This put up is by guest author Keith Bond. This report has been edited and revealed with the author’s permission. We have promoted this article to function position because it provides terrific worth to the FineArtViews group. If you want your website posts stated in the FineArtViews newsletter with the probability of remaining republished to our 77,000+ subscribers, take into account blogging with FASO Artist Web sites. This author’s sights are entirely his own and may perhaps not always reflect the views of BoldBrush, Inc.
I have been reminded recently of the reality that “your mailing list is your amount 1 asset”, to quote Alyson Stanfield. This is some thing that I took for granted when gallery profits ended up stronger a few several years ago. I desire that I had carried out extra with my mailing list at the time. Superior late than hardly ever, although. This has been a huge precedence this past yr. Now, about 70% of my sales are the end result of my personal marketing and advertising initiatives, whilst a number of a long time back that number mirrored my gallery revenue.
Use your Mailing Listing
Set it to do the job for you. Be artistic in how you use it. There are several approaches to current market to your collectors and prospects, and I locate that a variety of methods work finest. There has been a great deal of dialogue lately about electronic mail, weblogs, newsletters, Instagram, Fb, YouTube, etc. All of these are fantastic. But do not neglect the conventional. Send out cards or letters when in a although. Deliver ‘Thank You’ playing cards. Mail announcements or invitations, even brochures, etc. Mailing a duplicate of an posting about you (or by you) is yet another excellent rationale to correspond with your clientele.
There is fantastic power in applying these much more tactile marketing and advertising equipment. They are far more possible to be witnessed. It will established you aside from the crowd. You are reminding your collectors that you are still there and nonetheless developing art. They will see your work (if you use your art on these promoting merchandise) in a structure that they can hold on to for a when. They may even body it. Even if it sooner or later tends to make it into the trash, they will see it and handle it and imagine about it much more than an image hooked up to an e-mail or site. Or at least it will make a distinctive impression, it will be recognized and you will be remembered. Also, there is one thing about the particular touch of a hand-prepared note that speaks volumes to how you take pleasure in them as collectors.
All over again, I repeat: use a range of marketing procedures and be innovative in all those solutions. Use both on-line and regular strategies.
An Example
Lately I began a venture that is of fantastic exhilaration and fascination to me. I will not bore you with the specifics, but will share how I marketed it. A thirty day period or so prior to starting the project, I determined to announce it to chosen people today on my mailing record. I invited them to sign up for me in this thrilling endeavor. The invitation was for them to turn out to be a sponsor by paying a modest amount, which would be entirely utilized to the purchase selling price of a long term painting. The sponsors were being confirmed a to start with obtain proper of any paintings from the venture and they would have the opportunity to see them in advance of the basic general public. They have been also assured that I would return their sponsorship revenue if they did not obtain a portray from the project that they wanted to order. I deliberately retained the selection of sponsors to a bare minimum.
The thought behind the sponsorship was not to have income to cover any up front expenses. Relatively it was a way for me to know who was seriously fascinated in the paintings. With a handful of customers currently fascinated before I even commenced, my initiatives in advertising the paintings afterwards are minimized (but not removed). It is good to know that I have the liberty to paint what I am inspired to paint, knowing that many are possible to be sold right away. The viewers is in the grandstand seeing play by play as the task unfolds. They are a section of it.
This is briefly how I am doing it:
I sent a packet in the mail (indeed, snail mail) which integrated a letter conveying the task and an invitation. I also provided some anticipated FAQs. Additionally there was a transient bio sheet which confirmed the latest paintings. At last, there was a form to fill out and return with their verify if they wished to be a sponsor.
I did not follow up with phone calls, but most likely could have gotten additional sponsors experienced I completed that. I was, nevertheless, snug with the quantity of responses I received. I did not want as well numerous, because I was not sure how a lot of paintings would ultimately be designed in this undertaking.
As paintings are accomplished, I deliver an e mail of the images AND a hard copy (yet again, snail mail) to the sponsors. I ship a few at a time about at the time every single 6 to 8 weeks or so. The clients are anticipating these updates and eagerly critique them when they come (recall, they signed up and even place revenue down so they want to be up-to-date). I then adhere to up about a 7 days immediately after they obtain the photographs with a phone call (except they contact me very first). The customers are supplied very first purchase legal rights on the paintings right before I open up them up to other shoppers or the typical general public.
Curiously, a single of the sponsors observed just one of my latest paintings which was NOT part of the job, but loved it. They requested if they could implement the sponsorship to that painting. Of system I obliged. Soon after all, the sponsorship was to pique the interest of clientele, some of whom I hadn’t communicated with in numerous decades (shame on me). By means of this, they located a portray that they preferred and required to invest in. With out their responding to the sponsorship request, they probable would not have noticed this other painting which they purchased.
This is just a transient instance of some matters that can (and ought to) be carried out to marketplace your function. I have other items and jobs which are promoted differently. I have my in general company which is promoted. I am internet marketing myself as an artist. There are numerous distinct strategies in which all this is finished. I do not count on just one issue, and you should not either. Consistency in the more substantial message and consistency in your attempts are crucial. Still, assortment in your methods of communication are equally critical.
Very best Wishes,
Keith Bond
———————————–
Editor’s Take note:
Today’s put up is an up to date variation from a couple of a long time in the past, but we are republishing it all over again these days simply because it truly is nevertheless a well timed and appropriate message. Enjoy! And if you want to begin marketing your art, a experienced and secure web-site can be your most beneficial resource. FASO is the most straightforward way to establish and manage a magnificent site, we also include things like amazing marketing tools that automate lots of popular marketing and advertising responsibilities for you. To indicator up for a totally free, no obligation 30 day trial, simply click below.