Marketing 101

We all struggle with the many creative areas that we are in. From creating our works to selling our wares, it’s a chore just to do those two things. Add on top of all that the need to Market yourself and business and that’s another avenue needed to get your brand out there. Bryon Wilkins from 1977 the Comic and Webcomic Alliance stops by and we talk about Marketing 101. How to Market yourself and business in this jam packed discussion.

I saw a bunch of people asking about these types of questions all the time. Why not bring the people together to get these questions answered in an open forum. – Byron Wilkins

So, Byron Wilkins decided to chat with TGT about producing a podcast about Marketing 101.

Guests in Channel:
VertigoX, tr1guy, AndyCarolan, ZombieRoomie, DungeonWarden, keithcsmith, ImyComic, Alice Quinn, Samantha, Tim Lai, DonF, Guest 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15

Chat Room Log:
AndyCarolan – Yo Dude!
VertigoX – Those that want to listen and ask questions can log into Skype too 🙂
AndyCarolan – coming through loud n clear!
keithcsmith – I feel alienated…
ImyComic – hiya!
ImyComic – I’ll have to log back in so I can put in my headphones
keithcsmith – laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggggg
AndyCarolan – I should invest in a microphone… you probably cant hear me from there even if i shout
ImyComic – brb
keithcsmith – lalalala
Guest 6 – hey everyone Alice Quinn here
keithcsmith – anyone want to see what the wife is getting for her Birthday?
Guest 6 – I am lame & have no mic
VertigoX – Those that have webcomics, please post them in the channel as well
AndyCarolan – How do we do that VertigoX?
VertigoX – the URLs that is
VertigoX – just type it in: http://tgtmedia.com
VertigoX – like that
Guest 6 – like this? http://tdotcomics.ning.com/
AndyCarolan – ah right… just in the chat-box
ImyComic – helps if I actually plgu my headphones in…
AndyCarolan – http://www.andy-carolan.co.uk (Disclosure Comic)
Guest 6 – hiiii
VertigoX – http://webcomicplanet.com/chat
keithcsmith – http://karmicdebt.net/lost/
VertigoX – Welcome to Marketing 101 with Byron Wilkins
Guest 6 – i don’t do webcomics, but i support them you can post your comics & chat about them in an online comics community & let more people know aout your stu
Guest 6 – http://tdotcomics.ning.com/
Guest 6 – yes\
Guest 6 – I am going to try to join the chat wish me luck!!
ImyComic – ARGh talkshes crashed my FF
VertigoX – ya…
VertigoX – it happens, try Chrome and IE (ShudderS)
keithcsmith – major lack if sound here…….
VertigoX – welcome Guest 6 aka Alice Quinn from http://TDotComics.ning.com
VertigoX – I think
ImyComic – I hear just fine
VertigoX – Anyone that has skype I can add them into the channel as well
AndyCarolan – Yup, sounding good!
AndyCarolan – lol
keithcsmith – brb gonna try IE
AndyCarolan – eek “IE”
VertigoX – welcome all to the show
VertigoX – Project Wonderful question from Andy Carolan
ImyComic – that’s me!
VertigoX – http://imycomic.com.
AndyCarolan – lol
ImyComic – pronounced eeeeemeee LOL
VertigoX – E-ME phone home!
ImyComic – hahahaha
AndyCarolan – yay for lorraine’s physique!
VertigoX – works for me 🙂
ImyComic – hahahahaha
VertigoX – http://1977thecomic.com
Guest 10 – I am a solid guest.
VertigoX – similar site: http://www.menagea3.net
VertigoX – welcome Guest 10 make sure that you post your name /handle and your URL
VertigoX – of your webcomic / comic site
Guest 10 – Oh, sure. I don’t really have a handle and my strip is concluded.
VertigoX – which strip was it?
Guest 10 – But feel free to check it. www.permanent-temps.com
Guest 8 – Guest 8 = The Urban Blah at urbanblah.com
Guest 10 – I’m not part of the collective. I just enjoy webcomics.
VertigoX – http://www.permanent-temps.com
Guest 10 – Oh, right.
