A practical approach for independent visual artists who want to live comfortably from their art, without spending a fortune on marketing.
I’ll keep it simple.
Three steps.
1 Clarify – find your people
First, we get clear on what drives you.
I’ll make that unmissable, then we find people who already resonate with what you stand for.
No chasing. No convincing.
2 Build – attract more buyers
Next, we create a great hook.
Something honest and compelling that makes it easier for the right buyers to find you and want your art.
3 Optimise – master one method
One proven way to sell beats many mediocre ones.
I’ll be honest, this stage takes more work.
But by then, you’ll have sales to fund it.
From here, we evolve.
What’s working? What’s not?
We gradually trim your marketing down, ideally to one clear way to buy from you.
Email. WhatsApp. Studio visits. Exhibitions.
One path. No confusion.
If someone wants to buy, they know exactly how.
The first two steps are genuinely transformative and they tend to bring quick wins.
The third is the longer, quieter process of turning those decisions into lived reality.
This isn’t about hustling.
It’s about alignment.
It’s luck engineering – making every step of a buyer’s approach build desire, so they arrive ready to buy.
No persuasion required.
When you market in a way that plays to your strengths, you feel mastery.
You’re in control.
And thank goodness, your head and your to-do list are full of art, not marketing.
You’ve built it yourself.
You’re not reliant on a platform, an algorithm, or a gallerist who could turn you off on a whim.
An independent artist, successful on your own terms, beholden to no one, supported by a loyal audience who genuinely value your work.
I can’t think of anything better.
I’ve spent over 45 years in marketing & I still buy the latest courses so you don’t have to.
Whatever your strengths, I know an art marketing & sales approach that will feel natural and exciting for you.
I absorb the noise.
You get clarity.
If you’ve read this far, drop me an email at john@johnallsopp.co.uk
You can just share your Instagram and say hello.
No pitch, no pressure.
As the world becomes more chaotic, let’s be more human.
That’s the whole point.
David Mitchell: “What is an ocean but a multitude of drops?”
If your Instagram says ‘artist’ and your website says ‘welcome to my portfolio’, you’re invisible.
This is disappearing tonight, midnight UK time.
(This is disappearing midnight tonight too)
Don’t you wish selling your art was easier?
Exhibitions, social media, website .. none of it ‘works’.
Well .. ‘alignment’ works. That means, everything a buyer sees raises their desire and feelings of connection with you. Everything feels right. (Some would call it brand messaging.)
There are people who already love what you do (they just don’t know it yet).
Ideally, we want to attract nice people with money.
These three short videos tell you everything you need to know.
Click the button for more info.
(I’ve been doing this a very long time, this is the essence.)
(five years of feedback at a glance)
Be Interesting
The very best SEO* is to be worthy of someone linking to you, sharing your link or talking about you. When someone walks around an art show, let’s have them remember you when they get home. Not because you did something for shock, but because you succinctly delivered your fascination and it stuck.
*SEO is being findable, originally about getting traffic from search but with AI and the way the world is now and art’s natural response to that .. I’m saying we have to be memorable. Everyone is interesting, we’ll find yours.
Last 2 slots available
New The ArtStepper magazine out 1 July
We ArtStep
Click to explore coaching & courses or click Get Started to book a no pressure exploratory chat. Mailing list signup is ↓ in the footer.
Buyers need to see your art before they can buy it
Connect with serious buyers on Instagram
Reach more serious buyers: Seven proven techniques to enhance your reach
The one Instagram technique you need
If you're selling and exhibiting and are ready to focus on improving your marketing and sales
Gallery You: Build your art sales at exhibitions
Confident art sales
Personalised Growth (if you're looking for tailored advice and deeper insight)
The Day Everything Works
Monday Recommendation (free)
Get art marketing ideas for free every week by joining my mailing list (see the right hand side of the footer / bottom of the page ↓↓↓ ) . They are do-able, they multiply together, and before you know it you’ll have the confidence of an art-sales master.
I’m John Allsopp, I’ve been an ethical marketer since 1980, international press campaigns, all that.
Nowadays I just want you to earn a good living selling the art that excites you directly to buyers and collectors who ‘get’ you. (I accept many artists would rather reach the stage where a gallery does all that for you, I say you need to prove you can sell or they will never call, plus, it puts you in a stronger position when they do.)
More art makes a better world, basically.
I also want you to sell your art in your own unique way that plays to your strengths so it feels good and natural. I want your marketing to be obviously you from the first connection.
Join Art Sales Clarity in 90 Minutes and you’ll see what I mean.
