by Becky Sciullo | Jun 22, 2021 | Resources
Let’s Talk!
I’m in the process of putting together a new product, and I would like some input from you. I’m seeking ten visual artists for a short phone or zoom conversation. This call will be for market research only and is not a sales call.
A Thank You Gift
As a thank you, participating artists will receive a free copy of the new product, which will be available in August.
If you’re interested in participating, let me know by sending me an email at becky@artisan-advantage.com.
Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash
by Becky Sciullo | Jun 14, 2021 | Resources, Tools
Here are some marketing ideas for your Monday morning.
Five art marketing ideas.
1 – Want to jump on the TikTok bandwagon? Here is a guide for small businesses.
2 – Prices on your website are a good thing. People may have no idea whether or not they are in your price range, and they might not feel comfortable asking you. Make it easy for people to work with you by listing them.
3 – If you are a plein air painter, share images of your work in context. Simply take pictures of your work on the easel before you leave the area where you are painting.
4 – Writing interesting descriptions about your work can help with SEO.
5 – Are you headed back to live events and festivals this summer? Piggyback on current shopping trends and offer a pre-purchase option where possible allowing people to then pick up in person at the event.
Learn More
Monday Morning Marketing Ideas is a regular blog post series to offer ideas that you might use in your business. Thoughts provided cover a wide variety of medium and marketing methods. Some may seem a little crazy. Others, you might say, now why didn’t I think of that? These are simply ideas that pop into my head or come across my desk as I work through the week. I don’t always have time to write an entire blog post on the subject, but I thought they might be worth sharing.
For even more ideas and information, join my weekly newsletter here.
by Becky Sciullo | Apr 28, 2021 | Consultations, Learning, Resources
You may have seen or heard me mention my Office Hours service for artists, and you might be wondering, what does she mean by that?
What are Office Hours?
Office Hours are consulting sessions divided into two-hour blocks of time that I spend working for and with artists who hire me to help them with their business. I have found that organizing these units this way works well from both a time and payment standpoint. Suppose you want to build out a complete marketing system for your art business. In that case, I recommend that you consider the Artisan Advantage Interactive Toolbox, which includes one-on-one consulting time. But, if you are looking for more targeted help in one specific area, Office Hours might be your best option.
How Do Office Hours Work?
The first thing you do is to purchase the block of time here. A confirmation page then provides a short form that tells me about your work and your business. Once I receive and review this form, we will set up a short fifteen to twenty-minute Zoom call to set goals for our time working together. As each artist may have different goals, we will also develop a course of action for the Office Hours block. Some of the time may be allotted to me putting a plan together for you and then coming back together or working together the entire two-hour time. It will just depend upon your situation.
Here are some examples of what an Office Hours block can accomplish.
Review your current website and determine updates and changes that you can make to strengthen your web presence.
Help you get your artist blog started with a content plan.
Help you figure out who is your target audience and where to find them.
Work on a publicity strategy.
These are just a few examples, and it ultimately depends upon your individual business needs. If you have an idea or questions about Office Hours, get in touch at becky@artisan-advantage.com.
How to Purchase Office Hours
A block currently costs $150 for two hours. The two-hour time does not include our initial fifteen-minute Zoom introduction.
Effective June 1st, Office Hours will increase to $200 per two-hour block. Purchase before June 1st to lock in the price of $150.
More Information
If you’re not ready for Office Hours but would like to stay posted with free information to help your art business, please join my email newsletter here.
Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash
by Becky Sciullo | Apr 26, 2021 | Artist Websites, Learning, Resources, Tools
Here are some marketing ideas for your Monday morning.
Six Art Marketing Ideas
1 – When listing images of your work on e-commerce sites such as Etsy or even your own website, make sure that your lighting and the way you photograph them are consistent. There are apps such as Vsco to help you with this.
2 – If you are actively seeking commission work, dedicate a page on your website for these projects. Include terms of working with you and images and stories about commission work that you have done in the past with testimonials.
3 – Sometimes people get home and a piece doesn’t work in the space they thought it would. Let your clients know that if they change their minds about a purchase, they can return the artwork for a full refund minus the cost of shipping and handling. Robert Yonke offers this for his work. In the history of working with him, we’ve had two return art. In both cases, they exchanged the work rather than asking for a refund. As a result, people may be more comfortable making a large purchase, knowing that if they get it home and have a change of heart, they can return it.
4 – Be familiar with the places you can market your art in your region. What spaces exist for you to show and sell your art? The spaces can include public spaces like museums and libraries, commercial galleries, and other businesses that feature artists. Keep track of these places and ones that might be a fit for your work. Meet the people who run them. Then, stay in touch so that you stay on top of opportunities that might be a fit for your work.