AndyCarolan – Comic looks good Guest 10! 🙂
Guest 9 – if you guys are all on twitter you can follow me twitter.com/TdotComics
VertigoX – Ask away question wise 🙂
Guest 10 – I can’t post URLS, I’m a guest. Dang. Thanks for that.
VertigoX – you can if you do http:// 🙂
Guest 10 – oh.
Guest 10 – I fail so bad at Internet.
Guest 8 – Sorry, forgot the www protocol — http://www.urbanblah.com
VertigoX – its ok we don’t fault you
Guest 9 – meh it is cool 10
VertigoX – it also helps for the show notes as well 😀
Guest 10 – Okie dokey.
Guest 13 – Sorry. It crashed out on me there.
ImyComic – yes Twitter has been the best for me as well
ImyComic – yup.. and that’s why.. the constant interaction
ImyComic – even when it’s not about just he comic
AndyCarolan – I find Twitter has been best for me… Facebook fails for
Guest 9 – damn my phone fails right while i was chatting too 🙁
VertigoX – This is a great forum for asking any and all questions about Marketing. What has worked for you?
Guest 9 – w/e twitter is great
VertigoX – that it is, but you can’t just focus on one social aspect
AndyCarolan – sorry, pressed enter too quickly. Facebook wasnt good for me really. I prefer the interaction and feedback of Twitter
ImyComic – Facebook works alright for me.. I have a facebook page with currently 254 fans.. and I don’t have so much back & forth interaction there.. but…
ImyComic – people like to be notified of new things there
VertigoX – That’s what its all about
ImyComic – but I also prefer the interaction of twitter
Guest 14 – Guest 14 = Guest 8 (keeps bombing Firefox)
VertigoX – it’s ok TalkShoe is killing Guests off one person at a time
ImyComic – But we come back! I’m a talkshoe survivor.
VertigoX – In terms of Marketing, what do you feel you need to improve upon?
ImyComic – Kurt where’d ya go!?
ImyComic – ah ok
ImyComic – neither am I.. .I jsut started PW but I don’t keep up with it
Guest 14 – Question: What method do you find most effective for marketing — Twitter, Facebook, paid advertising, linkage from other blogs, etc.
VertigoX – Just had to get something 🙂
Guest 9 – there are lots of ways of free marketing, facebook, twitter, etc.. anything else that you guys know of that would be beneficial to market one’s comic
Guest 9 – (or comic site) online ?
ImyComic – Lucas Turnbloom says “hi” via twitter LOL he wishes he could join us
VertigoX – he could if he has skype 🙂
VertigoX – whats his twitter?
Guest 14 – We’ve been using all of them, not sure how much is translating into readership
Guest 9 – which convention? (which city)?
Guest 14 – Sometimes we have twice as many facebook fans as daily readers
VertigoX – http://c2e2.com
VertigoX – Chicago is where it’s at
AndyCarolan – grrr… it crashed 🙁 Boooooooooooooooooooooo
ImyComic – hiya Jarmo!
VertigoX – welcome Samantha Wikan!
ImyComic – hi Samantha!!!
VertigoX – Welcome Jarmo!
Samantha – *wave*
AndyCarolan – Hey Jarmo n Samantha
VertigoX – Heya John Wigger begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting from Zombie Roomie 🙂
ImyComic – hey John!
AndyCarolan – How about Merchandising/Cafe Press etc?
Guest 14 – Press release to where? To media outlets?
ZombieRoomie – yo.
VertigoX – We had Antoine Gagnon from The Drunken Fools as well
AndyCarolan – Hey John
ImyComic – good question guest 14 (?) … to where?
VertigoX – Question from Andy: How about Merchandising/Cafe Press etc?
Followup from Guest 14: Press release to where? To media outlets?
VertigoX – heya Tim
Samantha – Want millions…
Tim Lai – Hi.
ImyComic – hi Tim
Guest 9 – want millions of what?
VertigoX – fans, money
Samantha – Guest9: (He said he didn’t get millions of readers… but i WANT millions! Hahaha)
Guest 9 – yes i am paying attention …
VertigoX – Ah yes, StumbleUpon, Digg
Samantha – I *hate* those organized stumble groups though.
