Tag Archives: marketing

Art Help & Info

Perceptions

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As an artist, therefore business owner, I can tell you it takes a lot of work to do what I do.  Which is why it is always surprising to me when people are confused by the amount of time I spend marketing my work.  Someone once said that it must be “relaxing” and so nice to “just paint all day.”  HA!  That is clearly not the case.  Artists know this but many still struggle with the idea of taking time away from the easel to market their work.

The thing is no one cares about our work as much as we do.  It may seem that if you have gained the coveted gallery representation that you are able to just paint all day, but that is not the case.  Why else do you see so many artists with representation with various galleries, myself included?  I can tell you, and even the gallery owners will tell you, that you can’t put all your eggs in one basket.  Galleries are dealing with multiple artists and also multiple tastes and preferences.  You are not their only artist and they can’t possibly devote all their time and energy solely into your work.

It is up to you to grow your business, get your work seen, show in different galleries in different cities or even different countries, and meet people.  If you want people to know your art even exists, you will have to learn to market it and make the time to do so.  If you’re still reading this, clearly you’re serious about your work but I’m sure some of you are groaning at the thought.  But hear me out.  I have artists from all over email me and ask me how I did this, that, and the other.  Some of them assume that I “knew someone” or I was “lucky” but (though I haven’t done any actual math on this) I would say that 99% of what I’ve accomplished is a direct, or sometimes indirect result, of my actions.  If you want it done, you need to do it yourself.  Call that gallery, email that magazine, write that press release.  Whatever you are looking to gain, you will have to take the steps to make that happen.  It won’t just fall into your lap.  Very rarely does that ever happen.

Make time to work in the studio, but plan to spend a good portion of your day or week marketing as well.  Here are some ideas to get you started:

Update your website

Attend gallery openings

Send out a press release

Create a Fan Page for your art on Facebook

Hand out business cards

Send an email newsletter

Give a talk about your art

Read a marketing book!

These are just a few examples.  Think big.  Whatever you want to accomplish with your art- do it.  Make a list and take action.

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www.AmyGuidry.com

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Art Help & Info

Exposure- Need it, Want it, Grow it

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Lately I’ve noticed a surge in questions by artists regarding internet exposure.  I think everyone can use more exposure, even if they’ve been at their careers for awhile.  You have to “feed the machine” as I always say and continually add to your internet exposure.  If you don’t consistently provide the public with new information, they will soon forget you unless you happen to be Damien Hirst, for example.  Given the short shelf-life of posts to Facebook, Twitter, etc., it’s especially important to keep the news coming.  So here is a list of my favorite and most useful recommendations:

Website– This seems to be the most obvious but there are many artists out there that don’t have one.  This should be your #1 priority over all other ideas listed here.  Cost can be a big factor, so if you can’t afford to hire a designer, talk to talented students or freelancers that do this as a side career.  You can probably get a better deal– just be sure to look at their portfolio beforehand.  If this is not an option, you can also use WordPress to create a site in which you feature galleries of pictures.

Blog– Again, you can use WordPress for this, but there are many other options out there.  Blogging is important to help build your name, increase your SEO ranking, and gives you an opportunity to connect with fans.

Facebook– I see many artists using Facebook, which is great, but far less have an actual Fan Page.  First, Facebook expects that you will promote your business and conduct sales through your Fan Page, not your personal profile.  Sure, Fan Page posts tend to get filtered out of the news feed, but in all fairness, Facebook is not taking a cut from your sales made via your Fan Page.  Drive traffic to your Fan Page via your website, blog, etc. and include links to your Fan Page on other websites.

Twitter– Personally, I find Twitter to be overwhelming, but no matter your social media preference, it is important to be present on any and all.  I have found that fans/collectors/potential collectors all have their own personal preference for following you, therefore you need to reach them through all of these sites.

Google+ – Some people still don’t know what Google+ is.  To me it is just another version of Facebook, except without all the “flash.”  No ads, no news feeds, no news feeds in your news feeds (haha), and it makes it much easier from the get-go to control your privacy settings and even per post.  As far as I know, you still have to be “invited” to join so if you haven’t already, ask a friend to send you an invitation.

Blogrolls– Besides your own blog, increase your exposure by getting your site included in the blogrolls of blogs that you like.  These are lists of sites that are recommended and tend to share similar interests with the blog listing them.  Ask to trade links with your artist friends- their link listed on your blog and yours on theirs.  You can also approach bloggers that you like to trade links.