5 – Don’t forget to use tagging in your marketing. Tags are the search keywords that people use to find your art. You can tag your work in many places, including social media, your blog, and e-commerce sites. Tagging your work helps bring it to the top of search results on the platforms you are using and search engines.
6 – Are you stuck? Sometimes, taking a break from marketing isn’t a bad thing either. Consider a creativity vacation.
Learn More
Monday Morning Marketing Ideas is a weekly blog post series to offer ideas that you might use in your business. Thoughts provided cover a wide variety of medium and marketing methods. Some may seem a little crazy. Others, you might say, now why didn’t I think of that? These are simply ideas that pop into my head or come across my desk as I work through the week. I don’t always have time to write an entire blog post on the subject, but I thought they might be worth sharing.
For even more ideas and information, join my weekly newsletter here.
by Becky Sciullo | Mar 15, 2021 | Learning, Productivity, Resources, Social Media
Here are some marketing ideas for your Monday morning.
Six Art Marketing Ideas
1 – When crafting your PR strategy, don’t overlook radio stations, particularly your local public stations like this one in my hometown. Many times they interview visual artists. And, the stations have websites where they will be able to share images of your work and the recording.
2 – If you have a strong presence on Etsy or another e-commerce site, edit your Facebook header button for followers to take action by creating a “Shop” button that goes directly to your online store.
3 – If you’re new to Etsy, you will not have any feedback or testimonials, which can put some buyers off. Work on nurturing testimonials to build credibility so people will trust purchasing from you. If friends and family typically purchase directly from you, ask them to make their next purchase through the platform so they can leave reviews for you. Or, start with a product at a lower price point so buyers can take a chance on you, allowing an opportunity for your to build their trust.
4 – Interior designers are always on the lookout for on-trend artwork, and if you have it, you can make multiple sales by targeting this group. Be proactive. Connect with interior designers in your local market and send them a message. Don’t spam them or try to sell right off the bat. Just make a connection. You will get rejections and not everyone will respond. Don’t take it personally; stick with it. Eventually you should find one who clicks with your work.
5 – Are you frustrated that you don’t have enough time in your day for marketing? Take time to evaluate how you spend your time. You can do this by keeping a simple list of what you do every day. After a week or two, see if you can identify activities that you can streamline or eliminate to open up time in your schedule.
6 – Whenever a magazine or other publication features your work, make sure you are referencing and linking back, giving props to that media outlet through tagging on social media or sharing their site on your blog.
Get More Art Marketing Help
Would you like weekly updates with information like this to help your art business? Sign up for my mailing list here.
If you’re signed up for my email newsletter and NOT receiving my weekly updates, please check your spam folder
by Becky Sciullo | Dec 14, 2020 | Learning, Resources
Here are some art marketing ideas for your Monday Morning.
Seven Art Marketing Ideas
1 – Use the power of video to grow your art business by creating a YouTube channel. Then, you can upload videos of demos, a visit to your studio, or creative slideshows featuring collections of your work.
2 – Create a Google My Business account. It lets you show up on Google Maps, and it’s free.
3 – Have an experimental mindset. Do you want to try a new platform or have an idea to market your work but are afraid to leap? Try something new for a time and be willing to let the chips fall where they may. This mindset can help with procrastination and might open up a whole new opportunity for selling your work. An experimental mindset led to this.
4 – Do you create a line of functional art (think ceramics and glassware)? Consider setting up a wedding registry on your site. You can do this right from your website using password-protected pages for each registrant. In addition to encouraging more sales of your work, you might make some new fans for your work.
5 – Resist reducing prices. In my work with artist Robert Yonke, we increased prices in 2020 and continued selling art. Look around when you are shopping, the cost of most goods is not going down, Neither should the price of your work. If you do have art that you would like to move out, consider limited time only sales where you create a sense of urgency to encourage sales from people who love your work.
6 – Stay organized. I use and am an affiliate for Artwork Archive. It is probably my number one favorite tool for managing an art business. In addition to organizing your work, you can create custom viewing rooms, keep track of your clients, maintain a history for each piece of work, plus much more. Give it a try with a free trial period.
7- Participate with your state or town’s artist registry. Most of them are free and will allow you to create a detailed public profile about you and your work. An artist registry is just one more opportunity to get found.
Get More Art Marketing Help
Would you like weekly updates with information like this to help your art business? Sign up for my mailing list here.
If you’re signed up for my email newsletter and NOT receiving my weekly updates, please check your spam folder.
