Unlocking Success: Proven Strategies to Help You Grow Your Art Business
Do you dream of turning your passion for visual art into a solid, successful business?
If so, you’re in luck – by leveraging the right resources and insights, success as an artist can be within reach! This blog post explores some proven strategies to help artists grow their art business.
We’ll discuss the key steps that you should take in order to achieve sales growth and stay ahead of the competition. You’ll find out how even small investments like digital marketing efforts can make all the difference when it comes to reaching new customers and elevating passionate work into a lifelong career.
So get ready for some inspiration - let's unlock the secrets of unlocking success as an artist!
Two key elements we have to focus on are:
Creating art.
Figuring out how to get your target audience to fall in love with your art.
You have to figure out what it’s going to take to make sure your target audience is:
Interested in you
Becoming a fan
Becoming a subscriber
Becoming a happy customers
What Steps Does Your Potential Customer Go Through Before Buying Your Art?
A customer journey is a process your potential customer goes through from discovering your work to making a purchase and beyond.
A visual artist's potential customers may follow a variety of paths, depending on how they learn about the artist's work. Some may discover them through word-of-mouth or online advertising, while others may find out through attending an exhibition or art fair.
Once they become aware of the artist's work, they might research it further online or even visit the artist's studio if it is open to the public. Customers could then contact the visual artist directly for more information, or make an inquiry via their website.
After deciding to buy, customers will make a purchase either in person or online and have their artwork shipped to them. The customer journey continues after this as customers may provide feedback on their experience or interact with the visual artist on social media.
Once you have determined who your target market is, the next step is to create a plan for how potential new customers will find out about your artwork.
This could include leveraging digital platforms such as social media, creating content related to your art that can be shared with those interested in the topic, advertising on relevant websites, attending art events and trade shows, or partnering with local galleries or businesses to promote your work.
Additionally, networking with other artists or individuals involved in the art world can also help increase the visibility of your artwork.
So let’s look at the steps in a bit more detail.
How Will Potential New Customers Find Out About Your Artwork?
Here are three steps of how people can find out about your work:
Make sure you have an online portfolio of your work that showcases the best of what you do. This will give potential customers an easy way to quickly browse through your artwork and get a good idea of your style. Additionally, include contact information in the portfolio so people can easily reach out to you with inquiries. Think of your homepage as the digital “front door” to your world. The right “front door” can mean a steady stream of your ideal customers exploring what you offer and taking that next step with you.
Utilize social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook to promote yourself and spread the word about your artwork. Post regularly, interact with other artists and art enthusiasts, join relevant groups and conversations and use hashtags related to your artwork.
Consider using search engine optimization (SEO) tactics to ensure that your website or portfolio is appearing in relevant search queries on Google or other search engines. You can create content around topics related to visual art, link back to your own website or portfolio from other websites, build relationships with influencers who might be interested in promoting you, etc.
Participate in local art shows and exhibitions to attract potential customers in the area. Additionally, artists can advertise their work through blogs, and online directories. They can also distribute flyers and brochures to public places or directly reach out to business owners or galleries that are interested in their work.
You can also submit your artwork to websites that feature independent artists or use art marketplaces to showcase your work. Networking events are another great way for visual artists to engage with a new audience, as well as reach out directly to galleries or businesses that might be interested in featuring their work.
Finally, working with influencers or partnering with local businesses can also help spread the word about an artist's work.
How Will You Effectively Communicate And Engage With Your Audience After They’ve Discovered You?
Utilize social media platforms to build relationships and stay in touch with interested viewers of your art. Post regularly, share stories and create content that will draw people back to your page and make them feel connected to you and your work. Regularly post updates about events, exhibitions, or other news related to your art so that your followers know what’s going on in the world of visual art.
Reach out to those audience members who express an interest in your art - send emails, direct messages on social media, invite them to view art exhibits or shows featuring your work, etc. Ask for feedback from your audience, which will help you understand the kind of work they are interested in and how you can reach more people.
Create a mailing list where you can send updates about new projects or works-in-progress that you’re working on. This will keep them informed and engaged while also providing a platform for feedback on what they would like to see from you next. Engage in conversations with your audience to build relationships and keep them up to date on what’s new with your art.
Networking events are another great way for visual artists to engage with a new audience.
How Do You Turn Somehow From Being Interested In Your Art To Buying Your Art?
Establish trust: First, build a relationship with prospects by engaging in conversation and providing relevant information about your art. This will help create trust and develop an understanding of what you offer.
Educate potential buyers: Secondly, educate potential buyers on the benefits of owning artwork and how it can add value to their lives. Provide details about the creative process behind pieces and discuss why each piece is unique.
Offer incentives: Finally, provide incentives for potential customers to purchase artwork from you such as discounts or free shipping. This incentive can encourage customers to take action and purchase your artwork.
How Can You Turn Your Customer Into A Fan And Get Repeat Orders?
Provide Outstanding Customer Service: Providing excellent customer service should be a top priority for any visual artist.
This means catering to the customers’ needs and responding promptly to their questions and concerns.Focus On Quality: Visual art, whether prints, paintings or sculptures, should be of a high quality that meets the customer’s expectations. Making sure products are well constructed with attention to detail will help inspire confidence in the customer and encourage repeat orders.
Build Relationships: Building relationships is key for any business, but especially for visual artists who are trying to make an impression on customers. Showing genuine interest in customers’ feedback can help establish trust and loyalty, which can lead to more sales in the future.
In conclusion, it is important to remember that success in your art business will take hard work, dedication and creativity.
Strive to stay focused on your mission and develop a strong understanding of your audience. Additionally, be sure to plan ahead for what you need to do every day, track your growth metrics, and create an amazing experience for your customers.
With the right strategies in place and consistent effort, you can unlock the success you have been striving for with your art business.
Keep in mind that growing your art career in art is a long-term commitment and getting your art noticed by the right people is an ongoing process.
I see many people – artists and business owners alike – who apply a few marketing techniques, only to throw in the towel if they don’t see immediate results.
Don’t be one of them!
Stick to your beliefs and create art which is a true expression of your being.
Follow your goal with all your passion, all your efforts, all your talent, and skills.
Stick to it and you will see your audience grow and the career you have dreamt of unfold.
What are you waiting for?