2012 UPDATEd art marketing tips...
Social Media has become a primary way of marketing art and
sharing your art with the world. Artists now have their portfolios
on their Smart phones, have art websites, art blogs, fan pages and
online artist communities as well as a LinkedIN, Facebook, Google+,
Twitter, FourSquare, and many other community art pages and
social sites and a few have even hung on with myspace. There are
even art marketing places online, and so many more opportunities
exist. I'm not talking about ebay or etsy... I am talking about
being able to share you art with the world of fine art collectors and
buyers and being able to find your market... and sell your fine art through out the world. Think.... Google search...
In the past 5 years, we have seen a huge revolution... ARTISTS
are talking to each to each other all over the world... creating
wonderful new events many of them online. We have streaming video,
YouTube, Vimeo, and so much more; the world is literally at OUR fingertips! Being an artist is no longer a solitary event.
There isn't as much mystery for the artists of today, almost every
gallery in the world is online and the museums are too. ARTISTS
are no longer limited to the state they live in... they can easily
find galleries, museums and artists groups in any area they want
to be in!
So dream big... you might as well... and get on your keyboard and
start visiting galleries and museums and art communities all over the world. YOU can find your market!
Most people know this, but for those that don't... there is one
CARDINAL RULE among Art Directors and Curators ....
DO NOT EVER SHOW UP UNANNOUNCED WITH YOUR PORTFOLIO
IN HAND EXPECTING AN ART DIRECTOR TO TAKE A LOOK SEE AT YOUR WORK... and don't just randomly start emailing out jpegs to them either.
You must read their website details, almost all have an area where
they list artist submission guidelines. Not only that, you must look at
the art and artists they show and see if your work would "fit in"
with what they are showing. This tells you what their collectors and viewers are interested in. If there isn't anything there that is like yours, don't waste their time or yours.
It's easy to get bogged down with showing all over your state and not find time to do your marketing analysis of the galleries and museums
of
the world. It's easy to go from show to show with your fellow artists. It's fun and you need to do some of that, but that cannot be your only
avenue for getting where you want to be.
When I was teaching art marketing... I often recommended artists spend as much time marketing as they do creating. AND NOW... I would say that's even more important.
I hope I have inspired you to look for your fine art collectors.
Just for laughs...here is 2007 tips. Don't get me wrong some of
these are still good... but they do seem so basic... compared to
what we have at our fingertips now!
GO FOR IT!
A Few Art Marketing Tips from Jean Bourque 2007
Create happy customers and they will tell others about how wonderful you are.
Things you can do when someone is not quite sure- Offer to deliver and hang the work at their location;
Let them test it for a few days with their décor! You can offer extras; mat or frame exchange, build the value.
If the piece has won any awards make sure the client knows that.If you have just won an award, got into a
major gallery or in a new show let your potential client know. Do not be shy; they are interested in you
and your art.
I do not recommend reducing prices; it makes it seem like a bargain basement piece. Remember Fine Art
is valuable and should never be treated like a long sleeve shirt on clearance sale in the middle of the summer.
Fine art is an investment!
Wear name tags at shows so people will know who you are. Always carry business cards and have a portfolio
in your car; You never know when you will need it. When you make a sale and have the clients name and address;
send them a thank you and let them know what else you have going on or other work that is similar to what they purchased; offer to hang it. You can offer to hang it, so you can get a photo of the art in their home.
Create a website or gather materials that would be suitable for your web page As an artist; you are missing opportunities if you are not using the web. If you do not know how to do a website;
YOU CAN GET SOMEONE TO DO ONE FOR YOU! OR YOU Or you CAN CREATE A BLOG... THESE
ARE REALLY EASY AND THE SITE WILL WALK YOU THROUGH SET UP ... THE KEY THING IS TO MAKE
SURE YOU WRITE ON IT REGULARLY (or at least add photos) ... IF YOU DON'T YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO
BUILD A FOLLOWING with it! If you continue it .... you will find you have created a history of your art career.
After you have been showing and selling art for over ten years or so, you will be glad to have written it
somewhere! It gets hard to remember them all!
COME OUT AND MEET THE ARTISTS AND THE MUSICIANS
