It's no secret that the art world is competitive. If you want to make a name for yourself as an artist, you need to be proactive in promoting your work. But how can you stand out from the pack? Here are some tips on creating a consistent self-promotion strategy to get noticed by your audience and make a lasting impression.
How to promote your art & get noticed by collectors
Colin Fisher
Mar 24, 2022
| Max
12
min read
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Having a solid plan is the best place to start
When it comes to promoting your art, having a clear vision is critical. What do you want to achieve? What message do you like to send? Defining your goals will help you stay on track and focused when it comes time to market yourself.
It would help if you thought about your target audience, where they are, and how you can reach them. You also need to have a budget in mind and figure out what type of marketing and advertising you can afford.
Overcoming self-sabotage as a creative person
You are the creator of your success. You have overcome self-sabotage and sleepiness to create something new. Now it's time for you to share with others what this is all about so they can experience how great inner life feels when we're living authentically, without fear or regret.
Know precisely what you want to achieve.
What is your goal? What do you want to achieve with promoting yourself and the work that makes up who you are? Your answer will help determine how much time should be invested in creative endeavors like this and when it's enough for someone else (or whether they even deserve what we've got).
This is a great way to make your goal more specific and measurable. By choosing the word "sell" in this sentence, you can achieve an achievable task that will have relevance with time. It also helps if they're personalized for each person because then it becomes about what's best for them rather than someone else who may not need help or know how much pressure one feels when trying new things like networking at bars, etcetera.
Learn more about your target audience.
You have a better chance of reaching your goal if you can define it precisely and think about who will be following or supporting what. For example, if our audience is mainly moms with small children, we need to make sure that any content related to child safety has been adjusted accordingly. Hence, as not give the impression this information applies only when dealing directly with kids' needs - although there may still exist some instances where parents might find themselves looking for such resources due entirely independent reasons.
Demographics are the facts about your audience, such as where they live and what kind of family structure applies in that area. Psychographics address an individual's attitudes towards things like education or career ambition - this could be considered their "thoughts" when it comes to specific issues.
Think about the psychographics of your audience to better connect with them. What motivates them? What are their dreams and values? Why might they connect more quickly than others in similar fields or categories (for example, artists)? You may want to list other appealing things, such as news sources/entertainment preferences.
Analyzing the information
We all receive thousands of advertisements and messages every day, but they're like air—so typical that we may not even notice them. This article is your invitation to begin recognizing (and analyzing.) the promotional tactics you genuinely appreciate or resonate with; here are some questions for getting started:
- What kind of headline would be most likely to interest you?
- How does the design make you feel?
- What does it look like?
- Is it easy to understand what they're offering?
- Does the tone match your personal preferences or style?
To promote your work effectively, you need a creative and effective way of communicating with people. This is where the power of being an artist or writer lies; it's all about knowing how much emotion can be generated from one word or scenery.
You may find yourself bristling at the sight of some promotional strategy, but this shouldn't stop you from learning what works best. Even if your peers succeed with an approach that upsets you (and they will), resist any urge to copy them because it won't benefit either party in their quest for success.
Overcome your anxiety of being bothersome
The fear of being overbearing or annoying when you promote yourself can be an intimidating thought, but it deserves attention. After all - what are our other options? The likelihood is high we'll face some form of criticism for promoting ourselves in any given situation; even if people don't mind hearing from me sometimes (and believe me, they often do), there will always remain the chance I'm wrong and say something inappropriate later on down the line. Let's take stock before diving headfirst into self-promotion mode to avoid this unpleasantness at least possible outcome.
It's easy to feel discouraged when people ignore your emails. But there are ways they can help promote the things that interest them most without being annoying about it. If someone wants something from you and is happy with what she gets in return - no matter how small or large- chances are good, her response will be joyous again next time around.
Promoting your work can be tricky, but it doesn't have to feel like an impossible task. You'll find that once you accept the reality of not always appealing entertainment and focus on giving those who engage with what they want - whether this is for their enjoyment or as part of a larger community- nothing is holding back any creative impulse.
When should you post on social media?
How often should you post on social media? One way to get the most out of your marketing campaign is by following some industry standards for how much you can handle messaging in one day. An excellent place to start would be with Instagram or other platforms, where users are expected at least once every 24-48 hours - but consider yourself warned. Suppose people stop reading after a hectic period. There are probably too many posts going up against each other, making them feel overwhelmed and tune out altogether instead--so don't overdo it if their reactions tell otherwise.
Taking a strategic approach to thoughtful promotion
You can't do it all. That's why tactics are so important. You have to pick your prioritized platforms. By focusing on channels where you'll be making the most impact for yourself or your company - like social media sites with significant numbers of followers-you will find success much more manageable than if tryin' some other stuff out there too (maybe).
