'Tis the season - for shoppers to look for that one-of-a-kind, "it's something they don't have" type of gift, and where better to look than at galleries and crafts fairs and gift shops that carry local artisans' works? Unlike the major retailers, December 26 likely won't be a crazy mob scene of gifts being returned, but you really don't want the day to be too quiet, either.
As an artist, December 26 (and the days following) offer an opportunity to communicate with those who purchased your work - whether via e-mail or a handwritten note (yes, I did say handwritten!). It's a personal thank you that keeps you connected. And, by the way, another thought is to suggest a way in which your patron can further appreciate your art work - such as sharing with them what inspired you to create it. It helps the piece's new owner to create a connection with your muse.
Once you have a way to stay in touch with patrons, you might consider an occasional e-mail or newsletter that keeps you and your customers connected throughout the year. Let people know where you are exhibiting. Share with them an exciting new project, or a place you've recently traveled. Building relationship is key to building repeat sales, and developing a dialog through routine communication helps to build that relationship.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
What's In Your Website?
Social media is exploding. After years as an inexpensive and fledgling approach to promoting your business, social media has now coalesced into an important tool to tell people about your business. Used effectively, social media can help "move the needle" so that people can find out about you and become interested in your art.
Effective social media requires an integrated approach: web page, facebook, twitter (when appropriate), and possibly a blogpost can create a seamless promotional program that boosts your visibility.
But before you begin to invest your time and money in developing these tools, keep in mind that the basics of marketing still apply:
(1) Know your target audience
(2) Know the message you want to communicate
(3) Know whether or not you're reaching your audience.
Know Your Target Audience
It's important to have a sense of who is interested in your art. Are you a more traditional artist who appeals to older, more conservative buyers? Is your style typically avant-garde, with a younger or a more affluent customer base? Understanding who finds your art appealing can help you determine the look and feel of your web site, Facebook page, and other tools you use to tell people about your business.
Know Your Message
Decide what is most important about you and your art. Is it where you've exhibited? When you were recently published? Is it a class that you took, or an exhibition that you participated in? Customers want to know about the people they buy things from. Help them understand more about who you are and what has gone into creating your art or literature so that they can better appreciate what it is that you create.
Know if you're reaching your audience
Keep track of your web stats, and use a tool like Google Analytics to get a handle on the number of hits and where those hits are coming from. If you feel as if you're buried beneath the sea of other web pages, then take a look at your home page. Do the first 50-100 words on that page grab attention? Do they help the search engines find you? What about your Facebook page? Do you have the number of "likes" you want and need to grow a business?
As an artist your time is your money - so you want to make sure that you are spending your time wisely - and building a following that will turn into sales.
Want to know more about how we can help grow your arts business? Send us an email at info@arts-and-business.com.
Effective social media requires an integrated approach: web page, facebook, twitter (when appropriate), and possibly a blogpost can create a seamless promotional program that boosts your visibility.
But before you begin to invest your time and money in developing these tools, keep in mind that the basics of marketing still apply:
(1) Know your target audience
(2) Know the message you want to communicate
(3) Know whether or not you're reaching your audience.
Know Your Target Audience
It's important to have a sense of who is interested in your art. Are you a more traditional artist who appeals to older, more conservative buyers? Is your style typically avant-garde, with a younger or a more affluent customer base? Understanding who finds your art appealing can help you determine the look and feel of your web site, Facebook page, and other tools you use to tell people about your business.
Know Your Message
Decide what is most important about you and your art. Is it where you've exhibited? When you were recently published? Is it a class that you took, or an exhibition that you participated in? Customers want to know about the people they buy things from. Help them understand more about who you are and what has gone into creating your art or literature so that they can better appreciate what it is that you create.
Know if you're reaching your audience
Keep track of your web stats, and use a tool like Google Analytics to get a handle on the number of hits and where those hits are coming from. If you feel as if you're buried beneath the sea of other web pages, then take a look at your home page. Do the first 50-100 words on that page grab attention? Do they help the search engines find you? What about your Facebook page? Do you have the number of "likes" you want and need to grow a business?
As an artist your time is your money - so you want to make sure that you are spending your time wisely - and building a following that will turn into sales.
