Season 5 – epiBLOG 25:
Marketing. Many artists cringe at the very sound of this word. Why? Because artists tend to equate “marketing” with “selling,” and many creatives don’t see themselves as a salesman. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I mean it. If you like to create art, but don’t want to sell what you create, your art is a hobby. Creating art as a hobby can be fun.
Of course, this blog isn’t geared towards hobbyists. I’m here to provide value and information to entrepreneurial artists who are looking for results within their career.
As an entrepreneurial artist, you’re creating and constantly marketing yourself in order to be profitable, thereby creating a pathway for you to continue making more of your art from which the world can benefit.
Today’s topic covers effective, yet simple marketing strategies to move your artistic career forward.
Even though most of us don’t think about it, we are constantly marketing ourselves. Each time we share our art on social media with pride—that’s marketing. When we’re at a social event, and tell others what we do for a living, we are marketing who we are.
Marketing doesn’t have to be this huge, complex challenge that we have to hire a company to perform for us immediately. Hire a marketing agency when you’re too big to handle your marketing on your own. However, in the beginning stages of growing your artistic business, learn how to effectively market yourself in order to move forward. You will more than likely continue to use these simple tools even after you’re “big.”
I’ve mentioned the following content in other posts. However, people rarely look at these activities as marketing strategies.
Marketing Strategies for Solopreneurs/Entrepreneurs
- Promote your art and/or service on social media. Be consistent with this. I would recommend doing this a minimum of two days a week to begin if you’re currently not “that active” on social media. I don’t want you to go from being on social media once a week to feeling coerced into making an attempt to post seven days a week. That’s not realistic. Take baby steps and grow from there. You want to ramp up in order to build your confidence, but at the same time, make sure your efforts are doing something to move you forward. Consistency will help with this. I am active on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. I post on these platforms five days a week, and this keeps me visible on a global scale. Remember, each time you share your art and/or service on social media, you’re marketing.
- Attend networking events. I recommend going to events that are unique to your industry. This is important, as you will learn new information, or reinforce what is already working for you. Additionally, this will give you the opportunity to share [in person] what you do with other people who are familiar with your type of work. They can be your biggest cheerleaders. Stay in front of people and build sound business relationships. I would also recommend that you attend general entrepreneurial events. Again, you will learn something new that can help you move forward, and it’s a way to meet new people. Each time you shake a hand and tell someone what you do for a living, you’re marketing yourself.
- If applicable to you, set up a booth at a huge event where your ideal demographic will be in attendance. Contact the event coordinator in advance to an event that you would like to sell/promote your art/service. Find out the cost and requirements for having a booth. Of course, this is the downside to this marketing strategy because there more than likely is a cost to “rent” a booth at an event. I don’t recommend doing this if the booth is way out of your budget, unless you can realistically project that your sales from that event will cover the cost of that rental. You want to keep your expenses low, especially as a solopreneur or an entrepreneur that is just starting out. Nevertheless, if the stars and moon line up for you to set up a booth, this will give you the opportunity to be visible by a big part of your demographic, depending on the amount of traffic at the event. You will have the opportunity to pitch to event-goers and network with like-minded people. This is another form of marketing. Just make this strategic, and not random.
- Place yourself in a position to where you are constantly meeting people and are able to tell people about what you do. I personally volunteer at Hera Hub as an ambassador, which is a co-working space tailored to entrepreneurial women, although everyone is welcomed. This not only allows me to greet and to serve women as they walk through the door, but it allows me to have conversations with business-oriented and powerful women. Serving in any capacity is honor, and this also serves as another opportunity for me to share with others what I do for a living. Once again, this is another way of marketing.
How will you market yourself today?
Today’s LESSON is to be conscious about sharing your art and who you are with the world.
FUN ASSIGNMENT: Practice sharing what you do for a living in a one-line pitch. First, create your pitch if you don’t already have one, or if you simply need to polish an existing one. Secondly, set a goal to meet a certain number of people within the next seven days. Choose a number that stretches you, but also feels realistic to achieve. Don’t set goals that are unattainable. Begin building on those business relationships.
Please contact Nitara Osbourne if you’re a full time artist, and would like to be interviewed in The UnCloseted Professor Blog or if you would like help developing your life story into a non-fiction book or movie script. InfiniteWriterAgency@gmail.com.
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