Timeline: It is coming

(A Ready. Set. Share. contributing post on www.handmadeinpa.net)

In the ever-changing world of Facebook, another significant change is coming very soon for business pages – Timeline.  A new page format already in use on personal profiles will soon be implemented for Facebook business pages (February 29th to be exact).  Not sure what Timeline is?  Check out my profile: Jennifer Swain Carlson

This change represents a great opportunity for businesses, but in particular, arts-based businesses.  The new format relies heavily on the visual and gives artists a great opportunity to really highlight their work.  The new format also allows users to post things along the “Timeline” of their life or work.

In my work with the Bradford County Regional Arts Council, I’m already starting to think how I can use that for the organization’s advantage.  It seems that it will fit perfectly with our upcoming 100th and 125th anniversary celebrations for our historic theatres.  Rather than posting photos of the theatres in one large album, I can place them along the Timeline to show an accurate history and progression for each building.  The possibilities for telling the story of each building, and the organization overall, are exciting.  In a sense, it becomes an online scrapbook.

For an artist, think of how you can show the progression of your work over the years.  By placing images of your work along the Timeline, your page visitors can get a sense of how your work has evolved and even events that had an impact on your work.  Still not sure?  Check out this Mashable post with projections of what the new Timeline could look like for some of the major brands.   Still not ready?  Have no fear.  It is anticipated the roll-out to the new format for Pages will be a gradual process, as it has been for Profiles.  If you haven’t yet switched to the new Timeline for your Profile, take the jump and start getting used to how it works.  And start reading up on the new format.  This post from Inkling Media has some great tips.

Organizing Your Facebook Life

(A Ready. Set. Share. contributing post on www.handmadeinpa.net)

Feel like you’re spending your life tracking down fellow artists or favorite sites onFacebook?  Create Lists – a practice I already use in Twitter (where it’s called “Searches”) to get a quick overview of the chatter on specific topics or by specific groups. The idea, and knowledge, to do this on Facebook came to me today in a Social Media Examiner post shared by fellow communications pro, Carol Fingar. Social Media Examiner is a great site to follow for social media tidbits.

Creating Lists on Facebook is a good way to group Pages or Friends so you can take a quick look at their status updates without scrolling through your main news feed. It also helps ensure that you will see the post, since your main news feed uses Facebook’s mysterious algorithm to populate your news feed.

If you’re like me and have clients or customers related to a specific region or topic, you can sort those folks out as well. To keep my sources for generating stories related to the PA Wilds together, I created a list to include the following folks:

• Olga Gallery, Café & Bistro
• Yorkholo Brewing Company
• Revitalize Mansfield
• Curt Weinhold Photography
• Pennsylvania Wilds Artisan Trails
• Flemish House Art Gallery
• ECCOTA

And if you have Friends and Pages that you want on one list – you can do that too! Just create the list from Friends and then add Pages, or vice versa. There is also an option in the top right of the list page to add individual Friends or Pages, rather than choosing from a list. Also in the top right corner of the List page, you can manage your list by adding/removing friends/pages, deleting the list, renaming the list, and even choosing which types of status updates are shown on the list.

And don’t worry, you’ll still have your normal news feed!

Relaxing at the Wine Salon

Each January my husband and I plan a trip up to the Finger Lakes – typically Seneca and/or Cayuga Lakes – to do some wine tasting and shopping.  The trip originally started out as an Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event, since it was a holiday for both of us.  This year, however, it was not a holiday for me, so we decided to go on Sunday.

It was Bargain Bash Week and Pasta & Wine Weekend along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, but it was still a relatively quiet day in most of the tasting rooms.  We started out at Silver Springs Winery, then headed on to J.R. Dill Winery, Atwater Vineyards, Red Newt Cellars, Kings Garden Vineyards, Wagner Vineyards, and Damiani Wine Cellars.  Our main mission for the day was to take advantage of the quiet tasting rooms and Bargain Bash specials, but I was also set on having lunch at the Red Newt Bistro and trying their Wine Salon, which I had heard so much about.

We did a quick tasting at Red Newt with a very pleasant and knowledgeable staff member (whom we kept staring at because he could’ve been my nephew’s twin; they even have the same name!) before heading in to the Bistro.

