Artist As An Entrepreneur

Artists As An Entrepreneur

You are an artist and you are trying to make a living with your talent, but no one takes you seriously.How can you convince everyone that you are a serious artist?  You can accomplish this by presenting yourself in a professional manner, and by objectifying yourself to your potential "clients".  Yes, you are trying to secure clients when you are trying to convince someone to allow you to showcase your talent, and your talent is the product which you are trying to sell.  Most artists have to make "cold calls" when trying to gain new clients, and you must have a professional looking proposal to present when seeking out these potential clients.  What should be in your proposal?

One: Professional Head Shots.
As an artist your main product is You.  If you were selling computers, you would provide a picture of the computer, as well as, a description of the computer and what it could do.  You would not send a Polaroid of the computer, so you shouldn't send a Polaroid of yourself.  Hire a professional photographer to take several different head shots so that you can adjust your proposal based on the purpose of the proposal.  You need a "corporate" image shot for the times when you are trying to gain print clients, such as magazines and newspaper editors.  You need a "fun" shot for your book cover if you are an author or CD cover if you're a singer or musician.  You also, need a "sexy" shot for purposes of advertising on posters or television.

Two: Professional Bio.
Again, when making a "cold call", you need to present your potential clients with a description of the product you are selling - You!  Using the example given above, you would not provide a description of the computer handwritten on notebook paper or with spelling and grammatical errors.  Misspelled words and missing punctuation may be necessary to get your point across if you are an author; however, it appears unprofessional when present in your bio.  Your bio is often times the first look a potential client has of our product, You.  Your bio should appear professionally written and should provide a complete description of you, your talent, and how long you have been pursuing your talent professionally.  However, you should treat your bio the same as you do your resume and limit it to no more than two (2) pages.

Three: Press Kit
Your press kit serves as your business proposal to your potential clients.  Your press kit should be just that, a kit.  It should be in a professional looking "case which, in most cases, will be a folder of some type.  It should include a head shot, your bio, a few professionally written press releases announcing a live performance or the release of your "product" (CD, Book, Painting, Sculpture, etc.), a "sample" of your work (CD, pictures of artwork, a portion of your book/screenplay/etc) and some actual newspaper/magazine "clippings".  You can use resume folders that contain pockets, as well as a built in business card slot  in which to place all of these items.  You can also use report covers which are typically made of plastic, and contain clear sleeves in which you place your head shot, bio, releases, and clippings.

You are bound to be viewed as a professional artist if you employ the three techniques above before venturing out into the entertainment business, and seeking potential clients.

Note1:  The material presented above was originally composed in 2005 before everything became electronic, however, that doesn't mean that it is outdated or obsolete.  It just means there are alternative ways to distribute your information which I will outline in notes below.

Polaroid was a type of picture that was popular back in the late 80's early 90's as the picture could be viewed instantly, and it was rather bulky and very unprofessional looking.

Note2: Current day press kits are referred to as EPKs - Electronic Press Kit, however, these kits should contain the same information listed above.  If you have had a story printed by the media, you should ask the reporter/journalist for an electronic copy of the story that appeared in their publication so that you can still include "clippings" in your kit.

While it may be tempting to include as much as you possibly can in an EPK, keep in mind that large amounts of data travel slowly over the internet and if too large won't arrive at their designated destination.  So limit your EPK to what you would include in an actual "hard copy" press kit.

Note3: It can be beneficial to have two (2) bios prepared and ready to distribute at all times.  The short bio should be no more than two (2) paragraphs, 500 words or less, and should include awards/accomplishments/etc..  This bio would be used to introduce you at seminars, conferences, etc., and also for promotional publication for example on a web site or electronic announcement for an event at which you will appear.  The long bio is what I described above, and would be sent to reporters/journalist prior to being interviewed so that they have a base from which to formulate questions to ask you during the interview.

Hope you found the information in this post (and the whole blog) helpful as this is the last entry in this blog!  Yes, it's over!  I've given you all the information I can under this title!  However, don't fret, I will begin a new blog later this week or early next week for those seeking careers behind the scenes in the entertainment industry.  And if you're an author, you can check out my other blog "So you want to be an author" at GStylfire.blogspot.com.

