Sara’s newest design portfolio images

By Sara | Published: July 18, 2010

I recently updated my graphic and web design portfolio to include some of my most recently completed projects from the Spring. Among them are logos, business cards, postcards, rack cards, icons, ads, hang tags, and numerous websites. Take a peek.

Posted in graphic design, marketing, web design | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Humane Society shirt design and testimonial

By Sara | Published: July 16, 2010
HSTT Graphic T Dog design

This is just one of the designs I did for the Humane Society of Truckee Tahoe called "Graphic Dog"

I adopted my late malamute, Dakota, from the Humane Society of Truckee Tahoe (HSTT). So when the HSTT asked me to help design them some newshirts, I just had to do it as a way to give back to the place that helped me find my late, furry friend. They allowed me entire artistic freedom, asking that the 4 designs had something to do with dogs or cats. I came up with 4 fun ones which they got printed and released last night at the fabulous Truckee Thursdays event. This morning, I also received a great testimonial about  the feedback from my designs:

We got the shirts yesterday and they are awesome! We brought them to Truckee Thursdays and they were VERY popular…everyone looooved them! ~ Steph Jensen, Executive Director, Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe.

These shirts are currently available at the HSTT booth for the next 5 Truckee Thursdays and soon to be released on their online shop.

Posted in illustration, testimonials | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Facebook competition rules

By Sara | Published: July 12, 2010

Facebook is a great way to market your business. However, Facebook has cracked down on how people are using it to run competitions. Belly Beyond’s blog has a quick run down of the do’s and don’ts of running such promotions, with the main rule being: You cannot make the entry of a competition dependent on an action on Facebook. That means that Facebook Promotion rules cannot have people enter a competition by:

  • becoming a ‘liker’ (or fan)*
  • tagging themselves in a photo
  • commenting on your wallpage or post
  • putting a comment or @ tag in their status
  • uploading a photo or video

Read more on their blog or go to “help” on Facebook.

Posted in marketing, tips | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sell your art through Facebook

By Sara | Published: July 12, 2010

As an artist with other jobs, it’s challenging for me to keep a plentiful inventory of art prints, let alone keep that stock in numerous locations. That’s when I found Fine Art America, an online retailer and printer of artist reproductions. Fine Art America has a venue for you to upload your high quality images so that art lovers can buy these as prints on rag paper, photo paper, giclee’s on canvas, on greeting cards, with frames… you name it. You set it up, you do some promo, they print it, sell it, take a percentage, and give you the money.

However, as good as it sounds, it takes some time to get people to find your page and make a purchase. Knowing this, Fine Art America has created a handful of ways you can promote your work. One of my favorites is their Facebook Shopping Cart. After you create an artist profile AND a Facebook account, viewers can access and buy your art reproductions all from a tab called “Shop” on your Facebook page without even leaving Facebook.

Posted in fine art, marketing, tips | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Summer Group Art Show

By Sara | Published: July 9, 2010
Flowing by Sara Zimmerman

Flowing, acrylic on canvas, by Sara Zimmerman

Four of my Woman in Raw series artworks are being featuring in a Summer Group Art Show in the Truckee Community Center. The group exhibit features works from ten Truckee artists, including Aimee Had, Pamela McAdoo, Brooke Bishop, Carole Sesko, Eva Nichols, Sara Zimmerman, Pam Krone, Elizabeth Carmel, Cathee van Rossem St Clair and Rick Krasensky. This summer art exhibit is on display from July 1 – September 15, 2010 in the North Corridor at the Truckee Community Recreation Center located at 8924 Donner Pass Road, at the Pioneer Center Roundabout. 530 582-7720. www.tdrpd.com. Take a peek if you can.

Posted in fine art | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spread the word on Facebook

By Sara | Published: July 6, 2010

One of the easiest ways you can support a friend or a friend’s fan page on Facebook is by sharing it with your other Facebook friends. Here are four easy ways to help share your friends’ Facebook Fan Page in less than 5 minutes:

  • Become a fan: Become a Facebook Fan by first logging into Facebook, then searching for the page in the search bar on top. When you find the page, click on the LIKE button on the top. This will help you to receive updates from this fan page in your feeds.

How to become a fan on Facebook

  • Share Page with Friends: When you are still on their fan page, go to the left hand side below their logo and select “Suggest to Friends.”

How to suggest Facebook fan pages to friends A little window will pop up asking you which friends you want to send a generic fan message to. All you have to do is select whom and click on “Send invitations.”

How to suggest Facebook fan pages to friends 2

  • Comment, Like or Share a Post: You can either see your friend’s posts from your feed on your home page or on their home page. At the bottom of each post is a place to comment, like or share. Comment allows you to add a comment. Like shows that you like it. Share brings up a window with a link to the post where you can add your own text and post it to your profile OR you can send a personal message instead.

