Art Marketing Boot Camp™

What Do Your Customers Care About?

Peg the Needle on the Relevance Meter If You Want to See Results

I liked this so well I am reposting it from www.wizardofads.com

Ads are often written under the assumption that we can get people to care about things they don’t really care about. But this approach rarely succeeds.

Traditional ad-think says:

1.    Target the right people
2.    Leverage the right media (visual media for visual products, etc.)
3.    Use creativity in delivering your message.

But nontraditional ad-think gets far better results:

1.    What you say matters most of all. Speak to a felt need. Good advertising isn’t about the product or the company that sells it. Good ads explain how the customer’s life will be different.
EXAMPLE:
Don’t say, “Dr. Bill Dipweasel was voted gentlest dentist in Saginaw County.”
Say, “Get your teeth fixed. You’ll be more attractive and your confidence will skyrocket. People will treat you differently.”

2.    How you say it is critical. Clarity is more important than creativity. Talk like people. People don’t say, “I’ve elected to have cosmetic dentistry.” They say, “I’ve decided to get my teeth fixed.” (Dr. Bill Dipweasel will give you push-back on this because he doesn’t think “get your teeth fixed” sounds professional. Also, he wants the ad to be about him.)

3.    Deliver your message using whatever media offers the best psychological environment. In what moments would a candidate for cosmetic dentistry be most open to the message we crafted about being treated differently?

Advertising works best when it speaks to what customers already care about. This is called “speaking to a felt need.” I've never met anyone that's had a secret, unmet desire to go to the dentist. But tens of millions of us secretly wish we were more attractive, more confident, and that people treated us differently. Capiche?

Good ads aren’t about the company that’s paying for the ad. Good ads are about the reader, the listener, the viewer of the ad. This is especially true when writing classified ads for employment.

A man attending a class at Wizard Academy confessed that, working part time, he had made more than $850,000 in employee placement fees as the direct result of a single chapter he had read in my second book. I congratulated him on having had the perception to recognize the potential in that chapter.

Last week I received an email about that same chapter in my second book from William, an Acadgrad living in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Dear Roy,

I received an email from my business partner (Thatcher) earlier today, telling me that we had found the perfect applicant for an opening we have in our company. I crafted the job ad based on one of your chapters in the second Wizard of Ads book.

This is what I replied to him: "She's perfect. The Wizard of Ads is a genius, and this girl is just what we want, don't you think? I mention the Wizard because I used an article of his on writing job ads for that one. He said the person we were looking for would recognise themselves in the ad, and we wouldn't be swamped with tedious junky mass-applications. And indeed that's what happened."

So thank you, Roy, for all your amazing free advice; I have yet to meet this girl, but judging by the application, I think she should fit in well.

Eternally gratefully yours,

William

That chapter, by the way, is called "Writing Classified Ads for Employment."  It's chapter 76 in a 101-chapter book called Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller.

Here's an example of the strange type of classified ad that always gets superior results.

William, I'm glad you found the perfect employee. I look forward to your next visit to Austin.

Yours,

Roy H. Williams

A 2010 Strategy For Selling Artwork

A message on art marketing from magazine publisher Eric Rhoads
 

How did 2009 stack up against 2008? Chances are, it was about half as good as 2008. And that was probably a down year. Right?
 
What if I told you that I know artists who are having their best year of sales in 2009?

It's true.
 
Sure, you could look for some advantage they had. But in reality, these are regular folks who created a strategy, adjusted it, and ended up saving a year that would have otherwise been a disaster.
 
"Eric, I've sold 21 paintings in the last 60 days, and this has turned out to be one of my best years, despite the economy." I received that call last Thursday from an artist I'll call Charlie (his real name is available upon request).
 
What was Charlie's strategy? Why did he have a good year in spite of the down economy?

Art Marketing's Dirty Little Secret
Of course, many principles impact sales, but there are three core principles to marketing art successfully:
 
1. A Conscious Decision to Succeed, No Matter What
Charlie wasn't living under a rock. He knew the economy was bad and that art sales were falling off. Early in the year, he told me, "I'm afraid this is going to be an awful year for selling artwork, so I've made up my mind to make it my best year."

A funny thing happens when you make up your mind to succeed and don't let yourself off the hook. You find a way to succeed. Unlike most artists who whine that the economy is bad, art isn't selling, they don't have a chance, Charlie knew that if he worked harder and smarter, he would save his year. Did I mention he's sold 21 paintings in the last 60 days?

2. Put Your Line in the Water Where the Money Is Flowing
Where would you rather fish, in a dry creek bed or a river gushing with fish? There is an old saying: "Fish where the fish are."  In other words, don't waste time where there is no business. Don't make your own river, go find a river where the money is flowing.

Once you find that river of money, the critical issue is to put your bait in the water. Most people forget this step. In fact, when times get tough, they decide to save their money and fail to put their name or product out for all to see. If there is no bait, the fish won't bite.

Charlie was in three art galleries, and each was selling half as much as normal. Instead of accepting the circumstances, he was proactive. He figured that if three were selling half as much, he needed three more. He also learned where people were still buying paintings and focused on getting into galleries in those areas.
 
What Is Your Strategy for 2010?

Your 2010 strategy needs to start with pure determination.
 
Write this in GIANT letters and stick it on your mirror so you see it every day: I will sell more art in 2010 than ever before. It will be my best year yet.
 
Start by believing it. Support it with a plan. What actions will you take to sell more art? Where will you find a river of money? How will you get more galleries? In what other ways will you stand out? What bait will you put on your hook?
 
Your plan won't work by belief alone -- it requires a strategy. Charlie's strategy was to double the number of galleries and find galleries in areas where he would sell more art. He also started painting smaller paintings that were easier to sell.
 
Why 2010 Must Be On Your Mind Now
Most of us can't wait to have 2009 behind us. But most businesses are using the fourth quarter of 2009 to plan for 2010. This is when budgets are set and tactics are planned. Most art galleries are revising budgets, scheduling shows and exhibitions, and looking to add new artists to their rosters.

From your perspective, 2010 should start now. Start building your success plan and start working it now. After all, you need sales to start in January to meet your new goals.
 
Artistic Pinball
You're an artist. I am too. Like you, I'd rather paint than do the books, work on marketing, or build a business plan. But if I didn't do these things and allowed my business to go on autopilot, I'd be like a pinball flipping from one side of the game to the other. Having a plan is the road map that increases your chance of hitting your goals. So get serious and do it now. Your plan -- and your determination -- to succeed is the most important thing you can be doing now to have a great 2010.
 
Eric Rhoads
Read my Art Marketing Blog
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn

PS: The Rest of the Story
Charlie and I spoke late in 2008 when he was starting to see his sales decline. He made a plan for 2009, and found his new galleries by showing his artwork in Artist Advocate magazine. He heard from three galleries and decided to add the two that fit the profile of the "river of money." When we spoke Friday, he told me he was planning to advertise again to get a few more galleries. He said the days of having only one or two galleries are gone, because more galleries mean more paintings sold.
 
Do you want to catch some bigger fish? It's time to put your bait in the water. I invite you to join us for our December Artist Advocate issue. We like to call it the Planning & Budgeting issue because it hits when people are making their plans for the next year. We mail the print magazine to 6,500 galleries and e-mail another 8,000 digital issues.

Categories accepted:
- Painters (Contemporary & Traditional)
- Sculptors
- Fine Art Photography
- Mixed Media
- Fine Craft & Woodwork
- Handmade Jewelry

Deadline: November 3

Contact the following people to apply to get into the December issue. Ask how you can be on the cover:
 
 
Kathleen Lawrence-Davis
([email protected]artistadvocatemagazine.com)
530-934-3687

Jaye Alison Moscariello
([email protected]com)
310-970-4517 or 707-895-2700

Lisa Freedman
([email protected]com)
914-301-5184

Peggy Taylor
([email protected]com)
828-628-9021

Ena Frias
([email protected]com)
323-937-2835

Will You Survive As an Artist, or Return to a Life of Slavery?

