How Do You Get Started Marketing Art?
Marketing Art When You are First Starting - The Launch Phase
An artist asked me after reading our marketing ideas, “What if I don't have any, or very few, past collectors or anyone on my mailing list?"
That's a great question! After all, everyone starts at zero, and going from nothing to something is definitely harder than going from something to something more.
There are a number of ways to address the getting started “problem”, but to keep it simple, let's concentrate on just a few of the top ways to solve it.
When you’re first getting started you don’t yet have an “audience”, at least not an organized one.
So, you only have two choices. They are to build an audience or pay to reach one. I would start by building one rather than starting with advertising, because you will get feedback about your art, your messaging, and it will help you determine if you are truly ready to start marketing your art. If you try to start by paying for one, you are liable to perhaps waste a lot of money to learn hard lessons.
If I were starting from zero, as an artist first attempting to sell my work, here's what I would do (and, in a sense, I am doing, albeit with the art of writing, rather than visual art). If you missed Part I or II of this series, please click the link below to get caught up.
Previous Articles
Step One - Determine Market Readiness
Step Two - Pre-launch Preparation
Today’s Article:
Step Three - The Launch Phase
Let’s dive in! Today’s article addresses the first step in starting to market and sell art which is to answer the following question, “Is my art ready to show in the marketplace and ready to sell?”
Step Three - The Launch Phase
After doing the things outlined in the previous two articles, your site is set up, you have a way for people to sign up for an email list, and your social media is up and running. Now you need to launch your site! Most artists without an existing following, probably don't do a big launch, and this is a mistake. Launching an art website, along with making your work available is a big deal. So tell the world! Oh wait, you said you didn't have anyone to tell. Well, let's fix that. Here's what I would do: