This post is by guest author, Mark Edward Adams.  This article has been edited and published with the author's permission. You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here. We've promoted this post to feature status because it provides great value to the FineArtViews community.  If you want your blog posts listed in the FineArtViews newsletter with the possibility of being republished to our 19,000+ subscribers, consider blogging with FASO Artist Websites.  This author's views are entirely his own and may not always reflect the views of BoldBrush, Inc.

I was talking to a gallery owner awhile back and his gallery has a Facebook page with less than 100 likes after a couple of years. After looking through the page, I could see the problem. It showed a few pictures of artists' work and of the gallery itself but was seldom updated and the few comments left by people were unanswered. The main problem was that there was no personal investement in the page. I asked the gallery owner if he thought it might help if he introduced himself to the collectors and wrote back to people as himself. In other words, he would become the face of the gallery. The owner looked at me strangely and told me he valued his privacy and was uncomfortable with the idea.

I understand the owner's concerns because I know a lot of artists who feel the same way. Other than the art, they share very little about themselves other than a short bio and personal statement. Sometimes they don't even show a picture of themselves. In my opinion, this is a huge mistake. In order to prosper as artists and survive in the technological age, we must remove our mask and let the world see us.

One of the big ideas floating around is the notion of personal branding. For the first time in history, an entrepeneur just starting out can compete with the big brands due to social media. It is no longer necessary to buy expensive ads in magazines or TV slots to get our name out. We can engage in our own PR campaign with Facebook, YouTube, and all the other tools. The playing field is now more level. As we enter the world of social media, our personality and life becomes the brand. We are now known for our personality and behaviors as much as our product. Thus it now becomes imperative to show the world our personality and remove our mask.

So what does removing the mask mean? This means communicating to strangers like they are our friends. Don't be afraid to give your personal opinions or tell stories about your personal life. Post pictures of yourself working on your art. And most of all, it means talking to anybody who takes the time to engage in conversation. This means comments on Facebook, personal emails, and reviews of your work. It does not need to be a long response, but just a sign that you are listening. Now is a time when we are the brand and everything we do matters.

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Editor's Note:  You can view Mark's original post here.