How to Market Yourself as an Artist
If you are an artist of any kind, more than likely someone has spoken to you about the importance of marketing yourself. The problem is that for many artistic personalities, their art is their main mode of communication and talk of marketing may as well be in a foreign language. The good news is there are a number of simple and actionable methods available to you that any artist can use to market themselves.
Create a Website
When a fan or someone appreciating your work decides to Google your name for more information, you should not be difficult to locate. The point of reference they find can be a Facebook profile, Linkedin page or some other platform. However, it is much better if the interested party can find you on your personal website. Your website will provide you with 100 percent control of how you are represented online. You will also enjoy complete ownership of the content you upload to your site and enjoy autonomous management privileges.
There is no reason to feel anxious if you lack website-building skills. There are a number of tools available to you online to make this task more manageable.
Get on Social Media
There is no faster way to reach more people with your art than social media. In fact, the three largest social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, combine for nearly three billion users. Statistics show that 50% of small businesses have a Facebook and 21% have a business Twitter. And each of these platforms presents a specific benefit to artists.
The key is posting relevant information with regularity. One report showed that daily posters on Instagram grew their following four times faster than once a week posters. You should avoid being spammy but make sure you post often enough on all the social media platforms you utilize to ensure you benefit from the audience engagement available to you.
Take Professional Portraits
Human beings are visual creatures and they like to see who it is they are engaging with. There will likely be times when a potential customer who is on the fence about making a purchase will do so after taking a moment to view a pic of you. And while you will no doubt have other pictures to share with supporters, you will want to have a set of professional quality photos on display.
The typical 30-minute portrait session yields around 15 to 30 photos. So be prepared to sift through the pile to find your favorites.
Keep Up with Contacts
You should make sure you possess up to date information for every contact you make in your industry. You should also not hesitate to follow up with these contacts. You can use an email marketing tool to maintain your database of contacts when you are just starting out. It is likely you will have other methods to reach contacts once a relationship is established but a well-kept email database will help you promote your work in the meantime.
Strategic Timing
Timing is everything with artist promotion. It is a good idea to set aside a few hours a week to create your social media posts. You can then use a software tool to pre-schedule these posts for the times you have discovered are most beneficial to you and your career.
You should begin promoting any event or show in which you will attend as soon as you know the event will take place. One example of an event marketing schedule would include an event notification six weeks before the event, official invitations two weeks later, and a friendly reminder that the event will take place two weeks before the event date.
It can be difficult at times for an artist to change hats and think like a marketer. However, it will be necessary to do so from time to time if you hope to experience success as an artist. The tips above will provide you with a solid foundation for promoting yourself as an artist.
Here’s another article you might like: What True Photographers Need to Know About Photo Printing
