As an artist,
your priority is to deliver high-quality work to your clients. In the pursuit of quality, you may forget about treating your hobby or profession as a business. Being an artist in the 21st century means you have to compete with other artists to gain recognition. When you utilize the right types of artist business tools that are optimized for artists such as you, you can get a leg up over your competitors, and attract the necessary eyeballs to take your art to the next level.
It is high time for you to take your career as an artist more seriously. Turning art into a business can be a challenging ordeal, but using these three business tools can make that transition a lot smoother.
1-Build a Brand
A good brand can uniquely tell your story, and help your fans easily identify your work from the rest of your peers. We all have a story we want to share with the rest of the world, and having a solid brand can enable you to do just that. Using a company name that is personal to you yet easy enough so that it can be easily remembered.
Having a unique logo that tells your audience about your brand with bright colors. Using a color profile that is in tune with your message and work, so that you can use them as your brand colors. And last but not the least, spreading the message of your “why”: why you are creating the art, the stories behind the canvas. A good brand can help your audience relate with you on a more humane level.
2-Have a Professional Website
Websites are one of the most important artist business tools of the 21st century. It can help you reach a global audience. If you want to gain recognition for your artwork, having a professional website attached to your work can do wonders for your brand. So, you need to decide what you want your website to do, such as a portfolio website, a shop for your artwork, or just talking about the stories behind your canvas.
Then decide on a layout and flow for the website. Look at what you do not like about a site before proceeding with the design of your site. Ensure that the look and feel of the site are consistent with your brand.
3-Newsletter To Grow Your Email List
Once you have a brand and a professional website, it is time to build your email list. Encourage your fans to drop their emails on your website so that they can stay in touch with you and get updates about your future projects. A Newsletter is a great way to build a personal relationship with your audience. If you are a savvy entrepreneur, you can use your newsletter to attract more custom orders for your artwork.
These are all items you can control independently and you “own”. In my opinion, that is of utmost importance. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Etsy, Instagram, or Squarespace don’t give you full ownership of your pages, and all of them could be gone tomorrow in an instant. Thus, you need to have tools in your arsenal that do not run the risk of disappearing and helps you stand out from your competitors.
I am working on each of these to help share, grow and learn every day. My goal is to license my work and be represented by an agent.
Looking to grow your hobby into a business or just want to grow your art business, check out my friend and fellow artist Stephanie Weaver and her Positive Painters Community. She can help you grow and if you want a coach she is the one!
Don’t forget to check out my artwork.
Share your thoughts on what business tool every artist needs.