ImyComic – I do too samamtha
ImyComic – I gave stumbleupon a shot twice
VertigoX – I tried it and it just slowed up
VertigoX – alot
Samantha – I like being stumbled when someone REALLY likes a particular strip.
Guest 14 – Do you Stumpleupon for every comic or just targeted ones?
VertigoX – Question from Andy: How about Merchandising/Cafe Press etc?
Question from Guest 14: Press release to where? To media outlets?
Samantha – Yes, I have it on my feed.
Tim Lai – I think it’s a better idea to only use it for some comics.
Samantha – You can go back now and see who stumbled.
ImyComic – unfortunately, the one comic of mine that gets stumbled a LOT is not what I want as people’s first impression of Imy… but oh well
VertigoX – “I got stumbled upon and all I got was this t-shirt”
Guest 14 – Thank you so much for taking my questions. Now everyone tell 400 of your closest friends to visit http://www.urbanblah.com daily
Samantha – I have been stumbled on one of THOSE strips, too, Imy.
VertigoX – http://webcomicplanet.com/articles/the-press-release/
VertigoX – About the Press Release and how to Format them and other links
Guest 9 – i want coffee purfume! (http://www.urbanblah.com)
Samantha – *chuckle* at Vertigo.
VertigoX – “I stumbled and made someone famous, and all I got was this T-shirt”
ImyComic – hahaha
Guest 14 – @Guest9 Makes you smell good and wakes you up!
Samantha – Advice rec’d from R. Hicks of Little Vampires: No one loves your characters as much as YOU do…so they won’t buy your character shirts.
VertigoX – Good advice
ZombieRoomie – feh, firefox crash
VertigoX – Unless you have a following that people actually enjoy your series
VertigoX – http://www.lulu.com
Samantha – That’s exactly right, Vert.
ImyComic – My t-shirt wasn’t proftibale.. broke even.. but I love that people are wearing “Imy”‘s t-shirt out there LOL
VertigoX – I think Red vs. Blue has pulled that off 🙂 because I love that series and have bought t-shirts with quote slogans
ImyComic – *Imy’s ROCK t-shirt
Samantha – And your shirts have a lot of appeal for NON comic readers, tho.
VertigoX – See, I thought that would be an awesome shirt to have
ImyComic – yeah that’s what I was going for
Samantha – Have a con coming up in a couple of wees. I have mostly GIVE away stuff.
Samantha – (Comic samples, etc…
ImyComic – I sold 26 books last year… I was super surprised and excited
VertigoX – Sohmer from http://www.leasticoulddo.com
VertigoX – Awesome!
Guest 9 – i would also recommend a little freebe at conventions – like a sticker with your characters on it something small & fun
ImyComic – yeah I tried to sell my bookmarks and pins and that was a big fail
ImyComic – my books were the best
VertigoX – Good idea Alice
Guest 9 – 😀
Samantha – Have free sample of comic, postcards, etc. I’m only selling little sketch cards and copies of Sugar Ninjas.
Samantha – and maybe mini if I can get it together
ImyComic – I had a sample comic that I gave out for free
VertigoX – http://www.nextdayflyers.com
Samantha – Sample = pamphlet on 8.5.x 11 paper, folded like a brochure.
ImyComic – or Sweden!
VertigoX – or overseas
ImyComic – hahaha you can.. for like 3 vuks a can LOL
ImyComic – *bucks
ImyComic – vuks?!
DonF – svedish bucks?
Samantha – vuks is swedish for bucks
ImyComic – hahahaha
VertigoX – vuks? are those the sweddish equivalent?
DonF – 110 pounds?!
ImyComic – hiya “Don” ! 😀
VertigoX – Georgia Pacific – 110lbs … heavy paper and needs a Body builder to lift
DonF – hey “Imy” 😉
Samantha – Can by it by the ream at Office Depot, Tr1guy!
VertigoX – heya Don 🙂
Guest 9 – i love cardstock – it is great for papercraft
Samantha – I always keep it here. Kids use it for their stuff a lot too.
AndyCarolan – Talkshoe is screwing things up here… – i may keep disapearing lol
Samantha – bookmarks should have collective info on the back, btw.
VertigoX – TalkShoe said taht the REASON why people are getting disconnected is because they are switching people to different servers
Samantha – If someone comes to your table and obviously doesn’t like your stuff, you can always say, “Maybe one of the other comics in my collective is more to
Samantha – your liking.
