Profile Pic, A Missed Opportunity For Artist's Advertising

I would agree if on that same page where the bio picture is there were no other images of your work apparent....which is not the case here...I think a bio picture is a nice addition and helps to add a personalized touch to your page.

I actually disagree, Way back even on myspace my work got more people looking at it because of my profile pic being a painting,people would tell me that and even now . When I look for artists to connect with on Facebook and elsewhere ,art attracts me more than a pic of a human. I really do think it's a missed opportunity for artist marketing in a very competitive art market

I don't like head shots of myself. I'm trying to figure out a new logo from my work. I'm not happy yet. You may see me change colors a few times today.

You have a point, Leah. An image rather than a head shot gives some idea of what the person's art or photography is like.

Edit - I like to put my name in my logo. I may just go back to the old one and fiddle with it.

Well, I guess it depends on your profile picture!...I suppose it could cause all types of "gender" and profiler types of discrimination ...which could interrupt the process!...whereby some people may be drawn to your work because of it, or repelled in the other direction...which I suppose in the scheme of things wont really matter ..because in the end the indiscriminate buyer would buy anyway...and not be deterred one way or another.

True....

well I look at the profile pics as the appetizer and our pages as the full meal. People who have head shots could experiment and put their best piece up as their profile pic and see the difference. even on facebook, I really do think artist's are missing out. Mary , your pic still looks interesting enough to have curiosity for buyers and nice job with your name in it, though putting one of your images like the one I used in your painting (The gargoyle) would probably attract even more viewers and curiosity since it has a face/character that is just a personal opinion though :)

The trouble with that, Leah, is the small logo is so small, if someone sees it in a small size you can't tell what it is. I kind of like going with the red here because it stands out. It's also architecture, which is one of my main photographic interests and one of my larger galleries.

I may play around later with that suggestion. I was going to try a different one (indeed, I've changed it three times this morning), but I can't find the original photo - I'd have to find the print and scan it back in (sigh)....

EDIT - if I want a head shot - I could just use your painting. You painting is a much better likeness of me than the head shots I have......

I can see that, You're right the red does stand out. just giving suggestions for people to think about :)

I have not read the thread, however, I believe that people want to see the person they are buying from, in the same way that when you read a news article you usually see a picture of the person telling you the story. There is a phrase by sales guru Jeffery Gitomer from his book - Social BOOM! - " before a person buys from you they will check you out on business social media".

Why not make it easy for them to stay here and buy with posting your selfie where its intended to go .... my two cents anyway.

Leah,

May I differ?.

I believe, that having my mug out there, tells people that there is an actual person behind all that stuff.


Edit:

Being the hypocritical person I am, the other page I have here on FAA (R Allen Swezey),does have my mug, but it has been "Bedazzled"

Tomatoes, tamatoes....

Well Roger , your mug works for you and is interesting , you are lucky you have a cartoon character look lol, I mean that in a good way. I would say when people see you they are curious :) ,not everyone has that advantage

Leah,
You've made two statements about people being 'less likely' and 'more likely'...where do you get your statistics?
Sean has asked us this week to upload bigger head shots..he tracks all kind of statistics. Since he tracks the stats, I'd have to believe that he wouldn't suggest we upload pix of ourselves unless those were the ones that were more effective business-wise.

You could just paint yourself,portrait or part of the scene(a mike savad)technique btw.

I personally use my photo in order to keep an identity with my art.I want me and my art to go hand in hand especially being on the internet. I have come across reproductions of some of my drawings and have been notified by loyal followers. They remembered my face as well as my art and so it helped them track me down and let me know. Because of that particular experience I have opted to continue to keep my identity present with my drawings. However I also completely get what you are saying as well. Maybe I should give it a try, like you said experiment with it. My Facebook Art Page photo is a picture of my work and so is my instagram profile pic. I change them up often.
Have a wonderful Easter Leah and LOVE your new Profile pic by the way!

I have a pic of me in front of my art...I think it's a good way to do it!