Take this opportunity to understand better how you can improve your content marketing strategy by identifying the proper channels.
Creating a website is easier than ever these days
Your website is your digital landing page that can range from simple to more complex. It's where you have complete control over what content will appear and how people find it on any device they are using--from desktop computers, laptops, or tablets all way down through smartphones. You could create an entire ecosystem of websites around one central project: whether this is just for yourself as a solo artist but also if working with other artists who may want their pages too; then there's no limit really…as long as we keep coming up creative like never before (and don't forget those skins.)
Websites are probably the most time-consuming of all tools we'll look at in this article, so be wary if you're looking for a quick answer.
Properly structuring your website is key to self-promotion
The most important thing to remember when creating a website is that your unique, memorable URL can make all the difference between people finding you online and not. For example: if I'm making an artist's site (like this one.), then my "meaningful" probably means having their name in there too - like www(.)yournamehere/.com
You're going to need an email capture form, and In the images, you should include links to your social media accounts and a decent picture that describes who you are. You should also include links for anything others have written about or interviewed you so they can find more information on what great things their publication has said before writing something new.
It's always good to include an "about" section on your website where you can share some information and contact details. This will allow people who visit the site access who are behind it all and give them another way of reaching out if they want more info or help with their project.
There are plenty of tools to help
There are so many different platforms to choose from when building your website. Some of the most popular ones include Webflow, Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, and WordPress, all with their unique features will help you create a fantastic site without breaking a sweat. But if cost isn't holding back any potential entrepreneur, there is always Cargo Collective's Free tier.
You may be enticed by the modern website templates that these tools provide., but if you're going to go with a templated site and don't know what kind of content will best suit your needs on it, then remember that there are a few things more important than making sure whatever platform or app we use for our business reflects ourselves. Keep in mind while creating an online presence: simplicity is key.
Establishing an e-commerce site to sell your work
Need help selling your work? Webflow or Shopify is the way to go. These sites integrate with e-commerce tools so you can automatically collect payments, send out transactional emails when orders are placed or shipped (and even track their delivery) without any hassle on behalf of the seller.
Shopify is a popular tool for selling physical and digital products. With it, you can keep track of your inventory by accessing information from the app or even using cards to make purchases anywhere there's an Etsy presence.
Ecommerce platforms can also be an excellent way to get your work in front of new audiences, but not just any old design must do. Think about what you want to achieve with each option and choose accordingly.
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earn how to market yourself as an artist, so you can connect with the right audience of collectors. Here are some tips on creating a consistent self-promotion strategy that will allow you stand out from the pack.
Making the most of social networking is a game of strategy
Social media is a great way to build awareness, deepen relationships over time and make the most of visual content. It can also be bad for you if used carelessly or due to too much attention from your followers-especially because it triggers jealous feelings, which may result in generalized anxiety.
With the pros and cons of each platform in mind, you must decide which social media sites are best for your art. It's also worth noting how being on everyone will affect peace of mind.
Consulting with an outside expert can help us make this decision clearer by looking at our wants (which platforms) and needs(what content should we post?).
When you think of the best creative channels on Instagram, this is a channel that will come to mind. It's a robust community, and its visual nature means your media looks excellent in many different settings. The feed hosts formal/informal content and finished pieces from process insights. There isn't anything missing here for those exploring their creativity via social media platforms like Facebook Live or Snapchat Stories.
Instagram is a great place to share your story and connect with others. One of the ways you can do this on Instagram, in addition to engaging hashtags or accounts for each post (which I recommend), it's also possible to include links within bio sections. Hence, people know how they can help make an overall impact.
Twitter is a place where you can share your thoughts and ideas with the world. It's not about what people are talking about, but how they're saying it. Suppose someone wants attention-grabbing content that will get shares or retweets. In that case, this platform shines through because of its video capabilities--you never know when some famous person might decide an account worth following for their millions more followers due to popularity alone (and maybe even give them some advice.).
Choose the right venue for your creative work
Choosing the right platform for your business is essential. You need to consider what type of content will work well on each one, but also who's going to visit that page and how they'll interact with it? From my experience as an entrepreneur, I can say there are many different social media channels out here, which means we have more opportunities than ever before. But don't just take my word- try them all yourself by using this link (insert hyperlink) _____to see where YOU land concerning goals/needs if any.
Growing a newsletter subscriber list
Email is the most effective method to contact your audience and ensure that their message gets through. It gives them a feeling of being in regular contact with you, making it easy for those who click on emails or read blog posts from this source to come back another time when they're looking at something new.