An Important Message from Eric Rhoads

Perhaps you never thought of work as slavery, but many artists spend their lives trying to get away from their jobs and pursue art full-time -- therefore the thought of returning to a former job would is devastating.

In today's blog, I will focus on established artists who are concerned that they may have to return to their former careers or take a full-time job.

This morning I heard about an artist who had been in three galleries, and all three galleries recently went out of business. Fortunately, he was able to get all of his artwork returned, but he now has to sell the art himself. He is afraid to go into yet another gallery that might go under. He had been in a no-win job selling life insurance, and dreads the idea of going back to it. What should I recommend?
 
Put on Your Business Hat
I, too, am an artist, and the idea of mixing art and business is a turn-off for some of my artist friends. But if you want to sell paintings you have to think like a business person.
 
Let's Pretend
Sometimes it's easier to see things if you can distance yourself from the problem. So let's pretend you have a widget business. At XYZ Widgets, you have been selling your widgets through three distributors -- but all three distributors have just gone out of business. What would you do?
 
You would try to find three more distributors -- fast. Why? You're only one person, and chances are three people selling your product will potentially be three times more effective. It's a better use of your time to find sales agents than it is to try to try and sell the widgets yourself. Plus distributors are expert sellers and might be more effective. You cannot worry that they too might go out of business and you can make a judgment regarding their solvency when you interview them.
 
Preventing Business Loss

Why did XYZ Widgets get into this position in the first place? If you track the numbers, in every business there are warning signals. If you required each distributor to sell 10 widgets a month and one distributor started selling only five a month, it's critical to react rapidly to replace the lost five widgets the moment you see a dip in business. The best scenario is to find yet another distributor that can sell 10 a month. If they sell only five, you are even. If they sell 10, you are ahead of the game. Of course, if each distributor is losing business, you need to find replacements or additional distributors so that you sell your required number each month. 

Self Discipline
Using the analogy in the art world: If you count on each of your galleries to sell a certain number of paintings each month and one gallery that is not selling enough paintings, you need to add another gallery to make up for the loss of sales. In this man's case, all three galleries probably did not go out of business at once -- but he missed the warning signals. Had this artist disciplined himself to count on a certain number of sales for each gallery, he would have seen the signals that he needed to add additional galleries when they fell short.
 
Today he is playing catch-up. Had he added galleries when he first started losing business, he probably would be about even now instead of scrambling to survive.
 
Throw Out Old Rules
It used to be that a good artist could not support more than a few galleries. One artist I know (name available on request) had two old rules:
 
1. He only signed with galleries within a three-hour driving distance.
2. He never had more than three galleries.

This artist runs his art business like a business. When things started getting slow this year, gave up his old rules and took these actions:
 
1. Each gallery he had was selling about 50 percent fewer paintings, so he set a goal to get three more galleries.
2. Because business was soft in his region, he found three galleries in different regions where the economy was stronger.
3. He decided to paint smaller, less expensive paintings -- but he painted more of them. The lower price encouraged sales, and he had more inventory available in the event that all of the galleries were successful.

The result? This artist is not suffering. The addition of three more galleries did the trick. By having six galleries he has not skipped a beat, and is making about the same income as before.

How Did He Find Three More Galleries?
This artist discovered Artist Advocate Magazine, which presented his artwork to 6,500 galleries by mail and another 8,000 galleries by e-mail, plus made it available to art licensing companies and art publishers via a digital online edition. It's like a catalogue of available artists for galleries and it has been successful for many artists, including the artist mentioned above.
 
The important fall issue of Artist Advocate deadlines on August 12. The production team will do the artwork for you and design your profile page to display your best work.
 
A Funny Thing Happens When You Remain Invisible: Nothing
As an artist, you can hope things get better, or you can hope someone discovers you, or you can hope you alone can sell enough artwork to survive. But are you willing to risk giving up the life of an artist and returning to a job? It's important to stay visible and find more galleries to sell your artwork across the country. Contacting over 6,500 galleries on your own would be a difficult and expensive. Plus many galleries prefer to find their artists in Artist Advocate, which prevents the inconvenience of artist solicitations. Artist Advocate exposes your work to thousands of galleries, and has many recent success stories to prove that it works.

What will you do? Remain invisible in hopes something will change -- or be proactive to save your art career? Hoping things improve isn't enough. Being proactive to boost your career stands a better chance of success.
 

Yours truly,

Eric Rhoads

PS: Most artists I know spent years getting into a position to quit their jobs and be a full time artist. Don't place your freedom at risk. If you're not selling enough art work that you need someone selling it for you. Though some galleries have disappeared in this recession most of them remain successful. In fact we talk to dozens of galleries every day and most are still selling artwork. The good news is that most are seeking new artists because they feel it could boost their business. This is a great time to take control of your career and ad more galleries. Why remain invisible? For information on Artist Advocate, go to www.artistadvocatemagazine.com Or hit reply and say, "Eric, please have someone from Artist Advocate call me."

Artist Advocate Representatives:
Peggy Taylor ([email protected]com)
828-628-9021
Kathleen Lawrence-Davis ([email protected]artistadvocatemagazine.com)
530-934-3687
Jaye Alison Moscariello ([email protected]com)
310-581-1578
Lisa Freedman ([email protected]com)
914-301-5184
Ena Frias ([email protected])
323.528.7468

Artists: How to Support Your Gallery (If You Have One)

A message from Art Publisher B. Eric Rhoads

News Flash: It's Not the galleries job to do 100% of the work. Successful artists understand that a gallery relationship is a partnership. If you help them sell more you will benefit. (Note: If you don't have a gallery and need one scroll to the bottom).

Congratulations. You just got accepted into your first art gallery! Now you can sit back and collect the dough from all the artwork they sell. Right? Well maybe. But there are things you can do to help your gallery sell more work. Here are some ideas:

1. Ask What You Can Do:
Most galleries will tell you what they need from you. But just in case its a good practice to ask, "What can I do to be an ideal artist in your gallery? What can I do to help you sell more artwork?" Every gallery is different. Some may tell you to do nothing while others may have specific requests. Listen carefully.

2. Start with the frame:
Though some galleries will select the frame, many expect you to put the frame on it. Fact: Good frames sell paintings faster and at higher prices. Most artists I know use inexpensive frames. The pros use high quality frames, which have better finishes. Most gallery owners will tell you that they have taken a painting off the wall after several months, re-framed it in quality, and sold it immediately.

3. Prepare a detailed biography:
Look for every possible angle you can add to your biography, which gives them something to talk about. Where did you study, whom did you study with, where do you paint, what is your background. Put it all in there. Chances are the gallery will edit out most of it, but they may keep things in, which you may have edited out otherwise.

4. Provide top notch photography:
Give a quality reproduction of every painting you provide. Make sure you photograph with color bars and grey scale so color correction can be exact. Provide HIGH resolution images so they can be blown up bigger in ads. Make sure you study how to do good photography (tripods, proper angles to avoid reflections, proper lighting, etc.) or hire a professional (you'll want images for your book someday anyway.)

5. Provide a Story for each artwork:
Stories sell. If there is a special story with a painting write it up and attach it to the back. "I backpacked 300 miles on a mule with 2 other painters. We camped by a waterfall and I awoke to find a moose drinking from the water. I quickly sketched him."

6. Provide Co-Op Dollars:
When you see galleries advertising they often (not always) ask the artist to pay a portion of the ad cost (usually half if the ad is just for that artist.) Provide co-op money when possible, especially if you have a big expensive painting you want them to sell.

7. Be Visible:
Win awards, be in shows, generate publicity, do anything you can to increase your visibility and create something for the gallery to talk about.

8. Offer Your List:
If you have a list of people who already have bought your artwork it cannot hurt to give it to the gallery. Again, think of them as your sales agent and don't assume you will be selling direct. They can use extra names.

