The Artist Career Training Blog

Learning Opportunities to Help Artists Make More Money

Aletta de Wal — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:54:50 +0000

Free Art Business Tips: How to Use Print Promotional Tools

If you are on a tight budget, our series of practical tips will help you use effective, low-cost marketing tools to promote your art with class. So far we have covered:

Your Promotional Identity

Business Cards and Cover Letters to introduce yourself and your art

Postcards, Rack Cards, Flyers, Brochures and Catalogues and Portfolios to broadcast information about yourself and your art and packets to make a direct connection.

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Free Download: Please forward to artist friends.

Treat your art business like any other serious profession. The business of art is creating unique work of high quality and value to your viewers. The art of business is consistently building sustainable relationships through strategic work habits and well-organized business systems.
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Sponsored Spotlight:

If you were away last month, you might have missed the announcement of our newest e-book "Affordable Marketing That Really Works For You" Your website, online marketing, and printed marketing materials by Robin Sagara.

Take a peek inside and read Part 1 here.
Buy Now for $29.95
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Road Trip

Art Marketing 101 For Smart Artists: The 7 P's Of Marketing Your Art
Friday, October 22, 2010 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Fr129 Register

Avoiding the business side of art is like driving down unknown country roads in the dark without headlights: you don't know what your destination looks like. You might end up down the wrong road, or worse yet, run out of gas. If you want to attract more collectors, gallery dealers and museum curators, you must know how to market your art. It doesn't have to be hard, boring or expensive. You just need a system and you have to use it consistently. Imagine having a reliable vehicle for marketing your art, with high beams to focus on the best way to save you time, money and energy. Learn to navigate the seven stages in the journey. You will leave this class with a marketing map that will help you drive your business so that you have a better year than ever. Then all you have to do is steer.

Related e-books available at www.artbusinesslibrary.com/art-marketing.

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The Artist Who Tells The Best Story Wins
Friday, October 22, 2010 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Fr272 Register

Your art doesn't speak for itself - you do. At the heart of your marketing is a series of conversations designed to build a bridge between you, your art and your audience of art lovers and art professionals. The purpose of a persuasive presentation or conversation is to provide the audience with good reasons to look closely at your work, tells others about it and buy it. Learning to talk about your work to anyone, anytime, anywhere pays big dividends. On the list of people's greatest fears, public speaking has first place, while "death" is seventh. It only takes a few skills to start moving forward from fear into your comfort zone. You just need to know how to start, continue and end conversations. Learn how to plan what you want to say, say what you want your audience to hear and remember what you planned to say. The artist who tells the best story wins.

Related e-books available at http://www.artbusinesslibrary.com/art-marketing.

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Multiple Sources of Art Income: Alternative Spaces, Galleries And Licensing
Friday, October 22, 2010 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM Fr313 Register

It's better to have your eggs in more than one basket if you want to make a good living as an artist. In this class you will learn the following:

When you sell directly to collectors, you don't have to share the commission with a gallery. You'll reach people who find traditional art galleries too intimidating and who like to buy art directly from the artist. Gallery dealers love working with artists who have built a healthy mailing list and already have satisfied collectors as proof of the ability to make art that sells.
When you get a gallery to represent you, you get an exhibit venue and help with all the marketing. You reach a qualified audience loyal to the gallery with trust in the dealer's work and artists. In return, you pay a commission.
If your work has wide appeal, you can become a household name and earn royalties by licensing your art to manufacturers.

You can choose one of these sources of income or all three. Find out what is involved so you can make the right choice.

Related e-books available at www.artbusinesslibrary.com/artist-money-matters.

