Art Biz Blog

Find your way around Twitter, part 2: @Replies, Direct Messages, and Favorites

Here’s a little bit more about what you see when you are on your Twitter Home page. (Remember from my earlier post that this is the page that only you see when you sign in to Twitter.)

The following three links are in the right column of your Twitter Home. I think of them as separate inboxes that help with organizing tweets, but you can think of them as folders, pages, or just links.

1. @Replies

In short, whenever @YourName is used in a tweet anywhere, it will appear under @Replies on your Twitter Home. The picture here shows you what my @Replies page looked like recently. Just click on it to make it full size.

Whenever someone replies to something you have tweeted and keeps your Twitter name in the reply, it will show up on your @Replies page. Likewise, if someone has retweeted (more on that later) one of your tweets and kept your name in tact, it will show up here.

This is important. While you can’t possibly keep up with what everyone is tweeting, you do want to know when your name is being mentioned. Check this link frequently.

I wrote earlier about the @ symbol, which includes an example.

2. Direct Messages

a.k.a. DM

This is easy! These are private messages that only you can see. Whereas a regular tweet is seen by all of the Twitter user’s followers, only the named recipient can see a Direct Message.

You send a DM when your tweet applies only to that one person and the whole world doesn’t need to or shouldn’t see the message.

To send a Direct Message, just type DM @ThePersonsName at the beginning of your tweet. You can also send a DM by going into your Direct Messages. The box at the top will ask you who you want to send your DM to.

As far as I know, you can still send DMs only to people who are following you. Otherwise, don’t annoy others with emails asking them to follow you just so you can DM them.

3. Favorites

I think of these as bookmarks and I don’t really use them, although I see how they can be very useful.

Say someone tweeted something that was useful or that you might want to remember. Just put your cursor over their tweet. In the upper right of the update, you’ll see a star.

If you click on that star, it will add that tweet to your Favorites and then color the star yellow. You can return to your Favorites to find it again in the future.

That should keep you busy for the holiday weekend. What else do you need to know about using Twitter--if you haven’t let me know already?

---

Related Posts

The right Twitter username for you
@ and # symbols
Find your way around Twitter, part 1: Profiles and Home

Deep Thought Thursday: Show it again, Sam

When is it okay (if at all) to exhibit previously-shown art?

Are there hard and fast rules?

Are there loose guidelines that you abide by?

Here's the message from Jeanne Guerin-Daley that prompted this:

I find myself wondering if it would be okay to exhibit work which has been shown before. I certainly understand that an artist shouldn't keep showing 3-year-old work over and over again. But if one shows a work in one venue, and it doesn't sell, then maybe a year later, that same artist gets a chance to show in another venue, maybe in another state or at least in another area, and that work isn't yet sold, would it be okay to show that same work?

Image ©Jeanne Guerin-Daley , Early Morning Backyard Sky       

Find your way around Twitter, part 1: Profile and Home

In earlier posts about Twitter, I gave you guidelines for your Twitter username and told you about the @ and # symbols.

By popular demand, I’m going to share with you some additional basic information that will help you to better understand how Twitter works. This won’t be too helpful if you aren’t registered for your free Twitter account, so go ahead and do that now (using the username guidelines I provided earlier).

Quick Vocabulary
A tweet is a Twitter post (also called an update). It contains 140 or fewer characters (not words--characters) and has the Twitter user’s name (aka Tweeter) attached to it so you can see where it came from.

Your Twitter Page Profile
This is what the world sees when they look you up on Twitter. The URL is http://twitter.com/yourusername. So, my Twitter page profile is at http://twitter.com/abstanfield.

People see a stream of your tweets in the center, but the two most critical items on this page are

1. Your photograph
2. Your one-line (160 characters or less) bio

These are important because you must look like a real person (thus the reason for the photo) and you want to describe yourself in a way that encourages people to follow you.

Your photo and your one-line bio should be in place before you start following people. Why? Because when other Twitter users see that you are following them, they might like to follow you back. If you look real and like you have potential, they’ll probably return the favor. If there’s nothing on your Twitter page for them to see, they probably won’t waste their time.

You can update or add to your personal information profile NOT by clicking on Profile in the menu (oddly enough) but by clicking on Settings and then Account.

After you have done this, look at the bottom of that page. There is a box that says “Protect My Updates.” You want to make sure that box is not checked. Twitter is a social media site. If you don’t want people to read what you have to say, you probably shouldn’t be using Twitter. The only exception should be if you have a second or third Twitter account and use it for private messages between friends and family.

While you’re under Settings, you can add or update your photo by clicking on Picture.

