Wednesday 9 March 2016

The Uses Of 2D Images In Promoting Oneself

Instagram, an application on my phone that I was forced to set up by my friends but have never used...... Until now. 

I must admit to being totally confused by the hashtag and I have not yet inserted it into my posts because I do not fully understand it. I am not on Twitter but my research so far has shown me that having Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and using them regularly and in conjunction with each other benefits one tremendously in terms of promoting oneself to a larger audience.

This is the link to my Instagram account. I am a total novice at using it so any advice would be greatly appreciated please!  https://www.instagram.com/norakathleenmccabe/

As I have never used my Instagram account before, I have uploaded only my portfolio photographs so far. I shall be uploading some pictures of myself performing in the near future because my portfolio photos demonstrate mainly my ability in classical dance and I have mainly performed as a jazz dancer.



In looking into promoting oneself I discovered that many artists had a public Facebook Page. I have begun to make one but it is taking me a long time to sort out exactly how I would like to portray myself publicly.

Facebook Page

Whilst looking into 2D images and their uses for dancers, I came across this piece by Georgina Meller on the ISTD website titled, "Social Media: the new spotlight for dancers".


It is an extremely interesting piece about the uses of promoting oneself through social media and how web 2.0 is allowing artists to gain employment through using platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.. On focusing on the sections about images and video uses in social media, Georgina Meller states that; "When you have images or videos in your online posts, you are 35% more likely to get likes and retweets.". She also says that; "Research shows that people remember 20% of what they have read and 80% of what they have seen.". It is proven to be a good idea to use images and video more than the written word when advertising because we, as consumers, are more likely to remember it. 

The article also goes on to talking about consistent brands across all social media platforms. Meaning that all their cover photos, profile pictures and important picture are identical across all their social media sites. In relating this to the dance world, it makes sense to use the same picture for all profiles and cover photos. This is something I have already implemented on my Facebook Page, my Instagram, my blog and my personal Facebook. I shall also be doing the same thing on my Twitter account once I have set it up. If people remember images more than words then it is a more reliable way for people to recognise a dancer on the different media sites and that should lead to improved recognition for the dancer at auditions.

Taking this knowledge into account, it makes even more sense to add a head shot onto a CV because an employer is more likely to remember the image rather than the words and make a link to one's social media platforms. 

"Dancer's are all about visuals, so take the opportunity to post creative, unique and inspiring pictures" 

7 comments:

  1. Hi Nora! Very true that dancing is a visual art which proves why photographs and videos will promote more recognition throughout the dance world, people looking to hire dancers and obviously through one's self promotion! I have met cases while auditioning where directors would usually take a look of the dancer's social media page, whether it be facebook, twitter etc. That would would be to get a general idea of who he/she would be hiring, which is why one should look into promoting one's self in a positive way! I believe Twitter is quite a good page you could be a part of as you can follow the news of whoever artist or company you would like without having the pressure in achieving their friendship. I have found it the most useful at times when I want to catch up with news in the ballet would and what performances are going on around the world, promotions, vacancies etc. It's also a great way to put yourself out and this is not just for friends but for professional purposes as well! I have been promoting quite a bit of my choreographic work online through twitter. I guess it's like having a blog but more accessible to a wider community. It can be quite fun too because, who knows who will take a look and perhaps go to watch your performance for example :) it's a great way to advertise!! looking forward to seeing more of your work!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the info Taz! :)
      I've never had to promote myself in the past because my company has always rehired me and I've always been happy to go back. I had never really thought about my Social media platform being used as either a screening device or a promotion device because my company doesn't use web 2.0 platforms at all! This course really opened my eyes to the bigger picture behind social media. Using my facebook etc., has only ever been social for me in the past because that is all I have needed it for. However, if I want to change direction in the future I can see that I need to start using all these platforms more frequently because they appear to hold a lot of importance along with one's CV. In terms of promoting oneself, from my own research and the experiences of others, I can see that people have had a lot of success, either because of someone's bad use of social media or because of their own good use of it, in gaining promotions, jobs, etc..
      Definitely something I have to get better at using so thanks so much for all the help. :)

      Delete
  2. Hi Nora. I was anti Instagram for ages because I couldn't bear for my life to be taken over by another form of social media! When I finally succumbed to it however, I found that I absolutely loved it. I think as dancers, we spend our whole lives taking pictures and videos, whether it to be to retain memories, analyse our skill or show others our art. Instagram is all based on multi media so is perfect for this! Hashtags are a way of connecting you will all the people and posts similar to your own. For example if you post a clip of you doing turns and hashtag #pirouette, by clicking on the hashtag directly or searching it in the bar, it will connect you with anyone else who has posted a picture or video and who has also hashtagged pirouette. Hope this helps! Feel free to check out mine @megan.louch

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Megan.
      Yes I certainly will go check out your Instagram! The explanation of the hashtag was helpful too. :)
      I know exactly what you mean about social media taking over. I have noticed that people no longer ask what one is doing because it is listed on a profile so they don't need to engage in a conversation about it. I must admit to removing most of my stuff from my personal Facebook profile so that I can keep my private and business lives separate. It does mean that I now have two Facebook Profiles, one for business and one for personal. It allows me to have more freedom in what I post privately and what my friends post to me, and what potential employers are able to see about me publicly. I can be even more choosy about how I am viewed by keeping things separate.
      I must admit to being useless at taking photographs and videos. Possibly because I only got an iphone last year. Using a normal camera and uploading was so very time consuming so I just didn't bother with it. Until I joined the world of the iphone, I was still working off a phone with the usual buttons and no predictive text and no internet connection! I think I am beginning to get the hang of it now. Fingers crossed.
      Nora

      Delete
  3. thanks Nora - yes I had a google http://creativeenabler.com/just-the-tip-hashtags-for-artists/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the link Paula. It has helped me a lot.

      Delete
  4. Hello! I agree that social media can be a great place for artists to showcase themselves. Sites like those you have mentioned are rapidly becoming major platforms for budding dancers to display their skills, professional companies to advertise and a place for performers to comment and respond to events and happenings in the dance world.

    I have a twitter page and have done for a few years, I have to say at first I really didn't understand it! But now I check twitter everyday! I have found it useful as a dancer to follow companies I am interested in, they post information on upcoming performances and news in the company. There are also accounts which post audition information and links to workshops and opportunities for dancers. In addition, many dance pages post links to articles or critiques on perfomances which are interesting reads!

    ReplyDelete