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Who Are You And What Is Your Art All About? Your Artist Statement And Audio-Logo
Saturday, October 23, 2010 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Sa129 Register

You only have one chance to create a great first impression. If you blow that chance, there are hundreds of other artists just waiting to step up and take your place at the front of the line. You need to pique interest right away and stimulate curiosity. Learn how to answer the question "What do you do?" (Hint: The answer is not, "I am an artist.") You need an artist statement that is complete, concise and memorable. Learn how to create a 10 - 12 word introduction that leaves people wanting to know more. Learn how to write or improve your artist statement for your current body of work, making every word count; how to handle your fears; why some artist statements "shine and others whine"; and how to describe your art so that others are eager to enjoy your vision. You will learn what to include or exclude so that any art lover at any age can understand it. This class is based on reading thousands of bad artist statements, and editing a few hundred good ones.

Related e-books available at www.artbusinesslibrary.com/art-marketing.

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The Goldilocks Pricing Method
Saturday, October 23, 2010 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Sa270 Register

Are you worried that your prices are "too high" or "too low"? Get your prices "just right" or you will be marketing like a character in a fairy tale. "Guessing", "Rules of Thumb" and "By-the-Inch" pricing can get you in trouble. Good pricing of your art is simply good business. Your prices must be consistent and appropriate for all audiences and art markets in which you show and sell your work. Gallery dealers and experienced collectors see enough art to have a built-in sense of an appropriate price. It is your job to be equally versed and to set credible prices that will attract buyers and representatives. Learn the mistakes to avoid; how to calculate your costs; how to set your prices; when to raise your prices; how to include gallery commissions; and how to handle requests for discounts. You will leave with a 10-factor formula that will give you the confidence to stand behind your prices and get paid what your art is worth.

Based on the E-Book and Recording "Pricing Your Work to Sell" and the softcover book "Pricing Your Work With Confidence." (Sold separately at www.artbusinesslibrary.com/artist-money-matters.)

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How To Build A Healthy Art Business That Leads To Sales: Nine Marketing Strategies To Get More Exposure For Your Art
Saturday, October 23, 2010 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Sa272 Register

You don't get a fit body by going to the gym once in a while. You need willpower, an exercise program, many repetitions and the occasional tip from a qualified trainer. The same goes for keeping your art business in shape. Simplify the job of building your art business with nine marketing actions.

This workshop is based on the Artist Career Training mantra "Exposure = Success", used and proven by an international online artist community of emerging, mid-career and established artists. www.artistcareertraining.com/featured-artists

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Create A Great Marketing Packet, Not Just A Good One!
Sunday, October 24, 2010 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Su123 Register

Do you have powerful images of your body of work? Do you write enticing descriptions of your life as an artist? Do you showcase your art career accomplishments? Create a memorable professional marketing portfolio to stand out in a crowded art world. Get step-by-step instructions and see examples developed by a gallery dealer including: cover letters, resume, artist's statement, press and reviews, visuals, inventory list, and presentation of the portfolio. Gallery dealers and arts writers nationwide will acclaim your presentation and ask to meet you.

Based on 75 item assessment tool, detailed checklists, samples and templates in the Artist Career Training E-Book & Recording "Creating Your Professional Portfolio." (Sold separately at www.artbusinesslibrary.com/art-marketing)

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Bust That Starving Artist Myth (And 11 Others)
Sunday, October 24, 2010 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Su257 Register

You don't have to suffer to be a true artist. Even the archetypal starving artist Vincent van Gogh wasn't doing so badly. He came from a wealthy family of gallery dealers and worked in an important gallery for six years. The "starving artist" myth is just one of many false beliefs about how artists live and work. These persistent myths are deep-rooted in society but as artists we need to educate people because when people devalue the "real job" of being an artist, they also downgrade your art. Artists who shed these misconceptions release trapped creative energy. Attend this workshop and bust 12 common myths with the realities that successful working artists know to be true. Build a thriving career with a solid foundation based on four cornerstones about your career, your art business, art marketing and art sales.

Based on working with artists who don't buy into these myths and make 6-figure incomes!
www.artistcareertraining.com/art-business-overview

P.S. Are you on Facebook, Twitter and/or Linked In? Let's connect and keep in touch in between posts! Just click on these images and let me know what you found useful about this tip: And please include a link to the Art Marketing Blog so other artists can benefit.