I am torn between two poles...as usual... a profile picture could be a perfect way to establish your brand ...and if a good logo is designed could be beneficial in helping to carry out a consistent theme...Here is an article that speaks to that issue.http://sixrevisions.com/graphics-design/5-branding-basics-every-logo-designer-should-know/
but....and that's a big but...you really need to create an effective one and use it consistently...

hmm interesting Marlene, maybe we should get some statistics somehow, I think it would make a good blind test or seeing test lol, I really believe in what I am talking about, would love to see it tested somehow. I might be wrong. but would love to see what the public behavior really is. If you got to artist's on here at the top and a list of artists come up from our own areas with their profile pics shows up, which ones do you go to first ? An interesting painting or photo they use of art or a guy with glasses or a lady with curly hair?

Where are our profile pictures on FAA?

On the message boards. Nobody here is going to check out your work because of a profile picture.

And on our image page. To the right of our profile picture. Just to the right. Is a BUNCH of pictures of our work.

I look at it like this.

FAA is an art show. A HUGE art show.

I suppose I could print out an 8x10 of one of my images, paste it to a paper bag and put that over my head at an art show. Some people would probably appreciate that! But I don't think people buy at art shows (or a place like FAA) because they are looking for faceless mass produced crap. They want a more "personalized" touch with their art. The people that buy from me at art shows seem to enjoy, for the most part, talking with the person that actually created the art. They can't really do that here (they could but many don't). The profile picture is the ONLY personalized touch a buyer here will have. I absolutely HATE pictures of myself. But I put one up here because it is the only way for a buyer to "connect".

Leah,

You DO have a mug of your beautiful self,(along with all sorts of other things)

This marvelous painting:

Leah, the point I am trying to make is that this is Sean's business..he tracks all kinds of things. He tracks where buyers go, and it isn't into the forum.
He has often said that less than 1% of faa members even bother coming to the threads, so even if all members do respond, what would those statistics tell you? In my book, they'd say that less than 1% of faa members think this or that.

Furthermore, with the latest, no new images ban, we cannot turn this into an image thread or it will be closed.
Believe Sean's stats. I don't think anything would be accomplished by this experiment. Sean has asked for headshots...
That said, if you think an avatar of your art is more effectively, I'd recommend doing it on other sites.

lol, I have lot's of mugs of myself in my photo's but choose to use Edgar or colorful characters I create

lol Marlene, Just giving artist's a suggestion take it or leave it. It's an art site and I plan to keep my images as my profile pics. If Sean thinks head shots are the best why doesn't he have one? He uses a ship. :)

How many have their image on their business card?

Internet's a different venue -- to a point.

Latest biz cards: art on one side -- contact info on the other.

Any exhibition I've been in -- exhibition cards featured the art (image), not artist.







~ Carmen Hathaway

Hi, Leah,

I almost agree with you -- except for the idea of switching your av several times per month.

My avatar is my logo; while it is representative of my work, it's main point is to make me recognizable -- to be seen often enough that people connect it, almost automatically, to me and my work. That requires repeated viewing, and is unlikely to happen if viewers have to adjust to a different avatar every time.

Occasionally, someone at a show (where I also use my avatar as signage) will mention that they recognize my 'star', and a few 'signature' images, from seeing them online. (Or seeing them at another show.) That's what I like to hear! It helps that they can often remember my name, too.

My avatar/logo.
My name.
My art.

I consider that to be a marketing hat trick which is successfully building momentum, over time -- especially with my real world buyers.

I'm actually surprised when I see how often artists change their online identity. I talk to you guys several times a week here, and some of you are completely unrecognizable to me, every time I look down the row of avatars, or run into you elsewhere online.

If I were a potential buyer, who had previously liked what I saw or heard from you -- but didn't remember your name -- that would definitely qualify as a 'missed opportunity'.

Why make it more difficult to be recognized?

I don't get it.

EDIT -- I should add that whether the avatar is a portrait, logo, etc., isn't the point, imo.

Consistency seems more important.

I on the other hand made a reversal. From profile pic to logo of my artwork.
Just got tired at looking at myself so made it more interesting I used my "A Mothers Embrace" artpiece as my present avatar.
A good representation of what my art is all about.

