Websites, Social Media, and Podcasts Take Your Marketing to the Next Level With These Tips
Are you an artist who does not take marketing your artwork seriously? I have a few friends like that, and this article is addressed to them.
Especially since the digital revolution, there are many new ways you can use a PC, smartphone, and the internet to sell your work. The basic thing for this type of marketing is a digital image — either a JPEG or RAW file — so let’s start there.
Most artists take their own digital images for jury submission but too often stop at that one photo. When you shoot a photo for a jury submission, take several instead of just one image. Try different angles and think about how a juror will see them. Being your own juror can teach you a lot.
Consider creating a portfolio file of jury submissions — perhaps every piece you make. As an artist, a permanent record of all your work helps you see how you have changed over the years.
A good jury image can also be used in local media to announce an exhibition of your work or your participation in a show. I have a glassblower friend who regularly sends his local papers photos and information about his upcoming shows. By now, the local media consider him the local art guy.
Repetition is part of keeping you in the eye of the public and the media. If you have a great image, use it on the web and make it part of your website banner. Photos taken for jury submission can also be used in other ways for marketing, including posters, business cards, and so on.
When selecting work to photograph, consider the show’s context. Is it a local street fair or a large regional exhibition? Research the show to see if it is a good fit for you.
Jury submission images should be sharp, color correct, and focused on your skill rather than taking a pretty picture. The work should fill at least one-half to two-thirds of the frame, and solid color backgrounds work well for this.
Social Platforms
Many of us may have mixed feelings about the web. Social platforms can get nasty and for an artist, negativity is the last thing you need. But if you are serious, you need to develop a thick skin.
At the heart of any successful marketing plan is developing a client base. For an artist — or any business — creating a group of customers who are interested in your work is essential. This form of marketing differs from ordinary customer interactions in that you build a community around you.
Setting up a webpage is simple. On whichever social media you use, place a welcome post and announce yourself. If you wish, use your jury submission image on the home page.
And then post something else a few days later. It could be working in your gallery or studio and then follow that with a photo of you in your studio.
List an address you can be reached at and things like when your gallery is open or where and when your work can be seen in galleries and shows. Post awards when you receive them.
Keep the voice you project in the posts welcoming and chatty. The key to success on the web is conviviality. If someone lands on your page, you want them to stay and become a friend, a like, or just to follow you.
In a rather brief time, you can collect the names of several hundred people who will regularly check your page. Many of these can be potential clients. I have about 5,000 friends there — far more than in the real world.
Multiple Images
Be careful about how many images you post on the web at a time. A mistake many of my friends make is pointlessly overloading their posts.
For example, one day I received an email that contained more than 400 photos. There were pictures of jury images, the studio, backyard, and the artist’s dog.
Please edit, edit, edit down to the essentials. No one is going to go through all 400 or more images. They will scan a few of the first ones and then move on. Sometimes, too much is too much. And this was a case of that.