I’m going to give you the “not going to happen” way, then the “that’s depressing” way, and then I’ll tell you how I’d do it .. you ready?
The “not going to happen” way
Hustle and/or go viral.
An artist like Lincoln Townley has got the chutzpah to hustle his way to the top. He did it deliberately, too, choosing money and success as his topic. It worked for him, it wouldn’t work for me because I don’t have that character. Perhaps you don’t either.
You could go viral. It’s a music example but Maisie Weller has gone viral recently with her kashaka polyrhythms. I reckon almost no-one had heard of kashakas up to a couple of months ago. So that’s doing something different and pleasant and interesting. I have to repeat the line that it often takes years to become an overnight success.
Another way is to be part of a movement. I got to know Joe Solo through the Corbyn campaign. He’d had success before but I’m going to be thoroughly rude and say that the rise in interest in left politics can’t have done him any harm. Perhaps a better example for you would be the YBAs.
Let’s press on ..
That’s depressing
If you’ve been on an art business course they’ll probably have had you work out your costs. So there’s the canvas, paint, brushes, frame and so on.
Then there’s your time .. how much do you value your time?
And then there are your overheads.
Not to mention what you need to live on.
And a holiday and a car.
The problem is, society doesn’t value art (unless you get to the top). So, you know, value your time as much as you like but it doesn’t mean anyone will pay it. You have to build your value so people respect you and want your work. That’s marketing.
Let’s get to the good stuff.
So what is the most profitable way to sell art?
I’ll get straight to the point. For most artists, selling originals and prints.
Adding print on demand to your offering means you get so much more for every painting, and it lets people experience your art even if they don’t have much disposable income. I favour The PrintSpace.
I would add in a newsletter where you release special offers every week.
That’s all going to be like driving with the handbrake on until you discover your demand triggers. That is .. what can you say that causes your people to buy? Perhaps it’s joy, perhaps it’s status, perhaps it’s what you stand for. You have to test.
What if you’re just starting out?
I’d post to Instagram, and have your bio link be to your WhatsApp. Ask them to get in touch to buy.
I’d work on your demand triggers next.
Move towards having releases and shows. You can fill, say, your most recent nine positions on your Instagram profile with eight works and a call to action (to buy, WhatsApp me, link in bio). Chunking your releases into exhibitions, albeit virtual to start, makes more marketing sense.
What doesn’t sell could go to Etsy.
Then I’d build a website. I really don’t like LinkTree, so a website. Doesn’t have to be big or clever. I’d do it in WordPress, but Shopify is good. Done is better than perfect, you can always improve it.
All roads should lead to your website. From there, people can buy prints, originals and join your mailing list for offers, so that’s your newsletter.
Once you have an income, make video ads about what you’re doing and why and place those with the target of video views. People who watched will drop into an invisible list which you can then target with a call to action, for example, get my newsletter, come to my show, see my new work.
When optimised, your ads will work while you sleep and you’ll get back your studio time et voila, you’re an independent artist.
I haven’t written that to sell you my stuff, but it would be rude of me not to point you in the direction of all the answers so here goes. The overall arch: demand triggers -> newsletter -> ads, that’s Transform.
If you’re just starting out, EasyReach is an affordable course about how to not change a lot about your Instagram habits but optimise for discovery. Organising yourself around exhibitions and publicity, that’s Gallery You.
If you want to try for being outstanding, for virality, for being out front, The Do It Machine is about discovering what drives you and then just blumming going for it.
If you want me to guide you and travel with you, that’s Commit coaching.
If you’d rather we just talked for a bit to work out what you need, press the Get Started button in the menu.
