How to: begin marketing your art (Part One)

I know you!  You've created a repertoire of cool and crafty things over which your friends exclaim, "You should sell these!"  You're a game and curious person who's thinking you just might like to give that a shot.

And you're savvy enough to know that, no matter how fabulous your art is, it doesn't just magically sell itself.  As your art's marketing steward, you'll need to introduce (and reintroduce) your art to folks with whom you've built relationships and who will want to buy your products.  

Here are five easy, inexpensive ways to help you start that work.  (Five more will appear within days . . . stay tuned!)

1.  Get educated and overcome your fears.

Start reading blogs, articles, and books by artists in your field, and by terrific marketing people like Scott Stratten (UnMarketing), who will give you all sorts of information about ways to market your art.  Realize the time calculus for starting a business in which you'll be selling your wares is 20% visioning/new production, 30% administration, and 50% sales time.  Know that you'll be afraid in the sales process.  Know that you'll get over that.

2.  Get your work up on etsy.com.

You need to establish an on-line location for people to view (and even buy!) your work.  Etsy.com is not flawless (what business is?), but this on-line marketplace is the best combination of largest audience, least-expensive, and easiest-to-use venue for getting your work "out there" on the internet.  Also, etsy offers many forums and tips about subjects from making on-line art buddies to spiffing up your shop with better photos.

3.  Get yourself a Facebook Business Page.

If you have a personal Facebook page, the system also allows you to set up a Business Page.  Free exposure!  Set up your Business Page and post photos of your pieces on your wall.  Invite your friends to check out your new page.  Use it also to post links to other artists' work and blogs that you like or find helpful.  Your Facebook Business Page is a good tool to share information and build connections.

4.  Get yourself a blog and start blogging away.

Your blog is another great way to build relationships with other artists, helpful contacts, and prospective buyers of your wares.  You can set one up for free (again -- more free exposure!), and in not very much time, on sites like blogger.com.  Display your art.  Provide your readers with interesting information.  (Like, say, your own "tips" lists . . . .)  Blog about others' good works, and send them the link to that post . . . which they will then pass along to their own social media communities . . . and voila, more people will be seeing your own good stuff.

5.  Get together a social media cheer squad.

Band together with several of your artist friends who also have internet presences -- Facebook Business Pages, blogs, etsy shops, etc. -- and provide each other social media support.  Post "likes" on each other's Facebook Business pages.  Read and comment on each other's blog posts.  "Heart" each other's etsy shops.  Make each other popular and have some fun together while doing that!  A Facebook "Group" page is an efficient, easy way to facilitate this.  

Thanks for playing!  Five more tips on this topic will be up and running later this week.