Art Marketing

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When You Don’t Feel Like Doing Art Business Tasks

Are you avoiding art business tasks because you “don’t feel like it?” Hey, I get it.

I have a long list of things I’d rather not do. But If you are trying to make money from your art, you are responsible for certain tasks that you may not feel like doing.

If you are trying to make money from your art, you are responsible for certain tasks that you may not feel like doing.

Perhaps considering a few questions might help you get past the struggle.

When You Don’t Feel Like Doing Art Business Tasks Read

96 Strategies for Improving Art Business Results

It is said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If true, why do we continue to manage our art businesses the same way we did last year or the year before?

In order to see better results, you have to do something different.

I don’t share this list lightly. It’s got some things on it that could really shake up the status quo. They could skyrocket your success when implemented with sound counsel or just as easily fail miserably if you don’t have the proper knowledge and support in place.

I share it because it’s something I wanted for my own business—a list I could have at the ready when I sensed a necessary change. I wanted something to remind me of everything that is possible. To remind me that anything is possible when I commit to it.

In a sense, this is a master list of possibilities. You are not meant to use it as a checklist of items to tackle one at a time.

I encourage you to use this in the following situations.

  • You are stuck or bored—creatively, financially, or mentally—and want a new project.
  • You are seeing a drop-off in any aspect of your business.
  • You want to make the most of a big exhibition or event you have coming up.

Let’s dive in.

96 Strategies for Improving Art Business Results Read

Artist Trudy Rice monotype printmaking Art Biz Success podcast

The Art Biz ep. 77: Growing Your Audience with Good Karma with Trudy Rice

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t think it would be great to attract more Instagram followers. More email list subscribers. More sales.

More of anything! Because it makes our efforts feel worthwhile. It seems validating.

But we’re often stopped in our tracks when we begin to realize what we need to do in order to increase our numbers.

We think we have to post more, research hashtags, invest in advertising, create a lead magnet, learn to write better copy, or forget about a restful night’s sleep.

Yeah, you probably do have to do some of those things in order to attract more followers and subscribers, but you might also benefit from being open to doing things a little differently to increase those numbers.

In this episode of the Art Biz Podcast I talk with Trudy Rice about how she has grown her Instagram and email list by cross-promoting other brands.

Trudy uses a platform called Ampjar, but the underlying lesson is to find like-minded people and share each other’s art, products, and services. Trudy refers to these as “shout outs” and loves this system because of the good karma it creates.

The Art Biz ep. 77: Growing Your Audience with Good Karma with Trudy Rice Read

How To Start Your Email List

“How do I start a mailing list?”

It’s a question that I’ve been asked numerous times in the past few weeks. Hmmm … Where to begin?

One thing is for certain. “Start an Email List” is an overwhelming project that might stop you before you’ve even started. Instead of looking at it as a whole, break it down into steps to make faster progress.

Here are the steps to take. They aren’t numbered because you can skip around until you get to the “Finally” section.

(If you have a mature mailing list and you don’t need these steps, please don’t go anywhere. Jump straight to the end and share your experience with others. Your insights and encouragement are sure to be valuable to someone else.)

Start With Who You Know

Make a list of everyone you know who might want to hear about you and your art:

  • Friends
  • Family
  • Neighbors
  • Colleagues at a day job
  • Other artists

Don’t discount anyone because you believe they’ll never buy your art. You never know how they can support you until you bring them into your art life.

Save the following information for each person:

How To Start Your Email List Read

In a Cash Crunch? Try These Ideas to Bring in the Bucks

We are officially at the halfway point for 2017. Are you halfway to your financial goals for the year?

As all of my students and clients know, I stress the importance of “doing the numbers” before it’s too late.

Doing your numbers means figuring out where the money is coming in, identifying the leaks, and seeing clearly the best return on your investment of time and resources.

For conducting this process, you are rewarded with clarity like you’ve never had before. What you see might not be the beacon of hope you were looking for, but at least you are armed with knowledge to make sound financial decisions.

When your numbers aren’t where you’d like them to be (a realization we’re all faced with at some point or another), consider options to increase your income quickly.

Focus on how to maximize your return with limited time and resources to invest. This means concentrating on larger sales. It’s not the time to create a new stream of income for a new audience.

The first step is to get extra clear on how much you need to earn and figure out what the path to that number looks like. Specifically: What is your monetary goal and what will it take to reach that goal?

How many students or clients do you need to enroll to equal your goal?

How many artworks do you need to sell in a particular size to equal your goal? And do you have enough inventory?

My first choice when looking for fast cash is to …

In a Cash Crunch? Try These Ideas to Bring in the Bucks Read

42 Ways to Improve Marketing Results

If marketing is everything you do to build your reputation and sell your art, there are a lot of areas in which you could improve. In which we could all improve.

I share this list with some hesitation. It’s intended as a checklist to work through, not to tackle at once.

Remember, our businesses and careers are works in progress.

Your Name

1. Decide on a single professional artist name and use it consistently for your art business – if you want to be remembered. I don’t care what it is and it doesn’t have to be the same name you sign to your art.

It’s critical that people can easily find you by your name and associate your name with your art.

Networking

2. Meet more people! The more people you know, the more opportunities you will create.

3. Show other people you care about them. Focus on building trust and relationships rather than selling to everyone who crosses your path. Along similar lines …

4. Keep notes on people on their business cards and add to your database so you can personalize your relationships.

5. Send “It was nice to meet you” cards or emails after connecting with someone (unless it wasn’t nice to meet them and you don’t care if you ever see them again).

Branding & Image

6. Use the same font and colors for all of your marketing material. And please! Stay away from

42 Ways to Improve Marketing Results Read

Conquering Newsletter Anxiety

Most artists start an e-newsletter with good intentions of staying in touch with their list. They imagine a monthly newsletter with regular columns, special features, and a calendar of upcoming events. It starts out good enough, but then something goes wrong for some artists. It goes a little like this . . . One newsletter

Conquering Newsletter Anxiety Read

Dharma-Small-Basket

In the Zone of Discomfort

Attendees at Art Biz Coach workshops are deliberately placed into uncomfortable situations. They are asked to 1) meet everyone in the room before the end of the event; 2) share workshop exercises with people they don’t know; and 3) change seats so they sit next to someone new. I do this because dealing with discomfort is necessary for growth as an artist and as a businessperson.

In the Zone of Discomfort Read

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Your Artist Mailing List: Rethinking + Assessing

Get a transcript of episode 182 of The Art Biz (Rethinking Mailing Lists for Artists) followed by a 3-page worksheet to evaluate the overall health and usage of the 3 types of artist lists.

Where can we send it? 

To ensure delivery, please triple check your email address.

You’ll also receive my regular news for your art business.

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