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| coloured inks, PVA resist & cotton between acetate |
In my quest for knowledge and the magic formula for becoming a successful artist I have been trawling the social media Art forums (which, I believe is one of the criteria for being successful) and I chanced upon a compilation of ideas put together by Richard Eaves Woods on Linkedin. I aim to use this as a model business plan for myself and reproduce it here for others to benefit from:
Make distinctive work - develop your brand
Determine your audience, your target market
The work you like might not be what sells. Satisfy your customers. Get a sense of who likes what and why
Listen to customers, both buyers and browsers
learn how to present and market your work
practice presenting and marketing your work
Create big and small items, something that appeals to everyone
Galleries and agents only show art they think they can sell.
Consider all opportunities, even if inconvenient
Use social media, coupled with a website
blog
Watch your website statistics and see what spikes visitation.
Copyright work before posting online
Send out a newsletter
Find an art writer to work with you on PR and promotion
30% - 50% time spent on marketing
Or go with an agent and pay extra fees
Persistance
rejection is part of the game
Patience
Find the right market for your work, what sells in one venue, may gather dust somewhere else.
Think outside the box - look for new applications for your art. Possibly Corporate sales?
Start and maintain a permissive marketing list. Always get a name, contact information, and notes on what they liked from those who take an interest in your work.
Work in groups, collaborate with other artists, writers, poets, musicians. film directors, photographers, philosophers
Cut down on costs
Make a plan. To make your art into a business, think like a business
with short and long-term goals,
Create a portfolio, prints, not slides, send it out to galleries and art dealers (artdealers.org)
Provide good-quality images of your work, and a short bio.
Set reasonable prices, and be ready to answer how you do it.
Enter art and craft fairs, but choose wisely. Make sure your work fits, and that there isn't so much competition you are lost in the sea of work
Design promotional materials such as business cards, postcards and catalogs for handouts or to be mailed.
If you must work, get a job with a flexible schedule
At art fairs, be personable, and be yourself. Getting to know the artist sometimes means as much to the buyer as the art.
At art fairs, learn to show your work in ways to make it appealing to potential buyers.
Talk and write about your art in ways people understand, regardless of how little or how much they know about art. This includes how to convince people to appreciate your art and feel like it's worth owning.
Document your work in ways to increase its appeal to potential buyers
Decide how you will respond to criticism of your art, role-play it.
Decide when you will have enough art and enough of a selection to start showing and selling your art.
Barter or trade your art for goods and services
Discover where to send those press releases by raiding the resume's of all your favorite artists. Chances are that if a journalist writes about one artist, they might write about another.
Resume's are also an excellent resource for potential venues and grant opportunities.
Openings and receptions are a great way to reconnect with past clients and to meet new people, and to learn how well your work is communicating. It's disappointing for your audience to attend an opening and not have a chance to speak with the artist. Get out there and shake hands.
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