How to Use Print Promotional Tools: Artist Marketing Packets

Aletta de Wal — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 22:41:40 +0000

If you are on a tight budget, our series of practical tips will help you use effective low-cost marketing tools to promote your art with class. So far we have covered:

Your Promotional Identity

Business Cards and Cover Letters to introduce yourself and your art

Postcards, Rack Cards, Flyers, Brochures and Catalogues and Portfolios to broadcast information about yourself and your art.

Today we cover your artist marketing packet.
A stellar art marketing packet gets right to the point and delights the recipient.

Photo: Copyright ©2010 AGK

When to Use an Artist Marketing Packet Instead of an Art Marketing Portfolio.

Think of it as a parent-child relationship. Your marketing portfolio is the parent showing off your everyday brand. Your marketing packet is the child dressed for a special event.

You can use your artist marketing packet to:

Respond to calls for art in prestigious galleries and museums;

Apply for juried membership in professional art clubs to build your reputation;

Compete for residencies to develop your art and build connections

Apply for grants to further your artistic excellence and merit

Invite collectors to a special event to thank them for their patronage (and of course show them new art for sale);

How to Design an Artist Marketing Packet
If you already have a master portfolio, you don't have to start from scratch. (If you don't have one yet, make sure to get this done this year. You will thank yourself later when you need to come up with something at the drop of a hat. There's more help on how to create your master professional portfolio here: Artists Need a Professional Portfolio.)

Always design with your audience in mind:

If you are inviting collectors to an event, create an appealing package and write irresistible, compelling content;

If you are competing with other artists for exhibitions, residencies, grants or apprenticeships, follow instructions.

Then make your submission the highest quality possible, so yours stands out from the "also rans."

Use your creative genius to create an artist marketing packet that reflects your art aesthetic and your brand

Decide which contents to include to suit your audience and purpose:

Cover letter

One- or two-page resume

Artist's statement

Articles and press

Labeled color photocopies of images

Inventory list for all images with retail prices

Sample rack cards, brochures, postcards, business cards

DVD

CD of contents

Event RSVP

Self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE)

Take a look at this invitation to a collectors' event from established artist and A.C.T. community member Bruce Marion. This beautiful packet came in a FedEx envelope so of course, I opened it right away. Priority mail is another option. Both say "Open me First." The extra expense is worth the impact. The whole effect spells "class and care." (More about that in future interviews with Bruce.)

Photo: Copyright ©2010 AGK

Photo: Copyright ©2010 AGK

Photo: Copyright ©2010 AGK

Remember to Follow-up
Sending a packet - or any other marketing piece - is just the beginning. Follow up by e-mail or by telephone a couple of weeks after you mail the packet. Ask the recipient if they have had time to look at it and if you can provide any more information to help them make a favorable decision. Remember to thank them for their time and attention, whether or not they respond as you hoped.

P.S. If you want to refine your art marketing or are bewildered about where to even begin with your promotion, reply to this e-mail with your questions and ask me about a free 15 minute consultation to help you get started.

P.S. Are you on Facebook, Twitter and/or Linked In? Let's connect and keep in touch in between posts! Just click on these images and let me know what you found useful about this tip: And please include a link to this blog so other artists can benefit.

P.P.S. If you were away last month, you might have missed the announcement of our newest e-book "Affordable Marketing That Really Works For You" Your website, online marketing, and printed marketing materials by Robin Sagara.

Take a peek inside and read Part 1 here.
Buy Now for $29.95

Robin's Marketing Action Tip - Where to Get Supplies to Create Your Marketing Packet

Robin Sagara — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 22:38:33 +0000

We order a lot of stuff online to create marketing packets, videos, DVDs and other groovy stuff for artists. If you're a DIY person, these resources should help. Do order them online as much as you can, and save yourself a lot of running around. Or, let us do it for you so you can get back to being an artist. ;-D

These are just a few of the many quality places to buy online. If YOU have suggestions and places you love, please send them to me or leave a comment here on the blog.

