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The Artwork of Shawn Falchetti
Posts tagged scribbletalk
Social Blogging

One of the things that I'm a bit envious about with Google Blogger is the sense of community.  Part of this is because everyone can comment on everyone else's blog using their current credentials, and don't need to create a new login and account for each new site.  This is a bit harder to do in Wordpress, but the Gigya Sociable plug-in helps by allowing you to login using your existing Blogger/Facebook/Twitter, etc account and comment.  You'll notice the new links to the side.

I've also created a Facebook page.  For a while I wondered how a Facebook page would contribute, when I already have both a blog and a static webpage - but I think Facebook is naturally social, and updates populate across friends' walls automatically.  I've changed my mindset to realize that the blog, webpage, and Facebook page each have a different purpose and voice, and it's all about connecting more with people.

As an aside, I was thinking about the development of my own art career, and how much it was affected by the internet and social websites.  Participating in art forums like Scribbletalk really opened up my eyes to a much wider range of approaches, supports, techniques, and styles, and commentary from the artists gave insights I could never get from browsing a static site.  The distinct speckled look of my current style is due much in part to drawing on Colourfix paper, and I didn't know Colourfix paper existed before seeing Nicole Caulfield's and Ranjini Venkatachari's work on Scribbletalk.  My latest piece, Opaline Dreams, which used, in part, Neocolor II's, was also due to seeing work completed with Neocolors, and a desire to experiment.   And of course, if you're reading this, it's because I spied several artists using Wordpress, and decided to give it a whirl.

 

 

Referring Links and Analytics

Google Analytics is a must if you run a website, since it shows how many people are visiting your site, where from, and how they got there. One of the interesting exercises to do is to check up on how all those link exchanges or forums are doing for driving traffic to your site. For my site, I have listings on Artspan, Top of Blogs, Blog Catalog, Top Pencil Artist, Colored Pencil Central and the CPSA website. I occasionally post to the art forum Scribbletalk, and to Prismacolor's gallery forum, and also have a link to my website from my Facebook page. So how's all this stuff doing? Here's the current breakdown from most referring traffic to least:

  1. Toplisted Pencil Artists
  2. The Colored Pencil Society of America
  3. Scribbletalk
  4. Artspan
  5. Facebook

In spots 5-10 are other colored pencil artist's websites who link to mine, mixed in with search engines like Yahoo and Altavista. Coming in at 11 and 12 is Colored Pencil Central and Prismacolor's gallery.  Top of Blogs and Blog Catalog scored a whopping zero.  Something to noodle on if you're looking to drive traffic to your site.