16 Marketing Strategies for Artists

© Robin Edmundson, 'Colorado - Blue Tree and Brush', watercolor, 5x7 inches.

I spent last week in Colorado at a business conference for artists.  I painted some small pieces while I was there.  This is one of them.  I'm kind of in love with that blue.

The conference was amazing.  One of the sessions was about marketing strategies.   Here's a quick rundown.

16 Marketing Strategies for Artists:  Art Biz Coach - Alyson B. Stanfield
[From Art Biz Breakthrough, November 2017]

1.  Sharing:  Share everything, share everywhere [social media]
2.  Planning:  Events, etc.  Everything you do to make and show your art. Then SHARE it.
3.  Networking:  Meet people.  All the people.  Make friends.  Be genuine, not with a hidden agenda.
4.  Build your list:  ask in person, website footers and popups.
5.  Send emails to your list:  At least once a month.  Love your followers.
6.  Send postcards of your art.
7.  Whispering:  one on one conversations with people on your list about what is important to THEM.
8.  Exhibit:  Show your work.  Put. It. Up.
9.  Collaborate with other artists.
10. Write about your work.
11. Speak about your work.
12. Teach
13. Make videos
14. Test your strategies to see what works and what doesn't
15.  Track your strategies.  Do the numbers.   Do more of what works.
16.  Systematize things so it's easier and faster to do it again. 


My favorite and the one I've been using this year is #1.  That got me #4, #5, #6 and #8.  Next year I'm working on more of #2 and #3.

If you have questions, shoot me an email or a comment and we can talk about it. 

Mind

© Robin Edmundson, 'After the storm', watercolor 10 x 14 inches.  Framed 18 x 22 inches.  

I just got back from a week at a business conference for artists.  It was amazing.   And exhausting.  And exhilarating.  And terrifying.  And upsetting.  And gratifying.  And challenging.  And fun.  And rewarding.  And mind-blowing.

There were 100 artists there and let me tell you, artist entrepreneurs are super interesting people.  I had a million great conversations with interesting, creative and insightful people.  I challenged myself to go out to every meal with someone new and sit down with someone new every day during the meetings - and I did.    I spoke at one of the sessions and totally rocked it - and that resulted in a bunch more opportunities to talk with people later.  We brainstormed, we planned, we cried, we tried, we failed, we tried again.  We reworked things to fit our own art, circumstances and goals.

It. Was. Awesome.

I am so grateful to have been exposed to a group that helped me stretch my thinking and challenge my mindsets.   The whole experience made me thankful for a good mind and the ability to work with it.  I hope you're grateful for your mind, too.

One of my goals in my Best Self quest for the next year is to make my own path and to find groups and activities where I have a great fit instead of just a so-so one.   In that vein, I'd like to start a facebook group for other serious artists who are working on their businesses and who need a supportive place to ask art biz questions and discuss all of the issues inherent to balancing life, art, business, family etc.  Email me if you're interested.    [If you have a good name for it, let me know...although now I'm thinking that The Well Balanced Artist is a possibility.]

And I'd like to invite you to join our Best Self facebook group where we can talk freely about becoming our best selves - and all that that entails.