Tools for sending emails
Before starting your email marketing campaign, it's crucial to have a plan. Ask yourself some questions like: How many people do I want to reach with this? What content will be included in my emails, and what type of template is best for showcasing myself or company work on an individual level. Consider using no template and go with a plain text mass email. It's simple and effective, and it's the most likely to end up in the receiver's inbox rather than the promotions tab or spam.
Creating a plan for newsletters
When you first start sending email marketing, it's best to keep things simple. You don't want your messages becoming too spammy so stick with one or two emails per month for the initial stages of building up an audience before increasing frequency as needed based on what feels suitable and appropriate in terms both timing-wise (when) AND volume/frequency combinations.
Don't forget to include an email capture form on your website and even social media bios. It may seem slow, but building up subscribers will be a steady process. The easier it is for people who love what you do to see that newsletter subscription box available next door -the faster they'll get into reading emails from YOU specifically- which means more engaged audience members right off the bat.
Collaboration as a marketing technique
Once you've created something, it's time to get the word out. But promoting your work can be just as creative an endeavor as making the thing itself.
Press pitches
It involves establishing relationships with media creators, understanding their requirements, and striking the right moment for you and them to get an article written about your work or feature on that company's social media account.
When pitching a project, getting familiar with the media landscape is essential. Who are some people in your field that would be interested? What kind of topics do they cover, and how does their writing style differ from others within this space? You should also note if any particular type of organization is doing good work on these issues--afraid not all publications will accept submissions from every outlet.
When you're pitching your work, start from the position of wanting to help out. Be brief and include strong images, so there is no confusion on how unique these projects are (or aren't). Think about what would get someone interested in reading it if they saw this for the first time and go off that angle.
Digital marketing is an iterative process
You make your best guess about what will work, then put it out into the world and see how people react. And as you experiment with new strategies - know that responding to feedback from those who engage with you is a sign of respect for them and means some good vibes are going on between parties involved in this relationship.
These are just a few of the many variables you can experiment with as you home in on what will work best for your needs and goals:
- The time of day you post
- The length of your posts
- Which hashtags do you use
- The type of content you share
Decide on a modest set of goals to start your promotional strategy
As you start your new venture, it can be overwhelming to think about all the different strategies and tactics that are needed. Here are a few things to consider:
Use a content calendar
Having a content calendar will help you set the pace for how often your promotional channels should be activated and think through messages before posting. Planning allows more strategic time use because deadlines are an accountability measure that forces bloggers into action.
The "what" of marketing is essential, but so too are the times. Make sure you're aware that holidays and seasons will affect your audience's plans- give them enough notice that they can prepare for whatever action or response might come next.
I recommend finding an app or website where tasks will be easy-to-follow such as Asana, Trello, etc., then integrating this tool into other apps on our phones we already use every day - things like Gmail deserve special attention here're usually accessed first thing each morning without fail.
Timeboxing your efforts
The timeboxing strategy helps you protect your art practice by watching the hours of work it takes to promote yourself. Once you have a promotional plan in place, try accounting for each component: content creation and distribution and responding on social media or sending out updates through email campaigns - these will allow an idea about how much time this whole process can take up.
Once you know how long each task should take, decide on a reasonable amount of time that feels good for your work/life balance. More hours doesn't necessarily mean better results - ask yourself what 20 minutes per day could look like if it were spent promoting high-impact activities? Give yourself some structure by setting limits to the amount of time spent completing tasks and see where you can improve efficiency overstretches.
Controlling the naysayers
The internet is a place where everyone has their voice. Some people are great at conversation, while others struggle to find the right thing to say to not sound like an automaton or another nobody on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter--but it doesn't matter. You needn't respond if you do not want to; there's no law compelling us to engage every person who contacts our pages with hostile intentions because they're probably just looking for attention (or perhaps even revenge). Remember: Your page belongs only to YOU, so keep control by making decisions accordingly.
Feedback isn't always helpful, but it can be worth considering the negative comments. If you find yourself reading online reviews or, worse yet - engaged with people who are sharing their thoughts on social media platforms like Facebook about your work- then take a step back and ask if this is something that helps move towards achieving goals? You don't have to listen/read every piece of feedback at all times; try not to ignore any input that might improve how well things go for professional success.
Conclusion
Self-promotion doesn't have to be sleazy or slimy. It can be a fun and exciting way to explore your creative side while serving others. By thinking of your art as a service rather than something you do for yourself, you may find that marketing becomes less of a drag and more of an opportunity to connect with people who appreciate your work. What are some ways to promote your work to feel authentic to you?
Takeaways
- Marketing is not a one-way street - it's about how we interact with our community.
- Our voice can be authentic and meaningful just by meeting the needs of others.
- There are plenty of tools to help you market your work without feeling like you're being inauthentic.
- Having a content calendar will help you stay on track with your promotional efforts.
- Timeboxing your efforts will help you be more efficient in using your time.
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