The author, Constance Smith, has devoted the last eighteen years to publishing art marketing information researching and networking with art world professionals nationwide.
Previous to that she represented fine artists in the San Francisco area.
Art Marketing 101 is available in bookstores nationwide or you can order directly from the publisher.
The most current edition was published in 2002;
8x10" format, 336 pages, $24.95 + $4 shipping ISBN: 0-940899-32-9
ArtNetwork, PO BOX 1360, NEVADA CITY, California, 95959-1360
800-383-0677 | 530-470-0862 | 530-470-0256 Fax
http://www.artmarketing.com email; info[at sign]artmarketing[dot]com
CREATING A PORTFOLIO
A portfolio is a complete visual presentation of your work and includes a cover letter, resumé, statement, price/slide sheet, and 5-10 photos/slides or high-quality color photocopies.
The portfolio should give a brief, easy-to-digest, visual overview of your artwork.
It should be assembled to create a specific perception in the mind of the viewer.
Collectors, consultants and gallery owners don't want to see a variety of styles, even if they are magnificent.
They want to see consistency.
This portfolio should be an artwork in itself.
It doesn't have to be expensive, but you do need to spend time designing it.
Optional materials to include:
- B&W photo of you and/or your artwork, or you creating your artwork
- Testimonials
- Brochure/flyer
- Photocopies of newspaper or magazine clippings
- Announcements of openings
Do not include original artwork or any original articles and news clippings.
Be selective about whom you send a portfolio to.
First find out if a particular person deals in your style of artwork.
After you send materials for reviewing, follow up in about four weeks to see if they received them.
If you want them back, be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope big enough to hold everything you sent!
Note in the cover letter that you would like them to send back everything they cannot use for their files.
Tips:
- Art directors and gallery owners don't have time to sift through a lot of extraneous material.
- The artfulness of the exterior hints at the quality of the work inside. Delete any items that emphasize your limitations.
- If you are showing three-dimensional sculpture, you should include photos taken from different angles.
- All pages should be formatted the same and should look cohesive.
- All photographs should be trimmed to the same size.
- Enclose a SASE with appropriate postage.
A university was reviewing portfolios for a new position at the college Assistant Photography Professor.
So many people applied that there was a 6x12-foot stack of portfolios!
It was kiddingly determined who would be the next professor by observing the outside covers of the portfolios from this large stack.
It turned out that the person who was picked for the best exterior was also the one with the most outstanding work.
He was hired.
His presentation was so good you could see it amongst this huge stack of portfolios!
To find out more about the three types of portfolios recommended, pick up a copy of Art Marketing 101
Marketing Savvy: A Personal Plan
Each January set one or two major aims for the coming year.
A business plan is a requirement in any business if there is to be hope of success.
Without a plan, results will be erratic at best.
This plan is your personal road map to success.
The professional artist cannot afford to be complacent about a plan.
Developing a marketing plan does not have to be an overwhelming task.
It does take thinking and soul-searching, sitting down in a quiet mode and concentrating on your business.
You will be writing down your inner thoughts so you can view them more concretely, putting them into an understandable order so you can follow them step-by-step.
You must have realistic goals, taking into consideration your cash flow and time constraints.
Do not compare your marketing plan with some-one else's.
This is ludicrous.
If you have only four hours a week to market, you cannot compare yourself to the person who is devoting 20 hours a week to the same task.
Any business must be thought of in the long-term.
There is no short-term business unless that business doesn't have a plan.
You must have a good overview of what your aims are, although they will certainly change over time.
It will be some time before you see any results, especially monetary profit.
This is how it is with any new business!
You probably don't like the idea of creating a business plan, but try to understand why you must devote some time to this project.
- It helps you think in a particular direction and attracts what you want.
- It diagnoses difficulties you'll need to overcome in order to reach your goals.
- It helps you budget better by anticipating the future.
To develop a plan you must know your target market, your budget, understand the benefits of your product and be aware of techniques to reach your particular market.
5 Factors For Success
These five factors came about by studying successful artists approaches to daily tasks. As you make your goal-setting chart, keep these five factors in mind.
1. Continally Contacting People
Make it an aim to call four people a day-whether they be new prospects or current clients.
It's guaranteed that not only will you become quite good and efficient on the phone, but your business will flourish.
Clients are the mainstay of any business.
To call four people a day could take 15 minutes.
Don't make them long conversations; in fact, they should be short, with a specific aim in mind.
You could ask for referrals, invite the person to visit a future opening or exhibit, invite him to your studio to see your new series of works, thank someone for a recent purchase.
Be creative!
Add to this list of four phone calls four post cards, and you have eight contacts a day to get a total of 40 contacts a week!
If you try this for two months (320 contacts or recontacts), you will be amazed at how your sales increase.
2. Follow-up
Not only do successful artists follow up after they send out a package of slides, but they follow up even if they receive a rejection.
This means that they send out a postcard with one of their images on it, photoprint, announce-ment of an exhibition, whatever it is-at least every 6-12 months
to all prospective clients and galleries and to former purchasers.
The rule in direct marketing is: you must contact people three times before they respond!
As an artist you won't have a huge mailing list; it will be quite intimate, perhaps 100-400, so the cost to do a mailing is not overwhelming.
3. Innovative marketing
Successful artists are always thinking of innovative ways to market.
They are willing to take a risk if they feel a new idea might work.
For instance, new places to exhibit--an orchid show, an interior designer show, a real estate show, a music conference, a sci-fi convention--whatever they think might work for them!
Presentation is always consistent and top-notch, of course.
4. Press coverage
Successful artists consistently receive press coverage.
Although she might not get direct sales from this press coverage, a successful artist knows that in the long run it means many people see her name, artwork and progression over the years.
This means a lot to potential buyers.
It also means that the newspaper/magazine approves of you.
Name recognition is of the greatest importance in any business.
5. Long-Term goals
All the successful artists I know have had long-term goals.
This means they did not make it overnight.
They planned and strategized and suffered to get where they are today in the marketplace.
They never gave up.
They knew their aim, and they knew there would be down periods, as in all businesses.
Aims and goals are the mainstay of any business.
You are in business, and you must have a business attitude to win at marketing!
Goals To Consider
AN EXERCISE
Goal-setting is not something you can just sit and think about.
You must write down your ideas.
Brainstorm and see what new ideas you can come up with.
Let's think about general goals and directions for your art business, and then about particular aims as steps to reach those goals.
You can use the ideas you've already read about.
Fill in the action plan at the end of each chapter.
Following are some aims to consider. (Add some of your own.)
- Dedicate as much time to marketing as you do to your creative art each week.
- Write down every idea you have.
- Make a file section called Ideas for future reference and creativity.
- Make one file of ideas on the business of art, one on the creation of art, one on wild marketing ideas, etc.
- Set aside a specific day and time each week for marketing.
- Create your own work space.
- Don't consider an artwork finished until it is titled, framed, signed, copyrighted, etc.
- Buy index cards and start collecting names for your mailing list.
- Upgrade your portfolio; make it unique and impressive.
- Photograph any artworks that you consider finished.
- Create a comprehensive slide file of artwork, press clippings, etc.
- Call 5-10 artworld professionals each week.
- Organize a solo exhibit.
- Spend one day visiting local galleries.
- Subscribe to an art publication for one year and read it.
- Decide on your company name, design your logo and print your business cards and stationery.
- Enter a competition.
- Attend an outdoor show to check it out for possible sales next year.
