Using & Benefiting from the LSAG Newsletter/Blog

 

 

If you are on a boring white background page still in your email, you are NOT on the newsletter / blog main page.  Click on 'View LSAG's Blog' link on the RIGHT>>>>

 

If you need assistance with how to use the newsletter / blog...

If you have never been to the watercolor abstract page...

If you think the only way to read this is to look at the email...

If you think everything already happened & you got left out...

 

READ ON, PLEASE.  We have more to share. 

 

 

Using the weekly newsletter to learn about upcoming events & get reminders about shows is quick & easy.  Here's a primer for a few things to know about using & benefiting from the newsletter/blog each week.



The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know:  TWO WAYS to READ the BLOG/ NEWSLETTER 

1-Click only the posts you are interested in through the EMAIL.

2-Visit the blog/newsletter MAIN PAGE with all of the week's posts AND past posts.

 

1  EMAIL
 

"I want to read ONLY THE ONES THAT INTEREST ME."

You'll need to...

-CLICK THE RED HEADLINE for each post of interest 
OR
-CLICK 'READ MORE' at the end of each of these posts.

 

   

 

Things to  Note When You Are On The Emailed Newsletter With Links:

 

-You will NOT get all of the details of an event by looking at the teaser. 

-Don't mistake the PUBLISHING date with the date of the EVENT.  We do not publish old, outdated information.  If you think you missed an event, check the full post to see the DATE of the EVENT.  Keep in mind some exhibits & classes are ONGOING.  You MUST read the headline or post to determine the date of the event & other details. 

-If you are short on time, clicking on only the posts of interest is the best thing to do; see if anything is of interest & click accordingly to get details for those posts only.

*****

 

 2  MAIN PAGE

"I want to know about EVERYTHING."

 

You'll need to...   

 -Go to the TOP RIGHT SIDE of the newsletter & CLICK on 'Visit LSAG's BLOG'.

 

Visit LSAG's Blog

 

Going here, you will see EVERY post in its entirety on a backdrop of a warm watercolor abstract. 

 

 

 

Things to Note When You Are On the Blog Main Page:

 

 

-NOTE the date at the top on the little brown tab.  It shows the PUBLISHING DATE (not the date of events).  You MUST read the headline or post to determine the date of the event & other details. 

 

 

-You can also ACCESS PAST POSTS by scrolling down & going to older posts or previous pages.  Not all of our newsletters fit on one blog page, so you may have to go to a previous page to see all posts for a given newsletter.  Again, note the publishing date on the brown tab to determine if you are reading last week's newsletter or this week's.

 

 

-It is easy to search for posts by organization or month the post was made.  LSAG leagues also may have other ways to search such as under the topic of "classes" or "workshop".  Go to the blog & read the right hand side margin for a listing. 

 

 

-We label each post by organization & month(s).  Sometimes we'll add extra labels.  In order to continuously offer you a weekly newsletter, we publish most every week of the year...even when we are on vacation or are out of town for some other reason such as work.  During these weeks, we do NOT label posts due to time constraints.  When organizations RE-POST their events, it will get labeled.  If you would like to be a part of the newsletter/blog team & serve as an assistant, contact me at lsagannouncements@gmail.com.  

 

 

-Click on LSAG Helps, LSAG News, LSAG Convention, & LSAG Rules for the latest LSAG news.

 

 

-Link to local leagues' websites--also on the upper right side margin.  If a league does not have a website of their own, (or has not told us about it) this will link to the LSAG website page.  See Sue Syvertson for website updates to league pages.  She can be reached at lsagpresident@gmail.com.  If you have a league website to link, let us know at lsagannouncements@gmail.com.

 

 

-From the newsletter email you get on Tuesdays, you can also link quickly to LSAG's website.  This is especially convenient when you wish to enter a show as the LSAG database for show entry is on the website.

 

Visit LSAG's website

Reminders from LSAG Blog/E-Newsletter: Our Greater Guild's Free Advertising Venue

*It is the responsibility of EACH INDIVIDUAL LEAGUE to post advertisements to the blog.

**This is a FREE TOOL for your use as part of your LSAG membership.  The LSAG website is the guild's home base; the LSAG blog is the guild's newspaper or television available to remind you & the greater guild about art events and ADVERTISE your league's events to others on a weekly basis.

***Art related posts only please.  Posts should be sent no less than a week prior to the event with the exception of on-going events.  For on-going events, feel free to post until the end of your event.

****The deadline for each Tuesday's e-newsletter is SUNDAY midnight.  Late postings will be delayed to the following week.  We do not publish expired posts. 

*****The more you advertise your MEETINGS, your DEMOS, your CLASSES, your SHOWS, & other activities, the better attended they will be.  Greater attendance=potential for increase in your league's membership!

******YOU are welcome to RE-POST your activities as often as you wish up to your event or the end of your event.  We are NOT able to re-post for you.  This is a weekly e-newsletter, & we have a large number of leagues as well as friends of LSAG for whom we are publishing their posts.

