marketing art (6)

No one came into your booth last weekend?

Bottom line is: you need first to work on how to become irresistible to the art fair audience, how to get their 8869176661?profile=originalundivided attention, how to become relevant.

Can they get something similar at TJ Maxx or Pottery Barn? Whoops ... something missing here!

People need to understand what you are about, why does it matter to them and what is in it for them. Have any time for social media? Show off your new work on FB -- and how is that website?

If there are people at the art fair it isn't because they didn't have anything else to do (think Saturday afternoons in the fall in America ... college football comes to mind for me) and they are walking down Walnut Street or Westheimer or Meramec or State and glancing around ... 

P.S. unless you missed John Baun and John Houle's discussion about this marketing last week, here it is again: http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/apples-to-apples

 

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Last five months

I told myself that will keep this year my post low and keep a low profile. I like to meet the people that are part of the group but at the same time I created problems for myself.

Last October was my worst month as income goes. As eternal hopeful I am I was hoping the One of A Kind Show and Chicago will save me has it has done in the past but it was not the case. I got some orders for the Holidays and that help but my moral was low.

To make things worst, I also only got into only three shows for the winter. The choice was simple: gamble my savings for the winter or stay put and using my savings to hold on until the shows start again, I am assuming I will get into shows. I find myself wondering what I will do for the next four or five months. I realize, I wont be able to work in new images until the month of March. My lady friend asking what you would for the next months.

I find myself in a cage. I decide to ask if my old job need help for the holidays and winter. I manage to get 20 hours in there. I am surely found myself doubting my choice of living the company but surely enough I found out that I did the correct choice for myself.

I Also found myself doing a recommendation of my lady friend I sign up for Postmates (an app for people with a money or no time to get stuff for themselves). Postmates turn to be a great choice since as time when I start bring in at least 500 a week per 20 to 25 hours of work. The best part I sign when I want and keep busy enough that make my time away from lady friend pass faster. At this point I will doing it with the shows.

Artists may think that I could support of myself with my art or was not good enough to get into shows but there is no really reason why some have great success and other don’t. Even worst how thing in art show change from day to day and weekend to weekend. The weekend before Cottonwood, I was part of Amdur productions boot camp. It was great experience since I basically confirm base what she was talking I already doing everything she recommends to do.

I head early to Dallas to spend some days with lady friend before the show. My first show of the year (2015) was Cottonwood. While I find myself meeting people, I was concern of people knowing about my post specially when promoters I told me that I do not speak highly of some the shows, I had been black listed.

I think the best part of the show was spending time with James Parker, Karen, Anita, Stephen, Mark and Wendy. I think they all have a great show. I have a bad Saturday and good solid Sunday but not enough to make up for the bad Saturday. I should walk out of there sad but I walk feeling very relax and happy. I really can not tell you why but I just saw the show as work time and nothing else. The dinner time with my friends and the days before with my lady friend make me appreciated my life.

During the show I was looking how the new people react to the my first two 30X45 frame to 36X51 and introducing the 18X24. Both was successful and the only thing was I could not sale one of the large pieces. I also figure out what speed I need to drive with the trailer attach to match ratio of fill up the gas tank when I was not using the trailer. So overall you may not see reviews about the shows from me anymore but more about the experience of doing the show because lets face it when I am at the show I going to the mobil show to work. Plus there are thing that people tell you that I am doing because it is good advice and for that I am grateful.

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80% Marketing and 20% Creating

Just read this terrific article at Alyson Stanfield's Art Biz Blog: "The Truth about Why Nobody Came to Your Art Show"

Like everything else in life, it gets down to you. You want others to do the work of bringing them, you assume they will, but not always, baby. Here is why they didn't show up:

  1. You didn't tell them about it. (you thought the show would do the promo)
  2. You told your list about it, but didn't cover your bases. (maybe they didn't read it, maybe they were distracted)
  3. You were afraid to send email reminders. (this is a tricky one, it seems I'm always self-promoting, and it is a little embarrassing to be continually asking, however ...)
  4. You let your list get cold. (oh, oh, you didn't continue to share your "story" and believe me, artists have great stories, and your people drifted away)

Alyson writes a very helpful blog. So go take a look at it and get some ideas on building your own personal fan base. Then come back here and tell me how inspired you are now!

And here is the good news, if we all pay attention to our personal fans and they come to the show they say they already have enough of my work, then they buy from you! and your fans buy from me ...

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Here is our latest podcast from September 13 where I spoke with art marketing consultant Barney Davey. Barney has been active in art marketing since 1988 and began his career with Decor magazine and the Decor Expo tradeshows in New York City. This podcast is about business, not art. According to Barney if you are not selling your art being an artist is a hobby.

Listen to it here:

 

You'll learn how to position yourself and sell your art with these tips:

  • learn not to sell not what is in your wallet but your customer's wallet
  • how to cultivate high end customers
  • how to make the BIG sale
  • when to shut up
  • what "kaizen" means to an artist
  • how to move a buyer to purchase

Barney gives many references for further reading and study. Listen to this one over and over again. He really has a wealth of information to share and make you look at your business with a fresh eye. Learn more about Barney and how he can help you in your art career: www.artprintissues.com

Check out the rest of our podcasts by clicking on the "Radio" button on the toolbar at the top of this page, or visiting the Art Fair Radio Show page here.

Did you learn anything from this podcast? Tell your friends.

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Thursday, September 13, 6 pm ET8869086679?profile=original

Barney Davey, author of How to Profit from the Art Print Market, brings his expertise as an art marketing consultant to help artists bridge the gap between making art and making a living. As a sales and marketing executive for Decor magazine and the Decor Expo tradeshows, Barney has consulted with hundreds of the industry’s leading art publishers and self-published artists regarding their art marketing and advertising strategies.

We'll be talking about:

  • Why silence is golden in selling
  • How to make more per sale by offering big
  • Selling and pricing art without fear
  • Using warm markets to build your collector base
  • Understanding your customer types and working with them accordingly

Join us to learn smart moves for marketing and positioning your art for solid sales.

Listen to the show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/artfairs/2012/09/13/pricing-marketing-your-art--dont-think-small

Do you have questions you'd like answered? If so, please put them in the comments below.

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I'm sharing this email exchange I recently received and am very interested in hearing your opinions: "...and the call for entries was over (in Miami). But I began a correspondence with the artist who put out the call. Seems she is an ophthamologist's wife and wanted to turn the new office into a gallery. Well, I thought that was a good idea, since my ophthamologist's office has very grim magnolias everywhere, from a local framed art warehouse. Horrible stuff. I wrote a letter. They called, and it looks very good for me and my photography for just after New Years. So off I go to get some inventory and start matting and framing. I met with the assistant office manager today. My work will be for sale with a donation to their favorite (and mine) charity, the local no-kill humane society. We win all the way around, and I will be rotating my photographs - first in the main waiting room, then in the hallways and examining rooms." May Lattanzio Freelance Writer/Poet/Photographer Author: Waltz on the Wild Side - An Animal Lover's Journal www.thelensflare.com/u_may.php My partner in all things web read May's email and said: "Excellent blog post story here!" My response: "I don't think so. The artist does a lot of work, nothing gets sold and the only person who benefits is the opthamologist's office who gets free work. Michael does this all of the time...maybe a sale now and then, but most of the people I know are too busy making, working and marketing to spend time doing this, let alone letting their work molder in someone else's office." His response: "Yes. Your reaction is even more interesting. Good pitfall for newbies to avoid. I was wondering how she made money out of this and figured she must not need to..." Your turn. What do you think of this as a way to market your work?
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