DVD and CD labels, cases, media:
Neato www.neato.com/
We use their stuff to create in-house, and we've uploaded designs and had them print (and even shrink wrap) DVDs and CDs.

Presentation folders and labels:
Office Depot: www.officedepot.com and
Staples: www.staples.com
Folders, labels, papers, media, shipping supplies. You can shop online and get back to creating your art. Or, your local office supply store should have a nice selection. Also ask at their in-house print shop about custom orders.
Online Printers, Google "custom presentation folders" or try www.printplace.com

Art Supplies, Craft Supplies, and Fine Papers:
Michaels www.michaels.com
Mowhawk Fine Papers www.mohawkpaper.com
Blick Art Materials www.dickblick.com
Utrecht Art Supplies www.utrechtart.com
Art Paper www.artpaper.com
Legion Paper www.legionpaper.com
Fabric.com www.fabric.com
JoAnn Fabric & Crafts www.joann.com

Shipping:
We have accounts online. Just fill in the info and print shipping labels on your own printer (and return shipping labels). FedEx will give you shipping supplies and even pre-print your information on their shipping labels.
USPS: United States Postal Service www.usps.com 800-275-8777
FedEx: Federal Express www.fedex.com 800-463-3339
DHL: www.dhl.com 800-225-5345

And because you have high-resolution images of your work, and some cool photos of you, you working in your studio, you at your shows/galleries, you installing your work at a show, etc., you can use them in your packet, and in your portfolio, your postcards, your business cards, rack cards, and so on.

Want some help or advice on how to put together your packets and other marketing materials? The first 15 minutes are on me, just email me to schedule some time.

All my best to you and yours,

Robin Sagara
Web Marketing Mentor
robin@artistcareertraining.com

How to Use Print Promotional Tools: Professional (Marketing) Portfolio

Aletta de Wal — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:59:44 +0000

If you are on a tight budget, our series of practical tips will help you use effective low-cost marketing tools to promote your art with class. So far we have covered:

Your Promotional Identity

Business Cards and Cover Letters to introduce yourself and your art

Postcards, Rack Cards, Flyers, Brochures and Catalogues to broadcast information about yourself and your art.

Today we cover your professional portfolio.

A good portfolio answers the question "Who Are You and Why Should I do Business With You?"

A Great Portfolio Gets All the Action.

"A talented artist submitted his very professional portfolio of silver sculpture to me. The artist had a solid background in the arts, good inventory and serious credentials, and was reaching out to dealers in cities across the country hoping for greater exposure of his work. His promotional materials were nicely presented; the photos of his work were compelling. The artist was both articulate and polite on the phone and his correspondence was direct and to the point. Even though I was impressed with both him and his portfolio, I passed on representing him because his style of art was not suited to the collectors in my community. I recommended that he submit his work to galleries. I even thought of a few places where his work might sell. I gave him the names and numbers of several good galleries to contact. He seemed happy for the feedback, and thanked me for not sending him away empty-handed.

"I cannot emphasize enough the importance of a great portfolio. As an art representative and alternative gallery owner, venue owners often ask me for the artist's statement, biography, exhibition list and images for each of the artists I represent. When the artist is prepared, it makes my job selling their artwork, that much easier." A.C.T. Art Marketing Mentor & Artist Representative Margaret Danielak, a graduate of the A.C.T. Art Marketing Workshop and owner of Danielak Art.

Why You Need a Professional Portfolio

Your professional portfolio is a visual snap shot of your art and career. A great portfolio builds confidence. It helps viewers decide to buy your work, represent you or talk about you to friends and art professionals. It is a "stand in" for you and acts as a portable studio.

Isn't My Web Site Enough?

Artists often tell me that they already have a web site where people can view their work and learn about them. Why do they need a hard copy portfolio? Isn't that "old school?"

Think about the viewers' experience.

I look at hundreds of web sites and some get lost in the blur. My first impression often determines how I will look and how long I will stay. I may leave right away, look at each page in order of the menu, or I might bounce around to get a sampling.

