Promotion For Your Open Studio

Promoting your open studio does not have to be expensive.

The task of promoting and publicizing Open Studio is shared by the Vermont Crafts Council and individual participants. We expect everyone to do some specific, promotion that is appropriate to their own event.

Here are six no cost promotion tasks to do right away.

1. Put Your Event On Vermont Travel Planner

2. FREE Contact the Travel Information Center nearest you to see about exhibiting your work during Open Studio Weekend.

The person to contact re. displays at the Welcome Centers is Lisa Sanchez – (802)828-6909 lisa.sanchez@state.vt.us. The main number for the organization is 828-5981 cri.center@state.vt.us

Each of 17 sites has free exhibition space that you may reserve. For a complete list go to this link which has contact info for each center. If you can't sign up for a space for this year, reserve a space for later or reserve for next year.

http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/infocenter/index.htm

Above see 2007 glass case at the Guilford Welcome Center with Bonnie's Bundles dolls and other Chester artists. There were many of these cases at Guilford in 2007, filled with work from Open Studio participants, and they turned the center into a gallery.

3. FREE Send an event listing to your local paper.

You can do this by e-mail, from the newspapers website (check the Contact Us link if nothing else jumps out). If you can't file it online, see who handles the calendar listings and send your e-mail or mail directly to that person. Lead with the title and date of your event, then include where, who and what. It is a good idea to look at typical calendar listings before you write yours to see how descriptive you can be. See the example below from the Montpelier Times Argus.

4. Send a Press Release for yourself or your group.

Press Release Format and Advice

5. FREE (for now) Register your business on Google Maps.

This process takes about four weeks to appear in their system so do it asap. Go to this link and click on the link that says Add or Edit Your Business http://maps.google.com/

The following suggestions have minimal cost attached.

6. Postcards.

Nothing is more effective than a picture of your work. Postcard printing houses can now accept your information and images online so that it is possible to keep track of an entire order online. There are many who offer this service, but the one we have used is Modern Postcard:

http://www.modernpostcard.com/products_services/pricing/

This site offers many great ideas about how to promote your event with postcards.

Bonnie and Lew Watters recommend this site: http://www.overnightprints.com. They ordered 4000 cards and paid $166 which included the ground UPS of $42, turned around and delivered in 8 days. One can print fewer for less.

A lower cost idea is to print postcards from your computer or create a master sketch or drawing and have your local copy store reproduce it for you. A common postcard size is 4.25 inches X 6 inches.

More Promotion Opportunities

Co-Promotion Opportunites