People often ask how much time I spend engaged in my company’s sales, marketing, and administrative work.  I would estimate that I can spend about 50%-80% of my time.

Not so romantic, but it’s vitally necessary.  The good news is that I don’t mind it.  Many years in the corporate cubicle trained me for it but I’m investing in my business now.  And its what we must do if we want to build our brands so that we can spend more relaxed time creating.  I doubt it’s much different for other young businesses.

I’m also asked “Would I rather be painting?”  The answer is, not necessarily. I enjoy business and I particularly enjoy art marketing strategy.  Again it’s not an either or proposition.

But yes, when I do paint its like entering another realm.  The time flies, I’m relaxed and engaged in an entirely different and purely creative way.  My thoughts are focused; I’m peaceful and emotionally responsive.  The skills and experience I’m drawing on and developing are entirely different.

The good news is that over the past four years my on-line art sales have averaged about 8% of my total sales.  These sales are the easiest and most profitable transactions.  But in 2009, that number jumped to 27%.  What does that mean?  I have more time to create.  And I’m very happy about that.

It appears that my last two posts on the “Seven Common Mistakes” that I often see on artists’ websites have touched a nerve, actually several nerves.  I received a flurry of inquiries, permission to re-post the articles, and requests for consultations and website reviews.

Because it’s a new year, today it was time to examine my business 2009 sales.  Even I was a little surprised to see that on average, from 2004-2008, annrea.com produced 8% of my business’ total sales.  But in 2009, that number rose to 27%!

Notice that I said “my business’ total sales”.  Tim Mondavi also noticed my reference to “my business” and pointed it out to his youngest daughter, who’s an emerging painter, as we toured their Napa vineyard.

I’m running a business.  And as soon as you put a price on your work your in business too.  Sounds obvious, I know. But if the artist’s mindset doesn’t shift to business owner from creator, it’s trouble.
Generating on-line sales is much more than just having a good website.  Ahhh, if only it were that simple. Wouldn’t life be grand?!

Generating sales on-line requires certain resources, on-going maintenance, sound business and marketing strategy, and top-notch design.  And it appears to be a maze that many artists have a tough time navigating.

But the increase in my business’ total on-line sales was due in part to a number of factors contained in my overall marketing strategy. All of which took time to build.

Just like in the “real world”, you have to market and network in the “virtual world”.  Notice I did not say advertise.  I’ve never had good results with on-line advertising.  And it’s expensive.
I have to say, that my most satisfying on-line sale happened just a few weeks ago when I was in Hawaii for Christmas vacation.  I sold an original oil painting on-line, literally while I was at Waikiki Beach. Mele Kalikimaka!

If you would like to schedule a one-on-one website review please email me at annrea@annrea.com.

I’ve asked my social media consultant Amy of Little Bits Consulting, to piggy back off of the end of my last post, common mistakes that I observe with artist’s websites, and to talk about social media.

Little Bits Consulting provides expertise and guidance to help extend your brand, grow audience, and increase revenues through strategic business relationships, savvy marketing and improving the effectiveness of your current audience development initiatives.

Get your House in Order! -Social Media as a Tool to Grow Your Art Business

Today we’re going to take a look at a popular New Years Resolution almost everyone can relate to:  getting organized, and how the organized principle can keep your business in order too.

As an Audience Development Consultant, I’m often asked about the latest trends in social media: from how to use facebook to grow sales to what the h*#@ is twitter anyway?  When organizing and getting your house together, you don’t start by building an addition – you start by taking inventory and making the best use of what you have. The same is true with social media.  You don’t jump into Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media darling until you have your own house (in this case, your business house) in order.

Its important to start with the basics – social media sites are communications tools, and they’ll only work for you if you have first have well-proven marketing principles in place:

1. Define your Audience Demographics & Psychographics:  Who are you trying to reach and where are they?  If your target market are members of the AARP, chances are they aren’t on twitter (yet!).  Know Your Customer.

2. Clarify your message:  Be clear in the value you bring and what you have to offer, and keep it consistent wherever you talk about your brand – be that on facebook, in email marketing, or your very own website.

3. Set Goals:  Ann talks in several of her posts about the importance of setting goals for your business.  This is also true in marketing – set goals for all of your marketing tactics, measure the results and clean house – keeping only what’s working effectively and efficiently to improve your bottom line.

