image by joiseyshowaa
You’ve got your Art Marketing Checklist, right? It looks something like this:
- Business Cards
- A Website
- Gallery showings once per month
- An email list
- Press releases
- Get on YouFace
How’s it working out for you? Not quite as good as you expected? Perhaps you should try something different.
Your Creativity Is Your Strength
One of my bosses when I was in college had a saying:
Normal = Poor
Crazy = Rich
He would do all sorts of crazy things in business. He would hold these sales meetings where he would get everyone riled up. He was hilarious and charming – and different.
As artists, we take upon ourselves the ability to fire up people’s imaginations. In my post yesterday I talked about a couple of major corporations who partnered with artists to grow their businesses. If artists can do that with corporate sponsors (who are generally pretty conservative), then why not do it with your own business?
Blue Ocean, Not A Red One
You go to a local art fair, and there are hundreds of other artists, including five or more who work in the same medium that you do. In the online galleries, there are hundreds of artists who look similar to you. Casual buyers browse through the art with no context for what the work represents and who you are. Your art is a commodity.
The authors of the book Blue Ocean Strategy tell us that when there are tons of businesses competing in the same area, for the same people, then someone gets hurt and the ocean turns red. Most businesses, and most artists, compete in this kind of game.
When you stop doing business like everyone else, you find yourself sailing on a completely different sea. New colors. It’s exciting, and relaxing. You find your enjoy it – and it’s more profitable.
Take a look again at that marketing checklist, and put some creative thought into how you approach it. How can you mash it up?
- Business Cards – perhaps some origami, or a back that explains who you are in a fun way
- A Website – Brandy Agerbeck has the right idea. So does Natasha Wescoat.
- Gallery showings once per month – do an art hunt or a twitter showing.
- An email list – don’t just email out your latest piece, make it an auction or something else
- Press releases – check out @MediaChick’s Social Media Press Release
- Get on YouFace – learn how to let people in and connect with you as an artist.
What other creative ideas do you have for marketing your art?
Love it! Anything which makes me think outside the box is great 🙂
I like this a lot. Looking at the standard list of Must Do’s makes me droop & shrivels my heart. The idea of making money in unexpected ways while while sticking it to The Man fills me with jollity & vim.