Market Your Art in Person and in All Media

© 2007, Artist Career Training

You can now listen to the Tip-of- the-Week!


Artists who contact me about their art business often describe marketing their art as an unpleasant activity to avoid.

I know you would rather be making art. You know you have to do marketing to make a living.

If a "spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down," why not sweeten your marketing efforts by thinking of them as opportunities for organized creative activity. Marketing starts by "meeting and greeting" and goes on from there.

Getting started is easier if you change your definition of marketing.  Adopt mine and try it on for size:

"Marketing is a series of conversations which are designed to build bridges between you, your art and your audience."

Marketing conversations take place in person, in print and on the internet. You can vary the mix of media and the money you spend, depending on the results you want, timing, and your budget.

Networking is a low cost, high pay-off personal marketing strategy. For example, put together your own art collector's group or attend critique meetings with other artists. Then you can follow-up with a call, an e-mail or a thank you card.

Public Relations promote goodwill between you and your audience. Fundraisers are the obvious example, where you donate a piece of art or your time to a cause. But you may get more attention by volunteering for a cause that is not art related and which still involves people who are art lovers too. If it's time to write a news release and if you can't come up with a line that even your dog would love, check out Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound®. 

Advertising helps get the word out to people who do not yet know you personally or by referral. Advertising is not a one time effort. Remember the rule of repetition:  It takes 7 - 10 contacts for people to remember you. The regular appearance of your ad with an image of your art will build recognition.

Art sells by the personal touch no matter what marketing strategies you use. The purpose of marketing is to get exposure for your work. You start by behaving, talking and writing in a way that persuades strangers to become viewers. Eventually viewers become buyers and collectors or they refer you to people they know.

Always be authentic, trustworthy and generous - you never know who is going to notice you and your art.

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With the knowledge and support you get from Artist Career Training
you'll save time, effort and money.  We gather all the information you
need to market your art and build your art career so that you can make
money and get back to doing what you love - making more art.

Comments

[Sharon Menary]

Great ideas - and the perfect concept for artist who would rather be painting

[Ida]

Thanks for info