Comment– One of the best ways to get noticed is to leave a comment.  So many sites feature like buttons or share buttons, which are great, but don’t forget to leave a comment.  If you have something valuable to add, do so!  You don’t have to agree with the writer, either, just be civil.  When posting, depending on the site, you may have the option of adding a photo of yourself- a Gravatar– or if you can sign in via Facebook or Twitter, use one as long as there is a photo.  People are visual creatures.  You’ll also have the option of including your website or social media link, too.

These are my best recommendations, but there are new sites being created all the time.  If you have any ideas you’d like to recommend, please add them to the comments section!

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www.AmyGuidry.com

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Art Help & Info

Marketing vs. Studio Time

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Since we are in the midst of the holiday season and there never seems to be enough time in the day, I was inspired to write about a popular question… How much of your time should you spend in the studio and how much should you spend marketing?  I’ve heard everything from spend most of your time creating to spend 80% of your time marketing.  I can’t say that any one answer is the correct one, however I personally lean towards the marketing end these days.  Unless you are a true beginner with a handful of work to your name, you should be marketing your work.  Sure, if you don’t have work to show, you can’t have an exhibit.  However, you won’t get any exhibits if you’re not marketing your work.  And it’s not just shows you will earn, but publicity on the internet, magazines, tv, radio, etc.  So back to the big question- just how much and how do you balance it all?

-It’s best to do a little each day (as far as marketing goes) but if you are the type that won’t be consistent, it would be better to do your marketing all in one day (or 2…) than not at all.

–Gauge your deadlines.  If you have a show scheduled, clearly you will need to devote a lot of studio time.  Figure out roughly how long it will take you to do the desired amount of work and plan your schedule accordingly.  Any remaining time should be spent marketing, especially when you have a show to promote to collectors, the media, etc.

–Set limits.  It’s easy to lose track of time if you’re buried in paperwork, doing research, or networking via social media.  Set a reasonable time limit for each task and stick to it.

-Prioritize your marketing goals.  There are a ton of things you can be doing to promote your work, so much so it’s overwhelming.  But you won’t be doing all of these things everyday, nor do you really need to.  Decide what is most important and allot a day or days to accomplish those goals.  For instance, how many times a week do you want to post on your blog?  Pick the days of the week you wish to do so and keep the remaining time free for other marketing efforts throughout the week.

-Marketing is especially important when you have something to crow about.  If you go pretty light on marketing, then you should at least devote more time to it when you have a big announcement.  If you have a show coming up, won an award or grant, did a big interview, were on tv, spent time in Paris painting for the summer, etc., etc. then you need to up your marketing efforts to announce these accomplishments to your local media as well as your mailing list, email list, etc.  These are the things that people want to read about.

-It takes a village (well, sort of…).  We rely on galleries, collectors, reporters, etc. to talk about us and get our work “out there.”  It’s great having this team of supporters, however, some artists think that this is all they need to market their work.  Not so.  You have to be a team player.  Your mailing list is different from everyone else’s on your team, not to mention, you frequent different places- stores, doctors, salons, gyms, etc.  And even if someone is already familiar with your work, reminding them that you’re out there only helps to reinforce your brand.

–Write it down.  This is actually the most important tip I can give so I don’t know why I didn’t think of it first.  As mentioned before, it can be overwhelming trying to accomplish everything.  Make a list of all your goals- sketching, painting, blogging, gallery proposals, etc., etc., etc.  Break it down into a smaller list so that you know what you need to do from week to week, or day to day even, depending on your list.  Then just cross them off as you get them done.  Personally I like to do all the little things first just because it makes me less stressed when my list is suddenly a lot shorter.

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Art Help & Info

Art and Social Media

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Artist Amy Guidry autographs a fan's exhibition catalog

As an artist, I’m always learning more about the business side of the art world. I scour the internet constantly, read books and magazines- Art Calendar!, listen to podcasts, etc. Anything I can get my hands on basically. So I’ve compiled a “best of” pertaining to social media. Some of you are using these services already (as am I) but are you using them to their fullest potential? And some of you are not using these at all, which needs to change pronto. So here are the tips I’ve gained:

Facebook:
– Create a Fan Page for your art. This is where you will do all your marketing since Facebook does not allow such on your personal profile.

– Engage your fans with your posts and make sure they are visible (not locked under some privacy setting). When fans “like” your posts, everyone on their profile sees this, thus spreading the word.

– Ask fans questions to get them interacting and interested in your page.

– Join Facebook Groups for artists and post links to your work and introduce yourself. However, do not do this to another artist’s fan page since that is dedicated to their work and would be considered rude.

– Add to discussions, don’t just “like” a post.

