05/09/07: A mySpace Profile is Not a Website
The following is an article I wrote for COSE Update magazine. Hopefully it will be the first in a series. It was originally targeted toward Arts Network members, independent artists starting small businesses, as advice for managing online marketing but I find that it is very similar to the advice I give all small businesses looking to build a solid web presence. Enjoy!
A MYSPACE PROFILE IS NOT A WEBSITE (and other helpful advice for building your online empire)
No matter what your medium, chances are you didn’t go into the arts just so you could sit in front of a computer for hours and hours, sifting through code and making yourself bald one fistful at a time. Unfortunately we live in a world where people don’t even own phone books and attention spans have hit an all-time low. Without a website you may as well be invisible, and a bad site is worse than none at all. Worse yet, as a creative professional you face even more scrutiny than other endeavors. People will look at your site as a direct reflection of you, your artwork, and your business, so you need it to be as professional, interesting, and creative as you are. Now take a deep breath, accept the inevitability of your website, and then let’s sift through some of your options.
A MYSPACE PROFILE IS NOT A WEBSITE (and other helpful advice for building your online empire)
No matter what your medium, chances are you didn’t go into the arts just so you could sit in front of a computer for hours and hours, sifting through code and making yourself bald one fistful at a time. Unfortunately we live in a world where people don’t even own phone books and attention spans have hit an all-time low. Without a website you may as well be invisible, and a bad site is worse than none at all. Worse yet, as a creative professional you face even more scrutiny than other endeavors. People will look at your site as a direct reflection of you, your artwork, and your business, so you need it to be as professional, interesting, and creative as you are. Now take a deep breath, accept the inevitability of your website, and then let’s sift through some of your options.
