Marketing artwork can be tricky. Once you know your target audience, the avenues of possibility spiral and cross in so many directions, it's impossible to predict the outcome of every one. While some of them are tempting to explore, it is important to keep from selling out and maintain a classy image, if, of course, that's what you're going for.
We tried email marketing, which meant buying a list of names from a data company and sending out a message offering a complimentary print. This did not get a particularly great response, probably because the multitude of spammers saturating inboxes everywhere have discouraged people from opening emails from addresses that are unfamiliar, but is is definitely worth pursuing with a few tweaks.
The same tactic was tried in The Guardian some time ago and it commanded an exponentially better response. But email is the cheapest, quickest and most modern way of communicating. Surely there must be a way to stand out among the junk mail when your offer is truly genuine?
.
So we've devised a new plan: a carefully constructed series of email letters.
Whether people will take the time to read them, who knows, but we're going to give it a shot. The first is an introduction to Jaq and her work. The second, an invitation to view her blog, her MySpace page, and a few new works, and the third, an offer of a free print and the opportunity to purchase the prints presented in the second email. They will be sent out one a week for three weeks.
It is, more or less, an experiment with modern technology over print media.
The complimentary print will be Oriental Still Life, which usually sells for £60. Because we can not afford to give them away and pay for them to be sent, we are still requesting the small charge of £7.95 for postage and packaging, which I don't think is by any means unreasonable.
Oriental Still Life: 19" x 27"
- Glossy catalogue with paintings from about six or seven collections of Jaq's work.
- Postcards
- Marketing specifically to interior designers
- Marketing to fashion houses and designers whose style matches Jaq's work
- An open night at the gallery with invitations sent out to a guest list
- Attempting to get work into various art fairs
- Article and advertisement placed in Graffiti Magazine
- Artist's name and gallery address in Galleries Magazine
- MySpace, MyArtSpace, this blog, the jiqjaq website and other Internet projects
If anyone has discovered any interesting marketing possibilities, feel free to leave comments and start a discussion.
The art world is a tricky one to penetrate as is it one of great competition. What makes one artist stand apart from the crowd? As an artist, how do you market your art? What marketing tactics catch your eye as a customer?
Everyone's opinion, no matter how informed, is valuable, because purchasing art is a very personal experience.
4 comments:
Your blog is amazing... and the information is wonderful. It is the most difficult thing to believe in yourself artistically, but realize your shortcoming is NOT the work but your ability to market. I have had reps and now am taking the reigns for myself again, thank you for your information.
gretchen
Myspace: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=26992842
Great blog post...I plan on selling prints of my artwork very soon. i have no idea how to advertise or get more people to know about my work. I think all artists have to struggle to get their name out until they have a fan base large enough that they dont have to worry about continually marketing themselves/their artwork. good luck! from one artist to another :)
Is it possible to buy Jaq's work online? I'd love to buy some postcards or a catalogue, but not living in London kinda limits my possibilities. :)
Hello Jaq,
In my point of view there are only three answers to this question;
Exhibitions exhibitions and exhibitions : )
there people see your art live, and there you also get contacts/buyers that may contact you again and buy one more, or recommend you to a friend.
online gallery is coming strong sure, but that jungle is soon even harder to see through than the conventional gallery sphere in the towns we reside and work in.
so a combination of both is the only way it seems, to be discovered by a curator would help of course, but i think it´s important not to join just any crowd...because if you settle with that starting point, you might just end there also.
one way to do it is to rent a small but ok gallery. i did, in Dec 2006. despite constant floods o rain, some 120 people came and i sold for 1000 dollars, so it wasn´t too bad.
i also had the opportunity to do exactly what i wanted to do in there, no interference from anyone.
showed 40 works paintings and sculptures, a retrospective if you like, three rooms. it gave me a boost in wanting to do it again, and people loved it, lots of interesting comments and meetings, also worth a lot.
it´s not a big deal really to exhibit. and i´m looking for new places to do it.
so you´re all welcome to see some of that, on my pages/Pics
Best of wishes to you
Peter
myspace: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=155727908
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