– When a gallery invites you to an event on Facebook, never just ignore or decline it, always write a personal note on the event wall—leaving your name there for all to see.

Twitter:
– Retweet and @reply other artists to spark conversations and build your network.

– Follow people (even if you don’t know them- that’s the great thing about Twitter) to get on their radar. Follow artists, galleries, curators, etc.

– When tweeting about a popular subject, put a number sign (#) in front of it. These are known as hashtags and make it easy for others to find your tweet through Twitter searches so they may want to follow you. Example: #art, #gallery

– Do not to use more than 2-3 hashtags or you might be considered a spammer to your followers.

– One of Twitter’s most popular personalities, @GuyKawasaki states, “I find it’s worth repeating important tweets up to 4 times in about 18 hours. Typically, that would be evening, late evening, next morning and then the afternoon. Hopefully, that will catch the different audiences. But that’s enough; I don’t want to turn anyone off.”

– Make a “List” on Twitter to group people of interest- such as galleries or dealers, curators, and collectors. This will help you keep track of different groups and stay in touch.

LinkedIn:
– Join groups that are related to your style of artwork as well as more general art groups. Ask questions and contribute to other discussions.

– Connect with galleries, artists, curators, and collectors that you know (you can get booted out for spamming people you don’t know). Also connect with other professionals- your dentist, doctor, real estate agent, etc.

People who are popular in the social media world inform, entertain, and educate – sometimes all at once. If you’re a successful self-employed artist, it’s about the inspiration and the example you provide for other artists. So it’s really about them. Post videos, tutorials, news, artwork, interesting articles, music, movies that you think people will appreciate. Posts should be of substance, not how you’re waiting in line at the grocery store or that it’s Monday or Friday (we know the days of the week). Think of it this way: if you were in their position, what would you find interesting?

www.AmyGuidry.com

Art Help & Info

Art Marketing: What’s working and what’s not

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Artist Amy Guidry discussing her work with reporter Kevin Chiri
Artist Amy Guidry discussing her work with reporter Kevin Chiri

First, I must point out that this is my own personal account regarding my efforts to market my art, so bear in mind that some things may work better for others. That said, I’ve done a lot of research over the years regarding the business side of art. All of these accounts are from others’ own personal dealings as well, so I like to rely on a broad spectrum of sources. So enough blabbing, here’s the gist of it:

I’ve been tracking my website (www.AmyGuidry.com) stats for years, which is the only way I can know (other than someone telling me personally) that someone has been checking out my work. I’ve noticed that some sources that once were good generators of publicity, have fallen by the wayside a bit. I’m almost certain that this (yes, I hate to say it) is because as soon as the economy took a dive, many people were dropping their subscriptions and I think some were just less interested in purchasing artwork, therefore not looking it up on the internet so much, either. For instance, when I would have a feature article about my work in a magazine, I’d see a huge spike in my website stats. Now, not so much.

So what does this mean? Well, for starters, now is the time for artists to up their efforts (if you haven’t already) when it comes to marketing your work. Studies have shown that those who keep marketing despite an economic depression, thrive later on because they have maintained their brand status while those that didn’t tend to lose customers in the long run. They appear less successful because they couldn’t “afford” (though you can market your work for free thanks to the internet) to advertise their product or services. And they were more likely to be forgotten because their name/brand was not being repeated. Also good to note here that it takes an estimated seven times for an ad to sink in to its viewers. So a one-time ad is most certainly not enough.

Back to my personal findings- what has worked according to my stats is #1 Direct traffic. Which is great and should be your main effort because it means people are directly going to your site. You stand out to them, you are the authority to refer to, your art is memorable, etc. So this means that handing out those business cards is working. #2 is Google. Yes, it is “the” search engine according to my stats. I know that this is due to my web ranking. If you look up my name, my website is at the top. Not Facebook. This is good because you want your site to be the place people go to find you. Those social media sites are great, but again, you have to stay ahead of them in your rankings. That said, the rest of my referrals come from a mix of social media sites, blogs, websites, and emails (which may be direct traffic, basically, since I like to put my website at the bottom of my emails). I can’t say one is better than the other since they vary from month to month and even day to day. However, the good news is they are all free advertising. So there’s no cost to you (other than your studio time- so be careful) to “advertise” through all of them.

Before I forget, I should clarify that this doesn’t mean I think you should abandon other marketing sources such as magazines, radio, newspapers, etc. I would advise using that time and money (if you are buying ads) wisely and pick and choose the ones that best suit your work and reach your target audience.

