You’re An Artist, Not a Shop

If you're selling your own art, you have a leg up on other small businesses. You have a brand that you really don't have to work at, because you are the brand.

Here are 5 ways you are different:

• Your work are pieces of magic. They need a specific type of marketing.

• People follow a person with a story. Share your stories (big and small) in order to grow organically on social media.

• Your process behind your work is a mystical journey. Non-artists are mesmerized by the unseen creative process.

• OOAK art has inherent exclusivity. Make your buyers feel as special as the pieces they buy.

• Network with other artists. Pick out some folks who have an audience you want and engage with them. Commenting, liking and sharing teaches the algorithm that you are similar to them.

When you write up your social media posts, remember that you are first an artist but you are also a storyteller. You provide a unique perspective of life in a physical form. Talk about your process, what inspires you, what has made you the person you are today. Stand up for something. If you are more yourself, you will attract more like-minded people. One coaching client I had said that she was nervous of getting too political on Instagram because she knew most of the women who bought her jewelry were conservative. With social media, you need to make waves. You need to stand out. If you feel strongly about something, talk about it, give it your support. If someone is offended by what you believe in, let them unfollow you. You will connect with a new person who looks at your work with fresh eyes and sees it as a connection with like-minded people. What do you want to change in the world? I challenge you to talk about it.

When you are a small business owner, you are responsible for every part of your business and I know you feel the strain! The post-lockdown world has also changed the way we connect with others. There are less in-person shows, and we might be less inclined to leave our homes for crowds. But there are many tools you can use to expand your art business online. You might hear terms like "opt-in," "passive income," and "relationship marketing" and feel overwhelmed with trying to teach yourself how to run a business. But you are the creative visionary of your business and that is just as important as marketing and sales. When you’re planning your marketing, just remember you are an artist, not a shop.