ImyComic – I had Tall Tale Features postcards to hand out last year
Samantha – Yea, I think that’s great.
Samantha – Sometimes you have to nudge collective members to do stuff like that.
Samantha – Contests.
Guest 9 – i am actually in the process of creating postcards to hand out at cons – pretty stoked
ImyComic – yeah Tom Racine sent them to me a few weeks ahead of time and it was a GREAT idea.. I wouldn’t have thought of it
AndyCarolan – Tattoing your comic on your ass is probably a bad idea right? 😉
Guest 9 – ha
ImyComic – haha! well.. it would be interesting!
Guest 9 – we want pics 😛
ImyComic – the opposite cheek to the Paul Stanley star
Samantha – <–has a g-rated comic. That would be ..er.. interesting impression to make! HAHAHA
AndyCarolan – lol 😉
ZombieRoomie – I push pg, pg13 ish.
VertigoX – Had a guy tatto the Cock Bite aka Rooster Teeth had it tattooed on his butt as well
Samantha – I love Dawn
VertigoX – http://zfcomics.com
VertigoX – Zorphbert and Fred
VertigoX – Get out to a convention 🙂
Samantha – Just say, check out these comics at Webcomic Planet, too! hahaha
VertigoX – Get your name out there
VertigoX – that’s the general idea 🙂 http://webcomicplanet.com
Samantha – <—2nd convention coming up next month. *nervous*
Samantha – But excited
Guest 9 – i do that all the time & it works for promoting epically to other artists
VertigoX – This is totally going to be my first convention and as Press at that 🙂
ImyComic – cool!
Samantha – That’s Great, Guest 9
ImyComic – my 2nd comes up at the end of April *gulp*
Samantha – Also, it reinforces you as an ‘expert” in the field.
AndyCarolan – Im waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay off doing a convention… no merchandise etc. and too few comics so far. Maybe 2011 though 🙂
ImyComic – being in Sweden makes it difficult tog et out to a lot of conventions LOL I’m lucky I have the one!
Samantha – Love Antoine. he’s hilarious.
VertigoX – He’s a great guy I’m glad I’m working with him in that writing aspect
VertigoX – Anymore questions about Marketing?
Samantha – Imy, next time you come to the states to visit family.. look for cons you can zip over to while you’re down. I’d fly somewhere to meet you if I could!
AndyCarolan – Irma, i think theres only real convention in the UK – Webcomix Thing http://www.ukwebcomixthing.co.uk/
Samantha – Ideas for contests, Vert!
VertigoX – AHH!!! that’s it
VertigoX – http://zfcomics.com Dawn does it as a post on her website
ImyComic – Mike Witmer is going ot be at the NYC one in october.. and I contemplated going to visit my mom then, and going up to see him at the con
VertigoX – Caption Contests
ImyComic – but I don’t know yet
VertigoX – I think I need to get another Hat made with TGT Comics since I have that domain as well.
Samantha – I want to do a FB contest too. That’s be great
VertigoX – Name all ten songs
VertigoX – FB would be cool
VertigoX – Figure something that would tie in with your comic
Samantha – How about drawings?
ImyComic – I’m going to go a contest and give away one of my watercolors… but I haven’t decided on the contest yet
DonF – Contests in general… people love to win stuff!
Samantha – Like raffle, not doodles.
Samantha – I won that one!
VertigoX – Raffle off sketches? interesting stuff
ImyComic – I recently had a comic where Imy was making a rock playlist to send out to Aliens
VertigoX – 🙂
Samantha – I did the coppertone girl.
ImyComic – if I was smart I could have had some sort of “what’s Imy’s playlist” contest
Samantha – I remember that one, Imy
Guest 9 – Samantha that is wicked cool do you have a link 😛 ?
Samantha – yeah, Guest 9.. hold on.
DonF – Also, you don’t have to script your strip 😀
ImyComic – ha! 😀
ImyComic – 400?!?!?!?!?
VertigoX – Any other suggestions for personal marketing?
