Marketing for artists 101
Marketing can build relationships with your target audience, remind people, push their “buttons”, intrigue them, tease them, inform them, educate them… So with these points in mind the aim in marketing a show is to get the right people there to see what you have. Selling, well that’s another matter…
If the show is…
- Because you have to pass a course, you may not market too much because you may not care to spend money you think is a waste of time… you want the pass and that’s it.
- Because you want a big name gallery to notice you, chat to them first, they may not go to other shows, they may simply say “hey you we want you…”
- Because you want other artists to see your show, then figure out where they are at and give them your message.
- Because you want to sell lots of your work, market like crazy to the RIGHT people, those who buy art… your sort of art. Profile them, see where they buy, how they buy, what they buy, stalk down the way they do things so you can fit to their way of doing things (no not alter what you do artistically) sell to them the way they want to be sold to.
Some key areas to consider…
- Sort out the target market… If you are hiring a gallery to showcase your art to the art world then invite “art world” people. Galleryists, curators etc…. start your database of them now.
- Set up a website for the show or a page or blog on your own site dedicated to the task.
- Develop site content inc your bio and lots of “indicative” pics if the show is still being created.
- Add links to your site if separate.
- Create a bunch of teasers to email out. These remind people of what’s happening and when.
- Get on art forums and investor networking sites and target collectors and investors.
- Plan the image, if it needs a logo do one, or get one created.
- Develop a news or media release, can’t do it? Get someone who can.
- Sponsors and or supporters… if there are any, organise them early, be clear about what you want from them and why….
- Start building your face book, Twitter and or other social networking sites early, a one hit here I am does not build the relationship and is a waste of time.
- Postcards send these to your target audience… perhaps an invite, or perhaps a teaser, or maybe a series of images you send them to build your image with them.
- Keep adding to the website for the show, new images as they evolve, When key things are happening. Etc.
- What adverts will you do? Art Almanac, what’s on directories? Art Magazines… what will the advert say or cause them to do (some form of call to action perhaps?) What lead times do they require?
- Online art sites, some have forums so you can tell the world about what you are doing.
- Google adword campaigns, sort this out early, set a tough budget and stick to it! Check the wording, make a number of options so they rotate through, test them and keep tweaking them to suit. Only x days to go… see my work… whatever to grab attention and cause them to click through to your site with the details on it.
- Time line and or marketing plan, great to have all the things t do, but when, and how often…
- Comment on other people’s blogs and forum posts… but AVOID SPAMMING! Let people know in appropriate ways, for example if someone is taking about fishing, jumping in with a link and a few lines on your art does not go down well. Find something in common and gently mention it if appropriate.
- Add media contacts to your contact database then by following your plan you will know when to contact them, how to contact them and find ways to make it newsworthy.
- Lumpy mail… okay so you sent out a postcard and or an invite… but can you send other “branded” items to cause people to think about your exhibition? Yes you can, use it to intrigue people, to tease them to get them engaged in what’s happening so they feel compelled to get there and see for themselves what all the fuss is about.
Clearly if you want people to know your exhibition is worthy of note, they need to sort yours from the rest and have a reason to go there. I believe we can not complain the audience was not big enough or there are not enough art collectors etc in the market place if we don’t do all we can to get them to our exhibition. How can they know something is on if no one tells them?
If you are holding a group show and want others to put in some effort to the marketing, make sure you are clear about what you want them to do and how they need to do it. Set the guidelines early so they know what to do and when to doit to what sort of standard…
That’s it, some pointers on how to market your artwork.
Written by Steve Gray Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+ http://stevegray.com.au