This is the fifth of five parts on how best to manage marketing during this particular time period…or beyond. While Story Crossroads sees “story artists” to typically mean spoken word storytellers, these tips apply to all performing artists or professionals across industries.
5-Tips for 5 Days:
- Tip 1 – Website – REVEALED
- Tip 2 – Social Media – REVEALED
- Tip 3 – E-Newsletter & Email Lists – REVEALED
- Tip 4 – Ideal Client – REVEALED
- Tip 5 – Art of Consistency & Branding
You figured everything out – website, social media, E-Newsletter, Email Lists and even your Ideal Client. Now, how much can you be trusted to get things out when you say? How memorable are you?
Consistency deals with accuracy AND timliness.
If you have someone else handle your marketing (a great idea), then that person needs to understand the way you would talk or approach things. They need to be accurate with your personality.
Most likely, you are handling your own marketing. Yet, we can forget how we did it one time and keeping it that way for another similar situation. Can we adapt? Absolutely. Even companies update their logos, images, and mottoes from time to time. However, the most successful transitions are when the coloring/logo/image are close to the original. You can even have a transition plan of tweaking color tones year by year so it is gradual and still recognizable with your fan-base.
Story artists tend to be decent with branding on stage and then forget to use that same branding in all marketing materials. When people click on a link, seeing that imagery is a quick, “Whew! This is who I want!”
Give the people seeking you that affirmation.
Branding can involve objects, wardrobe, repeated phrases and traditions, and colors.
Story Crossroads uses blue/orange throughout what we do. We have a logo. We have t-shirts with “I have a story. You have a story. We all have stories.” for our volunteers, youth and adult community tellers, and our professional story artists. We use that motto on our email signature, our website homepage, and other applicable places. We do our best to be consistent…but our monthly E-Newsletter is really more a bi-monthly than monthly. Everyone can improve…yes, that means, us, too.
Organizations easily have a logo to promote. A story artist often rely on themselves as the brand. This is why at least one picture of the story artist is crucial on the homepage of a website, in the banners on Facebook, upon the header of a E-Newsletter, etc.
Being remembered and being reliable…nothing compares! Except for those paying gigs and opportunities. Believe you can be spectacular.
Quick 5-Question for Consistency & Branding:
- Do you have a catch phrase, opening line, ending line, or motto? How often do you use it? Do people expect these traditions?
- What colors are associated with you? Can you narrow them down to one color? Two colors? If you consider “all colors,” then are you consistent in using “all colors” clearly in all marketing or communications regarding you and your work?
- Is there a type of storytelling, art, music, dance, movement that you specialize in? Even with skills in other areas, is it clear about your niche?
- Do you have scheduled website updates at least once every two weeks? If less than this time-frame, then please add this to your “to do” list. Do you have scheduled social media? Each platform is different on what is expected. Facebook is best with no more than 3 posts a day. Twitter is at least 15 posts a day. Answers will vary. Here is some guidance from an article from 14 studies. You can even have software to help you in the planning and saving groupings of hashtags to save time. See an article “The 25 Best Social Media Management Tools for Businesses of All Sizes” by Alfred Lua/Buffer (11-minute read). Do you keep your promise of having a monthly E-Newsletter or whatever length of time you said?
- Did you consider AND actually send press releases as a story artist? Organization? Both, if it applies? Any event you are connected with…even if you are not the host? You need to be familiar with journalists and keep a rapport. You can send a press release every other week or at least monthly. That is NOT too much. If you don’t send press releases at all…commit!
Story Artists who have Branding:
- Donald Davis – https://www.ddavisstoryteller.com/ – has the bowtie on stage as well as key image on his website – dresses up to honor his audience though the bowtie has an edge of surprise/fun to it – matches with his personal/family stories
- Barbara Schutzgruber – https://weavestory.wordpress.com/ – she is a weaver of silks and threads as well as stories – imagery works nicely together – she wears what she has woven when weaving stories – reminds this connection in all she does
- Diane Ferlatte – http://www.dianeferlatte.com/ – has “the stick” or “talking stick” on stage and pounds out rhythm, often accompanied by Erik Pearson – could use this imagery more prominently for website and marketing materials
Story Artists with Consistency? Harder to Determine.
The best way is if a story artists declares, “Yes, I do send out every other week, once a month, etc.” We will let you ponder who feels consistent and focused on keeping you informed. Hopefully, you can count yourself.
If you want me to give initial thoughts on your consistency and branding and do not mind well-intended bluntness, I am open to letting you know if you email info@storycrossroads.org. Yes, this is complimentary.
Follow our next 5-part blog series entitled “How to Best Use the Story Crossroads Discord Server.”
The Story Crossroads Server on Discord has text/vocal/video chat options plus resources and ideas. Click here for the direct invite/link.
Find our E-Newsletter and Email List Sign-Ups on our website home page at the bottom, the archive page, etc.
See our already-streamed/recorded The Big Why Panel: Historical Storytelling meets Humanities
See our 5-video playlist from the Story Crossroads Spectacular by clicking here