Your Twitter Home

This is the page only YOU see. You get it by clicking on Home or by logging in to your account. By default, it shows the stream of tweets from all of the people you are following--with the most recent tweet at the top. In the upper right--under your name--this page also shows the number of people following you as well as the number of people you’re following and the number of updates you have sent. Click on any of those numbers and you will see the details.

There is also a large box at the top under the heading “What are you doing?” This is where you post your pithy, 140-character-or-less tweets. Just type them in and click on the “update” button. (Note: Sorry, but we don't really care what you're doing most of the time. More on what to tweet in a later post.)

Everyone who is following you will see  your tweets (if they’re looking at the right time, of course).

I’ll have lots more about using Twitter in upcoming posts, but please leave any questions you have in the Comments.

Updated 4:30 p.m. on 7/1 thanks to comment from @lisacall

Podcast: Include prior connections on your mailing list

Are you assuming--perhaps incorrectly--that certain connections are separate from your art connections? Regardless of the type of work you did before diving into your art career, every contact you have made is valuable.

Include previous connections on your mailing list. As I share in this week's podcast, it's all about cultivating collectors!

[3:52]

---

Related

Art Marketing Action newsletter (a written version of this podcast)

Cultivate Collectors for your art (online class begins July 8)

Don't shrink your mailing list just yet (newsletter)

I'd Rather Be in the Studio! (book, pages 17-19, 197-211)

→ Instructions for subscribing to the Art Marketing Action podcast on iTunes.

@abstanfield Tweekly

Another opportunity to see what you missed if you hadn't looked at your Twitter screen at just the right time.

Check out Marcia Yudkin's nwsltr this week: Take the Pain Out of Pricing (re the pricing format you use)  [Note to future readers: only current edition is on this site, but you should definitely subscribe. It's a great newsletter!]

RT @ArtistTaraReed: If u missed the Art Licensing call last night, see what Paul Brent & I discussed-another great hour!

@crobe posted a "reward chart" for her summer goals--"fill in the castle". Anyone do anything similar?

RT @shaboom: RT @DanSchawbel: ADVICE: How to Eliminate Compulsive Internet Fiddling

RT @MarilynFenn: Q for artists: do you offer wholesale pricing to certain commercial clients; if so, what percentage of your retail price?

Updating a 2-yr old post on artist software that I refer people to a lot. Assnmt fr @problogger 31 Days...Better Blog

RT @Bookgal: Got more than one Twitter account? This site will help you manage that: Splitweet

RT @danielsroka: @abstanfield For multiple twitter accounts, I find the deskop app Nambu (for the Mac) works great. | Thanks, Dan!

PBS's art:21 announces amazing lineup for Season 5 (Oct 09)

RT @clintavo: Still plenty of time to enter the June FAV Painting competition - $1,000 cash 1st place -

Denver one of 13 most creative cities in the world! Fast Company

from @lisacall Do you need a Facebook fan page?

Artists transform Reno motel rooms into mini-galleries. NY Times

RT @rebeccashapiro: Wonderful Willem de Kooning quotes! #dekooning

Book recommendations for wealth and finance

I'm no expert here, but these are four books that I have found useful in our financial support group.

Smart Women Finish Rich by David Bach
It is in this book that Bach explains the latté factor and what it means for your savings. I have three Bach books on my shelf and I find them quite similar (there's another lesson about making money in that fact alone!).

The Energy of Money by Maria Nemeth, Ph.D.
I haven't gotten as much out of this book as I can. We started reading it, but never got around to discussing the whole thing. The subtitle is "A Spiritual Guide to Financial and Personal Fulfillment," which--along with the main title--pretty much tells you about its approach.

Secrets of Six-Figure Women by Barbara Stanny
Real-life stories of women who have made six-figure incomes and how they did it.

 Relax into Wealth by Alan Cohen
The subtitle says "How to get more by doing less." Rather than spotlight formulas and strategies, Cohen focuses on hearth, faith, and vision. Overcoming limiting beliefs is a big part of his message.

If reading books about wealth and money makes your stomach churn, stick with a good art read. We're finishing up the Twitter de Kooning book club, but you can still get in on some of the action.

Deep Thought Thursday: Technology: Friend or Foe?

As someone who teaches the benefits of using blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and more, I’m fully aware that the Internet is both friend and foe. Some people get it and really love it. Others are convinced that it’s a vast conspiracy against them.

Since I’m posting this on a blog, the results may be skewed, but I’d like to know what you think.

What are the benefits of technology?
What are the disadvantages?
Would you prefer returning to the good old days of pre-Internet?

Image ©Julie Gerleman, In the Shade

Bookkeeping and inventory software

My recent series on finances has brought up the question: “What software do you recommend for keeping track of my art work and having the correct information for tax purposes?”