9. Promote to Your List:
Email newsletters, new painting releases, painting stories to your list can be helpful. (Make sure the gallery gets them too). Make sure you list the gallery as the place to buy and provide a link.

10. Ask What Art They Desire:
While many artists reject the idea of allowing a gallery to dictate what they paint a practical approach is to listen to their requests and if you're comfortable, provide them more of what sells. Its fine to paint what you want, but if it does not sell it won't help your income. Maybe you can paint what you want and still provide something within the range of what they need.

11. Tag Your Website and email signature:
Make sure your email readers and web visitors know where to buy your work. Make sure the gallery is listed and linked.

12. Take a Shift:
Ask the gallery if you can pick a couple days to "babysit" the gallery. There is no better way for you as an artist to understand what a gallery has to go through with customers. If you can experience the role of a gallery sales person for a couple days you'll have a finer appreciation of what they go through. Understanding the gallery world will make you understand their needs more. It won't change your artwork but will make you a better artist in terms of your gallery relationship.

13. Don't be a Pest:
Gallery managers have to spend a lot of time babysitting all of their insecure artists. Don't call or email too much to ask if anything has sold (a good gallery will let you know). Don't complain too much. Ask how often they want to hear from you.

14. Show Appreciation:
The unwritten story is that no one wants to help a jerk. If you are a whiner, a Pre-Madonna, a jerk, a pest it will hurt your sales. Though most won't consciously "get even" some will sub-consciously. One artist I know buys the sales person who sells his art a special something with every sale. Chances are that they will push a little harder to sell his work. Incentives are wonderful, but make sure the gallery is okay with it.

15. Be a Fast Responder:
A Gallery can loose a hot sale prospect in a matter of minutes. They may need a quick question answered,  know of your willingness to make an adjustment or do a commission work. Give them your cell phone and answer immediately. Minutes can make a difference between a sale or no sale.

Good luck!! If you don't have a gallery and need one.... read below.

Eric Rhoads
Publisher
Streamline Publishing, Inc.
Twitter
Facebook
Linked In

PS: If you need a gallery we are having EXCELLENT success helping artists get galleries. Our magazine Artist Advocate runs images of your artwork (paintings, sculpture, photography, fine crafts, mixed media) and sends the magazine to over 6,500 galleries which sell original artworks, PLUS art licensing and art publishers. BONUS: One artist in our last issue ended up getting discovered by one of the major national artists magazines, which resulted in an article!

"I picked up a gallery with my first ad in Artist Advocate. The second ad yielded another new gallery, a featured show and a $20,000 commission. I can't wait to see what happens with the third ad! -Bill Wright

Read other testimonials here.
Go to the Artist Advocate Website here.

If you're interested in applying for an Artist Advocate Artist Listing Contact:

Kathleen Lawrence-Davis (kathleen@artistadvocatemagazine.com)
530-934-3687
Jaye Alison Moscariello ([email protected])
310-581-1578
Lisa Freedman ([email protected])
914-301-5184
Peggy Taylor ([email protected])
828-628-9021

Artist Advocate Magazine: Connecting Artists With Art Galleries on Facebook

Working Backwards to Accomplish Your Goals as An Artist

Most people set out to market their product without a direction. It might work for you but you can increase your success if you have a road map to success. You need to ask yourself some basic questions in order to determine what your marketing will accomplish:

a) What does success look like?
If I succeed what does it mean? Success for you is different than success for someone else. Start by defining your life. What do you want your life to look like? Where do you want to live? How do you want to live? What needs will you have to live the defined lifestyle? What are you willing to do to accomplish that life style and what are you not willing to do?

b) Quantify success:
Once you know the life you hope to live when you are "successful" than you need to understand exactly  what it takes. How much do I need to live on after taxes? What exact steps do I need to take to get to the defined lifestyle? (Do I need to move, sell my home, afford another home, etc.)

Lets say that you defined your lifestyle to include living on a farm in a region where you can paint all year, have a barn as a studio, have a destination location to hold workshops, have a college near by where you can do part time teaching or build a teaching business, etc. It's important to be as specific as possible so you can then determine what the exact cost to accomplish this goal would be.

c) Work in reverse.
Once you're determined exactly what your financial needs are for this lifestyle you need to work in reverse to make a plan. Lets say you need to raise $100,000 more to be able to buy your farm and build your studio and your goal is to be in the farm in 5 years. Divide the $100,000 by 5, which means you need put $20,000 a year toward the plan. That of course does not mean you need to earn $20,000 it means you need to find a way to put that much aside every year above and beyond your other expenses.

So to carry this example further.... you tell yourself your art business needs to generate an additional $20,000 a year for your farm. The first step is to ask yourself what is my pre-tax target so I can take $20,000 out? (Everyone is in a different tax situation, so consult your accountant). Lets say you determine you have to raise an additional $6000  for a total of $26,000 (pretax). Now break it into little chunks. If you feel you can earn consistently for 12 months of the year than you need $26,000 divided by 12 ($2,166) a month. Lets assume you want to sell paintings and your gallery sells them for $2000 and you get 50%. You need to sell a little more than 2 paintings per month. ($1000 each). Seems easy so far. But you need to build in a contingency plan and the law of averages.

Lets say that the gallery only sells 1 out of 10 you send them. You need to provide 20 paintings a month to sell two. And lets say that some months they sell two, some months they sell none, some months they sell more. You need a contingency plan or your gallery will hold up your progress to buy the farm, which might take 8 years instead of five. Not acceptable. So what can you do to sell more paintings to make sure there are always two per month?

Option 1: Find a way to increase your averages with the gallery who has your work. (We will address these techniques in a future blog post).

Option 2: Find other ways to sell paintings on your own or find more galleries. (I think every artist should have at least two galleries in different geographical areas as a hedge in case one of the two fails to sell your work. Artists I know recently are adding as many as five because sales at all of their galleries are down).

The point of all of this is that it should not be loose guess work. You need an exact plan to reach your goal and then you have to figure out exactly how you will get there. Plans should be in place for failed plans so you don't miss your goals. If you have a goal you have something to shoot for every month and you know exactly how you plan to hit that goal in terms of steps you need to execute.

Eric Rhoads

PS: Our next issue of The Artist Advocate is coming up in September. You can present your work to 6,500 galleries selling original artwork to secure an additional (or first time) gallery. To learn more go to http://www.artistadvocatemagazine.com. Also look for the Artist Advocate fan page on Facebook.

Why Shelf Life Matters to the Subconscious Mind

Many powerful advertising options exist today, which include websites and email marketing, twitter/facebook/myspace/friendfeed, etc. Though these are effective tools for branding and immediacy, we must not forget that all advertising is not rooted in immediacy.

Most artists I know have a desire for instant gratification. They want their ad to sell a painting right away. You cannot blame them for thinking this way, yet decades of evidence prove that most advertising does not generate immediate results unless a foundation of awareness has been built in advance. In other words an advertiser who has been consistently advertising will usually have better success pushing something for an instant sale than an advertiser with whom the audience is not aware.

Lets look at it in other terms. Someone you have known for years calls you and asks you to do a favor. You know and trust this person (or not) and can easily make a decision based on their request and your level of trust. On the other hand, a stranger rings your door bell, introduces herself and asks for the same favor. You have no "history" with that person and therefore your defenses trigger fears. Its no different in advertising. If you do a good job of marketing you build trust over time by your mere presence. If they don't know you the viewer may ask themselves questions like Do I know this person? Can I trust them? Is their work consistent? Are others collecting them? Do they have a good or bad reputation? These and other questions often trigger an "I'll keep an eye on them" response. The more they see you the more they trust you. In contrast a gallery or artist who the viewer is comfortable with will have already overcome those objections creating fewer barriers to a sale.

This is why instant gratification is not always possible. Advertising is a process of building trust over and over again with the same audience. (Moving ads elsewhere is starting over with that audience). Online advertising can be very effective at keeping your name visible and of course it allows click-through to view your site, which also is a step in the process of building trust. But, an ad expecting instant results on or off line is less effective until trust is built.

There is a lot of noise about how print is a thing of the past and I believe this to be true for many forms of print, especially where news in involved, yet evidence tells us that "shelter" and "leisure" magazines readership are as strong as ever. And it is these leisure/shelter magazines which tend to be kept for future reference. I keep every issue of Architectural Digests on coffee tables around the house, in the restrooms, and on a bookshelf of keeper magazines, and as a result I may find myself flipping through current or old copies multiple times. These multiple impressions benefit the advertisers, who don't get a frequency of one impression but probably get a frequency of five or seven. It is this frequency that implants messages into your subconscious mind.

Ever find yourself flipping through magazines thinking "where did I see that ad." It happens all the time. In fact my magazine Fine Art Connoisseur just heard from an advertiser who made a multi-million dollar sale this past April from an ad that had run exactly one year earlier and not since then. Probably the person thinking "where did I see that ad" rummaged through past issues hoping to find it (probably in several magazines not remembering which one ran the ad.) This is also why we encourage frequency so that you're there when the reader decides they want to find you. We frequently get calls from readers like this: "You ran an ad for an artist about three years ago. I can't get that painting out of my head and I can't find the ad. It had deep greens and blues in the ocean. Can you tell me where to find the artist? I think I'd recognize the name if you told me."

If I were advertising paintings I'd run two images in every ad... a big one of my new painting and a small image of painting featured in the last ad as a reminder (even if sold). I'd also place all my ads on my website so customers could access past paintings for sale.

Understanding the power of frequency, shelf life, and trust building can go a long way in making advertising a success.

Eric Rhoads
Publisher
Streamline Publishing

Art publications:
Artist Advocate magazine
Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine
Plein Air Magazine

12 Causes of Advertising Failure

NY Times best selling author and marketing expert Roy Williams (and one of my closest friends) writes this about why advertising fails from his book The Wizard of Ads: Turning Words into Magic and Dreamers into Millionaires . This book is a must read for anyone who wants to market a product.

I've added MY comments under each of his thoughts.

1. The desire for instant gratification. The ad which creates sufficient urgency to cause people to respond immediately is also the ad most likely to be forgotten immediately following the ‘expiration’ of the offer. Such ads are of little use in establishing an identity for the advertiser in the mind of the consumer.

Eric: This is the trap many fall into. They think they can run one ad and the world will come to their door when in reality people first need to be comfortable knowing you before beating your door down. This requires frequent impressions over time.

2. Attempting to reach more people than the budget will allow. For a ‘media mix’ to be effective, each element in the mix must have sufficient repetition to establish ‘retention’ in the mind of the prospect. Too often, however, the result of a media mix is too much reach, not enough frequency. Will you reach 100% of the people and convince them 10% of the way? Or will you reach 10% of the people and convince them 100% of the way? The cost is the same.

Eric: Our egos tell us we need to be everywhere, but just like dividing our time across too many things, nothing gets done well. Focus is always more powerful and effective. If your ads work and you make more money you can always spread out later.

3. Assuming the business owner knows best. The business owner is uniquely unqualified to see his company or his product objectively. He is on the inside looking out, trying to describe himself to a person on the outside looking in. It's hard to read the label when you’re inside the bottle. Too much product knowledge causes the business owner to answer questions no one is asking. This makes for extremely ineffective advertising.

Eric: Clients are typically too close to their product. They are overly sensitive to the objections they hear in the market or to their competitors and often want to overcome those issues at their own top of mind. An outsider can help you focus on what really matters ... selling product.

4. Unsubstantiated claims such as “highest quality at the lowest price”. Advertisers will often claim to have what the customer wants, but fail to offer any evidence. A cliché is nothing less than an unsubstantiated claim the public is tired of hearing. You must prove what you say in every ad. The prospect will not make a new decision about your product until you have given him new information and new perspective. Do your ads supply new information? Do they provide a new perspective? If not, prepare to be disappointed with the results.

Eric: We are numb to these words. Wah wah wah. Give me something everyone else does not say. In art everyone wants to be "The painter of...." because Kincaid used "Painter of Light".

5. Improper use of passive media. Non-intrusive media, such as newspaper and yellow pages, require the use of reticular activator (such as a photo or illustration) because passive media tends to reach only those buyers who are actively in the market for the product. Passive media is very poor at reaching prospects prior to their need, which means it is extremely difficult for passive media to create a predisposition towards your company. With patience, the consistent use of intrusive media (such as radio and television) will win the heart of the customer before he is in the market for the product.

Eric: My goal is to help you know how to use passive media with the use of images and words to make it work, since there is no radio or tv in the art world.

6. Creating ads instead of campaigns. It is foolish to believe a single ad can ever tell the entire story. The most effective, persuasive and memorable ads are those most like a rhinoceros. They will each make a single point very powerfully. An advertiser with seventeen different things to say should commit to a campaign of at least seventeen different ads, with each ad being given sufficient repetition to accomplish retention in the mind of the prospect.

Eric: Advertising is a process not a single event. Coke is the top brand but they never stop visibility.

7. Obedience to unwritten rules. For some insane reason, advertisers want their ads to look and sound like ads. Why is this?

Eric: This is so true in the art world. All gallery and artist ads look alike. Name at the top, image, logo. No headlines, no copy to sell. One needs to be different to stand out. Why follow the pack?

8. Late week schedules. Advertisers justify their unreasonable focus on Thursday and Friday advertising with the statement, “We need to reach the customer just before he goes shopping”. Why do these advertisers choose to compete for the prospect’s attention each Thursday and Friday when they can have a nice, quiet chat all alone with the prospect each Sunday, Monday and Tuesday?

Eric: The real point of this is that you need to be consistent continuously.

9. Overconfidence in qualitative targeting. The importance of qualitative data has been grossly overestimated by many advertisers and media professionals. In reality, Saying The Wrong Thing has killed far more ad campaigns than Reaching The Wrong People. It is amazing how many people become “the right people”, when you are saying the right thing.

Eric: Every media has an audience who can buy if you know how to speak to that audience.

10. Event driven Marketing. A special event should be judged only by its ability to help you more clearly define your market position and substantiate your claims. If one percent of the people who hear your ad for a special event actually choose to come, you will be in desperate need of a traffic cop and a bus to shuttle people from remote parking lots. Yet your real investment will be in the 99% who did not come to the event! What did your ad say to them?

Eric: In art we focus a lot on events. An artist friend spent a week at a "must do" show. He had travel and hotel expense, and a week of his time painting. The event over the weekend maybe had 150 people to buy from 60 artists. Sales were low and in his case nothing was sold. Had he taken the $1000 he spent to attend this event and used it for marketing to reach ten's of thousands of people he would have a bigger chance of selling more artwork and reaching 100x more people.

11. Great production without great copy. Too many ads today are creative without being persuasive. “Slick, clever, funny, creative and different” are poor substitutes for “informative, believable, memorable and persuasive”.

Eric: Bottom line. Does your message cut through and get your point across?

12. Confusing “response” with “results”. The goal of advertising is to create a clear awareness of your company and its Unique Selling Proposition. Unfortunately, most advertisers evaluate their ads by the comments they hear from the people around them. The slickest, cleverest, funniest, most creative and most different ads are the ones most likely to generate these comments. See the problem? When we confuse “Response” with “Results” we create “attention getting ads” which say absolutely nothing.

Eric: Its important to start your marketing with "What do I want to accomplish?" and "How will I measure success?" and "What do I need to do to accomplish my goals." Most people only simply are not advertising experts and as a result don't know how it works and how to make it works and as a result their expectations are not met.

"I Make Art, Not Product"

Today someone sent me an email after a marketing email I sent out stating "I make art, not product."
What about you?

Few of us have the luxury to be complete purists. Though art should stand on its own as art, most of us who want to do art full time, need it to also be a viable product. Fine line? You bet.

If you can afford to do art without selling it, I'm all for it. In fact some of the most purity comes in this way because you are not influenced by needing to fit into the mold of your gallery, your buyer, etc. and if you want to paint paperclips, you should to do it and do it well. But IF you have to make a living then your art does become a product, and the trick is to balance the art with the commerce.

Some galleries want to control your output. "Gimme me more of those windmills, they sell well." You can't blame them. They are in business to sell, and if it sells, it helps them. And you are in the business to sell too. BUT the second it becomes a job, an effort, or you're focusing entirely on what sells and not doing what you love... it will show in your work. I've been there.

To some extent... if you do great art it will resonate with a buyer.

The point of all of this is that there are lots of starving artists who make art, not product. On the flip side there are lots of financially successful artists, whose work sells but is perceived by some artists as garbage. But purity does not pay the bills.

An artist who must make her living selling art needs to understand that marketing your art, promoting your work is not evil. It's merely practical.

Please Help Me Help My Husband!

I've edited the following letter, which I recently received. The letter is a call for ideas, for help. You'll then see my response.

Dear Mr. Rhoads,
I am contacting you in hope that you may be able to give me some advice.  I am a homemaker and I am trying to figure out how to get my husband, who is this amazing and talented artist, exposure.  I understand you publish a few art magazines…which has caught my eye and I have thought of maybe placing an ad in one of your magazines however, with my current financial situation I am unsure if it would be feasible for me to do so.  I am a 110% believer in my husband’s work but feel torn between making the decision of spending money we do not have for exposure we may not receive by placing an ad.  We are raising 4 children and I am struggling within myself to do the right thing. 

                                       

I know I was meant to do everything in my power to help promote my husband’s artwork.  I do not have any other resources but a computer, my typing skills and the ability to write.  That is why I am emailing you… hoping to get direction, advice and most of all inspiration for my husband.  I fear that if nothing is done soon my husband will give up and never want to paint again and that to me would mean a part of who he is would die. I would truly appreciate your assistance with matter.

 

My response....

Your husband is very fortunate to have someone who cares enough to go out on a limb to help. Also someone willing to know how important his art is to him.

Your question is loaded with so many elements. I'll try to briefly address some of them.

Don't risk what you don't have. Ads don't always work. Or if by chance his work is not appealing to the "buyers" than it could be wasted money. There are many elements to an ad, content being the most important. So before advertising it is important to know if he is ready. You may think so, but what about a set of expert eyes. It might be a good idea to seek worthy opinions from some experts.

Only risk the resources you can risk what you can afford to loose...time, phone calls, mail, etc. With that said, the people who break out in life tend to be people who take big risks.

The starting point is to define success. What does he want out of all of this?  DEFINE what success would look like. Be exact, be realistic. Success for some is selling prints, for others it's selling originals, others it's commissions, and others its graphic projects. Know exactly what he wants out of success....what will not only keep him excited but also what is needed financially. There are many directions you could go therefore this is a critical step.

In order to devote "full time" without another job you also need to sharpen your pencil and determine what amount of money is needed after taxes? Then break that into monthly amounts. Once you know that.... how do you get there? For instance if you need $4000 a month.... how do you sell 4 paintings at $1000 a month? Or 8 at $500. or 2 at $2000..... etc. And how do you ideally want to sell them...
gallery? (they keep half), web?, local retail? shows? fairs?

Its as important to define what you want as what you don't want. One artist friend is bitter because he feels his only outlet is the fair circuit, which means he sits in a tent every weekend somewhere. He does not enjoy it. I know some who don't like working with galleries because they want contact with buyers.

Once you have a plan....work it with vigor. If you decide to chase galleries....than get the work out there to be seen. Promote like crazy. Win awards, Do PR, Do shows. All these things can be done with a computer and a phone. Though advertising can leverage your time by reaching hundreds if not thousands more people in less time, its not for everyone.

Many great artists past and present are "managed" by spouses. This is a great thing if you can pull it off... let him paint, you focus on helping find a way to sell it, promote it, set up shows. Its an asset many painters don't have so its great if you can be his "agent."  I do, however, suggest a different name (maybe your maiden name) because no one wants to hurt the feelings of a wife or husband if rejecting or offering constructive criticism. It also feels more professional this way.

To start out do shows at any local venue you can get, invite people, send press releases. Try to sell some paintings. It won't cost you a dime. Perhaps you can get a local business to host you and invite their customers, give them 1/2 of everything sold in exchange. Any promotion is good promotion. Build his name with repetition. Shows, awards, etc.

A good rule of thumb..... dominate something. In advertising we suggest to dominate a publication. At a show you want to dominate the show (biggest booth? biggest paintings?) It is easiest and usually most cost effective to dominate LOCALLY. Once you have done that for a couple years, dominate REGIONALLY. Its easier to drive 50 miles to sell paintings at local shows than to drive across country. Once you're ready dominate NATIONALLY. Advertising is typically for a national focus unless advertising in local publications and sites. Its probably best to play the minor leagues before the majors where you can learn the ropes (there are exceptions.)

Most important is to define where you're going, what you expect, and what you want your life to look like. Read THINK AND GROW RICH by Napoleon Hill, which is great for anyone with a goal to achieve.

Taking Over The "Hot Spots"

Painters are no different really... you are a brand. Like any brand your name stands for something. For McDonalds its fast, consistent, cheep food. For Lexus its reliable, luxury, quality. Though some artists may think I'm being crass to suggest that they are a brand; ANY product, which is sold (or attempted) is a brand. Branding=Your meaning to the customer. Having a positive brand is all about TRUST. Your brand is a transference of confidence from seller (you) to buyer (them).

Big national brands spend big money to build their brands so that everyone is aware of them. They spend big money to maintain what they have built, so it does not disappear from the minds of consumers. When you disappear from consistent visibility you are risking that your brand will be lesser known.

What is your brand? How do you BUILD it? How do you MAINTAIN it?
Building is a long process. One artist I met today is an advertiser, who has been consistently advertising with us (and elsewhere) every issue for a decade. Her name is known, she is invited into the best shows, and she sells a lot of work. People have confidence in her brand.

In times of recession lots of brands disappear from sight... they stop advertising because they are trying to save money. THIS IS OPPORTUNITY. When people cut back, there are fewer ads (less competition for attention) and therefore a brand can be built more rapidly. This artist I was with today told me that in 1991 when others cut back she was advertising heavily and consistently (she was an illustrator at the time) and she ended up getting business she never before had because her competitors were not advertising. She became more well known, more established; thanks to the recession.

The HOT SPOTS are the top brand positions. Others who have owned those hot spots may think that time out of sight won't hurt them... yet every show, every ad, every event where they are seen reinforces (and builds) brand. Remember they got to the hot slots by their constant promotion. (Here is a sad fact. There are many great artists who are never known because they don't know how to market. Just as there are some not-so-great ones who market well and become well known.)

I know MANY artists NOT attending shows, NOT entering competitions and NOT advertising. As they disappear from sight some other aggressive marketing-focused artist will slip in, build visibility and establish a brand (if consistent). Suddenly there will be new leaders, new top brands owning the top slots.

Falling Into the Rate Trap

Because I own a couple of magazines I often hear from artists who want advertising advice. Though advertising is a powerful tool, it's not right for everyone. But when it's time, most people (not just artists, but also galleries) don't know how to buy. Sadly most get sold by magazine reps, who sometimes won't give you the full story.

Today I received an email. "Please tell me your rates." Most "sales people" will jump on that question and answer it because it's a buying signal. However the understanding that most people are asking a question they don't fully understand, I prefer to ask some questions prior to answering their question.

Imagine calling a car dealer and saying "how much are your cars?" The question can be answered, but unless a buyer knows the exact car and features desired, the question can't be answered properly. A good car sales person would ask... what kind of car are you looking for, what will you use it for, do you need cargo space, four wheel drive, good gas mileage, etc.

A good advertising rep will do the same. What do you want to accomplish? What audience do you want to reach? What is the price point of what you're going to sell? What are your expectations?
These questions are important because MOST people calling for ad rates, if they are not accustomed to advertising, have not thought things through.

Here are the rate traps.

1. You set expectations based on the success of a single ad. Though I've seen single ads work, most effective advertising is a process not a single event. It takes time to build a brand, build trust with the readers, make them aware enough to want to buy. Whereas most think..."If I run one ad and I sell 50 paintings I'll be rich!!" A good ad rep knows her audience and can help manage realistic expectations. (Most ads don't sell 50 paintings!!)

2. You play the numbers game. Using round numbers lets say an ad is $100. and the magazine has 10 readers. You're paying $10 per readers. Another magazine has an ad rate of $100 and has 20 readers and has a rate of $5.00 per reader. Which is better?

If you said 20 readers is better... you might be right but you might be wrong. For instance what if of the 100 readers 95 of them have bought a painting in the last 6 months? On the other magazine out of 100 only 1 has bought a painting in the last 12 months. Now which is better?

Magazines throw the numbers game to look better. Most advertisers fall into the numbers trap and buy the bigger audience. More important is the most productive audience who is most likely to buy?

3. Rates go down the more you do. Invest in long term campaigns and you'll get better results the longer and more you do. Its a fact.

I highly recommend trying to find someone to help you figure this out on your own. It can cost you a lot of money and net you no return if you don't know the lay of the land. An experienced confidant can help you make a plan, based on the needs of your business.

Hard Times & Tough Decisions

Here is a reader question: "So many artists I know that usually attend events outside of our state have decided not to this year, due to financial strains. Therein lies the dilemma... do I go and support the galleries and and art centers that put on the events and suffer even more financial losses for the sake of my art and its exposure, or do I stay put to save what money I have left and paint locally in hopes to sell on my own? I guess we all have to make sacrifices in order to be rewarded."

I cannot spend your money for you. But in hard times lies big opportunity. Let me explain.

Lets say there is an event, which is usually well attended from 50 artists in different states. Lets says 35 decide to stay home. The best way to stand out in a crowd is to have a smaller crowd.
'
The more people are FAMILIAR with your name (your brand), the more COMFORTABLE (it's about trust and quality) they are, which brings them closer to a sale. Brands are built over long periods of time. (You can speed it up, we'll save that for another time). Every exposure they personally receive should contribute to the building of YOUR brand in THEIR mind, if the exposure is positive.

So every show, every story they read, every impression where they see your name (show flyers, signs, ads, stories, etc.) the better off you are.

In crowded environments branding takes more time. For instance in a show of 50 people you have a 1/50 chance of being noticed. In a show of 25 you have a 1/25 chance. Much better odds. Of course there are things you can do to stand out above the other 25 (yet another time we will deal with this one). Advertising works the same way... the fewer advertisers (like in a recession) the more you stand out.

In a recession (now)... opportunity lies in your ability to take risks. You stand out more if you go to the shows, if you advertise more. And the more you do, the more consistent you are, the more your brand is built.

So my answer? Go. Be Visible. Build your brand. Its easier when there is less of a crowd.

The Most Repeated Advice

Aside from this blog I field dozens of emails each month from artists seeking advice. I don't know if I'm a "one trick pony" or if there is a pattern to the same advice needed to lots of artists. So here is the advice I find myself offering frequently. I will say that most of the people receiving this advice are just starting out.

1. Quality Sells: Its a fact. The better the work, the better it should sell. Most of the artists I hear from are not yet ready to sell, but are too close to their work to understand this. We all think our work is pretty good. My advice: Study under living masters who will give you objective advice and growth.

2. Quality Is Not Always Required: Contrary to item #1 we all know there are painters and sculptors, whose work we do not respect, which sells. Not everyone has taste, even people with money. And, who is to say that "our" taste is right. Advice: There is a market and a gallery for almost everyone. Find it.

3. Your C.V. or Resume' is Important: Enter and win lots of shows, do lots of events, try to show as much as possible. Try to win awards. It helps. It validates a potential buyer that she or he is buying someone others think is good.

4. Your C.V. or Resume Does Not Always Matter: Contrary to #3, its not always true. Some people don't care. Don't stop marketing just because you don't have a full C.V. and awards. Your work will still sell.

5. You're Too Close to Your Work: Find someone objective whose work sells, and whose work you respect to give you opinions and advice. Give them permission to be frank. Friends and family don't want to hurt your feelings and often don't know what advice to give. It's important to have someone who can tell you how to make something better, to let you know if you're ready for prime time.

6. Rarely Does Success Happen Overnight: A friend of mine quit his job, was independent for 6 months and then had to go back to work. Rarely does a career launch that quickly. Its ok to quit your job BUT if you don't have ample runway (2 years+) than I suggest establishing your career before you quit... and even then have ample living expenses to get you thru lean times.

7. Focus on What You Know and Allow the Help of Experts: If you're selling art, you're in business. As a business owner I'm good at some things and not good at others. I employ CPAs, Designers, and specialists in areas where I am weak. You need to find people to help you in areas where you are weak. Most (not all) artists are good at art but not good at business, marketing, sales, etc. You may need help. A gallery is an excellent partner and worth the 50% you give up because they can do selling for you.

8. You Are a Brand... or Should Be: You may or may not understand branding but the bottom line is some artists are a brand. That brand stands for something and a good brand helps sell art (a bad brand prevents it). Most artists don't know branding and need to understand how critical it is to market yourself as a brand. Read books on branding! Most important is to get your name out there, keep it visible, increase awareness. Most people do a little and think its enough. You need hundreds of impressions over years to become an established brand. Richard Schmid is an established brand. It did not happen overnight but once it happened he was allowed to command high prices. Jacob Collins is rapidly becoming a top tier brand. His active marketing, press strategy, and awards make a difference and he is commanding high prices today. Build your name, keep it visible, get lots of press. Repeat this process constantly. Its the second most important thing you can do. The first is creation of work.

9. You Are in Sales: Most don't want to hear this. But you are always selling. If you accept this and improve these skills, you'll sell more. If you don't you probably won't. I know great artists who never sell any work. Advice: Learn sales, accept that it is part of your life, and find someone to sell for you if you absolutely must. Even then you have to sell yourself.

10. Belief is Power. You have to believe your way to success. It sounds silly to some but if you have negative thoughts, they will prevail. Almost everything I've accomplished in my life was something I envisioned or dreamed first. Define what you want your results to be, believe, dream and then work toward it. A dream without effort is of no value. A dream with effort is unstoppable.

Best,

Eric Rhoads

Artist Advocate Magazine 

Art Marketing Blog 

Response to a Letter from a Portrait Artist

(This image is of Adam Miller painting Eric Rhoads portrait. This is NOT the artist who wrote the following letter.)

" Dear Mr. Rhoads,

I just read an email from you regarding those who advertise and those who don't. It was a good read. I know your words are true, and the two examples viable. I think one roadblock for many Invisables is "where do I come up with the money to invest when I am treading water as it is?"

I have been painting portraits for twenty years, and earned a decent living. However, I'm in the process of moving to non-portrait work, and as you said, no one knows me outside the portrait world. I know full well that advertising in Artist Advocate would be a very solid step in the right direction. No doubt about it. Maybe even the best first step  to be taken. But, in this market, with portrait commissions slowing down immensely, I'm trying to put food on the table for my family, and I must wait to begin what I know is necessary." - Name withheld

This was my response:

Dear Portrait Artist,

Clearly you have to put food on the table first. The most important thing you can do otherwise is to ramp up your self promotion and exposure...even if its the stuff you can do on your own for free. Not everyone is in a position to advertise, but those who do clearly will gain an edge. I'm not interested in taking someone's last dollar or food off of the table. Artist Advocate is not for everyone.

I cannot advise you of whether or not moving away from portraiture is smart or not, but it seems that you need to pursue areas where your brand is strongest already. Building a new brand and new market takes time and money. So, get more aggressive in the areas you are already known and established. Someone has the money for portraits. You need to find them. These are tough times, which require you to do more personal selling and promoting. Yes, I said selling.

What about these ideas?

- Contact every person who has every had a portrait done by you... one at a time by phone. Ask if they were pleased. Is there a family member they would like to commission a portrait for as a holiday gift (the painting comes after the holiday). Wealthy people are still wealthy, just a little less so. A portrait is the one gift that gives forever. Its ideal for the person who has everything.

- Pick up the phone and call every major local business owner, bank president, college president, city councilman, dignitary, etc. and suggest the portrait for their business (or a wife portrait, or kids, or board members). They want to be remembered. Where in town do you find portraits hanging? Certainly they may need more. 

- Stay top of mind with your previous commissions by emails of most recent portraits. Reseach indicates that people who bought from you once are the MOST likely to buy from you again. Of they did one portrait they may need an update, may want a family member, a lost loved one, kids, dogs, etc.

- Call the local paper and city magazine in your area. Press people are always looking for stories. Tell them that you thought they might like to know that people are changing their gifting patterns and that some of the prominant people in town have found the perfect gift for the person who has everything... a portrait. Find some local prominent citizen  so you can use them as an example. Call local TV too who can shoot you painting this person. Press works.

- Here's an obtuse one. Create a brochure for funeral homes in the area and give the funeral home a commission on portraits of deceased loved ones as an incentive to make this available in the materials they hand out. I know this sounds crass but people want to remember loved ones and many people can afford to do this. 

It is important to remember that not everyone is in your shoes. Not everyone is trying to figure out how to put money on the table. I know a fair amount of well off people and though many are cutting back I still see them spending money.

Whether you're a portrait artist or another artist we are all too close to our world. We assume people know about us, know who we are and what we are doing. They do not. Even when you tell them they don't remember. This is why the principal of frequent repetition is critical in promotion and advertising. Find excuses to get your message in front of people. Stay visible and do it as much as possible without crossing the line. Though most artists are a little uncomfortable calling attention to themselves... if you don't, who will?

PS: I'm a giant fan of portraiture. As you may or may not know I commission several portraits annually to appear with my publishers notes in my magazine Fine Art Connoisseur. I do this because I want to encourage others to commission portraits and because I want to bring visibility to classic techniques, which are important to keep alive. You can learn more on my portraiture blog. 

Scheduling Spontaneity

A couple of years ago I visited a prominent gallery on business. While I was there UPS brought a box with a painting, which the owner immediately opened. After admiring this painting for a few minutes he made a digital photo, excused himself for a few minutes, went to his desk and sent an alert about the painting to his collector base. Within 20 minutes this painting was sold.

Today when I met with an artist friend and happened to ask if she was emailing new paintings out to her collectors she mentioned that promotion was an afterthought and that she always intends to do it but never gets around to it. 

During this disadvantaged economy it's critical to increase your personal promotion activities and create some planned spontaneity. In other words, make sure you're notifying your collectors (or your gallery as the case may be) of new works for sale. Its important to keep your name and paintings in the public eye.

I say spontaneity because I believe this type of promotion must not appear as a regular planned event, such as a weekly mailing, newsletter, etc. Too much frequency will become too much, but its important when you have something noteworthy... let the world know.

Its a basic we all forget. We assume everyone know's what we're up to, when in fact we're not top of mind with most.  

Leap Frog: Opportunity In This Economy

Imagine for a moment that you're on the floor of the stock market. Everyone is yelling and screaming. No matter how loud you shout there are other voices also shouting, trying to be heard. This is the world of advertising.

Now imagine a much quieter place where your voice can be heard, where people will pay attention to you. Where you don't have to compete against as many loud voices. This is the world of advertising in a down economic cycle.

Though art is a lot different than a consumer product, there are also a lot of similarities. For instance an art buyer may only select one piece of art... yours or someone elses. It's competitive out there.

But in a good economy there is more money to be spent and there are more voices screaming loudly. In a bad economy people will still buy art, though it will be fewer people and they will probably lower their spending level. One gallery tells me he is still selling, however the big spenders are buying less expensive works. But they are still buying.

Its important to remember that not everyone is in your shoes. Yes the economy impacts us all, but we all know plenty of people with incomes, high net worth who have not cut back. Two major investment banks announced this week that they will give a total of 8.5 billion in bonuses to their executives. Don't be fooled into thinking there is no money or spending going on.

In a good economy there are lots of people advertising. (Loud voices) In a poor economy people cut back and spend less, therefore smart marketers know that their advertising (their voice) will stand out more because there is less clutter. As a result this is a time when it's possible to leap over a competitor and take their market share. Because they are not advertising and because you are, customers who want to buy will go to the place advertising. If one company has quietly retreated and another is jumping up and down waiving their arms.... who gets the attention? 

Recessions always see a shift in brands. Big confident brands believe they can back down in their advertising and ride their laurels. That is true. You can, unless your competitors are advertising, in which case they will steal your customers.

The lesson? Those who stay visible will continue to sell while those who lay low will not. It takes guts. But in the long run when the recession is over... you're the big dog.

The New Language of Effective Ads

This is from my friend/mentor Roy Williams (wizardofads.com)

The New Language of Effective Ads

Most women can tell at least one funny story about a tragic first date. In most of these stories, a misguided man spends the entire evening saying,

“Here's an example of how wonderful I am...”
“Let me tell you what I can do...”
“...and that's what makes me special.”

Although we’re rarely drawn to people who begin all their sentences with “I,” “Me,” and “My,” this first-person perspective remains central to mainstream advertising.

And it’s why most Americans detest mainstream advertising.

“At [name of company,] we…”
“Voted the number one…”
“Why settle for second best?”

This outdated language of self-promotion is known as “AdSpeak.” 

The new language of marketing is the language of Intimacy. Connectedness. Shared values. The sound of one friend talking to another. Intimate ads are believable because they confirm what the customer already knows. The fact that the advertiser knows it as well – and is willing to admit it – is what surprises and impresses the customer. Click. Connection.

How to Avoid “AdSpeak” in Your Ads.

1. Limit self-reference. Reduce the number of times you refer to your company or your product in your ads. (New York Times bestselling authors Jeffrey and Bryan Eisenberg offer a free, online analysis of ad copy at FutureNowInc.com. Their “We-We Calculator” scores ad copy instantly. Just copy and paste your ad into the text-block and the software does the rest.

2. Don’t say it. Lead the customer to say it. Instead of saying, “We’re honest,” say something that only an honest person would say. Let the customer respond, “Wow. That’s honest.” 

3. Admit the downside. It makes the upside easier to believe. Imagine the impact of a jeweler saying, “A diamond is just a symbol. The important thing is not to forget what it symbolizes.”

A behavioral scientist named Desmond Morris wondered why some couples stayed together for a lifetime while other couples divorced. What he found was that couples who stayed together had usually followed similar progressions of intimacy, allowing sufficient time before advancing to the next stage. His theory was that this allowed the couple to more deeply bond during the courtship phase of the relationship. Couples who rushed through these "stages of intimacy" usually didn't form as strong a bond and were far more likely to divorce.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS: 
Customer courtship should begin long before your customer is in the market for what you sell. The customer won “quick and easy” will be lost just as quickly and easily. 

Let’s look at the 12 Stages of Intimacy 
as they relate to business:

1. Eye to Body
* general awareness. 
In Business: Name Recognition.

2. Eye to Eye
* each person knows the other has seen them.
In Business: Targeted advertising is purchased to reach the customer.

3. Voice to Voice
* conversation. Can be one sided, or a dialogue. 
In Business: Your ads are read or heard by the customer.

4. Hand to Hand
* holding hands. Acknowledgement of possible relationship. 
In Business: the customer considers visiting your place of business.