We ordered the Wine Salon menu option and our server, Emma, walked us through the choices of food for the Tasting Plate and wine selections.  It was a simple process: choose 3 entrees from a list on the blackboard, then choose three wines from a list of 20 Red Newt reds and whites.  The meal also came with a signature salon salad, crostini and concord chèvre.  If you’re not sure what to pair with what, don’t worry.  We relied on Emma for some suggestions and she did a great job.

For my three food items, I chose the Maple Smoked Trout, Flat Bread Pizza (with roasted garlic spread, artichokes, spinach and “Dilly Girl” Cheddar) and the Fresh Pasta (crab, chèvre, and carmelized shallot ravioli with roasted garlic cream sauce).  My wines were 2008 Pinot Gris – Curry Creek Vineyard, Red Eft, and 2010 Pinot Noir.

Kip, who loves to fish but isn’t a big fan of trout as a food, chose the Manchego, Flat Bread Pizza, and Fresh Pasta.  His wines were the 2007 Gewürztraminer – Curry Creek Vineyards, Red Eft and the 2010 Pinot Noir.

Combined with the Signature Salon Salad (hydroponic greens, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, white beans, and balsamic vinaigrette), the crostini and concord chèvre, it was a very filling meal in a very relaxed atmosphere.   And keeping with Red Newt’s focus on local, many of the items in our meal were sourced from local growers and producers: 

• Kenton’s Brie from Kenton’s Cheese Co., in Trumansburg, NY.
• Chèvre from Lively Run Goat Dairy in Interlaken, NY.
• “Dilly Girl” Cheddar from Muranda Cheese Company in Waterloo, NY.
• Shallots from Panda Farms in Goshen, NY.
• Greens from Finger Lakes Fresh in Ithaca, NY.
• Housemade pizza dough and breads for the crostini
• Housemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

We talked, shared food and wine samples, and enjoyed the fantastic view of Seneca Lake.   It was the perfect meal for a great day on the lake.  I highly recommend stopping in and giving the Wine Salon at Red Newt Bistro a try.  Or, if you’d like a full meal, try their Winternet Cafe or dinner at the Bistro (serving again for the season beginning February 9th).

Developing a Content Calendar

(A Ready. Set. Share. contributing post on www.handmadeinpa.net)

It’s a new year and time to start thinking about where you want to go with your business over the next twelve months.  One tool to help pull things in to focus is a Content Calendar (Let’s refresh with the Wikipedia definition of Content Marketing: “all marketing formats that involve the creation or sharing of content for the purpose of engaging current and potential consumer bases.”)

Content calendars help you navigate the year ahead with not only marketing, but also general scheduling.  There are lots of ways to develop your Content Calendar – the key is to use something that is easily edited.  I use Excel.

To get started, pull out a 2012 calendar and start entering your shows and exhibits and any ideas of content related to those events that you could share. And leave space so that its easy to add more ideas – this is not a one-and-done exercise.   For example, if you’re attending the Pennsylvania Guild Fine Craft Fair in Philadelphia in May, what are topics you could use?  The show is around Mother’s Day – what products do you have that would be great for Mom?  Share your favorite gift received, if you’re a mom, or the gift your mom loved most.  The show is in Philly – what are some hot spots that you would recommend?  Favorite gallery, restaurant or theater?  What else is happening in the Philly area that weekend that you love or would recommend?  Remember, this isn’t so much about promoting you/your work but rather sharing information.  But do remember to invite people to stop by your booth during the show (and give them the Booth # when you know it).

Next figure out where and how you can use that information.  I set up my calendar with events/topics down the left column, methods across the top.  For each event/topic, I have a column for: Print Ads, Press Releases, TV Ads, Email Blasts, Facebook, Twitter, etc.  Then enter the date you need to complete the task or want the information shared and the angle that you’re going to use.  And don’t feel that you have to use each method for every event/topic.

Developing a Content Calendar is also helpful in making sure you don’t overbook yourself or book things too closely together. Adding holidays to the calendar will help you see dates that could affect your normal tasks, like sending out a press release in time to meet print deadlines.

There are lots of resources out there.  This post, “How to Put Together an Editorial Calendar for Content Marketing” by Michele Linn, was helpful to me.

Finger Lakes Wineries Gear Up for January Events

Check out my latest article posted on Examiner.com:  Finger Lakes Wineries Gear Up for January Events!  Tons of fun events around the Lakes in January!  And, in my mind, one of the best times to visit the wineries.  My husband and I will be headed up this coming weekend for our annual Bargain Bash trip to Seneca Lake.  Another of our favorite events is Between the Lakes.  Check it out!

