Invest Arts Entrepreneurs

Getting Attention: The Art of Self Promotion

An essential part of being an artist-entrepreneur is getting out of the studio and promoting your work.  Your art will not spontaneously exist in the marketplace; it’s your job to tell the world how your art is unique and to convince potential customers to buy your work.  This section, as well as the Enterprise Saint John guide to entrepreneurship marketing, will help you become an effective self-promoter and get your name out there.

And artists, this is your chance to shine – use your artistic talent to be a creative marketer! Artists are good at outside-the-box thinking; take advantage of this to stand out from the crowd and be noticed. Design a funky press kit, create a visually engaging facebook page, write an enticing press release, or plan an edgy event to promote your latest project... so go ahead and be creative!

Press Kit and Promotional Brochure

A press kit is a folder that contains basic promotional material and information about you and your work.  Give it to anyone who can advance your career – gallery curators, event organizers, investors, potential clients or media representatives. 

Design a press kit or brochure that best reflects the style and nature of your work.  Endeavour to make your press kit as professional as possible. Use high-resolution images (especially for visual artwork), clear and concise language, and invest in a good quality print job. If funds allow, consider consulting a graphic artist or designer on this project.

What to include:

1. A short biography
2. Artist’s statement (why you do what you do, what does your art mean, how do you make your art, what materials, etc.)
3. Artist’s curriculum vitae (education, work experience, exhibitions, distinctions, etc.)
4. Both hard copy images and digital versions on CD
5. News clippings
6. Contact info (business card)

Press Release

Media outlets need new material every day to fill print space and air time.  A well-conceived press release may land you some great coverage, a cost-effective way to create buzz and reach your audience!

Create a press release when you are launching an exciting event, opening an exhibit, or hosting a show.  Press releases need not necessarily always be linked to a specific event, however; feel free to inform the media when you have an important artistic message to express or an entertaining ‘human interest’ story you would like to share with the public.

Do’s and Don’t’s

• Do be clear and concise. Make your point quickly and effectively.
• Do outline the information basics in the first paragraph (who, what, when, where, how).
• Do include high resolutions images, if possible.
• Do send your release to a variety of media, if applicable. Keep community media sources in mind.
• Don’t inundate the media. Be careful in selecting news-worthy activity.

ONLINE MARKETING

Social Media

For anyone who has seen the Youtube sensation ‘Social Media Revolution’, you know that online networking sites are fundamentally changing the way we communicate, share information, and do business. Artists should take full advantage of these (free!) online networks to promote your work.  Facebook group and fan pages are particularly useful for artists, given Facebook’s ease of sharing video and image content. Twitter is a fact- and relevant-content-driven medium and offers an effective and professional means to communicate events or news with your audience.

Website

Get one. This is a fundamental component of your marketing arsenal. If you can afford it, consider hiring a graphic artist or web company to design your site. Or you can use one of the many free (or inexpensive) build-it-yourself platforms available online. Some good build-it-yourself sites are:

• Other Peoples Pixels. Local sculptor Phil Savage and fibre artist Alison Murphy use this platform.
• Squarespace is a portfolio- and blog-based site. Fine artists Cliff Turner and Sarah Jones use this platform.

Essential components of an artist’s website:

• Bio
• Curriculum vitae
• Portfolio
• Events/Exhibition information
• Contact

Networking

Fact: meet lots of people, make lots of sales. As an artist, you should endeavour to find a good balance between spending time in the studio and spending time out in your community, making contacts and meeting new people/potential customers.

There are many organized opportunities to network with other entrepreneurs or professionals. Keep tabs on networking events offered by the Saint John Board of Trade, Fusion Saint John and Enterprise Saint John. Bring business cards. Network with other artists through arts groups and organizations like ArtsLinkNB, Third Space and Giraffecycle. Go schmooze during Saint John’s popular gallery hops. 

In short, network often, and network well. There’s nothing like face-to-face to create some word-of-mouth buzz around your work.