Every human on the planet wants to feel valued. We all want to be seen and heard. This need for acknowledgement is deeply ingrained because it is required for survival. We are pack animals, and the thought of having to survive alone is terrifying. This is something that marketers try to tap into all the time. Products are presented to us in ways they hope we can relate to, and in ways that make us feel like our opinions matter.
So... What are you doing to make your past, present and future students and collectors feel seen and heard? Do they ever tell you that you make them feel special?
Reply to this email with your thoughts on this topic. There are many more great ideas out there about how to gain and retain followers by making sure they feel valued. (See what I did there? I sincerely appreciate you all. Your ideas really do matter to me, so I just let you know.) Here are the nine that come to my mind.
1. Remind your students and collectors how much you appreciate them. This could be as simple as telling them so in your regular newsletter. Or, you could randomly send an actual handwritten card to one of your best followers each month. Don't send them a list of your currently available artwork. Just send them a nice note saying how great it is to have them on this art journey with you. You'll be surprised at how memorable that makes you. Not many people reach out these days, unless they are trying to sell something to you.
2. When you interact with people, give them your undivided attention. How many times are we on zoom calls and one or more participant is typing on their computer or answering texts on their phone? I am totally guilty of this. But when I am interacting with people or peers and catch myself doing this, I always try to remember to be more present in the future. People don't relate to you when you are multi-tasking.
This applies to all engagements with your followers. Even if it's just a postcard you are writing, try to personalize the interaction. A good friend once sent me a card at the holidays that was obviously the same paragraph she wrote for about a hundred other of her "closest art friends." It was off putting. It made me feel less special than if she'd saved the stamp and the trouble.
3. Are you actively listening to your tribe? If these are the people you are working hard to market your art to, you should absolutely be soliciting their feedback and taking lots of notes, whenever possible. I have a 3 ring binder full of papers with solicited and unsolicited feedback from my audience jotted down. Whenever I revisit my marketing strategies, I pull that binder out and see how many of those comments I can incorporate into my new plans.
4. With social media, we are constantly receiving feedback. We rarely get negative comments, but the number of likes and the enthusiasm in comments can be extremely informative too. Any like or comment on your posts is a gift. Be grateful. Always be sure to like or love or comment on engagements for your posts, reels and stories. People are encouraged when they see that you noticed their feedback. In turn, they will be more likely to communicate with you in the future. When you have the time, enter their name in your reply to personalize it even further.
