they want the best for them, and there's a rich and important history behind the creation of that child.

Now imagine you had to write a resume for that child so that she could get a job. Suddenly all that history, all those feelings have to be distilled, and in some cases dismissed, in favour of figuring out why anyone else should care.

Links you should check out v2

Here are couple links you should check out:

"The most brilliant idea, with no execution, is worth $20."
Great post about the value of ideas: They are simply a multiplier of execution.

"Purely theoretical beer."
Post about beer companies competing to make beer that tastes the least like beer (and advertise it as such).

"Business guys on business trips."
A look inside advertising agency life. Much more accurate than Mad Men, that's for sure.

Video Monday 9: First Steps to Marketing

I walk through a few of the first steps to making a marketing plan.

Read more about Social Objects or "Social Markers."

More about a "Purpose-Idea."

What I'm working on these days...

It's been a while since I've chatted about what I'm doing at my day job, so I thought I'd let you know what's going on these days.

Begin Shameless Work Plug:

I'm working on a very cool project called "Going to the Max". Basically, in events in St. John's, Charlottetown, Halifax, and Fredericton we'll be getting people out to roll down hills in giant plastic spheres.

But of course there's more. We're going to have cameras running inside the spheres recording each rider's reactions. These will be played on giant screens after each run, and everyone in the crowd will get to text in their votes for their favourite reaction.

This voting will carry on online after the events, and the top vote-getter will win a pretty sweet prize.

So, essentially, it's four big parties brought to you by Lotto Max.

Hope you'll check out the Facebook Fan Page, follow @goingtothemax on Twitter, and RSVP to your local event.

End shameless work plug.

P.S.: We were out testing the spheres the other day (video here) and it is awesome. Both to ride in one, and see others doing it. Seriously folks, this is going to be fun.

Video Monday 8: Have Something to Buy

View it!

Video Monday 7: Viewer Questions!

Watch!

Send me your questions!

For an upcoming Video Monday, I'd like to answer some viewer/reader questions about blogging/marketing.

Send me your questions and I'll try to answer as many as I can in the few minutes I have in a Video Monday post.

Email me at joelkelly@gmail.com

Thanks!

Things you should read

Here are a few awesome articles I've read lately that I really think you'll enjoy if you're into the kind of thing I talk about.

Hugh Macleod on "Random Acts of Traction"

The Ad Contrarian wondering, "Why Can't Marketers Talk Straight?"

Paul Graham on the difference between the "Maker's Schedule and Manager's Schedule"

My mind's been pretty all over the place lately. I'm working my day job, helping some friends sell their art in my free time, and talking about all manner of nonsense in the time in between. But those articles have made me really pause and think, for quite a while each. They must be saying something pretty on the ball.

Hope you like.

Image from Pictures for Sad Children, my favorite webcomic. Check it out, too!

Video Monday 6: Who's Your Target?

Howdy!