ImyComic – I’m so glad it’s all free over here
AndyCarolan – *boing* and there I went again… Im sure talkshoe is made of rubber :/
DonF – twitter contests combine attraction by the contest itself and it “forces” people to RT you
ImyComic – good point
DonF – that sentence doesn’t make much sense, but you catch my drift…. like some software companies do for free apps via twitter-mass-RTs
Guest 9 – before you splurge on a table go to a con & see what other tables are like & what the artists are like – you need to decide whether the con is right 4
Guest 9 – for you & is worth your time & money
tr1guy – Yes.
DonF – I’m no comic-creater, just a fan…
VertigoX – A reader is still a great person to be, that’s what I am 🙂
DonF – … with horribly spelling, sorry.
VertigoX – bah its ok
DonF – argh! horrible even
Guest 9 – me 2 no worries
AndyCarolan – good spelling is optional
Samantha – Guest 9: Here is my entry for ZF: http://www.zfcomics.com/comics/true-identities-contest-8/
VertigoX – ya that was awesome 🙂
Samantha – I loved doing that!
Samantha – I am still getting hits from that
Samantha – I printed out my entry on canvas and it looks GREAT
Samantha – Selling it at con.
Guest 9 – that is so good, hilarious & cute
Samantha – Manga Studio is great on twitter and fb, too.
VertigoX – I have to follow them on Facebook
Samantha – Guest 9: <3
ImyComic – 6pm already
DonF – Maybe create some sort of questionnaire on the site “which [insert comic here] character are you?!” … requires some programming skills of course
DonF – people on facebook seem to go crazy about this sort of stuff
Samantha – DonF, that’s a great idea.
ImyComic – ha that’s true
VertigoX – ya that is awesome, I did a Shadowgirls one 🙂
ImyComic – I’ve had a lot of “Kats” and “Imys” and “Zoes” tell me that
VertigoX – Imy! You need to have a character as the guitar that attacks people 🙂
DonF – hehe
Samantha – I think my audience is non-comic readers, though. HARD to get a webcomic out that way.
ImyComic – LOL
VertigoX – Samantha: But you have to find something that people find interesting
Samantha – 2 second pitch for quick meetings, 5 minute pitch for one-on-one meetings.
Guest 9 – how often do you guys do these live chats? this is pretty ballin’ but i need to go eat breakfast…
tr1guy – TGT is weekly.
VertigoX – that it is 🙂
Guest 9 – cool thanks
Samantha – Guest 9, these are reasonably regular.check out link to TGT website.
VertigoX – http://tgtmedia.com
AndyCarolan – That would be superb! – I will buy a mic lol
Samantha – Guest 9, I follow lots of webcomic podcasts! Look them up.
tr1guy – http://www.1977thecomic.om/
Samantha – http://witchytech.com/lifesawitch
ImyComic – http://www.imycomic.com
ZombieRoomie – http://www.zombieroomie.com
tr1guy – http://www.1977thecomic.com/
DonF – http://don-f.com … no comic, just rants in english and german 😀
AndyCarolan – http://www.andy-carolan.co.uk
ImyComic – gotta go make dinner.. see you later guys!
AndyCarolan – ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Samantha – DonF: Hahahahah!
AndyCarolan – seeya Imy
Guest 9 – http://www.tdotcomics.ning.com/ once more 😛
Samantha – Bye, Imy!
Tim Lai – http://lauguyscomics.com/lemoninc
Samantha – Vert is this your new mic?
DonF – thanks you guys, this was fun!
VertigoX – NO no non nono ononon
AndyCarolan – cheers guys!
Samantha – Oh good!
VertigoX – not at all Samantha
Samantha – I didn’t want tell you that you were still a bit garbled.
ZombieRoomie – I’ll have to pick up the download, I missed most of the beginning and I had some crashes.
Samantha – I know. *whew*
tr1guy – 🙂
tr1guy – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AS6OYC/ref=pd_luc_hashrec_04_03
Samantha – Do a review of it. I want to start doing audio posts and you KNOW how my mic is.
Samantha – yes, came through several times.
VertigoX – I will totally do that.
VertigoX – 🙂
Samantha – Enjoyed it all!
Samantha – Byeeee!
Guest 9 – buh bye
AndyCarolan – byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
VertigoX – Later all 🙂