We believe that all of you reading this right now would agree that profound imagery is the most effective tool an artist has at their disposal. The ability to put this tool to use on a daily basis is something that you, as image-makers, are well versed in. When it comes to spreading awareness of your work and personal brand, this undoubtedly gives you the upper hand in a social environment where imagery is overwhelmingly dominant. However, with image-heavy platforms such as Instagram taking over the attention graph of social users, the space becomes more and more crowded with content. This crowded room effect makes it increasingly difficult for artists such as yourselves to stand out and offer the viewer something of higher value.
Over the last few weeks we’ve seen the emergence of a new form of social sharing; live streaming. Or as Ben Rubin, founder of the first-to-market Meerkat app, calls it: Life Streaming.
Meerkat and Periscope are two brand new apps giving mobile users the ability to broadcast and view live-streaming video feeds from all across the globe. In the first few weeks of the apps’ release, we’ve watched baby chicks hatching in Utah, the sun setting over a field in rural France, a small production crew filming a music video in Hawaii and comedian/actor Jim Gaffigan driving home from set on a rainy Tuesday evening — in real time. We even took a quick peek inside Breaking Bad star, Aaron Paul’s, refrigerator — a more common occurrence on these platforms than you would think… but what does this have to do with you?
No matter your area of expertise, the ultimate goal is to get your work in front of as many eyes as possible and garner as much interest in what you’ve created as you possibly can. You want viewers to embrace your art like it was their own and to feel what you felt when you first created it. Apps like Meerkat and Periscope have opened a whole new world of marketing for artists such as yourself, utilizing the very essence of experience and process that is vital to a viewers sense of empathy. The intimacy of allowing your viewers into your studio or on location with you as you create could be invaluable.
Imagine the impact you could have on your viewers by granting them access to the creative process behind a particular piece as it’s happening. The opportunity to recognize the environmental nuances that influence your work could greatly enhance a viewer’s experience. Not to mention the added value that you’re providing to those people whom you hope will purchase your photograph, show your latest paintings, or hire you for a branding redesign.
Let’s face it, we all have something that we’re asking for, but we need to remember that providing value up front is the key to receiving value in the end. With the birth of this new form of social sharing, the value rooted in experience, intimacy and transparency is sure to be a power tool for artists all over the globe in the very near future.