Sometimes it is good to have a formula to help remember what you need to do especially when you are starting something unfamiliar. Over the years a simple formula evolved to help measure the effectiveness of marketing efforts
So, as I was looking through Arts/Craft Show application deadlines online, I found the application for the “Buyer’s Market of American Craft” (BMAC) at the Philadelphia Convention Center.
There are so many ways to invite people to share your journey on the internet. My website has an RSS feed that people can subscribe to and then they will receive alerts every time I add something new there. Then there’s my daily painting blog, readers can subscribe and get the daily post in their inbox, there’s also a new blogger feature in the sidebar that allows people to actually become a “follower” of my blog.
I think the most unique thing is my blog — story telling really connects people with the images. It goes from being something pretty, to something they really connect with and want to have. Many artists have a blog, but I have readers worldwide who share my blog with their friends, post it on their websites, and really engage with me. I’m not selling anything on my blog — I’m simply sharing stories, and I think people really appreciate that.
Tell us about your marketing journey, how did you start?
I really went into this blindly! I had a bit of beginner’s luck: I was accepted into the first exhibit I applied for, which was really shocking to me. At the end of the four weeks, I had sold all but one piece…I simply couldn’t believe other people wanted my art in their homes. I think early success is the universe’s way of telling you you’re on the right path. It gives you the confidence you need to keep traveling, even after the road gets much steeper and more difficult to navigate.
Marketing is all about networking which is about being social as in making connections that bring people to buy your stuff. How you fit those connections together as a network depends on the environment in which you need to work.
The success of your network depends on everything from where you live, who lives there, who your stuff can be sold to and how much those folks are willing to pay for it.
My mission in creating the blog is to promote and help visual artists by teaching them how to market their work in ways that will allow them to increasingly support themselves from their art.
One of the ways I do this, is to feature visual artists who are expanding their horizons by finding new and innovative ways to get their work into the world and develop additional income streams that support and build their artistic voice.
Today we wrap things up but before I do that let’s remind ourselves of the purpose of all this.
Every one of the baby steps we covered these past seven days has built on the previous one, to help you understand, where you want your business to go and who would want that stuff you make. Finally, we use all that to be seen by the people who have the problem to our solution.
This is the first of a weekly post of articles, info, tips etc. I find as I surf the waves of the web. The first below is from a recent TED talk about success, well worth the 16mn. watch.Judge and Jury: What to Expect When Entering Art Shows
Entering an art show, at any level of your career, is a wonderful means of gaining validation and recognition. For beginning artists, receiving appreciation from people other than friends and family can be very encouraging.
Art blog:“Me” bootcamp
Why do we keep doing the same things over and over even though they don’t bring happiness to our lives?
Are the fears of change and insecurity that powerful?
This site is the labor of love of a seasoned self taught 63 year old geekzer who cut his teeth on punch cards, fortran and main frame computers all the while designing, drawing and photographing . [read more…}
The Art List — Monthly e-Newsletter and searchable database listing upcoming Art Contests, Art Competitions, and Opportunities for visual artists and photographers.
