10 Essentials to Become a Financially Secure Artist

Just about every artist, everywhere: “I’m not a business person, I’m an artist” and “I hate marketing.”

Many artists claim that marketing their art (which is their business) is their least favorite and most discouraging aspect of being an artist. It’s viewed as a necessary evil in order to make sales. It’s confusing, annoying, and time-consuming.

But if you ever want to evolve into a financially successful artist (with your art as your primary income), it’s critical to cultivate a professional marketing mindset and toolset.

Ignoring these and dreaming of a random lucky break and notoriety is fun, but the odds are extremely low. Your art fulfills you, but not treating it as a business means it’s a fun hobby/side hustle. And perhaps that’s good enough for some.

When you’re ready, however, to run a serious art business, keep these 10 essentials in mind.

Part 1: Mindset. The proper mindset is critical for growing your art business. Try to spend just 10% of every workday cultivating the business and marketing mindset of successful artists, who are:

1) Full of fortitude: Don’t give up after disappointments. Believe in your process and your art. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback, too.

2) Diversified: Seek maximum exposure through multiple quality marketing tools, not just one or two. A website alone is not enough. A social media presence alone is not enough. Being in one gallery is not enough. It’s a combination of diverse tools that works best.

3) Consistent: Abandon the “set it and forget it” and wishful thinking mentality. Create a checklist of all of your marketing tools and review and update them on a consistent basis. That means at least weekly.

If you cannot be consistent in certain areas, consider outsourcing, because they’re that important! If your artwork is appropriately priced, selling just 2 - 4 works/year is easily worth the cost of outsourcing.

4) Open: Most buyers want to buy good art that speaks to them, but they also want at least a small sense of who’s behind it. This is especially true for those that turn into collectors of your art. If you’re too aloof and private, or the other extreme — a cringey oversharer — consider that the ideal for most buyers is somewhere in the middle.

We describe this ideal quality as simply being open to different types of buyers in different settings. This doesn’t mean you have to become an extrovert and become friends with everyone. It’s simply an air of openness, or not being completely closed off from those interested in your art. We work with artists to convey this sense of openness on their website and in their communications, including social media and email.

This also means being open to learning new business and marketing skills!

Part 2: Toolset. This is the minimum set of business tools every serious artist should pursue on a consistent basis.

1) Artist social media with minimum weekly posts, but ideally daily. Learn more about our Social Media Management service

2) External marketing to extend reach and credibility. This can include asking your buyers, friends, and family to share images of your work, website link, and social media channels.

3) Artist website, whether or not it includes eCommerce, for credibility and to build SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Learn more about our Website Design and Build service

4) Email marketing lists, one for potentials and one for buyers. Use social media, your website, and in-person events to build these lists, and don’t neglect them. If people subscribe to your email list, it means they’re interested in your art, and they want and expect to hear from you. Learn more about our Email Marketing service

5) Online galleries for credibility and attracting buyers from all over the world. We have a list of recommended online galleries for our clients.

Keep in mind that online marketplaces such as Etsy or Fine Art America are different from online galleries. We don’t recommend these to every artist; it depends on your goals and the kind of art you create.

6) In-person galleries and other art spaces, including large and small galleries, boutiques, and art shows to build name-recognition and impulse sales. Be sure to have your business card or brochure ready for potential buyers and gallerists. Learn more about our Business Card and Brochure service

If you need help developing or managing your mindset and/or the essential marketing toolset, schedule your free consultation.