I prefer to show my work also as an avatar, I used my mug shot here before and still do on other sites.
I may eventually rotate every so often between the two as I do on those other sites.

Seeing faces in the group discussions and on Facebook makes sense. We are communicating with one another.

But if your art is your business, then you want one image on everything used to sell art. Facebook pages, Twitter, FAA, AWS and so on.

You want to build consistency and recognizably.

If your face is your trademark, so be it. I prefer an art piece myself, which my face isn't. Maybe for a wrinkle cream or burial at sea, but not artwork.

One day I will find one piece that sums up who I am, but it isn't there yet. I would like to put my most popular piece on there, but it is of a woman and I feel that is misleading.

April said,

...But no matter what you use to identify yourself, keep it consistent. There's a reason that successful companies rarely ever change their logos.

Bravo - and well said!

@ Patricia - LOL at the big red spoon. Woman, you have an awesome sense of humor. But, like April said above... we know who she is.

@ Bradford - I love your hawk portraits :)

@ Edward - I think your new avatar is spectacular!

April, I agree..case in point...I was just looking to connect with some designers in L.A. I tallied...out of 100, 95 had their faces as avatars.....I was left totally cold with the logos....I am one of those people who wants to connect with people....and that's what happens psychologically when I see a face. I didn't bother contacting the logos.

If you look at human behavior (ever watch "Brain Games" on NatGeo?) you will see we have been programmed to seek out a face. We can't help it any more than we can help breathing. I was told by an art teacher when I was a kid to concentrate on the eyes because that is the absolute first place a person goes to. Some may feel "let down" if they seek a face and never find it.

Honestly, my initial feeling when I see a logo instead of a face is..

1.) The person is ugly

or

B. They are trying to hide something

Now I know in most cases neither of these thoughts are accurate. I understand having a picture on the internet for people you don't know to see. But a lot of us also have our real names (and hometowns) on the site as well. I wasn't super comfortable with either of those things at first but I understand I am here for business. It is not just some message board where we can hide and it doesn't really matter because everyone else is.

But this is like an on-line art show. Art shows want the artist in the booth as often as possible to interact with the customers. They won't let you send your cousin to sit in your booth for you all weekend why you stay home. People want that connection with the artist at shows, why wouldn't they want it here?

Of course, the actual ART is probably WAY more important than the avatar. I doubt someone was going to buy a work and then decide against it because there was a logo instead of a face. I also don't think someone was NOT going to buy something until they saw that smiling face (or that face with the rabbit ears or bug on top).

I think the faces do help FAA as a whole. Imagine being a buyer and seeing a bunch of ACTUAL people that ACTUALLY created the art they are looking at. Much better than a bunch of work with "photo not available" or random logos. Logos are what you see at Wal-mart.

@ John - I always went with "B" because I am for all intents and purposes - very camera shy. Marlene and I had this discussion one day through texting and I sent her the ONLY image I own of me from 1973. I've always done my best to stay out of family/group shots. Maybe I thought I was ugly, maybe not - I don't care about the "whys."

The point is - camera shy people do not like to have their photos taken and I am clearly one of them - for whatever reason. I'm now used to having my face online . . . But, when I go home to NY and see my face on a family members wall - I still cringe.

I agree with Marlene about people wanting to connect to people.

I think that when you are connecting with people who provide services: doctors, insurance salesmen, interior designers and so on, sure you want to see their faces. You want to feel that you are dealing with a human being directly.

I directed many a commercial with "Colonel Sanders" and he was a personable man selling fried chicken. A picture of cooked chicken was not as good an avatar as one of the colonel himself.

But if I were looking for art and all I saw were pictures of artists, I would not have a clue as to which one created artwork that I could live with.

If I draw a business card out of a bucket and it has a face on it, maybe I will want a date with that person, but I won't have a clue about her art.

I am camera shy as well Donna. I HATE having my picture taken and hate seeing it.

I just figure I need to do it.

