As part of my research for a recent PR campaign here at Artsinform, I looked into how London art galleries can advertise their exhibitions for free on the web. The results of my analysis are beneficial, in terms of offering you some free information and guidance, but they are also of use to us as we can refer to the information again for our clients. A recent hot topic for discussion has been free online marketing methods that help to establish an online presence, including, social media, blogs, video etc. We now need to investigate what is readily available online, in terms of places where event information can be uploaded and advertised for free. For the purpose of this article, I have focused on London listings, but there are many free submission sites up and down the country, so ensure you get the most out of them today, if you are not taking advantage of such platforms already.
I will start by providing some insight into how to approach the larger and well-known London listing websites. AllinLondon, the events listings website for those who live in London, has a detailed ‘What’s on’ section where you can add your exhibition information for free. AllinLondon is a good starting place as the website attracts a staggering 1,000,000 users per month.
To add a listing, simply, click on ‘Add an Event’, and then ‘General Events’. Fill in the form, add an image to boost your ad, and click on ‘Add this Event’ and it will send (www.allinlondon.co.uk/add_whatson.php).
Information can be sent as far in advance/close to the event date as you wish.
Artshole is another London-based website that allows you to list exhibition details for free. In the form of an online gallery, the site is very attractive and currently has 300,000 hits per month. There is an extensive ‘What's on’ section covering exhibitions in London. Visit this section, click on ‘Submit Your Exhibition Now’ and complete the form
(http://www.artshole.co.uk/submit_now/)- as easy as one, two, three.
Also, specifically listing London events is London Diary Online. Scroll down the home page to ‘Up coming events’ and click on ‘What’s on news and updates’. On the right you can click on ‘New Topic’ and fill in the form. Please bear in mind that only paid-for listings have guaranteed inclusion on this website. All information goes through their editor, Michael Wint, first.
London is Free has free exhibition listings. Click on ‘Exhibitions’ on the left-hand side then ‘Add your event’. There are also numerous other free listing websites, which are not specifically London-based but have sections on London events. ArtRabbit, a new entry in this issue of the directory, is a great example. An online tool for anyone interested in the UK's vibrant art scene, ArtRabbit serves exhaustive listings of contemporary art events throughout the UK. You can join for free and add events you know about, then read and discuss what other people thought. To do this, click on ‘Events’. Then click on your area (London) then select your gallery. If your gallery is not listed then there is a button to click to add it. Then create your own.
There are many other free submission sites where you can advertise your London exhibition details. Aesthetica, for example, allows you to add events on their listings page. Click on ‘What’s on’ then go to ‘Add new event’ (underneath to the right-hand side) Fill in the form for a free listing. Your entry can be up to 100 characters. It will be put up once moderators have checked it.
Britisharts.co.uk is another option. It lists all information relating to the arts in Britain, from galleries, venues and founders, to artists and publishers. In order to advertise your event you need to add a reciprocal link to your website, which is easy and worthwhile.
Artslant and Artsphere are other examples. Artslant describes itself as 'The inside spot for art buzz and events.' Like many of the free listing websites you have to register for free before you can upload any information. Once you have done this, put the cursor over ‘Add content’ on the right-hand side of the choice bar. Click on ‘Add your exhibit’. You will then have to log-in with the details you set up when you first registered.
Artsphere, an online creative arts network, provides an arts news service. Since 2006 they have developed and nurtured a constantly growing base of members with expertise throughout the creative arts. The Events Diary section keeps you up to date with the UK Creative Arts Scene.Similar to most of the other free listing websites discussed, Artsphere requires that you sign up as a member with them first. Then there are two options for getting your details published on their site:
1.Create your own blog (at http://artsphere.co.uk/yourblog/) and post your news up. Don’t forget to tell everyone about your artsphere blog too.
Site-wide blog posts are featured on the home page and elsewhere on the site, so visitors can spot your blog post before they even get there. They recommend this method for all standard news items, and general blogging.
2. Add your press release or news item via the news desk form. You need to include an image to accompany your press release. They will then review your item and post it to the main blog. They recommend this method for more significant news stories and press releases.
I have mentioned all the best free submission websites that I have come across in my research. Start advertising your event for free on some of these sites, if not all, to get more promotion for your exhibitions. Remember, advertising your exhibition details on your website is a great place to start.
References:
http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/
http://www.artshole.co.uk/
http://www.londonisfree.com/
http://www.londondiary.ltd.uk/
http://www.artrabbit.com/
http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/
http://www.britisharts.co.uk/
http://www.artslant.com/
http://artsphere.co.uk/
