Now that art has moved from physical spaces to the virtual world, knowing how to focus your attention can ensure a sustained and successful art career. Here are a few ideas to help you concentrate on maintaining long term success despite the pandemic:
Build a Strong Community:
Social media by nature is built on advertising, and this massive intake of information can be overwhelming most days. To combat this fatigue, an important task is to build upon your existing client relationships. Your clients genuinely want to stay connected to the art and to you as the artist. You likely have a robust and loyal community, so maintaining that base is key.
Remember that you already have a strong reason for why people should buy from you!
The easiest way to build an active community immediately is to create a Facebook group. You can deliver exclusive content easily, invite your clients to meet with you privately, and avoid external advertisements. Attention spans are short, so if you can manage to build your community in a group, this can set you apart from impersonal advertising.
Provide Incentives:
Whether it’s beautiful photos, healthy recipes, or business knowledge, the world of social media is vast and niche. What differentiates you from the others? Why should clients looks at your content instead of your competition?
Even if your produced content is amazing, followers may not engage if there are no incentives. This is where your artistic creativity gives you an edge.
Giveaways and challenges work well, as does posting regularly. Your clients are excited to stay connected to the work and artistic process. Take care to pay attention to their comments and write back to keep them feeling connected.
Build a Solid Strategy:
Starting on social media requires proper planning. If you want to build loyal followers and monetize your efforts, you need a solid foundation. Don’t fret – you have the first step already from selling at art shows! A consistent theme is likely already inherent in your business.
Building upon this consistency, make sure that you generate content on a regular basis and plan your message. Keep to a schedule of content posting and email marketing. Personally this strategy has not only generated sales for my art jewelry, but helps motivate me to stay creative.
David Hartshorne , of Bloggingwizard has researched social media scheduling tools and gives the pros and cons on eight currently avaialble and popular programs. Worth checking these out to see how you can save time and consistently engage your clients.