11. Art Marketing

My focus during the month of May has been related to marketing; actually, that’s been my focus for several months but this was the month when things needed to “all come together” for in-person sales.

Past

As a high school teacher, my classroom students were my “customers” who listened to my teacher pitch of an idea or a concept. The bell told them, though, that they had to show up and so my “customers” were a forced audience. Not so with sharing and selling my art. With art, it’s all about CHOICE.

Current Question: How do I get my art more “out there” to be seen? Of all the marketing ideas, which feel OK to me?

After much consideration, here’s what I’ve decided:

DO ART FESTIVALS: People who go to art festivals already value art, even if only to look. Just seeing them respond to my work in person is great validation of my creative process. Of course, when a piece finds its home, I love that too! With that in mind, I signed up for 5 this year.

I participated in the Ted Lare Garden Show on May 20th. It was a beautiful day out with a steady stream of visitors to my booth.

At the art show, the variety pack of greeting cards sold the fastest which surprised me. Another surprise was selling original paintings on 9x12” paper for $40 each. Both are easily repeatable.

RUN GIVEAWAYS: Offering up something to give away– no strings attached & I’ll pay to ship– is a great chance to give back.

• I had 88 people enter my giveaway at the Ted Lare Show. The winner chose her original framed painting and off it went to Creston, Iowa. I’ll definitely do this again! Fun energy!

DAILY SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE: I love seeing what other artists share on IG or the photos and updates people share on Facebook… so I remind myself to share daily. That seems like a lot for frequency, but I understand that not everyone will see every share. Posts get buried or the algorithm misbehaves so, to share effectively, I have to do my part: vary times and formats and hashtags.

• Sharing about the upcoming Ted Lare show prompted several friends and family to attend. I loved seeing them and getting to show them what I’m doing now!

WHAT’S NEXT?

Foot surgery and recovery. Some audiobooks. Eventually back to painting. (I think I’ll explore watercolor this next month!) And then July hits and I’ll be on a knee scooter with my artwork at:

July 1-2 Bob Kling Studio & Garden Tour (Indianola)

July 15 Waukee Art Festival

July 29-30 Indianola Art Festival