Art Help & Info

How to Be an Art Star 2.0

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Recognize this blouse? Answer at www.AmyGuidry.comOkay, that may be misleading since this is not the second edition, but a second time around for this class. For those of you who are not familiar with my Art Marketing class from last fall, this is your opportunity to to take part. As part of Frederick l’Ecole des Arts in Arnaudville, LA, I will be teaching another Art Marketing and Self-Promotion course. The first class was quite a success and a great, interactive opportunity to get together with aritists and gallery owners. In addition to my course outline, we had a group session covering individual questions and sharing ideas.

So if you missed out the first time, or are new to this blog and will be in the area, please sign up for Art Marketing and Self-Promotion. The class will be May 2nd (a Saturday) from 10AM-12Noon. Of course we did stay late last time because people had lots of questions and ideas to share, but if you need to leave at noon, feel free to do so.

To give you an idea of what the class is about, here is a general course outline. Overview: Risk assessment; getting out of your comfort zone. Changing your mindset. Goal-setting. Portfolio Development. Gallery submissions and approaching galleries. Alternative exhibition opportunities and juried shows. Marketing Materials. Pricing. Sales. Some of the additional topics discussed included shipping work, Ebay, vanity galleries (just stay away- that’s a free tip you can get from me right now!), and what else, but blogging, of course.

Some of these are very basic principles, and some of it boils down to good old-fashioned common sense, but for many artists, their expertise is in their medium and not in marketing. Unfortunately marketing is not a course requirement when getting your art degree, and quite frankly, it’s just plain scary to people (not just artists!). In addition, to succeed at ANYthing requires goals, planning, and organization. All skills that most people don’t think of or skip when trying to succeed at anything. How many people do you know who blame things on bad luck or lack of luck? Or think the only way they can do what they truly love is if they “win the lottery?” I can think of many.

Okay, ready to sign up yet? Go to http://frederickarts.homestead.com/Classes.html to register for Art Marketing and Self-Promotion. Sign up early to ensure your spot in the class. And it doesn’t matter if you are in high school and planning on your future career as an artist or if you’ve been an artist all your life. If you want to improve your marketing skills, ask questions, or take your career to the next level, this is your opportunity. And meet some great people, too!

www.AmyGuidry.com

Art Help & Info

Rejection Stinks- Here’s What You Can Do About It

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Amy Guidry with her work at the Acadiana Center for the ArtsYes, rejection from a gallery stinks. So I thought I’d post some ideas on what to do about it that don’t involve burning down the gallery or hate mail. I should preface this by saying I got the idea for this post from Art Calendar magazine. Jack White wrote an article called “Rejection Hurts” for the May issue. While I sometimes disagree with Mr. White’s ideas, I did find this article to be “spot on.” I would like to give my own two cents, though, so that’s the great thing about having one’s own blog. 😉

Okay, so you get a rejection from a gallery or a museum. Now what? Well, as Mr. White stated, it’s best to build a thick skin. True, but also look at this as an opportunity to get a referral. If a gallery rejects you, fine. Ask them if they can recommend a gallery that would suit your work. They may know of a new space opening up that is looking for artists. Or they may just give your name to another gallery themselves. (Yes, hard to believe, but that has happened for me.) It’s no skin off their nose to give you another name. In addition, you can then contact said gallery and use the name game to your advantage by saying ‘so and so from Gallery XYZ recommended your space to me and thought my work would fit your gallery.’

As far as reasons behind the rejection go, one of the more common reasons that Mr. White does not mention is that gallery’s have, in general, 12 exhibits a year. So that usually boils down to only 12 of their artists being shown in one year (except in a group show, of course). So it is not surprising that galleries, museums, and art centers usually have a full calendar for two years in advance. Sometimes 3 years. Just because a gallery isn’t interested at the time, doesn’t mean they won’t in the future. Perhaps they will keep your information on file. Perhaps they would like to stay in touch with you. It would be wise to maintain some type of relationship with these people. If you truly love the space, then it’s worth the time and effort. Not that you should do this anyway, but if you are randomly sending your work to any and every gallery, then it’s impossible to maintain relationships with all of these people. But if there are a few spaces you would give your left arm to be in, it would be in your best interest to stay in touch. And I don’t mean in a looking-to-get-a-restraining-order sort of way, either. Just get to know everyone on a personal basis. Learn their names. Go to their exhibits. Show a true interest in their artists’ work. THEN you can fill them in on what you’ve been doing.

I liked that Mr. White ended with saying to use rejection as a motivation to move forward. Aside from moving on, though, look for ways to turn rejection around into something positive. There may be another opportunity there, you just have to dig a little.

www.AmyGuidry.com