Want to know more about how we can help grow your arts business? Send us an email at info@arts-and-business.com.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Know Your Market
There will always be the eternal question between the artist who is the purist and the artist who wants to make money from art. It does not matter what the 'art' is - whether it is literary, musical, visual, or kinetic. Those who choose to pursue art for "art's sake" may find themselves in the Social Services office applying for food stamps, while those who are willing to adjust their art for the tastes of their potential market may enjoy the financial fruits of their labor.
This challenge between "art for art's sake" and "art to make a living" is not new. The dichotomy between the two is as old as recorded history itself. The Hebrew Scripture talks about artisans who can work gold and silver and those who can weave being employed to help fabricate the Ark of the Covenant. History is replete with examples of incredibly gifted artisans who lived lives as paupers because their work was not appreciated at the time.
And so, today, the artist still faces the same challenge: do you pursue your art as you understand it, or do you identify some unfilled "spot" in the market that you can fill by making a few adjustments to your artistic style?
The decision is as individualistic as art itself. For some artists, the decision to satisfy the needs and expectations of a defined audience are worth the adjustments to artistic direction. For others, the desire to pursue art as we understand it means taking the chance that no one else will pay for it.
For those who decide to pursue art as a business, there can be a sense of freedom in having money to continue to pursue art. For those who wish to be artists no matter what, the challenge to make a living from art may always be present.
This challenge between "art for art's sake" and "art to make a living" is not new. The dichotomy between the two is as old as recorded history itself. The Hebrew Scripture talks about artisans who can work gold and silver and those who can weave being employed to help fabricate the Ark of the Covenant. History is replete with examples of incredibly gifted artisans who lived lives as paupers because their work was not appreciated at the time.
And so, today, the artist still faces the same challenge: do you pursue your art as you understand it, or do you identify some unfilled "spot" in the market that you can fill by making a few adjustments to your artistic style?
The decision is as individualistic as art itself. For some artists, the decision to satisfy the needs and expectations of a defined audience are worth the adjustments to artistic direction. For others, the desire to pursue art as we understand it means taking the chance that no one else will pay for it.
For those who decide to pursue art as a business, there can be a sense of freedom in having money to continue to pursue art. For those who wish to be artists no matter what, the challenge to make a living from art may always be present.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Know Your Numbers
Do you know your numbers?
I'm not talking about your cholesterol or your blood sugar or your blood pressure.
I'm talking about your business's vital signs: your liquidity ratio; your cash-to-debt ratio; and (particularly if you have inventory) your quick ratio. These numbers are the lifeblood of your business - the quick and dirty indicators of your business's overall health, and the way in which you can tell if you are headed into trouble. They mean more than what the cash balance in your business bank account says or what your reportable income was to the IRS.
I often have clients come to me and say that they need marketing help. In the initial conversation, they talk about needing to find more customers and looking for ways to boost sales. In the old days, when I was naive and trusting (and figuring they had a vigilant accountant watching over the financials), I never thought to probe about cash flow. Until...
Until I acquired several clients in rapid succession who told me in that initial interview that they could not draw a salary for themselves, and hadn't done so in months. Then it dawned on me - perhaps this presumed "marketing" problem was actually a "money" problem. I began to change my approach, requiring a look at financials or tax returns, and in every situation, the numbers told the tale.
Know your numbers. Know why they are what they are. Understand what goes into them. This is the first, and most important, step to building and sustaining a successful business.
I'm not talking about your cholesterol or your blood sugar or your blood pressure.
I'm talking about your business's vital signs: your liquidity ratio; your cash-to-debt ratio; and (particularly if you have inventory) your quick ratio. These numbers are the lifeblood of your business - the quick and dirty indicators of your business's overall health, and the way in which you can tell if you are headed into trouble. They mean more than what the cash balance in your business bank account says or what your reportable income was to the IRS.
I often have clients come to me and say that they need marketing help. In the initial conversation, they talk about needing to find more customers and looking for ways to boost sales. In the old days, when I was naive and trusting (and figuring they had a vigilant accountant watching over the financials), I never thought to probe about cash flow. Until...
Until I acquired several clients in rapid succession who told me in that initial interview that they could not draw a salary for themselves, and hadn't done so in months. Then it dawned on me - perhaps this presumed "marketing" problem was actually a "money" problem. I began to change my approach, requiring a look at financials or tax returns, and in every situation, the numbers told the tale.
Know your numbers. Know why they are what they are. Understand what goes into them. This is the first, and most important, step to building and sustaining a successful business.
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