The first time through a portfolio, I can scan the contents from start to finish and then go back for a closer look at certain sections. I tend to go in the order you've presented it. I can linger. And the images are usually better than on a web site.

The experience of thumbing through a printed portfolio uses three channels of perception: seeing, touching and moving. The more channels, the more memorable the experience. And the point is for the viewer to remember you.

Your web site is a mirror of your hard copy portfolio. YOU NEED BOTH.

Once you have a hard copy portfolio, you can easily align your web site or Blog with this material and create a CD version.

How to Design a Professional Portfolio

This is not the place to rush or scrimp. A good portfolio should say, "I am a professional artist that YOU want to work with!"

The best portfolio is functional - easy for the recipient to review and easy for you to produce. I've seen all types of presentations of artwork, from old cardboard folders or scrapbooks holding snapshots to big fancy black leather custom-made notebooks with engraved stationery and custom-printed oversize photographs. Many of these portfolios are amateur or uselessly elaborate. The easiest container for both you and your viewers is a "dressed" view binder with your promotional identity in the plastic sleeves and spine.
Each portfolio you create is drawn from your Master File (Electronic, print and CD) of all your updated material. Once you have a Master Portfolio, all you have to do is update it whenever you have an event, award or new body of work. (You do update your material every time you have something new to add, don't you? If not, you might miss an opportunity!) Make sure to keep a backup off-site and natural disaster-proof.
The contents typically include:
- Cover letter,
- One- or two-page resume,
- Artist's statement,
- Articles and press,
- Labeled color photocopies of images
- Inventory list for all images with retail prices
- Sample rack cards, brochures, postcards, business cards
- CD of contents
- Self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) in back pocket

Make Sure to Follow-up
Each viewer looks at a portfolio for a different reason. A gallery dealer is interested in the visuals, your prices, and your resume. A museum curator looks at your artist's statement and experience. The arts writer is interested in newsworthy accomplishments. Collectors want to see if there is anything to buy.

Effective marketing is polite and persistent. Viewers often flip through and assess portfolios quickly before they return or toss them. Don't leave it up to busy people to decide when they will get back to you. Show them that you mean business and take the initiative.

There's more help on how to create your professional portfolio here: Artists Need a Professional Portfolio.

P.S. If you are bewildered about where to even begin with your promotion, reply to this e-mail with your questions and ask me about a free 15 minute consultation to help you get started.

P.P.S. If you were away last month, you might have missed the announcement of our newest e-book "Affordable Marketing That Really Works For You" Your website, online marketing, and printed marketing materials by Robin Sagara.

Take a peek inside and read Part 1 here.
Buy Now for $29.95

Robin's Marketing Action Tip - Paying Yourself Forward With Your Portfolio

Robin Sagara — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:55:08 +0000

When you put together a great portfolio from high-resolution digital images of your work and well-written materials, you end up with much more than a great portfolio. I mention this because it IS a fair amount of work to put one together, and I want you to be reassured that your work will pay off in more ways than one.

The high-resolution images and well-written information you use in your portfolio can be used again and again. It's not like you have to go to all that effort every time you need extra portfolios or something to use in marketing your art. You'll HAVE great high-resolution images and complete information to use in your printed promotional materials and on your website.

Putting the work into making a great professional portfolio WILL pay off. It also helps you keep your brand, your professional image as an artist, consistent. As Aletta said above, "Your web site is a mirror of your hard copy portfolio. YOU NEED BOTH. Once you have a hard copy portfolio, you can easily align your web site or Blog with this material and create a CD version."

It's like paying yourself forward. Do the work now, and reap lots of benefits later!

Want some help or advice on how to put together your portfolio? The first 15 minutes are on me, just email me to schedule some time.

All my best to you and yours,

~Robin

How to Use Print Promotional Tools: Catalogues

Aletta de Wal — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 22:06:27 +0000

If you are on a tight budget, our series of practical tips will help you use low-cost marketing tools to promote your art with class. So far we have covered:

Your Promotional Identity

Business Cards and Cover Letters to introduce yourself and your art
Postcards, Rack Cards, Flyers and Brochures to broadcast information about yourself and your art.