It's been fun chatting with you!

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Copyrighting/Trademarking Your Work

Copyrighting/Trademarking Your Work

You can protect your work and yourself by copyrighting/trademarking your work yourself.   This protects you from anyone stealing your words, designs, concepts, ideas, etc.  It also provides you with a bargaining tool when negotiating Contracts, Commissions, Royalty Percentages, etc.

What is the difference between a copyright and a trademark?  A copyright protects authors of "original works of authorship" including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works both published and unpublished.   Trademarks and Service-marks protect a unique design, picture, emblem, or logo that identifies the manufacturer as the product's source or the source of the service.   A trademark can also be given for a title, slogan, or other shirt word phrase.

One: Evaluate Your Work
Before sending your work to the U.S. Copyright Office or the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, be sure that it is complete and exactly how you want your finished product to look.   If you are a writer, any type of writer, have an objective person[no friends, family members, teachers,mentors, etc ] proofread your work, and look at their feedback objectively.   You want to copyright the highest quality product, since incomplete, poor quality work doesn't leave you with a leg to stand on whether it's copyrighted or not.  If you produce beats, have an objective person listen to the final product for hums, whistles, unplanned pauses, etc., and listen to their feedback objectively.   You want your work to sound as crisp and as clean as possible as this provides you a leg to stand on when suing for copyright infringement.

Two: Organize Your Work
If you are a writer in any genre, you want to package your work in the format in which you wish to publish it in.  If you are a producer of beats, singer, rapper, or poet, record your work in the format in which you wish to sell it in.  This prevents you from having yo copyright your work twice.

Three: Send for Copyright/ Trademark Certificate
You can get all you need to know about copyrighting at www.copyright.gov.  You can fill out the correct form(s) online or print them and mail them in with your work.  The fee for Basic Registration is $30, Group Registrations will run a minimum of $45, and the filing of a correction or amplification to a completed registration carries a fee of $100.  That is why it is so important to make sure your work is in its finished state before submitting your registration.

You can get all you need to know about trademarking at www.uspto.gov.  The electronic filing fee for the initial trademark/service mark application is $325 per class of goods or services if filed through the TEAS form.  Or, for a TEAS Plus form, the fee is $275, and full payment of all classes is required at the time of filing.  I.E. An application may only have one mark, but may cover multiple classes; E.G. A TEAS application with two classes would be for both computer software in Class 9 and T-shirts in Class 25, making the filing fee $650.  You do not have to have already used your mark before filing an application.  However, if the mark has not already been used in interstate commerce at the time of filing, but instead the application is based on an "intent-to-use" the mark in interstate commerce in the future, and additional fee of $100 per class will be required when the "Allegation of Use" form is submitted (whereas a "use-based" application does not require this additional fee).  Also, the filing fee is a processing fee for the application.  This fee is not returned even if ultimately the USPTO does not issue a registration.  You should take all necessary steps to ensure the mark is registrable before filing the application.

NOTE:  All fees listed above will researched in 2005, and may have changed between then and the time you read this blog

Creating a Web Site for your Business

Creating a Web Site for your Business
There are three basic types of web sites: Informational, Interactive, and Merchandise Purchasing or Store Front.  Your products and/or services will determine what type of web site you should design for your business.

One: Informational.
You are operating a service only business where you and your potential customers must meet face to face in order to complete a transaction, such as a hair salon, employment staffing agency, or business consulting services.  Your site will inform potential customers of who you are, what you offer, where you are located, and how to contact you.  The site will be very easy to maintain, and most likely won't consist of more than five pages. (Disclaimer: The previous information was originally written in 2005.)  Today, you can also provide a link to an online scheduling site such as Schedulicity.com where customers can schedule appointments for the services that you offer.

