Contact Confusion

Contact information seems like its the easiest part of applications, artist webpages and blogs. But more often then not, artists do not have the proper contact information. I’ve come across this mainly on artist websites but also in gallery submission packets for example on resumes.

Necessities: 

• Name (professional artist name or full name),
• Email address
• Phone number (optional but helpful)
• Address to a studio space if available (but not your personal house address)
• List or link your social networks including: Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Local Artist Interview, Etsy or Pinterest
• Feel free to include studio hours if available
• Other methods of contact

Forms: Forms are easy, its easy to upload them on your website and its easy to fill out. The message from your website visitors then pops up into your email account. The only problem is that people do not like to contact you through a form. In my experience, I have only had 2 people use the form I have on my website. Forms are extremely impersonal and widen that gap between someone trying to contact you and you receiving the message. If you have a form on your site, make sure there is another way for people to contact you as well. On my website, I specifically utilize my form to let people sign up for my newsletter.

Email: We are in an age of permission, You have to ask to be friends on Facebook, you can follow someone on Twitter but they dont have to follow you back. We have these emense filtering systems on our emails and we prevent all means of being spammed as possible. These protective measures also build a wall between us and the people, artist, buyers and admirers who are intersted in saying hello or who want to purchase a print . When you list your personal email do not make the link live. List it with out the @ symbol to help prevent spam messages and bots from filling your inbox with junk. This also allows people to directly connect with you when they wish to contact you. Stick your email address on everything!

Do: katerenee(at)katerenee.com

Do Not: katerenee@katerenee.com

While it seems like a no-brainer to list the proper contact information, it is one of those things that seems to get over looked especially when we are focusing on other aspects like linking our social networking sites or updating our latest works into the image gallery. Take the time to make sure people can get in touch with you!

Interested in contacting me?

Name: Kate Renee

Website: www.katerenee.com

Email: katerenee@katerenee.com

Phone: For arts related business calls only (952) 769 – 7159

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/KateJohnsonsArt

Twitter: KateReneesArt

Etsy Shop: https://www.facebook.com/#!/KateJohnsonsArt

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/katereneesart/

Local Artist Interest: http://www.local-artist-interviews.com/2011/04/kate-johnson-painter.html