Networking

Wall sculpture by Karyn Gabriel

Options for Growing Your Email List

When used, your email list can help you establish trust, cultivate relationships, and showcase your experience and expertise.

It’s your #1 marketing asset—unique to your art and goals.

While growing an email list has become challenging, that doesn’t mean we should give up. Take advantage of every opportunity (asking, using forms, offering freebies) to attract and add subscribers—remembering, always, that it’s more important to engage the right people than to focus on the numbers.

Options for Growing Your Email List Read

Linda Tapscott woven sculptures

Networking Errors for Artists

I know that putting yourself out there and meeting new people doesn’t come easy. One thing that might help is to remember that you’re just meeting people. The stakes are low at this point. My best advice is to encourage you simply to be genuine.

Be. You.

Having said that, here are the biggest mistakes you can make when networking.

Networking Errors for Artists Read

The Art Biz ep. 110: An Unusual Path to Finding Art Commissions with Leisa Collins

A lot of artists make a good living, or at least a significant part of their income, from commissions. You know how it goes. Someone approaches you to repeat that piece you’ve already sold, but they’d like it in more neutral shades, 40% larger, and vertical instead of horizontal. Don’t judge.

What would happen if you turned the whole commission process on its head? If you got to make whatever you wanted and found the perfect buyer in advance?

In this episode of The Art Biz I talk with Leisa Collins, who started her art business by targeting people whose homes she wanted to paint. Her attempt at the flyer-on-the-doorstep thing was met with crickets, save for some abusive language by one recipient.

Then she got more specific and went to direct mail. That’s when her career as a house portraitist took off. To date she has painted more than 2,500 house portraits and has a waiting list for commissions. She no longer has to send direct mail, but maintains that the personal relationships with clients are paramount.

I’ll let Leisa explain how she did it. She’ll also share her quest across the country to paint a house in all 50 states, that following up with prospects results in 85% more sales for her, and how she has partnered with realtors to provide closing gifts for their clients.

The Art Biz ep. 110: An Unusual Path to Finding Art Commissions with Leisa Collins Read

acrylic painting Modigliani censored artist Laurence de Valmy | on Art Biz Success

The Art Biz ep. 108: Boldly Reaching Out to Art World Influencers with Laurence de Valmy

People. You need them.

You need people to buy your art, people to show your art to, people to attend your shows, people to write about your work, and, let’s face it, you need people to support you emotionally along the way.

The relationships you nurture can sustain you, but you’ll never know to what extent until you start taking them seriously. Until you believe with all of your soul that you can’t do this on your own.

This month on The Art Biz podcast, we’re emphasizing the value of 1-on-1 marketing. I almost hate to call it marketing because it’s really about building authentic relationships. Relationships with other artists, gallerists, writers, curators, buyers, students, collectors, and agency administrators.

As I said back in episode 107, the not-so-secret secret to higher level growth for artists is in personalizing your marketing. Really caring about humans and having private interactions rather than broadcasting to social media or a large list all of the time.

In this episode I talk with Laurence de Valmy about how she has used her bonus talent as a writer to make connections in all arenas of the art world. It all started with the thought that there were people out there who knew more about how to “be” an artist than she did. She trusted that she could learn from them. Even if you aren’t a writer, I think you’ll be inspired by her boldness and creativity.

The Art Biz ep. 108: Boldly Reaching Out to Art World Influencers with Laurence de Valmy Read

Your Artist Email Signature Block

Your artist signature block is the text you add to the end of your individual emails, and it’s a free marketing tool.

What to Include in Your Signature Block

Your signature block might contain a mixture of any, but not all!, of the following.

  • Your full name (required)
    I have a policy against answering emails that are unsigned, and I’m sure I’m not alone. If you don’t care to tell me who you are, why in the world should I respond?
  • A link to a compelling page on your website.
  • Your location (You’re sending email all over the world. Tell people where you’re from!)
  • Your phone number
  • Your website address 
  • Select social media links
  • A tagline about your art
  • An upcoming event, such as a workshop or exhibition, you’re promoting

How Much to Include

Err on the side of brevity. The fewer words, and the fewer links the better in your signature block.

Your Artist Email Signature Block Read

The Art Biz ep. 28: Making a Living as an Expat in Paris with Marcus McAllister

Have you ever wanted to start over? To move somewhere else and begin a new life?

In 2001 I sold many of my belongings, left my safe job in the art museum, and rented a U-Haul to start my new life in Colorado.

I had no idea what was ahead for me. I only knew that I wasn’t living the life that I was intended to lead. I was suffocating.

It was pretty brave of me to take this step, but I was just moving across the border.

My guest for this episode had a much grander adventure in mind. Twenty years ago, Marcus McAllister packed up his art supplies, flew to Paris, and never looked back.

In this episode, Marcus talks about his decision to live abroad, his sketchbooks, the sources of his income, and the importance of relationships.

Show Notes

In this interview, you will hear about:

  • How Marcus has been scrappy yet intentional about his business and career.
  • His sketchbooks (and why he doesn’t even walk the dog without taking one with him).
  • How Marcus ended up in Paris and transitioned to a  full-time artist, and how his career has changed.
  • The way Marcus overcame the language barrier and presented himself as an artist to find work.
  • Why it’s important that artists own the title of “artist.”
  • The dedication Marcus has to always having a sketchbook on him, with

The Art Biz ep. 28: Making a Living as an Expat in Paris with Marcus McAllister Read

Opening Lines at Art Openings: Starting a Conversation

It’s easy to meet people when you’re at an opening of your own art because you’re the host or hostess. Your job is to meet everyone and to introduce your guests to one another.

Not true when you’re the guest at someone else’s opening. When you don’t have a role to play, it’s uncomfortable to force yourself to meet people.

And, yet, you know it’s important.

Students in my Art Career Success System understand how critical it is to meet more people. New relationships might lead to opportunities, sales, and lifelong fans.

So what do you do? How do you start a conversation with a stranger without getting sick to your stomach?

Alyson to the rescue! Below is a list of conversation starters that you can start practicing immediately.

You don’t even have to be at an opening to begin. Try talking to

Opening Lines at Art Openings: Starting a Conversation Read

Group Energy You Can't Duplicate Online

Online connections have their place in marketing your art, but most in-person experiences can’t be duplicated in the same way on a computer. I’ll go one step further: certain in-person opportunities would never arise if you relied only on the Internet. Last week I was reminded of this during a 3-day Florida workshop in which I participated.

Group Energy You Can't Duplicate Online Read

Do This At Your Next Artist Meeting

Do you go to artist meetings and stick with your usual crowd? Do you attend meetings to hear the speaker and leave without connecting with other members? Two weeks ago my team received an urgent email from Ramon Magee from the Summit Art organization in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. He said his speaker for the evening had cancelled and they needed a program.

Do This At Your Next Artist Meeting 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.

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To ensure delivery, please triple check your email address.

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

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