Two: Interactive.
You are operating a service only business where you and your potential customers don't have to meet face to face in order to begin a transaction such as web design company, or a printing company.  Your sire will provide your potential customers with surveys, questionnaires, and/or fill-in forms which they will use to inform you of their needs and allow you to provide then with a bid proposal for their acceptance before any work is begun.  This site requires a little more maintenance than the informational site in terms of keeping the surveys and questionnaires updated.

Three: Merchandise Purchasing (Store Front)
You are selling pre-produced merchandise or personalized merchandise, and are wiling to accept payment electronically and willing to ship the merchandise to your customers.  You would provide your potential customers with a catalog of available items, the prices, colors, sizes, and any other pertinent information about the products you have available for sale.  You would also provide a shopping cart and a secure means of check out and payment acceptance.  This is the most detailed and most expensive of web sites, and requires a lot of maintenance as products ad inventory changes.

Your web sire can be as basic or as complex as you see fit.  You may choose to combine features of all three types of web sites, and create a unique web site for your business.  Just remember that your web site should reflect your business not your personal image.  So, you don't want to incorporate Hip-Hop music on your web sire if you're a bankruptcy attorney nor do you want to incorporate Beethoven into your web site if your company manages Hip-Hop artists.

Message to Artpreneurs

How Hip-Hop Got Started

Where did Hip-Hop get its start? Hustlers standing on the street biding their time in between “deals”, whether they were braving the cold of winter or enduring the heat of summer, these entrepreneurs began “talking” about their lives through the use of rhyming prose, and as with anything in the hood eventually someone took it to the next level. Another aspiring entrepreneur decides to put some music to his prose, and his boys decide to “chorus” in on his story and thus “Rap Music” is born. Passer-bys liked what they heard and came back regularly to hear it again, and then another entrepreneur decides to put together a contest to see who sounded the best and thus “Spit Boxing” was born. These spit boxing tournaments generated so much interest and revenue, another entrepreneur decided to record this music and sell it to the rest of the population who could not see these “Entertainers” live. If these lyrists had merely put their rhyming prose on paper and published it in book form, would they still be charged with the down fall of humanity? Instead of persecuting these individuals on these unfounded allegations, let’s look at what good they have done for their peers, society, and Corporate America.

The world of Hip-Hop has created a new wave of entrepreneurs; it has given hope to people who had no hope. Conventional employment was not to be had for most of the individuals who began the Hip-Hop movement nor were their families well to do, so they did what they could to make money and were entrepreneurs in the purest sense of the word. They created their own “job” by hustling their product(s) on the street, and each entrepreneur expanded on the basic idea of another much the same as Corporate America does today. Then rappers merged with R&B singers and created Hip-Hop, much the same as conventional corporate mergers

Today’s Hip-Hop moguls have expanded their companies to include clothing, shoes, perfumes and cologne, accessories, charitable foundations, movies, alcoholic beverages, record companies, and more. They offer employment opportunities to individuals that conventional Corporate America does not consider employable, and those who do not wish to work in the traditional corporate world. While most people believe that most Hip-Hop individuals are street thugs with little or no education, quite a few of them are educated and function as accountants, business managers, lawyers, and personal assistants. Society today needs to realize that the structure and image of traditional Corporate America has changed much as the people who run those corporations.

Let’s examine the merits of the traditional street rapper, which will further be referred to as the Artpreneur (an Artist as an Entrepreneur). Artpreneurs have to function as sole proprietors of their corporation whose only product is their talent. As sole proprietors, these business owners have to function as production managers, marketing mangers, promotion managers, sales managers, contract negotiators, finance managers, office managers, inventory controllers, administrative assistants, etc.

The Artpreneur has to produce and package their product, which is their talent. Once the product is ready for sale, they have market the product or get the word out about the product. Along with the marketing comes the promotion of the product so that they can develop a clientele. The promotion of the product leads to the roles of business manager, contract negotiator, and finance manager. The Artpreneur has to determine where to market and promote their product, and determine the price to be paid for the product in order for them to make a profit. If the promotion of the product occurs in another “Corporation’s Conference Room”, the price of admission and how the proceeds are to be distributed must be negotiated. As product is sold, the Artpreneur must keep track of inventory and determine when more product must be produced to meet their sales quota.