The end result of following these principles will allow you to easily & simply identify whether a business deal you’re contemplating, a new social media website, or new venture are right for you and your business.

In response to Clint’s reply to my last post, I’m adding another common mistake that I see on artist’s websites.  7.) There is no email sign up box!

Email marketing is a very cost effective way to keep in touch with your existing collectors and to cultivate your prospective collectors.  But you can’t do that without their email addresses.  Since I’ve been in business,  I’ve reviewed and used several email-marketing systems, including Constant Contact, Vertical Response, and Salesforce.com. I now use and recommend iContact.

For a relatively small monthly fee, these email marketing systems will allow you, or your webmaster, to insert code into your website so that viewers can add themselves to your list and manage their preferences.  Why is this important?  Two reasons, you don’t have to do anything to build your list and they have “opted in”, so you clearly have their permission to email them, a SPAM law requirement.

I also have email newsletter signup cards that people I meet at events can fill out to join my list and that I can keep on file.

I’ll give you a recent example of the effectiveness of email marketing.  A collector from Tennessee bought three paintings from me this year.  Honestly, I thought that he was done collecting.  But I added him to my email list, with his permission, and when he received my next email newsletter he acquired another original oil painting from my website, and said “your email marketing is working!”  This link also offers some specific statistics on email marketing benchmarks statistics.

Obviously, email marketing is one of several strategies that are easy to implement.  If you have your collectors or prospects mailing addresses you can also drop the important prospects a note or send them a postcard to your next opening or event.

The key to remember is that the amount of your sales will be in direct proportion to the size and quality of your list of collectors and or prospects.  And an email sign up box is an easy and effective way to build your list and to solidify your promotional platform.

A Facebook fan page, a MySpace page, the list goes on, are also effective ways to build your promotional platform but this deserves it’s own post.

Artists' Bad Websites

An artist’s website is a critically important tool.  As artists our “product” is simply visual aesthetic.  So if the website doesn’t support your work visually it’s like being served a gourmet meal on a dirty plate.

Here are six common mistakes that I see all too often.

1. The artist’s website is over-designed or not well designed. It’s not clean and simple, so it’s competing for attention with the art.

It often looks like the artist has either designed their website themselves or they’ve paid someone, who’s technical and can build a website, but isn’t a skilled graphic designer. Think about the design, or rather the non-design, of an art gallery or an art museum.  Think of the walls.  What do you see?  Complete minimalism.   That’s because it works and the rules don’t change with the virtual environment.

2. The boring first person artist’s statement.

I have yet to read an artist’s statement on-line that doesn’t make me cringe.  What is actually interesting about your story as it relates to your work?  What have collectors told you?  Tell us in the third person so that the reader isn’t distracted by a tone of self-involvement.  And so that you can feel free to brag a little.  This exercise is to help sell your work! You’re speaking to a broad audience so be clear and use language that non-artistic types, patrons, will understand.

3. There are no prices listed on the artist’s website.

This is a common practice that I do not agree with.  What’s the big secret!?  Like anyone, collectors want to know what it’s going to cost them.  Don’t make it hard on them.  Collectors are not all going to call you to get the price.  And by hiding the price you’re implying that the price is negotiable.  And we know how I feel about discounting art.

4. The artist has a website and not a shopping cart.

If you only have a website and not a shopping cart you’re missing sales.  An art consultant once told me that she had no intention of selling art on-line because it’s “a high touch, high feel experience”.  Are you kidding me!?  My biggest single transactions have been originals sold on annrea.com.

5. There’s no picture of the artist.

Collectors want to know the artist.   We all like to see who it is we are doing business with. Give your audience that opportunity and show them a picture of yourself.  No brooding expressions, sunglasses, or French berets.

6. Art is displayed but it’s “sold”.

What if you walked into a store and you found the perfect dress that you were in love with.  You then prepare to pull out your American Express, you look at the price, and it’s marked “sold.”  Ugh!  How frustrating would that be? I think that some artists do this to prove that they actually sell their art.  If you what to showcase previous work that has sold, put it in a separate archive section.

If you are ready to take your art business to the next level, you are welcome to apply for artist business coaching and consulting services.  Individual hourly consulting is also available.