Are You Content Marketing?

Do you tweet?  Do you Facebook?  What’s your online marketing strategy?  Do you use content marketing?  Is your head swimming just from trying to figure them all out??  Let me see if I can help with one that’s all a-buzz on the internet – content marketing.

Content Marketing, according to Wikipedia, is “all marketing formats that involve the creation or sharing of content for the purpose of engaging current and potential consumer bases.”  Uh-huh, so how does that differ from just marketing?

Content marketing is about sharing your story, not telling everyone how wonderful you are or your work is or where to buy your work.   Content marketing helps build customer loyalty and brand recognition.  Its really not usually about you at all, but rather about your industry, community or even just general information.

Here are some content marketing snippets and examples from some of my favorite folks:

- From Stephanie Distler’s Blog: “I am participating in Small Business Saturday TOMORROW! ”  The post goes on to talk about Small Business Saturday with a short closing with Steph’s hours.  It was all about Small Business Saturday, but I know now (even if I didn’t already know her) that Steph is someone who cares about and supports Small Businesses – whether it be hers or others.

- From the Facebook page of the Northern Tier Cultural Alliance:  “The Yorkholo Brewing Co. (19 N. Main St) in Mansfield will be holding its first annual Beer dinner, 7 courses of all local produce and meats paired with their artisan beer and ales… The food served here by the Head Chef Mitch Gruber is extraordinary, he has great vision and skill & you won’t be disappointed. (The Chef and Owners have embraced the idea of BFBL to the degree of using all local ingredients in their dinner and lunch daily menu.)”  Nothing to do with the Northern Tier Cultural Alliance, other than a short reference to the BFBL program which they administer in the Northern Tier.  Fully supportive of another local business, building a sense of community and sharing.

- From the web site of Milk Way Farms: A photo’s worth a thousand words!  Sharing photos (with captions) of not just products, but also the animals and people on the farm gives a glimpse into the personality of the family and of farm life.

- From a tweet by the Everhart Museum in Scranton (always fun and slightly off-the-wall, but always relevant):  Need more Xmas gifts? Those cheeky monkeys @MuseumofLondon have a plague rat handpuppet for salehttp://bit.ly/rXcWRy #fleasgiveratsabadname  Passing along and sharing industry news (museums in this case) is a great way to build not just your organization’s buzz but also interest in the industry in general.

Still not sure?  Just do a search for “content marketing” and start browsing through the pages of definitions, templates and examples!

Doing the Digital Jump

For many arts organizations, and artists, making the jump into the digital word can be a bit daunting, especially when your “old” methods still seem to be working.  But today’s consumer/patron expects to see their favorite artist or organization where they are – online.

Still need some convincing?  Check out the study, “How Strong is Your Social Net?” fromTrudel | MacPherson – communications consultants who help “nonprofits, public agencies, membership organizations stand out from the crowd.”  Throughout the ten months of the study, more than 1,000 arts organizations from 45 states were surveyed to see how they were using social networking.  Some of my favorite summary findings included:

• “Arts organizations are realizing that using digital media is not ultimately about technology: it’s about using new channels to communicate and share what they already know best. The novelty of digital media and social platforms is fading as they become a fact of everyday life for audiences and arts organizations alike.”
• “Budgets and geography are not a constraint to innovation. More than half of our respondents are associated with organizations with operating budgets under of $500,000…”
• One organization did away with their printed brochure, put all their resources in to social media and saw a 26% increase in ticket sales
• Social networks worked best for developing fan networks and building live participation (attendance), then ticket sales, and lastly for fundraising.

Now, going strictly digital may not be the best option for everyone, but the study shows that learning how to use today’s technology to share will reap benefits.  And keep in mind it is all about learning and experimenting, and finding out what works best for you/your organization.

Ready, Set…Technology Malfunction

So, I had grand plans of sharing all the information I learned at the recent National Arts Marketing Project Conference with you this week.  And then my computer decided otherwise.

So, while I work from an old laptop and try to get the new one working again, enjoy these photos from the conference on Flickr,http://www.flickr.com/photos/americans4arts/sets/72157628117381900/

and this FANTASTIC keynote by Scott Stratten, author of UnMarketing.