Today we cover catalogues.

Books about artists' lives, ôeuvre (complete works), signatures, defining characteristics and critical analysis have been around since the 16th century when Vasari wrote "Lives of the Painters. Sculptors and Architects." These monographs or catalogues raisonné educate collectors and validate works in the resale market.

Auction house, galleries and museums use catalogues for current auctions, collections or exhibitions. I have a serious "art book habit" for works that are not available for purchase or out of my price range. You can also find many on-line for only the cost of your time.

As the burden of promotion has shifted more to the artist, so has the range of publications you can use to promote your work. You don't have to wait until you are having a retrospective to produce a catalogue or coffee table art book.

So what do you have to think about to create one?

The scope of art works is up to you.
Choose from:

· Selected time periods, one body of work or your ôeuvre
· One medium or all media you work in
· Your work or the work of a group you belong to
· Selected venues and exhibits
· Traveling exhibits

Identify and present your work properly.
Include at least:

· Title and/or number
· © Date
· Medium
· Dimensions
· Original, giclée, print edition
· High-resolution image for print catalogs; Low-res for online

If you have big name collectors, and permission to include their names, include the provenance.

Create narrative to suit your audience and purpose.
Choose from:

· Introduction about your life and work
· Narrative about each work or series
· Reviews of your work

As a collector, I personally love to read about the inspiration for work in artist statements, bios or brief notes about each image.

If you want to impress galleries, museums and patrons, be sure to include comments or essays by recognized art professionals.

Decide who pays and publishes your catalogue.
Daniel Grant recently published an excellent article on this choice.

Get Help When You Don't Have the Time, Connections or Skills to Do-It-Yourself
Remember, if print promotion eats up your precious studio time, is technically beyond you, or frustrating, please let Robin help. It's not a big investment and you'll end up looking ever so splendid! Her dedicated support has helped me, and can help you, make a better living making art. Robin is located in Los Angeles, and serves artists worldwide. For more info on how she can help free up your time so you can focus on what you do best, email her at Robin@ArtistCareerTraining.com310-649-4434 Pacific time. Contact her for a complimentary 15-minute consultation.

P.S. If you are bewildered about where to even begin with your promotion, reply to this e-mail with your questions and ask me about a free 15 minute consultation to help you get started.

P.P.S. If you already have a strategy but are worried you may go broke just to create and update your website, online marketing, and printed marketing, contact Robin@ArtistCareerTraining.com with your questions and ask her about a free 15 minute consultation to help you get started.

If you were away last month, you might have missed the announcement of our newest e-book "Affordable Marketing That Really Works For You" Your website, online marketing, and printed marketing materials by Robin Sagara.

Take a peek inside and read Part 1 here.
Buy Now for $29.95

Robin's Marketing Action Tip - Print Promotional Tools: DIY Tips

Robin Sagara — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 22:04:23 +0000

Doing it yourself can be a money-saver IF you have the skills and the time. But that doesn't mean it's the best way to go. When you figure in your time, and what you were not getting done by working on it yourself (like being in your studio creating your art), it's often better to let someone help you get all your print promotional stuff designed and printed.

But if you want to give it a go, here are some tips that should help speed things along. I use this info every day, I hope they will help you as well:

You should do this first: Stop and think about what you're trying to accomplish.

Read Start with Your Promotional Identity and How to Build a Healthy Art Business so you're clear on where you're trying to get to. Download a free copy of "11 Tips for Success for Fine Artists". Decide what printed pieces you'll need for everything you want to do over the next few months. You can always order more, it only takes a few days, and you may want to change your designs for the next show or event. Feel like you're doing "Ready, Fire, Aim" and not getting anywhere with your art business? You need some coaching and advice, contact Aletta for a free 15-minute consultation.

Start with great images of your work and images you'll use for backgrounds and decorative effects.

Read How to Get Great Images, and visit the iStockPhoto website for great background and decorative images to use in your marketing materials. Read their article on image resolution.