As their businesses took off, these entrepreneurs moved off the streets into Mobile Offices (their cars), and began traveling to different cities with their product. They then had to increase their business knowledge and skills as they became travel agents as well as being promoters, producers, and performers in local clubs and other venues. As they accomplish these feats, the belief that these “Hip-Hoppers” are not educated is shown to be nothing but a myth. There is no way they could have succeeded in “The Game” without knowledge or business savvy. As they became known to the entertainment world, they began producing more and more product, and had to increase the number of “employees” to meet the demands of their business thus “Street Teams” were born. Now these Artpreneurs have to manage their staff and a payroll in order to further their business goals of becoming a major player in the game. The Street Teams were responsible for advertising and marketing, thus the entrepreneurs had to learn the art of advertising campaigns and marketing concepts. They had to identify their target audience, and design flyers, brochures, posters, and the like to catch the eye of their current and potential customers better know as their fans.

As the Artpreneur’s “Corporate Identity” became a household name, other corporations approached them to engage in friendly mergers and even hostile takeovers. Major record companies wanted to cash in on the success of these urban entrepreneurs and branch off into a new lucrative market, and thus the Hip-Hop explosion. Some of these entrepreneurs did not like the idea of giving up total control of the business they worked so hard to create, thus the birth of Hip-Hop sub-labels. Many of today’s top corporations were begun in much the same way as these Hip-Hop labels, and a lot of these labels are evolving into diverse corporations and moving on to Wall Street.

So, look out Wall Street as these Artpreneurs continue to evolve into Corporate Moguls as they branch out into clothing, shoes, colognes and perfumes, film producing, record labels, and beyond. To those still on the Urban Streets, don’t stop doing what you do because Wall Street is only a few blocks away.

Starting Your Business

First Steps to Starting Your Own Business
Before the business cards, flyers, and postcards, there are several steps you need to take when starting your own business.

First Step. Securing your chosen company name.
There are two parts to this step; registering your company name with state in which the company is located, and registering you company name as a domain name on the internet. The process for registering with any state is fairly simple, and is handled by the Secretary of State for that state. You will have to fill out a Name Registration form, and pay a filling fee which differs from state-to-state. You don’t have to decide if and how to incorporate at this point, you are just reserving your company name for future incorporation. Keep in mind that all businesses do not need to be incorporated. For instance if you never plan on expanding the business and hiring employees, you don’t need to incorporate. Registering a domain name on the internet is also a simple process. There are a number of websites that allow checking for name availability, as well as registering your name if it is available for purchase. The cost for this is relatively inexpensive, ranging from $8.00 per year to $15.00 per year. Why is this step so important? It prevents anyone else from doing business under that name, and it protects you against a law suit if you operate a business under a company name registered by someone else prior to your use of the name. As for the internet, you don’t want to have to purchase your domain name from another person once your business takes off. Believe me, they will charge you a premium price if they sense how much you want the name. Keep in mind that even though you have registered a domain name, you don’t have to create a website right away. The company you register with will automatically display a page when the domain name is typed in, thus you don’t have to worry about web site design or hosting services.

Second Step. Register the Business with the government and Dun and Bradstreet.
You can register with the IRS online at http://www.irs.gov by selecting Businesses, then Employer ID Numbers, Apply Online, and Apply Online Now. Your number is returned on the screen in under five minutes, and there is no fee. You can register with Dun and Bradstreet online at http://smallbusiness.dnb.com by selecting Manage Your Business Credit, then D-U-N-S Number. Your Duns Number will be e-mailed to you within a few days, and there is also no fee. After receiving your Duns Number, go back to the Duns website and register for the eUpdate. This will allow you to update your company information as necessary. When your Dun’s number is received you can register your business with Central Contractor Registration (CCR) system. This is done online at http://www/ccr/gov, and Start New Registration. This system is accessed by all levels, Federal to all 50 states, of government for all government contracts regardless of the amount of the contract.

