In this week’s video, we are back to finding an audience and marketing to a niche with the first step: identifying your niche. If you remember in Week One’s Video, I talked about two things to start thinking about when it comes to niche and that is what is you artistic voice and connection.
Over the next few weeks, we will dive into how people connect with your work and how to use those connections to find an audience.
Video Recap: Know, Like & Trust
Relationships are among the most significant and common ways people connect with art. As the age-old adage goes, people do business with people they know, like, and trust. Your existing network forms the foundation of a potential audience.
Let’s illustrate this with an example: a client I worked with had an established art business but felt like he was missing out on opportunities for growth. Through assessment, we discovered he had a loyal clientele of repeat customers for high-end commission work. By nurturing these existing relationships, he was able to unlock new opportunities and expand his audience base.
So, how can you start building an audience through relationships?
1 – Make a list
Brainstorm a comprehensive list of your family, friends, acquaintances and, of course, current customers. Of this list, who already knows about your work? Who doesn’t? Who should know about it?
2 – Start Using a CRM
Use a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to track interactions and responses, ensuring that no one falls through the cracks.
3 – Reach Out
Ask your connections if they would be interested in hearing about your business, seeing new work, learning about what you are up to in the way of a regular email newsletter. If they respond yes, then you can add them to your list. This approach is not about spamming people but respectfully sharing an asking if they have an interest. Then, you focus on building genuine connections that add value for everyone involved.
Build Genuine Connections
Finally, building connections is the key to growing your art audience. By nurturing relationships and fostering genuine connections, you can unlock new opportunities and reach new heights in your artistic career. Stay tuned for more insights and tips on building connections in the art world in our upcoming episodes.
And if you need personalized guidance, consider a one-on-one strategy session to kickstart your journey toward building a thriving art audience.
Resources Mentioned in the Video
Email Template for reaching out to your connections: Send me an email at becky@artisan-advantage.com to request a copy of my template.
This first weekly videoexplores the terms niche and audience and how they work together. Then, we discuss first thoughts on identifying your niche audience. It starts with discovering your unique artistic voice and understanding what sets your work apart. You’ll uncover valuable insights into your niche audience’s preferences by paying attention to who’s drawn to your art and why.
Whether you’re a painter, sculptor, photographer, or any other visual artist, connecting with your audience is critical to success. This blog post series focuses on finding and cultivating an audience. So far, we’ve tipped the surface of this topic with an overview of a target audience and how to create a buyer persona. Before we go any further, I’d like to cover setting up a CRM system.
What is a CRM?
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management, and it’s not just for sales teams or large corporations. At its core, a CRM is a tool designed to help businesses manage customer interactions and relationships. You can use a CRM system to organize contacts, track interactions with potential collectors, schedule follow-ups, and segment audiences based on preferences. This practice helps build and maintain relationships, understand collector needs, and strategically target marketing efforts for audience expansion and retention.
Set Your CRM Up Sooner Rather Than Later
Here’s why every artist should proactively have a CRM in place:
1 – Centralized Contact Management
As an artist, you’ll interact with many people – collectors, gallery owners, fellow artists, and fans. Keeping track of all these contacts can be overwhelming without a centralized system. A CRM allows you to store and organize contact information in one place, making it easy to manage your network.
2 – Track Audience Interactions
A CRM enables you to track interactions such as email inquiries, social media engagement, event attendance, and purchases. By monitoring these interactions, you will have a better idea of how people are finding you and responding to your work.
3 – Personal Engagements
One of the most significant benefits of using a CRM is the ability to personalize your interactions with your audience. By segmenting your contacts based on interests, location, or purchase history, you can tailor your communication to better resonate with each segment. Whether sending personalized emails, offering exclusive promotions, or inviting local supporters to your events, a CRM allows you to engage with your audience on a deeper level.
4 – Consistent Follow-Up
Building relationships takes time and effort. With a CRM, you can set reminders and automate follow-up tasks so you stay connected with your audience. Whether following up on a potential commission, sending a thank-you note to a collector, or reaching out to attendees after an exhibition, a CRM helps you maintain consistent communication and nurture relationships over time.
If you’re serious about finding and growing your audience as an artist, having a CRM in place is essential. A CRM can help you manage contacts, track audience interactions, personalize engagement, and stay organized. By proactively managing your relationships with your audience, you can build a loyal following that supports your art for years to come.
Are you Using a CRM?
Are you using a CRM that you love? I’d love to hear from you. I’ll focus on CRM options for artists in a future blog post.
A Guide to Creating and Using Buyer Personas for Visual Artists
Last week, we discussed the concept of a target audience and why it’s important to understand who this audience is for your art business. One tool for helping with this understanding is creating and using buyer personas.
What are Buyer Personas?
Buyer or customer personas are detailed representations of your ideal audience segments. They include demographics, interests, preferences, and behaviors, providing a comprehensive view of who your art is resonating with.
How Can Artists Use Buyer Personas?
By crafting buyer personas, artists gain insights into their audience’s motivations, enabling them to tailor their marketing for maximum impact. This targeted approach increases the likelihood of connecting with potential buyers.
Steps to Creating Buyer Personas
1 – Gathering Information
You can use social media analytics, social conversation, and real-life conversation to collect data on your audience. Also, you could use surveys and interviews if you have a substantial email list or social media following.
2 – Building Detailed Personas
Create fictional characters that represent distinct segments of your audience. Include details such as age, interests, and buying behaviors. Companies often give their characters actual names for these personas, and you could do the same.
3 – Common Mistakes to Avoid
Be cautious of generalizations and assumptions. Make sure your personas are based on accurate data to avoid misunderstanding your audience.
Applying Buyer Personas to Your Art Business
Marketing Strategies
Use buyer personas to craft targeted marketing campaigns. Tailor your promotional content to connect with the interests and values of your personas.
Building Relationships
Engage with your audience based on these insights. Foster a sense of community through social media and collaborations.
Evolving Personas Over Time
Be Open to Change
Recognize shifts in your audience’s preferences and adapt your personas accordingly.
Some Examples of Using Buyer Personas
Here are a few hypothetical examples illustrating how visual artists might leverage buyer personas to enhance their artistic practice and connect with their audience:
Nature Photography
A nature photographer strategically targets nature enthusiasts and eco-conscious individuals who value sustainability. The artist initiates a captivating series highlighting the beauty of endangered species and natural landscapes, emphasizing using eco-friendly materials in art prints and packaging. This commitment resonates positively with the buyer persona, turning the art into a conversation piece and attracting buyers who share the artist’s passion for nature conservation. The photographer’s thoughtful approach aligns with the audience’s values and increases engagement and sales within the community the artist aims to connect with.
Abstract Art
An abstract painter successfully tailors art to a specific audience—young professionals who appreciate modern aesthetics and minimalist design. Creating a series of abstract paintings characterized by clean lines and muted colors, the artist strategically showcases work on social media platforms popular among the target demographic. The artwork connects with the intended buyers and results in heightened engagement, increased sales, and an invitation to exhibit at galleries that align perfectly with the audience’s preferences.
Comic Book Illustrator
A comic book illustrator successfully caters to a target audience of comic book enthusiasts and pop culture fans. The artist engages actively with his audience by creating a series inspired by popular comic book characters and hosting virtual events where the artist live-draws fan-requested characters. Additionally, presence in online forums dedicated to comic book culture further strengthens the connection. This interactive approach resonates with fans, who appreciate the personalized touch, resulting in a notable increase in sales of artwork and merchandise.
Jewelry Artist
A jewelry artist strategically targets individuals who appreciate handcrafted, unique jewelry with a focus on sustainability. The buyer persona encompasses eco-conscious consumers valuing ethically sourced materials and timeless designs. Crafting a collection using recycled metals and ethically sourced gemstones, the jeweler’s designs are showcased on platforms emphasizing craftsmanship and eco-friendly values. The result is a strong resonance with the audience, leading to increased sales through online platforms and eco-friendly boutiques. As a result, the artist’s commitment to sustainability positions them as a sought-after jewelry artist, celebrated for ethical practices and unique creations.
These examples highlight how understanding buyer personas can guide artists in tailoring their content, engaging with their audience, and ultimately building a more meaningful and lucrative artistic career.
Continuous Research and Feedback:
It’s important to conduct research and seek feedback from your audience regularly. Then, use this information to refine and update your personas as needed.
Creating and using buyer personas helps visual artists bridge the gap between creativity and commercial success. By understanding their audience deeper, artists can create impactful artwork, connect with buyers, and evolve with the ever-changing marketplace.
Knowing your target audience can make a significant difference in your visual art business. It’s like having a secret tool to take you from sharing and marketing work sporadically to building a strategic business.
This post is the first in a series focused on finding your audience.
First, we’ll cover what a target audience is and how visual artists can use this concept to make their marketing strategies even better.
Defining Your Target Audience
Simply put, a target audience is the specific group you aim to reach with your artwork. This group shares common characteristics, interests, and preferences, making them more likely to appreciate and engage with your work. It’s possible to have more than one target audience, and identifying these groups involves some research and strategy.
Why is Your Audience Important?
Focused Marketing Efforts
Knowing your target audience allows you to tailor your marketing efforts more precisely. Instead of casting a wide net and hoping to attract anyone and everyone, you can focus on the individuals most likely to resonate with your art. This not only saves resources but also increases the effectiveness of your promotional campaigns.
Improved Artistic Presentation
Understanding your audience’s preferences helps you make informed decisions about who you present your work to and how you do that. For example, if you’re participating in an arts festival and understand who in your target audience is likely to attend, it will help you determine the type of work you include in that show.
Building Meaningful Connections
Art is a personal experience; forming connections with your audience is the first step in helping them to purchase or choose your work. When your art speaks directly to the interests and emotions of your target audience, it becomes more than just a visual representation – it becomes a shared experience, forging a stronger bond between artist and viewer.
How to Figure Out Your Target Audience
Conduct Research
You can research the audience in several ways, some of which we will tackle in later posts. If you’ve already been selling work, look at the demographics, interests, and everything you know about your current audience. This data serves as the foundation for creating a detailed profile of your audience. If you’re new to marketing, think about your work and who might be interested. When I started working for Robert Yonke, all I knew was that he painted images of bluegrass musicians. Doing some research quickly led me to the world of Bluegrass music, which became an excellent audience for his work.
Create Customer Personas
Develop customer or buyer personas based on your research. These are fictional representations of your ideal viewers, complete with names, backgrounds, and preferences. By humanizing your target audience, you can better understand their needs and tailor your communication and marketing approach accordingly.
How to Use This Knowledge
Craft Strategic Marketing Messages
Develop marketing messages that resonate with your target audience. Speak directly to their interests, aspirations, and emotions. Whether through social media, email campaigns, or promotional events, ensure that your messaging aligns with the values of your ideal viewers.
Utilize Targeted Platforms
Identify the platforms where your target audience is most active. Whether it’s social media, art galleries, or specific online communities, focus your marketing efforts on these channels to reach your audience more effectively.
Understanding and leveraging the concept of a target audience is a cornerstone of successful marketing for visual artists. Use your research insights to inform your business decisions. Then, align your efforts with the preferences of your target audience to maximize appeal.
In Build a Dynamic Web Presence, learn the importance of identifying an audience for your visual art business. Figuring out the component can be one of the most challenging pieces of your the marketing puzzle. Attend a new webinar, Finding an Audience for Your Visual Art, to learn more about how to do this for your business.
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