Making the most of your Profile Page.

[Plein Eire Administrator]

 

Your Plein Eire profile page or 'My Page' is a shop window for your art on the web.  If you google yourself, your page will come up somewhere in Google's list and the more you post and interact, the higher it will appear on the list.

While membership of Plein Eire is open only to artists, we know the site is visited by galleries and buyers who have bought paintings and given commissions on the basis of what they have found here. So how your window to the internet looks is important.

 

Here are a few tips to try to make your own page more interesting and informative:

•  Buyers like to feel they know something about the artist - Ensure you have a clear photo of yourself on your profile page.
• Can potential purchasers contact you?  - If you have your own website or blog or Facebook entry,  post a link near the top of your profile page; the message banner is a good place. If you don't have your own website, include your email, but spell (at) and (dot) so your email address is not picked up by spam bots.
• Does your page tell your story?  - Every profile page has a text box somewhere on the centre panel. Scroll down your page to find it. You will see the cursor turn into a 'move' arrow when it hovers over the text box. Drag it to the top of the panel. Now you can write a few lines of interest about you and your art. Keep it punchy. The length is about right If you do not have to scroll down to read it.    A good example is Scott Boyle's page.
• A picture tells a thousand words.  In the text box you can include another small photograph 'at the easel' or 'in the studio'  or your latest favourite painting etc.
• Be different.  Click on 'Manage My Page' and then 'Appearance' to select a theme and colours to reflect your personality or to complement your style.
• Freshen it up.  Don't set it up to forget it. Revisit 'My Page' often and change a few things, such as the banner message, the text box photo and to add any new award or interesting bit of news about you and your art. Try to change something once a month.
• Link up. If you get an opportunity to promote your page or Plein Eire site, don't waste it. Copy the URL from the address bar of your profile page and paste it into press releases, posts and emails you are sending. Use the 'I'm a member of Plein Eire' badge (lower right column) to build traffic from Facebook and other websites. It looks smart and is easy to do. (click 'Get Badge').
• Posting artwork. Make your photos consistently well lit, square on and without the frame showing. Here are some tips  on how best to photograph a painting. Give the size and medium, and give a proper title not just the camera's file reference or the date. Use the 'Tags' bar to write keywords associated with the particular image - eg. the location, the subject, or other details that might bring up your painting in someone's Google search. You'd be amazed how often this can be effective.