What you need are two different pieces of software: one for your inventory and mailing list database and another for your financial records.

Based on feedback I receive from artists, I speculate that these are the top three inventory-mailing list databases. They will keep track of your inventory, sales, and contacts.

1. Flick!
2. eArtist
3. Bento (Mac only)

Both Flick! and eArtist are formatted for artist use. Bento is like “FileMaker Light” and requires formatting, but I’m told it’s quite user-friendly. There are other options, but I narrowed down your choices based on what I'm hearing in the field.

See these related posts:

Things to look for in software
Database software for artists (list)

As I say in I’d Rather Be in the Studio! “Most of these options can handle every aspect of your art business except the detailed financial reports that a program like QuickBooks can provide.” (page 17)

So, for financial records, I recommend QuickBooks, although many people are very happy with Quicken. If you have a bookkeeper or accountant, I’d certainly ask them for their advice in this area before you purchase bookkeeping software. You want to be able to share files easily.

10 financial homework assignments

In 8 Ways to be More Financially Savvy, I mentioned forming a financial support group and that, in my group, we give ourselves homework before our next meeting. On Twitter, @swcoffey asked what financial homework might consist of.

Here are ten real-life homework examples from our financial support group mixed in with some additional ideas. Keep in mind that I am not a financial advisor. You should consult a pro with your questions.

Image ©Mary Jo Bowers, Amber Waves of Grain.

1. Reimburse yourself for business expenses. I have a bad habit of letting those pile up and am trying to get better about having my incorporated company reimburse me for expenses that come out of my pocket. I also have a bad habit of not keeping track of mileage, so this is recent homework I’ve given myself that would also pertain to your art business.

2. Update your accounting books. If it’s been a long time since you’ve entered income and expenses into the computer (I hope it’s on the computer!), this might be good homework for you. (Coming up: software to make tax time easier.)

3. Set up a system to pay off your credit card debt.

4. Check your interest rates. I was so happy to marry someone who didn’t mind taking care of household finances, that I did the Happy Dance and never looked back. I ignored all of the minutiae of our financial well-being. Bad Alyson. Don’t do as I did. Know what your interest rates are for your credit cards, your mortgage, car loans, and so forth. Also, know your return interest on any investments and savings you have.

Bonus homework: Compare interest rates on credit cards and either 1) call your credit card company and ask for a lower rate or 2) if it makes good sense, transfer your balance to a lower-rate card.

5. Open a money market account. Another bad habit I had was hoarding money in my checking account--at 0% return interest! Look around and find the best savings rate. When I opened my money market 2 or 3  years ago, it was over 5% return. Now, because of the current fiscal environment, it’s down to 1.4% !!! Still, that’s better than zero.

6. Get a safe deposit box. This wasn’t a top priority of my husband’s, but I worried about our documents and took the lead here. What a relief to know that our most important papers are safe.

7. Write a will--especially if you have children. Ask around and get recommendations for attorneys while comparing pricing. I think you need to be very comfortable with the person in charge of your estate planning.

8. Change your beneficiaries. I was married 5 1/2 years ago, but it was only last year that I changed the beneficiaries on my policies and investments. My husband--with good reason--wondered why my parents, and not he, were my beneficiaries. It wasn't a task that was on my radar.

9. If someone besides you pays your household bills, get a grip on what your expenses are. You want to know exactly what it would cost you to continue living in the manner to which you are accustomed: garbage removal, newspaper, electricity, cable, Internet, phone, water, and everything else. You also want to be able to eliminate unnecessary expenses.

10. Track the hours you spend on a certain task. If time is money, you want to know when and where you’re spending too much time. You also want to know how long it takes you to make your work. After doing this for myself, I made the big leap and hired a bookkeeper--correctly assuming that she could get it done a lot faster (and more efficiently) than I.

I hope this helps. It's great to give yourself homework of this kind, but it's much easier to cross it off your list of you are held accountable by others.

See also:
Reading homework for financially savvy artists.
Software that will make your life (and tax time) a whole lot easier.

Podcast: Stop, and then get to work

Are you looking for that one thing that will propel your art career forward faster than you could have imagined?

It’s easy to get lost in the quest for knowledge. Stop looking for knowledge that you already have and then get to work. Listen to your wise inner self!

[3:20]

---

Related

Art Marketing Action newsletter (a written version of this podcast)

Lay Out Your Curriculum (podcast)

Listen, Read, Act, Repeat (newsletter)

The Road to Peak Productivity (audio program)

→ Instructions for subscribing to the Art Marketing Action podcast on iTunes.