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Hi There,
Marketing during the holidays can yield exceptional results for your art business. It can be tricky to get your messaging just right though because of the influx of marketing promotions during this time.
In the article below, Debra Keirce, Regular Contributing Author for FineArtViews, discusses the importance of keeping your collectors in mind when strategizing your marketing plan for the holiday season.
Don't forget to reply to this email and send us any questions you may have!
Enjoy, Clint Watson
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Who are "they?" They are anyone who collects your art, any of your students, anyone who pays for services you offer.
Make sales and marketing decisions based on what makes you happy when you wear their shoes. (Or at least make the decisions that don't upset your audience.)
That's advice we can all take right to the bank, and yet, I find myself ignoring it time and again. Giveaways, sales, donations, increased communications become cumbersome in my inbox every holiday season. Without fail, I have conversations in mid December about how much I'm tired of the marketing coming at me so loudly, forcefully and predictably. Yet, I caught myself sitting down just today to plan the increased emails and post blasts I "should" do in November and December. Why would I sit down to create the very thing I myself get annoyed by?
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| Marketing during the holidays can be very effective. That's why everyone focuses on it. It's just important to do it in a thoughtful way, in a way that you would respond favorably to if it were being presented to you.
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Personally, I'm opting to keep my posts and newsletters short and sweet and more to the point this time of year. I'll save the long videos and stories for January and February when things slow down and my followers have more time to receive them. That's what I would want if I were them.
So, as you are preparing your holiday card, affordable or small works shows and every other way you reach out during this gift giving season, consider the reaction you would have if you were on the receiving end.
Also, brainstorm what needs your fans have, and what you can do to help. For example, if you teach, what are your students' preferences? Have you asked them whether they would like a 3, 4 or 5 day workshop vs. one hour sessions? Do they want to meet in person or online? Do they want to learn the basics or the whole process, or just a few key details that could make their art special? You might want to offer several of these options, but maybe there are certain seasons that some are better suited for.
Perhaps your students would rather take online classes in the winter when the driving conditions are uncertain. My first tendency is to teach what and how I want to, but that makes no sense since I'm not the one paying for my services.
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| It always surprises me when I really think about my sales and marketing plan as if I am a Debra Keirce collector, student or follower.
There are so many things to consider. The season, the time of day, the length and frequency of interactions, the price point, the amount of effort I can or want to put into it all, etc. can be overwhelming.
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Most of us are one person businesses. We do the creating, paperwork, packing and shipping, bookkeeping, and everything else. If we feel that we can't do a big marketing push during the time that our fans are most receptive, we have to figure out how to make it happen. We can hire an assistant, plan ahead, or develop quick and easy ways to touch base that don't require a lot of effort.
I run into this every summer and winter, when I really need to be painting for the spring and fall shows. For me, the summer and winter months are when people are most responsive, and also when I face the most deadlines. I have noticed this over the years, because I get more replies to my newsletter in those months, and I get more enthusiastic responses to events, like when I auction work off for a charity or advertise workshops.
I've tried various solutions for this time crunch. I tried painting more in the spring and fall, hoping I create art that will fit the show themes when I am notified of them. I tried making spreadsheets that disperse my workload so there is a manageable amount each day. I even tried targeting my marketing to a smaller group of people, so there would be less work involved. However I move forward, my time and money are always better spent on marketing resources when I allocate them from the point of view of my customer.
It's simple advice. We hear it all the time. I forget it most of the time.
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| Debra Keirce Regular Contributing Author, FineArtViews www.DebKArt.com
PS - This is Clint again. I hope you enjoyed Debra's article about marketing during the holidays. If you're looking for new ways that you can market and sell your art, click here to sign up for your free FASO trial today. Try us free for 30 days and find out for yourself why 15,000 artists have entrusted FASO with their website.
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