Repair the Leaks in Your Marketing

One of the first things I ask potential clients is: “What are you doing right now to promote your art?”
I know they haven’t read my book when their only response is, “Well, I’ve had a website for 2 years” or “I have an exhibit coming up.”

Can you see that this is insufficient? Websites and exhibits exist. They sit – waiting to be viewed, waiting for someone to visit.
It’s your job, with your marketing, to steer those visitors in the right direction! Marketing involves more than this one site or that perfect email. Marketing is a combination of everything you do to promote your art.
Get that? Marketing is a combination of everything you do to promote your art.
You must be sharing your art consistently and coherently throughout the various platforms you use. People need to be able to view your art without complication, understand how to contact you, and connect with you online and off.
I understand. You get busy. You set up a new social media account and forget to connect it to your sites. Or you rush off an email and fail to ask for an action. Your business is growing, and it’s difficult to keep up with all the moving parts.
This happens to everyone, but that doesn’t make it okay. It hurts your business!
Every so often, you need examine the tools and platforms you’re using to promote your art. Are you sending the right messages? Are the messages connected or disjointed? Are you sharing frequently?
This week, make time to locate and repair the leaks in your marketing.

Locate the Leaks

Is your contact list updated and backed up? Most importantly, are you using it?
Are there images of your art on every page of your website?
Are your images organized so that they make sense?
Are there images of your art near the top of your blog and illustrating most of your blog posts?
If I met you at an art opening and asked you what you did, could you pique my interest with your response in 10 seconds or less?
If I read your artist statement, would it compel me to look back at your art?
If I visited your website, would I know what city or town you lived in?
If I received an email from you, would I be able to see your art by clicking a link in your signature block?
If I went to your website or blog, could I quickly find your social media sites?
If I went to your Facebook page or Twitter account, would I be able to click through to your website or blog?
If I became friends with you on Facebook, would I know you had a Facebook business page as well?
If I re-pinned an image of your art on your Pinterest board, would the description include a full credit line (©your name, title, media, dimensions)?
If your email bounced back to me because your inbox was full, would I be able to find a phone number to call you?
Are you sending thank-you notes in the mail to collectors and others for whom you’re grateful?
Take an hour out of your schedule this week to appraise the marketing tools you have in place. Are they connected? Are they sending a consistent message? Are they being used?
If you can repair the leaks quickly, do it! If you need more time, add it to your task list to tackle in the future.