Third Step. Create a Business Plan.
If you don’t know the what, who, where, and when’s of your business, how can you effectively manage the business? What? You need to determine the type of business you are starting? Are you offering a product? Or services? Or Both? Having this information will allow you to determine your start up costs, and where to go to obtain financing. Who? You need customers for your business to be successful. Who is your target market? You must consider age, sex, social standing, and economic standing. You are not considering these items to be discriminatory, but you need to focus on these items to determine where you will locate your business and how you will market your business. You don’t want to locate your Black Tie Clothing store in an area where ninety-five percent of people don’t attend black tie affairs. In the same token, you don’t want to market you nail salon with a construction worker on the advertising materials. Where? You need a location for your business. Are you going to start with a home office? Or do you need a commercial location? When? Are you products and services based on seasons, or a holiday? This factor will determine when you open your business. You don’t want to start a business catering to beach wear in the middle of December. Nor do you want to open a tax service on April 16th.

Designing the Image of your Business

Designing the Image of Your Business
You keep handing out business cards to the same people over and over again, and no one seems to remember receiving your card in the past. How can you make your business cards and your company standout in the crowd? You design an image for your business that distinguishes your business from other companies. This can be accomplished by employing one or all of the following methods of company branding.

One: Company Colors.
This is the least complicated and most economical way to establish an image for your company. First you must decide how many colors you plan to use in creating your company image. Let me suggest that you adhere to the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple yet Sassy) rule when deciding on your company’s color scheme. Two complimentary or contrasting colors work best, however, you can use as many as four colors. You want to choose colors that either have some personal meaning to the owner(s) of the company, or reflect the products/services you offer.

Two: Company Motto/DNA.
This is different from your operating credo, but just as important. Nike’s motto is ‘Just Do It’, and Sprite’s motto is ‘Obey Your Thirst’. Deciding on a motto can become quite complicated; however, I learned a nice little trick from the founder of Caribou Coffee. He stated that you should know the DNA Of Your Business, and the DNA for his coffee shops is ‘Drink Normally Asked For’. In other words, his staff should learn the type of coffee ordered by its daily customers. People enjoy knowing that their wants and needs are important to the people they are doing business with, and knowing a customer’s preferred drink makes them feel important. The DNA for my company is ‘Designing New Aggressive Alternatives’, which describes all five divisions of my company. Whether I am creating a new computer system, or marketing/advertising campaign, or web site, or letterhead and business cards, or a poem, I am always designing something new that provides my customers with an alternate way of doing business aggressively.

Three: Company Logo.
This is the most complicated technique for setting your company apart from other company’s in your area, and they don’t necessarily have to be competitors. If your logo is distinctive enough, people you have networked with will remember your company and can recommend you to a colleague who requires your services. Just as with the colors, the company logo should have some personal meaning to the owner(s), or reflect the product/services offered. For instance, if you offer typing services and have a passion for elephants, then your company logo could be a picture of a typewriter with a sheet of paper coming out the front with a picture of an elephant on the top of the paper. However, you want to make the picture of the typewriter and the elephant unique so that they stand out, and make an impression on the receiver of your business card, letterhead, or any other printed material. Also, be sure that your company colors enhance the graphics you have chosen for your logo. You wouldn’t what your elephant to be brown or black, which does not give your logo a distinctive look.

All three of these branding techniques can effectively distinguish your business from other businesses as long as you remember to approach creating an image for your company with a K.I.S.S.

Promoting Your Business

Promoting Your Business
Your business is registered, the business cards and letterhead are printed, you purchased office equipment, and rented a storefront to set up your office. Why don’t you have any clients/customers? Other than close family and friends and your landlord, who else knows you’re in business?

Now it’s time to promote your business, and here are some ways to accomplish your goal of gaining clients/customers.