*******Basic editing for spelling & grammar is included.  We do our best to make your post look attractive, but you must submit it in a form in which we can do so.  If you do not, we will not be able to adjust your type to make it more readable or change your spelling/grammar if you make a mistake.  Ampersands (&) make posts messy unless they are edited by us.

********We canNOT post your entire prospectus.  Please include a link or your web address for more information.

*********The most read posts are SHORT but COMPLETE with the basics for any invitation included & CONTACT INFORMATION & WEBSITE. 

**********To post, send a SIMPLE EMAIL to lsagannouncements@gmail.com.  Attach pictures in JPEG format.  Attached documents will NOT POST PROPERLY.  Pictures in another format will NOT POST PROPERLY.  For more details on how to post, please see the blog main page or the LSAG website.

Posting to the Blog: How To Use It To Your Advantage

Posting to the Blog / E-Newsletter is how we communicate across the many miles that make up our great guild.  

Be informed & know how to post to take advantage of this far reaching opportunity.  Read over the basics below or get more info from the detailed version (also below).

_______________________________________

*Be sure your show chairs & other league event coordinators know the ropes of posting.

*Remind your members that the best way to know about art related opportunities outside of their own league is to receive the e-newsletter from us each week or check the blog regularly.  Convenient links to the blog or to sign up for the newsletter are on the LSAG website.  The e-newsletter is sent out once per week.

___________________________________________

The Basics for Everyone:

-Post events no later than a week prior to event or deadline you are advertising.

-Publishing closes on Sunday of each week.  Post events no later than a Sunday for inclusion in that week's e-newsletter.   
Your email does not instantly get posted in an automatic way when you send it.  
It must be published; thus the Sunday deadline. 

-Pictures must be in JPEG format.  No others will post.

-Keep posts short & to the point... but be complete.
Link members to your website or a contact person & contact info.

-Focus your headline (subject line of the email) on the most immediate or most significant element.

-We do not re-post.  You must re-send the post or send an updated one to have it in another newsletter.

___________________________________

The Details:

How To Post

WHO can post an event? 
ANYone who has an ART related event they wish to share.  

*We do not post events or businesses outside of art related ones.

WHY post?

Posting=Advertising!  And it is free!  Make your event more successful with advertising.  

WHEN should you post?

NO LESS than a WEEK PRIOR to the EVENT or DEADLINE.  And post NO LATER than SUNDAY midnight for posts going out in that week's e-newsletter. 

*We do NOT post events that will have already passed at the time of the e-news mass email.
*Announcements sent on Mondays & Tuesdays will not be posted until the following week's e-newsletter provided the event did not already occur.  Your email does not instantly get posted in an automatic way when you send it.  It must be published; thus the Sunday deadline. 

HOW does someone create a post?

Send an E-MAIL to lsagannouncements@gmail.com; it is that simple.

Usually, your subject line will be the headline of your post.  

*Keep your headline short & to the point. 

*Focus your headline on the most immediate or significant element of the post---an upcoming deadline for example or your star artist who is doing the workshop & the dates.

WHAT is needed for a post?

BASICS for any invitation:  

WHAT IT IS, DATE, TIME, PLACE, ADDRESS, CONTACT, RSVP DEADLINE.

*If you put it on a party invitation, you put it on a post. 

*You may also include other relevant information:  fees? supplies? short artist bio?

*Most read posts are short & to the point...but still complete.

HOW OFTEN should you post for a given event?

Once a week or every other week PRIOR to the event (& DURING the event if it is an exhibit for example)  

*The more you advertise your event, the better attended it will be.

Do you automatically RE-RUN posts?

NO, we do NOT re-run posts.  

*Re-posting  is up to you, your public relations/publicity person, or other person in charge of such duties to both post & re-post information as often as they wish it to be sent to the membership.

*Occasionally, LSAG Communications will write a post to re-cap events, shows, or other art opportunities.  This is related EXCLUSIVELY to the posts we have received.  

HOW OFTEN do you post the same message?

ONCE in a week; multiple posts are discarded.

CAN I INCLUDE a picture?

YES, in JPEG format attached to the email; we cannot copy other formats or documents.

*If your picture doesn't show up on the post, it was probably not sent in the correct format.

WHAT should I NOT include in a post?

*Please do not send forms or applications as we will not be able to post them.  Instead send the LINK or website to access those forms if members are interested.

*Our members are comprised of people of all ages---including our youngest members at the elementary school level & up.  Because of that, we will not post things that suggest violence, strong nudity, or other things that may be deemed inappropriate for those viewers.  

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO to make my post look as professional as possible?

*Click on your SPELL CHECK before sending & EDIT just as you would a letter to a friend. 

*DOUBLE CHECK dates & details.  

*Be sure you've included the most IMMEDIATE points such as a deadline that occurs prior to the event itself.  

*The body of your email becomes the body of your post.  

*READ over your post before sending as if you are NOT familiar with the event to see if it is clearly communicated to other readers who are also not going to be familiar.
*AVOID the ampersand (&).  They quickly make posts messy.  We often edit posts to avoid this, but if time does not allow, they will make their messy mark.  &&&&&  

MORE QUESTIONS about posts?

Send an email to lsagannouncements@gmail.com; subject line: Posting Question