Also check out these sites for stock images: Fotolia, Jupiter Images, Getty Images, Shutterstock, and 123rf.

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it until artists stop sending me images of their work taken with a cell phone. That is NOT what I mean by "great images." I mean high resolution, professional-quality photographs. Skimping here is self-destructive.

Get a design guide and layout template from the printer you'll use for a truly custom piece. Or, use their online design software.

Here are links to the design guides for a few printers that are helpful and make it easy to order online: Overnight Prints, Modern Postcard, and Vistaprint. Or ask your local print shop for design help. Please remember that designing for the web and designing for print are two entirely different beasts.

To design and print catalogues:

If you're a Mac, iPhoto can handle it. Design and print books of many sizes at Blurb, or Lulu. Try MagCloud to create a magazine-style catalog.

Of course there are many, many more great resources out there. If you know of one, add a comment to this article on the Blog, or just email me and I'll add it for you.

All my best to you and yours,

Robin Sagara
Web Marketing Mentor
robin@artistcareertraining.com

Learning Opportunities to Help Artists Make More Money

Aletta de Wal — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:48:26 +0000

Free Art Business Tips: How to Use Print Promotional Tools
If you are on a tight budget, our practical tips will help you use low-cost marketing tools to promote your art with class.

Your Promotional Identity

Business Cards and Cover Letters to introduce yourself and your art

Free Download: Please forward to artist friends. Treat your art business like any other serious profession. The business of art is creating unique work of high quality and value to your viewers. The art of business is consistently building sustainable relationships through strategic work habits and well-organized business systems.

Sponsored Spotlight:
Public Relations is free advertising. Words of advice from The Publicity Hound®, Joan Stewart

One of the artists in the A.C.T. community has a great tagline for her e-mail signature: "Lord, please help me to become the person my dog thinks I am." This is a great way to engage the people she wants to attract for pet portraits. If it's time to write a news release and you can't come up with a line that even your dog would love, I've found the very best site on the Internet to help you. Joan Stewart. She's a great resource. Fine artists who want to squeeze their pennies can get thousands of dollars in free publicity by following the tips, tricks and tools, courtesy of Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound®. She's a former newspaper editor, a small business owner AND she was tapped by Entrepreneur.com as its public relations expert.
Click here to get more than a few licks of common sense.

*FTC disclosure: When we find people who have deep, proven experience in a topic that will help you make a better living making art, we put them front and center. When these fine folks offer services and products that are first class, sometimes we agree to help each other get the word out to you with an "affiliate" arrangement, which means that we will earn a small commission for referring you to their resources. Those are marked with an * asterisk on our web site, in ArtMatters! and our tips.

Robin's Marketing Action Tip - Got Master Files (and Backups) of Your Stuff?

Robin Sagara — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000

This tip is short but r-e-a-l-l-y important. It's your art business, you put a lot of time, money and sweat equity into it. Keeping "master files" of what you create for your business and having backups of those files will, I promise, make your life soooooo much easier down the road.

I know this because (big confession coming...) I didn't used to (like, ten years ago when I was a newbie at this) and I so paid dearly for it. Ahhhh, live and learn, as they say.

By "Master File" I mean files that you keep and use over and over again, including high resolution images of your art; design files of your postcards, business cards, brochures, and rack cards; and your logo and other graphics you use (both high resolution for print use and low resolution for web and online use). Don't forget your documents like agreements, artwork documentation, and contracts. I keep one as the "Master File" and do knock-offs from there. That way I always have a clean original to work from. My favorite command is going the the File menu and doing a "Save As" to make a copy to alter and save for that particular use.

Then, backup all the files on your computer, often. Use an external hard drive, an online backup and storage service, or even CDs, but DO backup and do it often. Think of it this way: What image files and documents are you willing to lose forever if your computer crashes before the next backup? I dunno about you, but I'm on the computer all day creating. I don't want to lose anything, so I have a Mac and use Time Machine with an external hard drive for hourly backups. Actually, I have two external hard drives. They get rotated every other day into a large fireproof safe located in a different building. If we burn down, I can just go buy a new Mac, plug it into the external hard drive, and I'm back in business.