I recently changed my face to one of my artworks and the reason is so vain... My old photo is getting close to 10 years old so I put on makeup, asked my sweet hubby to snap a few photos, downloaded them to my computer and almost cried! I am getting too old a wrinkled to show my face!!!!

you can wear a mask like me.


---Mike Savad

Chuck, you argument is valid, assuming that avatar wasn't connected to anything else...but it is....to a full portfolio of wonderful work that each of us has created!
What customer exactly, would be buying art based only on looking through peoples' avatars??????

Phylis, I love my wrinkles....they prove I've lived!

@Phyllis, I have always believed that we purposely loose our ability to see closeup as we get older, so that our significant other still looks okay to us.

I've also learned to stay away from mirrors.

And all of the new digital cameras hate us and love to show wrinkles and make them look far worse than they really are.

@Marlene, yours may be okay. But mine? It seems nothing turns my granddaughter on more than snapping my picture with her iPhone and then laughing her head off. She knows I hate to have my picture taken.

it depends what they see first. are they interested in clicking on just your face because it's different? sometimes wearing the funny hat is all you need to catch their attention. sort of like your the one in the 3 piece suit and everyone else is in flip flops, guess which one sticks out? now people are in my gallery because of that avatar, i had one person friend me in facebook because the avatar looked interesting.


---Mike Savad

That's one of my points with the avatar Mike, it sticks out more sometimes with unique work rather than all flip flops, I decided to change my avatar to wear a hat like Mikes for 5 de mayo, I painted this a few weeks ago especially for the holiday :)

Leah -- just so this doesn't get lost in the posts...the 'ship' in Sean's image is the Valencia Opera House in Spain. Link




~ Carmen Hathaway

I saw the posts Carmen :) thanks for making sure I got it. I appreciate the clarification, funny I thought it was a ship for years lol

Chuck, so what you are really saying is about how you feel your selfie looks, not anything else......glad to know you've cut to the chase.
I'm not rushing to look like an old crone, but I have all intentions of embracing my age, at every age to come!

@Marlene, Leah posted: People are less likely to go see your work with a photo of a person.

I agree with her. What my selfie looks like doesn't have anything to do with my avatar. I believe my work will catch a person's attention.

You said: Chuck, you argument is valid, assuming that avatar wasn't connected to anything else...but it is....to a full portfolio of wonderful work that each of us has created!

No... on Twitter no one is seeing my work. They are seeing my avatar. If my photo doesn't interest them, they are not going to look at my artwork.

Analytics shows most of my views are from Twitter.

1. l.facebook.com / referral 1
2. pinterest.com / referral 2
3. t.co / referral 164(62.12%) (Twitter)
5. facebook.com / referral 12
6. chuckstaley.com / referral 42
7. fineartamerica.com / referral 6

The average viewing time for Twitter is 15 minutes.

Marlene, you are still beautiful! Me on the other hand, well lets just say that I have had a VERY hard life and it is really beginning to show... Either I will have to catfish and use an old photo of when I was young and beautiful or I will use a painting. Maybe I will do a self portrait one day, that never ages!
I could always send a photo to Mike and let him dress me up! LOL

i always thought that was a boat also. either that or some art deco house. even when pointed out what it was, i still see it as a boat.


---Mike Savad

Not sure what to think about this one. I might change to a painting and see what happens.

good points Chuck, wish we could do a test or experiment without telling the subjects and see what happens and make our own statistics on what I think :)

Phyllis-- remember that many avatars/photos are retouched substantially with blurring, etc. I call it digital botox ;)

Notice especially on TV -- 60 + year old facial features as flawless as that of a 20 year old.







~ Carmen Hathaway

Carmen, that is a good point!

Carmen, that is a good point!

My whole working life was in television and television is nothing but advertising. The shows and the news is the fodder that goes in between the commercials.

I owned a store during that time and had to run paid adds to draw people in, so every penny of advertising counted.

I get the newspaper delivered daily. While I saw all the news the night before, I like to see the adds and how they play out.

So, while I probably don't know more than anyone else about the subject, it is my hobby.

I think, Leah, that one would have to have two exact websites and see which avatar attracts the most attention.

Probably a cute dog avatar will win out in any case.