NORTHUMBERLAND artist Mary Ann Rogers doesn't go out to sell paintings on her Facebook fan page, but she's built up around 350 fans by sharing a few of her paintings and noting new exhibitions on the horizon.

“I wouldn’t say I really know exactly what to do, but it’s quite fun”, she said. “I’ve had a fan page for a little while, but it’s only really in the last year that I’ve been more active and kept it up-to-date. It’s astounding how important it’s become to people’s lives.”

Rogers captures the landscapes and wildlife of her native Northumberland in watercolour paintings, prints and cards, and was presented with the Best Selling Published Artist award for 2009 by The Fine Art Trade Guild. She showcases her work at exhibitions, and her pieces will be on display at the NewcastleGateshead Art Fair from tomorrow and the Blagdon Gallery until October 8.

However, cultivating and looking after fans on her Facebook page is something that intrigues her. This is why she’s installing a Facebook app that’s just been developed by the same friend that set up her Facebook page a few years back.

David Haywood Smith is the man behind ScribeSub, the publishing platform in which readers use credits to buy individual articles. He’s just set up a Facebook app which allows page owners to hold weekly giveaways for fans, and has already found a couple of interested clients.

Smith said: “It’s a great way to build loyalty and reward existing fans who have already expressed an interest in you. It gives them something to look forward to on the page.”

The app adds a menu option on the lefthand side menu of the Facebook page. Clicking on the “weekly giveaway” link brings up a form which users can fill in to stand a chance of winning prizes. While the page owner has the task of clicking “pick a winner”, the winning entrant is selected randomly. The app also allows the page owner to build up a list of contacts who can be added to subscriber lists.

Rogers said: “It seems like quite an innovative way of looking after existing customers. The great thing about David’s idea for having a weekly raffle is people will give information, which means I can communicate with them via email. I can then treat them like a proper customer and look after them that way rather than just telling them I’ve fallen off a horse or something.”

As well as her paintings, Rogers sells a number of items featuring her work, such as bags, scarves, aprons and cushions. However, she sees Facebook more as a place for interaction than sales.

She said: “I know a few artists that just post all their work, and those that actively sell things through Facebook. That’s not where I’m at. It’s more about communicating with people interested in my work. I’ve mentioned events, and people have come along because of it. I’ve posted new paintings to ask people what they think, and I find it’s a really good way to do research on a small scale. When we were doing a new range of silk scarf designs, a really important part of that was putting them on Facebook and asking what sort of sizes were needed. People got back to me on that, and it’s good sometimes that the people that do that are existing customers or inclined toward your work in some way.”