Are you targeting a market for your art? What is your unique value and what very specific target market does it serve?
Have you ever walked by a Chinese restaurant that also had an “American” menu? I have. And guess what? I kept walking.
Yes, I know why the restaurant’s owners decided to do this. They thought, “let’s give everyone something to eat!”
Unless it’s sophisticated Asian fusion, it’s not targeted marketing, and so, it’s a bad idea.
Why? Because most people are just not going to believe that not only have you mastered dim sum but you can also cook a mean meatloaf, just like their mother.
If you want to sell your art, your prospects must trust you. So don’t give them any reasons not to by confusing them about your expertize.
I came across an artist’s site today that advertised the following four categories. And, all on one site.
- “fine art”
- “pet art”
- “decorative art”
- and last but not least, “leather restoration”
Strike one. Do you see the problem? The artist needs to draw the line somewhere. No pun intended. He should devote a separate website to each product category. Better yet. He should just pick one category and develop a message and a market around it.
This homemade low, or no, budget site screams “I’ll do anything. I’m desperate. I can’t, or I won’t, invest in a professional website, but trust me, I’ll be professional with you.”
Here’s the thing. If you’re an artist and you’re selling your art, you’re in business. And the rules of marketing apply.
It’s not just artists who don’t think through their marketing messages. I saw a plastic surgeon’s site who actually proudly displays his distorted Modigliani-like female figure paintings on the very same site that he advertises his cosmetic surgery services. Yikes!
Are you unfamiliar with basic marketing principles? So what! We all have to learn a thing or two. I’m a constant student of marketing.
Go get books on the subject and or go to the nearest Small Business Development Center in a major city near you. These centers are privately and publicly funded and they are in place to help small businesses thrive. The cost is low cost or no cost for classes and one on one counseling.
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Love this post. So true, and sometimes so hard as we put so much energy in promoting just one strain of our business/message/passion. My wife and I constantly joke about some of the Mexican shops in our neighborhood that write just about EVERY item on their menu in the window or list EVERY country their phone cards will work in on the WINDOW! The line needs to be drawn, but we tend to get so worried that we’ll lose that one customer or interested party if we don’t put it all out there!
All the best,
Jeffrey
https://jeffreysumber.wordpress.com/2010/10/23/oktoberfest-skinheads-and-islamophobia/
A great post, Ann and some food for thought for all artists to really look at their web sites and see what they can do to be more focused.
For those who teach their skill to others, I think this aspect should be included on their fine art site or maybe more heavily promoted on their blogs so that the artwork is the most prominent aspect if that is indeed what the goal is.
I have met several artists who tell me that selling their work is not their goal, but sharing their knowledge through teaching is their goal. Then I think their web sites should be the exact opposite — their teaching should dominate and the artwork should be incidental to this since they really aren’t driven to sell but need their work for classes.