My work on display art Showborough House Garden Art Show

I dropped off my artwork this afternoon at Showborough House for the Affordable Garden Art Competition and Exhibition which starts 3rd May and continues to 17th June.

Really pleased with end product and it has been secured in a perfect spot in the gardens which will show it off to its best during the show. See the photo of the piece in position!

Showborough House is situated in the village of Twyning, Gloucestershire GL20 6DN. The show is free to visit and the gardens are filled with a mix of traditional and contemporary art/sculpture.

The show is a not for profit event with all entry fees going into the competition prize.

If anyone fancies a different type of day out viewing art and sculpture by local artists in some lovely gardens, visit the show website for directions.

I am really looking forward to the show and excited that one of my pieces of photo art is on display. Its been over 4 years since I last participated in an art exhibition, so its especially great to get my work out into the public again.

Your help needed - see my art shown in major New York art exhibition

I have just signed up for a major New York art exhibition selection process to have the chance of displaying one of my photo art pieces displayed on the large screens in Times Square: http://jasonconway.artistswanted.org/atts2012

This is a fantastic opportunity to get major exposure for my work. The competition and show is organised by Artists Wanted and the show is titled "Art Takes Times Square'. There is a grand prize of $10,000 for the winner, but just getting my work shown on such a large scale would be a huge stepping stone and could help me to sell my work and secure more prestigious exhibitions in the future.

My passion for a long time has been photography and art and my photo art brings my photo manipulation expertise and photo experience together. My work is a mix of odd and miniture worlds all around us often overlooked in our busy day to day lives.

I would love to get my work shown and with your help this could be possible. All I need is to secure 77 votes on my profile and my work is automatically featured in the show!

So this is a plea to anyone out there to help my passion to be noticed in this major art expo in Times Square.

All that is needed is to visit the link and click the 'collect me' text at the top of the screen to secure your votes. You can also help by sharing my profile with your contacts.

Fingers crossed and now its over to you....

Social Branding: Be an island of interest in a sea of social

Okay, hands up, how many of you have a branded Facebook or Twitter business page?

Social media is now a huge player in marketing for businesses. The amount of new users is on the rise all the time, so how is it that so many small business owners miss the importance of a branded profile?

I think a good guess would be the lack of knowledge and understanding about social media and how it affects and influences online marketing. Social media is still a new pastime for many and a large amount of business people fail to understand how it all works.

Facebook branding example

Click here to visit the clients facebook business page

It may also be the misconception that branding can be expensive for small businesses, but this is easy to dispel. Like myself, there are many designers offering affordable social branding and with a small investment, the impact can create a powerful message for a new visitor to your page. There can be many reasons behind visitor intentions, but having a branded page can only improve a persons perception of your business and give them a reason to contact you.

Twitter branding example

Click here to visit the clients twitter profile @TaxReturnGlos

For many businesses, the use of basic twitter backgrounds seems to be the norm, but the background images offered by twitter, have nothing that relates to your business branding. Believe it or not, people are already interested in or intrigued by your business if they choose to visit your twitter page and you should be doing all you can to impress them. Yes, content is king and engaging with your followers is vital, but as a business you need to be consistent and invest in a custom twitter background that reflects your identity and your message.

The next time your on facebook or twitter take a look at the businesses that you follow (or the ones that follow you) and see if any of these have taken the initiative to brand their pages. Then compare these to unbranded pages. I am sure that you will be convinced by the power of social branding and how it can engage, inform and inspire.

By Jason Conway: Creative Marketing Consultant and founder of IDEOSYNC Creative Marketing Solutions.

The three C's of branding... Consistency, Consistency, Consistency

The most important part of any branding is consistency across all media. If your a small business and want to create a great impression with potential new customers, making sure that design, print and web advertising and promotion is consistent is key to creating a good impression.

Attention to detail with colour reproduction, quality printed materials and the use of clear and sharp logo's and photos are a must. Colour can vary in may ways and due to material differences, paper finishes, digital print methods and monitor calibration, so getting everything consistent is very important.

We see businesses (both large and small) making the same mistakes time and time again and its nothing complex to fix. So take time with a critical eye when reviewing your branding, advertising and marketing activities. Or hire a design team that prides themselves on attention to details.