Sheldrake Point on Seneca

What a crazy fall it has been.  September brought not only cooler temperatures, but also torrential downpours and flooding throughout the area.  Everyday life was pushed to the back burner as families, organizations, businesses and communities throughout the Twin Tiers struggled to deal with the damage left by the flood.  Many are still dealing with the aftermath.

Thankfully my family was not severely affected, but the community and organizations that I work with did sustain damage.  So, it was a bit of a break when I traveled to Seneca Lake on Thursday, October 20^th for the latest meeting of the Academy of Wine Communications – Finger Lakes Chapter.  And of particular interest – the meeting was being held at Sheldrake Point Winery’s new Seneca Lake Tasting Room.

Sheldrake Point Winery & Simply Red Bistro are located along the shores of Cayuga Lake, the longest of the Finger Lakes.  Founded in 1998, Sheldrake Point’s vineyards and original tasting room sit on a 155-acre farm about 100 yards up from the edge of Cayuga Lake.  With 43 acres of grapes planted, the Winery offers a wide variety of Estate wines including award-winning Rieslings, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Dry Rose, and Ice Wines.

Sheldrake Point on Seneca Tasting Room

On September 26, 2011, the Winery opened a tasting room along the east side of Seneca Lake in Hector.  The entrance to the tasting room can be accessed via State Route 414 or Fauswold Road.  Outside the tasting room building, visitors are greeted with plenty of parking, drive-up access (for loading in those cases of wine!), and a building-long porch overlooking Seneca Lake.  Inside, the new space includes a tasting bar, a small meeting space, restrooms, gift shop and of course, a generous supply of Sheldrake Point wines.

“Since Simply Red Bistro will be closing its doors to customers on Cayuga lake the decision was made to add a second tasting room location on Seneca Lake which is a much busier wine trail,” states Christine McAfee, Sheldrake Point on Seneca Tasting Room Manager.    “The opportunity arose with Busca Books on Route 414 in Hector to establish a second tasting room location and with the help of Schickel Architecture in Ithaca, NY, construction began in Spring 2011. “

Visitors have a large selection of Sheldrake Point wines to choose from at the new tasting room.

According to McAfee, the same Sheldrake Point wines will be available at both locations, although currently, the Seneca Lake Tasting Room has Cabernet Sauvignon and Gewurztraminer, which the Cayuga Lake Tasting Room no longer has in stock.

The Winery will celebrate the opening of its new tasting room with a Grand Opening Party on Thursday, November 17^th from 6-8pm.  The evening will feature work by local artist Helena Cooper, music by Richie Stern and food catered by Sam of Simply Red Events.  Tasting Room staff will also be pouring a pre-released 2010 Gamay Noir.

The tasting room along Seneca is open Daily from 10am-5:30pm, April-October and Daily from 11am-5pm, November-March.  The tasting room is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.  For more information, visit www.sheldrakepoint.com, email: contact@sheldrakepoint.com, or call 866-743-5372.

Ready, Set, Share – New Blog Series on HandmadeinPA.net

Being an artist in today’s world means much more than making and selling your work from your studio or gallery.  Today’s world is all about Sharing – the story about you and your work, your thoughts, and just general information.  And the way you share that story can make all the difference in the world for sales and the success of your business.

Case in point:  As I was writing this blog, the following came across Twitter from a friend and social media colleague, Melissa Dobson:

@copperoven @cayugaridgewinery just met #socialshareroc attendee who visited you for 1st time because she likes how you engage on social

In case you don’t read Twitter, she’s letting the folks know at The Copper Oven andCayuga Ridge Winery that she met someone at the Social Share Summit (Rochester, NY) who made a visit to their physical retail sites because of the way they engaged with friends and followers on social media.  That’s pretty convincing testimonial for getting on the social media bandwagon.

In this new Blog Series, Ready, Set, Share, we’ll take a look at the various ways to get your story out there, how to engage your fans and followers, and some of the resources that are there to help you.  For a quick refresher on some of your options, check out this past post: Navigating the Social Media Jungle.

And in the meantime, did you know about the National Arts Marketing Project?  Check it out online:  artsmarketing.org or www.facebook.com/artsmarketing.  I’m headed to their annual conference, November 12-15, and I’ll be reporting on some new trends and tools when I get back!