### 12 Ways Artists can Use LinkedIn to Promote Their Art Businesses Online ## Use the Groups “news” areas - “I link articles I’ve written via the news area of the groups,” says Karen. “Whenever I do this, the notices get posted to the home page of all group members, which is a tremendous amount of ‘free’ exposure. And since some of the articles I post are excerpts, or adaptations, from a book I am working on, I begin to build name recognition and demand for the book.” - ##  Use the “Working On” feature - “Another feature that is often overlooked and underutilized,” according to Liz Goodgold, [Branding Expert](http://www.redfirebranding.com/), “is the ‘What are you working on feature’.” - “It’s an easy way to broadcast late-breaking news to others,” says Liz. “I post about TV and media appearances as well as upcoming travel plans. I frequently announce which cities I’ll be speaking in and sure enough, I am always able to reconnect (or connect) with someone from that city.”- ## Create a win-win situation - When it comes to social networking, it’s easy to fall into the “It’s all about me” trap and easy to use the sites as announcement boards, but doing so could cost you contacts and opportunities. - For social networking to be successful, you need to give as much as you get. In other words, you need to create a win-win situation and you do that by reaching out to your contacts and offering them something of real value—information. Information is based upon years of experience, research, and contacts. - According to Matt Wielgos of [American Catholic](http://americancatholic.org/), “It’s important to embrace the new technology of networking without preconceived ideas based upon old networking principles. In the past, one sought to answer one’s own questions and meet one’s own needs but with LinkedIn and other services, a more effective approach is to seek to meet the needs of others; to solve their problems. And in doing so, you open the door to communication. And those connections result in mutually beneficial relationships—whether it’s now or in the future.” - “In the end,” says Matt, “This type of relationship, both on a business and a personal level, affords a greater understanding of my colleagues (and friends) which translates into a mutual win-win scenario.” - - - can I write about the philosophy of art on there? Use [[Art is everything..|notes]] to help me do if so.. #Art