As a freelance marketing consultant in my retirement often small business people will approach me and ask my advice to help them market their art business. One thing I find interesting is most are very Internet Literate and have some marketing savvy as well. This sure helps when we sit down to discuss things they might do to market better and sell more of their art, sculptures, paintings, photography or artistic creations whatever they might be.
Do you own a small business, which produces art? I would say that you should put your efforts in any business where it will do the most good. So in the case of a local artist; Loaning art with price tags and business cards on the frames to Hotels, Time Shares, Restaurants, travel centers, airport lobbies, visitor bureaus, real estate offices, chambers of commerce; makes sense.
Plus writing articles for print in Tourist information material, newspapers, magazines, also post them online. Collections of poetry or articles in eBooks compilations, in various categories; Seasonal "Holiday Poetry," "Local Poetry," "Best Poetry of 2007" mix and match compilations to give away and perhaps Illustrated eBooks with poetry for each picture. Consider also a weekly or monthly Ezine with the latest sculptures, progress, art, etc.
Grass roots; Flyers on Pizza Boxes, Art Exhibits, flyers at Chamber, visitors centers, inserts in visitor information, A-Frame Signage, Roadside signs with web-address “this highway adopted by YourWebSite.com, etc.
What is so great is there are many sources on the Internet to find other ideas such as Judy Cullins website on marketing online and her advice is great and she is right. Everyone should invest in reading her articles or reading her books in my opinion. It sure beats the hard way. And well I ought to know having built my business from scratch. I hope this article will propel thought into 2007.