One: Networking Groups and Events.
There are tons of networking groups all over the globe, and these groups have events where its members can meet face-to-face. Most of these groups are free to join, or have a minimal fee. The key to successful networking is to make sure you join a group that will allow you to meet potential clients/customers for the products/services you offer. You don’t want to join a group whose primary interest is cooking, when your business is computer repair. Also, you don’t want to join a group whose primary objective is to leave the business world behind, and strictly socialize. Before joining a networking group or attending an event, make sure you know the mission and purpose of the group and/or the event. When attending a networking group that meets your needs, be sure to have plenty of business cards on-hand to distribute to the other attendees. Nothing says unprofessional as an entrepreneur looking for business, who needs to write down his/her information on a cocktail napkin. Also, pre-script and practice a thirty (30) second commercial about yourself, your business, products/services you offer, and products/services that you need. Be sure to keep it to thirty seconds, especially if there are a lot of attendees. Don’t give to many personal details about yourself, and don’t recite your complete business plan to the group. It is extremely important that you present the have/need scenario at these events, so that the attendees know that you plan to utilize their products/services as well as offer your own products/services.

Two: Cold Calls to prospective clients/customers.
The nature of your business will determine if and how to make cold calls to potential clients/customers. This type of promotion works best with a service oriented business. If you are in a service oriented business, you can investigate businesses/individuals in your area to see if they currently utilize the type of service you are offering. If they are utilizing the same type of service with another company, then you investigate that company and compare its services to yours in an effort to find out if you can offer the potential client/customer more services at the same price, or the same services at a reduced price. Present your findings, including a chart outlining the differences, to the potential client/customer. Everyone loves feeling they are getting the most for their dollar. If they are not utilizing the type of service that you offer, then you put together a proposal outlining how they will save time, materials, or cost by utilizing your services. Again, everyone loves to feel they are getting the most for their dollar.


Three: Distribution of Announcements/Advertising.
The old fashion flyer/door hanger/postcard, and today the pop-up, on-line banner, or e-mail. The key to successful promotion in this fashion is to make the announcement eye-catching without being overwhelming, informational but not read like a book, and simple but not boring. Here to, the nature of your business will determine the type of announcement you create, and how you distribute them. If you are a clown you don’t want your announcements to be created in black and white. If you’re offering an exclusive type of service, you don’t want to distribute your announcements at the local swimming pool.

All three of these promotional techniques can work effectively for any business as long as you keep in the forefront of your mind the type of product/service you offer, and the type of client/customer you are trying to attract.

Financials for Your Business

Financials for Your Business
Managing the financials of your business does not have to cause you a major headache, and actually can be handled and controlled by following the three steps below.  Your business accounting can be simplified by keeping consistent and accurate records, and doesn't have to be time consuming.

One: Standard Forms
You should have three standard forms on hand at all times.  A list of your products and/or services and the cost of those products and/or services/  Decide what main products you plan to offer potential customers, and develop a price for those products based on what you pay for the raw supplies, the cost you incur to produce the products, and the packaging, shipping, and handling of the product.  Decide what services you plan to offer potential customers, and develop an hourly rate for those services based on the going market rate for the services and where you want to fit on the scale: Below Market, At Market, Above Market.  A standard bid form when giving a potential customer an estimate of the cost of doing business with you and a standard invoice for billing customers once an agreement has been reached round out the three standard forms to have in had.  Your bid form can serve as a formal contract between your business and actual customers by adding "Bid Acceptance" terms at the bottom of the bid form.  Be sure to also add verbiage stating that the prices are estimates only and are subject to change. Be sure to add payment terms at the bottom of your invoice, and any fees that you will charge in the event the customer's payment is returned for NSF by their bank.

Two: Bank Account
As soon as economically possible, establish a business account at your local bank.  This legitimizes your business in the eyes of  potential/actual customers/investors.  It assures them that they are doing business with an actual company and not just an individual.  It also protects your personal assets since most people sue the name to which they issue payment instead of the person they spoke with by phone or even in person.  It also assists you at tax time by allowing you to easily see your income and expenses without having to separate personal and business income and expenses as you would if reviewing just a personal checking account statement.  Also, when applying for credit for your business, it improves the professional image of your company when you list a business account instead of a personal account.