How to share, comment or like posts on Facebook

  • Include them in an “a” link from your post: If you want to spread the word for a friend but don’t have a particular post you want to reshare, you can also make your own post. Simply go to your home page and start writing at the top. However, instead of just writing their name, type “@” and then start writing their name. A drop down list of options will show up. Select their name and a live link will be placed in your post. Also, your post may also show up on their fan page if they have their settings to do so.

How to create a fan page link in your Facebook post

These are just a few ways of how you can show support for your fan pages on Facebook. If you want to practice, visit my fan page or Laughing Sun Clothing’s.

Posted in marketing, web design | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Improve your site’s visibility with quality links

By Sara | Published: July 2, 2010

I came across two great articles from Google on how to build to quality links to help get your website seen from organic searches (i.e. search engine optimization for your website). This first article links to the another that further reviews the best practices for optimizing your website through organic searches, creating organic link building, and addresses numerous questions asked by webmasters and website owners.

Posted in marketing, web design | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New clothing company features Sara’s illustrations

By Sara | Published: July 2, 2010

I am so excited! I have been working hard on a side project, my new clothing company called Laughing Sun Clothing, and now it is launched! I have been taking some of my designs and turning them into wearbale art. My husband, Rob, and I created this brainchild after numerous people came up to me saying they couldn’t afford my art but wanted some. Then, we thought that a good way to give back to the global community is to donate $1 or more from each shirt designs to non-profits. This way when people buy one of my designs from Laughing Sun Clothing, they get dressed, get art, and give back all in one fall swoop. Check it out and sign up for the newsletter in July for a chance to win a shirt.

Posted in fine art, illustration | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Promote friends on Facebook

By Sara | Published: June 30, 2010

Do you ever see how some people can promote a friend or fan page through their Facebook posts, but you don’t know how? To help out a friend or organization, simply start a post, write your text, and then before their name, hit shift+@ and then start typing one of your fans and/friends. A drop down menu of your friends or pages will appear. Select from the drop down, continue your post and hit “share.” (Be aware that your post will also show up on their feeds too).

Posted in marketing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Recap from my marketing workshop

By Sara | Published: June 30, 2010

Thank you to everyone who attended last night’s marketing meeting. I was so stoked to see so many people interested in growing their business as well as loved the great feedback and comments. Some of the additional things we discussed that are not on the worksheets include:

Blogs to Follow:
- Sara’s blog: scroll down to the right and you will find a place to enter your email address for blog updates at http://www.sarazimmerman.net/more/blog/.
- Seth Godin: go to http://sethgodin.typepad.com/ and enter your email address on the left
- Marketing Sherpa: go to http://www.marketingsherpa.com/index.html and a pop up will ask you for your info.

Business Resources:
- Sara Zimmerman Art, Illustration and Design, Graphic and Web Design that will make you stand out, 530-587-7492, sara@sarazimmerman.net
- Laura Guntren, Business and Marketing Coach, 530-386-141,7 LCGuntren@hotmail.com, free 1/2 hour consultations
- Small Business Administration: http://www.sba.gov/
- Small Business Development Center: closest is Roseville at www.sbdcsierra.org
- Books we discussed last night.

Recommended Social Networks:
(Some of these have tricks to how to create and build them. If you don’t know what you’re doing and need help, please ask before you spend a ton of time).
- Facebook and a Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com
- Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/

eCards to send to clients:
- Send Out Cards: http://www.sendoutcards.com (you can also have your marketing materials made onto these)
- Smile box: http://www.smilebox.com

I know I presented a lot of stuff and it can be a bit overwhelming. However, both Laura and I are happy to help you create what you need, from a game plan that fits your time and budget to the actual materials itself. We can help you plan, set up your social networks, your email campaigns, your print/web ads, and integrate you blog and website, and the list goes on….

Additionally, I am thinking of making this a longer workshop (thank you for your feedback to recommend it) and delve deeper into the actual marketing efforts I recommended. I will keep you posted on that. In the meantime, if you have any questions or would like to schedule some time, (or know someone who needs a hand), please send them my way. I am very happy to work with small business owners so I can help them move towards their dreams. And if you want to write me some other feedback or a testimonial, please feel free to do by email, through my Linked In, on my Facebook Fan Page, or on Google.

A special thanks to the girls at Full Circle Movement for letting me host this workshop there and for Juju Z. Treat Company in providing some tasty, chocolate stuffed marshmallows.

Stay stoked and true to your passion!

Posted in graphic design, marketing, tips, web design | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment