by Rebecca Sciullo | May 11, 2020 | Learning, Planning
I recently read this article in the Harvard Business Review. It offers thoughtful questions for every business person about taking “post-crisis” steps.
What’s Your Next Move in Your Business?
As a creative entrepreneur, what’s your next step? If you were actively marketing and selling your work, you likely experienced some disruption in your efforts. What is next for you as the world gets back to business? Are you going to throw in the towel on selling your work? I hope not! While there may be some challenging days ahead, don’t give up on your plans. You may have to adapt, but people will still purchase art.
Realizing you can’t predict what’s coming, you can still make a plan of action. Here are some things that you might consider doing to help in this process.
Take stock of the positive. What did you accomplish during this time if you were on a stay home order? Remind yourself of any positive actions that you accomplished.
Envision your future. If you already have a vision for your art business, you may need to revisit it. Does it still hold up? Are your priorities and goals the same? If not, adapt your plans accordingly.
Analyze your situation. What if online exhibitions are the new norm? Are you prepared to present your work this way? What if the only way you can offer a workshop is over Zoom? Can you learn what it takes to do this? Make a shortlist of what you need to do for your business.
Plan accordingly. Walk backward through your vision. How can you realize it, based upon what you now know about daily life, the art world, fairs, festivals, and your community?
Finally, What Every Artist Must Have in Place for the Future.
If you are not already connecting with your audience and collectors electronically, this should be a number one priority. Things that you can consider are starting an email newsletter or blog. If you have one of these tools in place but have let it go dormant, do what it takes to revive it.
Shameless Plug!
One of the best ways to keep your audience updated is through blogging. To start your own, get started with this Guide. Then follow Artist Blogging 101. For intensive help, visit Artist Blogging Services.
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
by Rebecca Sciullo | Apr 14, 2020 | Learning, Resources
Here in Pennsylvania, where I live, we are five weeks into our “stay at home” order. In my household, we’ve been figuring things out as we go. Emotions have run the gamut from fear to frustration to gratitude. Things that have sustained me include my faith, family, neighbors, (aka social distancing) and staying busy.
Where I’m Focusing During COVID-19
After the initial shock of this situation, I have been attempting to focus my business in a few areas.
– Finishing projects that were long overdue.
– Making changes to my business plan for the future.
– Maintaining relationships.
I have spent some time learning and watching webinars specifically focused on how businesses can manage through this crisis and thought I would share some things that I learned with you from them:
Business Survival Takeaways
– Look for good news. Focusing on the endless barrage of negative news will not help your mindset for business. It’s okay to check in once a day but avoid overexposure.
– You have a choice. You can respond or react to the situation. Choose “respond”.
– Acknowledge reality. Own it. Solve it. Do it.
– Give yourself moments to breathe.
– Over-communicate.
– Adjust your plans and act accordingly.
Watch this webinar.
For visual artists, I recommend watching this webinar offered by Artwork Archive – Strategies for Running an Art Business During COVID-19. It is full of ideas and resources to help you adjust your business to this situation.
This 30-minute webinar will provide you with the tools, strategy and resources to transition your art career online and help you decide what areas you can control during these unprecedented and difficult times.
One last word. It is normal to have a “bad day”. I have experienced my fair share during this experience. Stay strong! We will get through this.
*Legal Disclaimer. The information contained in this webinar, in Artwork Archive materials and on the Artwork Archive or affiliated websites is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this webinar without seeking legal or other professional advice.
by Rebecca Sciullo | Jan 22, 2019 | Learning, Planning, Productivity, Resources
Did you make any art business resolutions this year? If so, how are they going so far? If not, It’s still January, and not too late to add some positive activities to your plan. Here are 10 suggestions on habits and activities for your 2019 list of resolutions.
Your 2019 Art Business Resolutions
1. Start a morning routine.
2. Review your vision daily. Or, write your business vision, if you don’t have one.
3. Start keeping good records. Use a service like Artwork Archive to help you with your inventory.
4. Make a schedule and stick to it.
5. Do it now! No more procrastination.
6. Join an art or business group and do some networking.
7. Keep in touch with your customers. If you don’t have a system already in place, start by reaching out to one past contact or customer a week. Drop them a written note or give them a call.
8. Be consistent with a social media platform. Pick your platform, pick your frequency and stick to it.
9. Schedule time weekly to review your progress and plan for the coming week and month.
10. Read daily. Take 10 minutes and read a book that can help with business and personal development.
Does 10 seem like too much? Pick one or a few of these that will make a big impact on your productivity moving forward. Even one new positive habit can help to move your business forward.
Want more advice your art business? Subscribe to my artist newsletter here
Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash
by Rebecca Sciullo | Jan 16, 2019 | Learning
How Did You Find My Work?
You can learn much by asking your art buyers this simple question.
Have you been having success working your art plan? If so, do you know which marketing channels and efforts are bringing you customers? There’s a simple way to find out which of your activities are working for you; just ask the buyer one question; “How did you find my work?”
Knowing where your business is coming from helps you make smarter decisions about where to spend your time and money marketing. The only way to get this information is to find out for yourself by asking.
With the endless marketing opportunities the Internet now gives artists, it’s even more critical for you to know where your business is coming from. Also, it’s rewarding to learn how a collector found you and why they chose your work. It lets you know what you’re doing right. How can you know what’s drawing people to you if you don’t ask them?
Ask all people who call, e-mail, or attend one of your events how they heard about you and your work. When you determine where your clients are coming from, you’re better able to target the right people.
And, you might be more inclined to do this if business has been slow, but don’t forget to ask when sales are brisk. Asking this question helps to make sure that you are on the right track. You will learn which efforts are paying off the most, and you can devote more time there, and maybe pull back from areas that do not seem to be bearing as much fruit.
Want more advice your art business? Subscribe to my artist newsletter here
by Rebecca Sciullo | Dec 3, 2018 | Learning, Social Media
Social media for artists is a very effective marketing tool, but it must be used in the right way. Avoid these mistakes and you’ll be on your way to creating a large fan base for your work.
Social media usage has become a part of modern culture, and much of it is visual, so it only makes sense that the art world shines there. It’s a powerful tool that allows artists to connect with potential buyers. As the number of social media platforms has has grown, it’s also becoming more complex to navigate. The large possibilities for connection help to increase the possibility for art business sales and opportunities, but there are some mistakes that can hinder your results.
Avoid the following practices on social media to avoid wasting your time and your fans tuning you out.
1. Not Interacting With Your Followers
Social media gives artists the opportunity to interact directly with current and prospective buyers. So, if people are commenting on an artist’s work and the artist is not responding, followers may become disinterested and turn their attention elsewhere. Try to respond to comments, shares, and likes on your posts. Even something as simple as “thank you so much for commenting” can go a long way toward building relationships with people on social media.
2. Inconsistent Visuals
A good strategy is to start with one platform at a time. Expand as you can and work to be on the sites that make the most sense for you. When appearing on more than one platform, it’s important to keep personal branding consistent. For an artist, this simply means try to keep your images consistent across platforms. So, if you are using a head shot – try to use the same one on each platform. If you have a header image of your work, keep it consistent. When people see your work consistently o multiple platforms, it gives your work a larger presence in their minds. This doesn’t mean, however that content has to be the same. Try to post different content on each site.
3. Going Off-topic
If your social media profile is for your art business, try to stay on-topic. That is, stick to posting your own artwork, perhaps art from other artists that you admire or work with, businesses and organizations that you work with, or information about the art world or specific to your medium. Steer clear of random personal notes that don’t relate to your work or making social/political commentary. An exception to this rule would be when your work is related to a specific issue or cause. Then, your followers will be expecting to hear your thoughts. People are visiting your page to interact and learn about your work. Keep the personal stuff to personal profiles.
4. Only Posting Your Artwork
The fastest way to lose followers is to be all about you all the time. If an artist posts nothing but their own work with no engagement-focused posts to inspire conversations, the audience will become bored and click away. It is vital when marketing on social media not to appear to be spam. Art lovers are on social media for more than just viewing art and as such, they follow a lot of pages.
Try posting two images of your work per week filling the rest of your feed with probing questions and valuable content that addresses something related to your art community, your medium or your niche.
Do you have any other “do’s or don’t” that you’ve learned working on social media for your art business? Share them with me at becky@artisan-advantage.com and I’ll include them in a future post.
Photo by William Iven on Unsplash