Three:  Receipts
Be sure to keep receipts for any and all expenses that you incur as a result of doing business, including meeting with potential/actual clients/investors, purchasing supplies, and trade/vendor shows.  Be sure to categorize your receipts for easy summation at tax time.  Some basic categories are Transportation (vehicle repair and maintenance, gas, license plates, registration, parking, insurances, etc.), Entertainment and Meals, Office Supplies and Equipment, Communications (telephone, cell phone, pager, etc.), Marketing (vehicle decals, web site, etc.), and whatever other expenses you incur on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

Your Profit and Loss Statements, Balance Sheets, and Tax Forms are bound to be easier to compile and compute if you employ the three techniques listed above on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis.

Promoting Your Business in the Social Media Age

Promoting Your Business in the Social Media Age

In this day and age Social Media presence is critical to any business, however, if not utilized properly can be detrimental to your business.

One of my previous blogs talked about Designing The Image Of Your Business, well your Social Media Image is just as important as "Your Company Image".

One: Separate Your Business Account from Your Personal Account
You don't want potential/existing investors/clients to have to wade through your vacation posts, posts your friends have made in order to see what you have been up to professionally,  so create a separate Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ account.   LinkedIn shouldn't be an issue since it is strictly a business site.  While it may seem overwhelming to maintain two separate accounts, it is in the best interest of your business that you do so. 

Be sure to create a Username with your business name in mind, as well as, the products and services your offer.  For example my company name is G Sty Productions Incorporated and I'm a Spoken Word Artist, so my Username on both Twitter and Instagram is GStylFire - GStyl for the name of my company and my stage name, and spoken word artists are known to "Spit Fire" when performing.  It is both unique and thought provoking, so whether someone was searching for me or not, the name gives them pause and makes them curious so they look at my posts in depth to get a handle on who I am and what I do.

If you have the ability to give a "description" on the Social Media site, make it as descriptive as possible and be sure to include the URL to your company website.  You want the description to intrigue the reader enough that they will click on the link to your company website which will give them a complete picture of what products and/or services you provide, how long you've been in business, and any investor/client reviews/feedback you've received.

When posting  to your business account be sure to use full, non-abbreviated words. correct spelling and punctuation, and proper sentence structure.  Treat each post as though they are a company memo and that they have legal ramifications, for they do.  Anything that can be "printed" can be used as evidence against you in case of a dispute or law suit, also you don't want your investors/clients to have to figure out what you're trying to say before they can receive your message.

Two:  Keep Postings Clear and Concise
While Twitter is the only Social Media site that limits you to 140 characters per post, you might want to use this as a guideline for all posts.  Create flyers/textgrams/flipgrams/etc which contain the bulk of your message.  Not only will these visuals help you keep your messages short and sweet, they will also help to hold the attention of investors and clients especially if they are vibrant with color but not to busy and have a nice flow to them.

You want to use your 140 characters like the title of a book or essay, give the reader just enough to make them want to know more and draw them into reading/viewing the graphical attachment that accompanies your posting.

You want to use your company colors, if possible, when creating Textgrams, Flipgrams, and flyers.  Also be sure to include your company logo, and motto.  Also, when using Flipgram, if you use music, be sure to choose a track that is universal and would be widely accepted by all who hear be they investor or client.

Three: Use the Appropriate Hashtags
Hashtags are to Social Media what Metatags are to Websites, they draw in people who might not necessarily be looking for you or your business.  Some people simply watch Hashtags that they believe will draw them to people/places/things n which they have an interest.

One of the best Hashtags to use is the city and state where your business is located.  When people are searching for places of interests they tend to enter the city and state where they are live or to which they are planning to travel.  #ClevelandOhio #Cleveland #Ohio are examples of Hashtags that will draw the attention of those accessing these Social Media sites.

Investors looking for a specific type of business to invest in might search for the Hashtags #SmallBusiness #WomanOwnedBusiness #MinorityOwnedBusiness.  Literary Agents might search for the Hashtags #IndependentAuthor #Author #Self-Published #Self-Pubishing.  I'm sure you are beginning to see the benefits of Hashtags.

All of three of these posting guidelines can effectively help you promote your company on the World Wide Web via all available Social Media sites.