So, what about you? Got Master Files and Backups??

All my best to you and yours,

Robin Sagara

Web Marketing Mentor
robin@artistcareertraining.com

How to Use Print Promotional Tools: Brochures

Aletta de Wal — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:41:44 +0000

part of the series:

How to Use Print Promotional Tools

So far, we have covered Business Cards and Cover Letters to introduce yourself and your art, Postcards and Rack Cards to give information.

Another way to broadcast your information is brochures.

Brochures are great promotional tools for artists with a reasonable budget and graphic design skills (or someone who has them).

Brochures Say "Real Business"

Since brochures take a bit more time, money and energy to create and produce than flyers or postcards, discerning readers are likely to take you a bit more seriously.

It's About Your Audience

You should have this memorized by now, but it bears repeating - any marketing activity starts with your audience.

Here are the questions to ask yourself before you get to the design stage:

How do you show them that you care about them?
What are the benefits of what you are offering?
Where are they most likely to see and read your brochure?
What information do they need and in what order?
What will get them to take action?

Include a Call to Action

Once you have someone's attention, your next goal is to make it easy for them to take action. What do you want the reader to do:

Call you? Then make sure to provide your phone number(s).
E-mail you? Then make sure to provide your e-mail address.
Register? Then make sure to provide a website link or instructions to call or e-mail you.
Meet you? Then make sure to provide the address, telephone number and map or map link so they don't get lost.
Pass the brochure on to others? Then make sure to provide more than one.

If you are thinking these instructions are obvious, good for you - as long as you use them. This is one of my pet peeves: I get interested in a piece of art and then I have to work to reach the artist to get what I want. At the very least, include your contact information on everything you send out. Don't be lazy - you may lose out to another artist out there who takes better care of their audience.

Why Use Brochures Instead of Rack Cards?

Brochures have the advantage of more "visual real estate" than rack cards to get your message across. Like rack cards, you can promote your art, gallery tours, portraits, private lessons and workshops. In the extra space, you can add a bio, and tell a story about your work, awards and honors or highlight your special talents with testimonials.

Design Brochures With The Future in Mind

Brochures are a bigger investment than the promotional tools we've covered so far. If you want to stretch your budget, and keep a consistent look, create or commission a template you can use more than once for each event or promotional purpose.

Showcase your brand. What makes you and your art distinctive? How can you make your logo, type font and colors a core element of the design?
See your brochure from the reader's eyes. Decide what you want on the front and the back. Choose the best placement for your headline, contact information, text and images. If you have a 2-panel or double-sided brochure, check that it "reads well" no matter which side it opens. Decide which way you will fold a 3-panel brochure to guide the reader.
Design for the total picture. Consider each panel and the overall effect, once the brochure is open. If you use titles that are large and bold make sure they read well no matter how the brochure is opened.

The good news is that you can still use brochures in racks if you design them to rack specs.

Get Help When You Don't Have the Time or Skills to Do-It-Yourself

Remember, if brochures eat up your precious studio time, are technically beyond you, or frustrating, please let Robin help. It's not a big investment and you'll end up looking ever so splendid! Her dedicated support has helped me, and can help you, make a better living making art. Robin is located in Los Angeles, and serves artists worldwide. For more info on how she can help free up your time so you can focus on what you do best, email her at Robin@ArtistCareerTraining.com 310-649-4434 Pacific time. Contact her for a complimentary 15-minute consultation.

P.S. You shouldn't have to go broke just to create and update your website, online marketing, and printed marketing. Deciding where, and when, to spend your time and money can be confusing.

If you were away last week, you might have missed the announcement of our newest e-book "Affordable Marketing That Really Works For You" Your website, online marketing, and printed marketing materials by Robin Sagara.

Take a peek inside and read Part 1 here.

Buy Now for $29.95