5. Arm to Shoulder
* closer contact than holding hands.
In Business: contact is made in person or by phone.

6. Arm to Waist
* indicates a growing familiarity and comfort level in the relationship.
In Business: second contact, a repeat visit

7. Mouth to Mouth
* Kissing.
In Business: a purchase is made

8. Hand to Head
* Touching a person’s head is highly intimate, a sign of deepening trust.
In Business: contact through social media – MySpace, Facebook, Youtube, Blogs

9. Hand to Body
* This is the stage where foreplay begins.
In Business: a repeat purchase. This person is becoming a real customer.

10. Mouth to Breast
* Foreplay continues, obviously.
In Business: the customer begins to tell their friends about you. Referrals.

11. Hand to Genitals
In Business: the customer repeatedly sends business to you.

12. Sex
In Business: the customer becomes an insider, a trusted ally.

The progression of courtship through these stages must be voluntary by both parties. Push too far, too fast, and you’re guilty of assault.

A single stage may occasionally be skipped, but not more than one.  You may go directly from stage 4 to 6, but not directly from 4 to 7. You might move from stage 7 directly to 9, but not from stage 7 to 10.

If more than a single step is skipped, the recipient of your affection will feel rushed, hustled and pushed.

Knock, knock. A salesman stands on the doorstep of your home, uninvited. He has skipped 4 stages and gone directly to stage 5. How rude!

You’ve made your first purchase from a store (stage 7.) Now they’re leaping past 3 stages to offer you a reward for sending in your friends (stages 10-11.) How forward!

The natural progression of human intimacy is well documented and easily observed. It is hardwired into our cultural DNA. Remember, the strongest relationships are those that allow sufficient time for each stage. The customer who moves quickly from first contact to first purchase is not likely to become a loyal customer.

Old school advertising was “assault, subdue and conquer” through AdSpeak. “We are the best. We won’t be undersold. We have been voted the number one…” It was the language of a competitor, a warrior.

The new language of advertising requires a wooer, not a warrior. Intimacy is patient and considerate, never pressing more on the customer than the customer desires. It's the language of seduction.

In your ads, will you remain a fighter? Or will you become a lover? 

Roy H. Williams

The Story of a Business

This comes from our director of sales Jim Gustafson:

At the corner of 52nd Street and Fifth in New York City, there is a gentleman named Vinnie who sells newspapers. From sun up until late at night, Vinnie has toiled on the corner for years. Each day he sells his newspapers. Over the years, he has come to know the names of his customers and they all know Vinnie. He has never missed a day of business. People count on Vinnie to be there with his papers. He has never let them down. His customers are loyal. They have always bought their newspapers from him. Being very busy all day long, Vinnie never has time to read the newspapers he sells.

A few weeks ago, the manager of Cartier's jewelry store, a regular customer, said, "Vinnie, watch your business. With all the lay-offs and closings on Wall Street, business is really going to slow down." Vinnie asked the Cartier's manager, "What are you going to do about?" She answered, " We're going to buy less jewelry, because we will be selling less jewelry." All day long, Vinnie thought about what Cartier's manager had said. When it came time to order papers for the next day, Vinnie decided he would be smart. He cut back on the number of papers he ordered.

The next day, in the middle of the afternoon rush, Vinnie ran out of papers. This had never happened before. Vinnie found he had nothing to do, so he read the paper.
He read about the lay-offs, the closings on Wall Street and the people out of work in New York city. He thought, "The Cartier manager is right, business is going to really slow down." That afternoon, Vinnie cut back even more on the number of papers he ordered. The next day he ran out of papers earlier. For the second day in a row, some of his customers had to go elsewhere to get their paper.

At the end of the month, Vinnie did his books. He saw that his business had really declined. Though he had bought less papers, he had sold less papers. He had  made less money.

Vinnie continued to read the papers. He read about the economy, the lay-offs, the people out of work. Vinnie could testify to the slow down in business. His newspaper sales were way down. He, too, was a victim of the bad economy.... "Tomorrow," though Vinnie, "I will order a few less papers. Business isn't getting any better."

A block away at 51st., Joe was selling papers. Unlike Vinnie, Joe always read the papers. He knew the economy was bad, Wall Street firms had closed, and people were out of work.  For some reason, Joe's business was growing. He was selling more papers. A few weeks ago, he actually ran out of papers, so he increased his order. In fact, Joe had to increase his order more than once, to be sure he didn't run out of papers. "I don't understand it," Joe thought, "but everyone is talking about bad business. My business is better than ever." Joe was enthused and happy. He greeted every customer with a smile. He began to learn their names. "Hi, I'm Joe," he would say. "Thanks for buying your paper from me." Joe's attitude was contagious. People walked away with a paper and smile….. His business is growing…He has many new customers.

What a great Country!

"But What If..."

I spent the day yesterday with a couple of artist friends. One of them spent the whole day talking about the economy, the impact on the art business, and ultimately the impact on his income as an artist. Though his concerns were valid it was clear this had become all consuming and was impacting his state of mind.

"Maybe I should go back and get a job", he said, "Maybe I need to give up on the idea of being a painter." "I need more galleries but why should I bother because their business will be bad anyway." "What if the economy gets worse, no one will buy art."

In the nicest possible way... I got in his face and told him to stop. It was like the Charlie Brown Cartoon with PigPen who was always walking around in a black cloud of dirt and negativity.

Here is the bottom line. We cannot worry about things WE cannot change. We can only worry about things we CAN change. What I said to this artist is this:

1. It is what it is. 

Just because the economy is bad does not mean art is not selling. It is selling somewhere. We see evidence of it every day. (Read previous posts).

2. Stop buying trouble. 

Deal with what comes to you, what is, not what might be. Sure it's good to be prepared but don't assume the worst will happen. It might not. 

3. Make up your mind to succeed no matter what. 

If you try nothing by assuming no one will buy, they won't. If your art is not out there in galleries, art shows, etc. it won't sell. If you actively market your art it might sell. 

This guy was talking about pulling his art out of the galleries and waiting out the bad economy. I told him you have a better chance of it selling if its hanging in a gallery than if its in storage. Keep it out there.

4. Art is selling somewhere.

 Art is still selling in certain segments of the population. Don't project your circumstances on others. Someone has the money to buy art and is buying it. A gallery in Carmel told me yesterday last month was his biggest sales month in his 20_ year history. An artist friend told me last month he sold more paintings than any month in his 25 years as a professional artist. Its up to you to find out where art is selling and tap that market. 

5. Expand your market.

 If you're a locally known artist who only sells locally, what can you do to get into other markets and become known there? Expand in your region, expand to other states, other countries. This is a global economy. Its up to you to find it.

Yesterday in Carmel there were a lot of foreigners walking the streets. I heard German, Italian and British tourists. The Euro is strong so they are visiting US tourism locations and they have the money to buy because of the favorable exchange rates. Find ways to get into markets attracting foreign tourists.

Conclusion:

Attitude is everything. Though there is no doubt these are different times you can decide to succeed or fail. It starts with what's in your brain. Decide to succeed and you will find a way if you're creative.

Showing Up

"80% of Life is Showing Up" -Woody Allen

I've been receiving lots of questions about the economy lately. One artist told me today she was pulling her work out of a gallery because they were not selling anything. DON'T DO IT I shouted! Keep your work out there. Its better to have it out in the gallery in case someone comes in and buys it.

Everyone is a little nervous about the economy but its making people make silly decisions. Don't assume everyone is in your shoes. They are not. Just because you are concerned about what might happen to your business and what might happen to others, do not assume they cannot buy. Showing up is important.

Two weeks ago my friend put his home on the market. When I saw him last night he told me he pulled it off the market because of the recent stock market issues and because "no one can get credit now." DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR! While the media is blabbering about no credit, I happen to know of companies looking to extend credit for home buyers. So why take it off the market? Doing so simply is assuming no one is in the market. Yet our local paper lists recent sales and though home sales are down there were over 100 sales just last week. Someone is getting loans. Someone is buying. Don't assume there are no buyers.

This is also true of art. Don't let the media bring you down. People are still buying art. Want proof?

 

Someone has money. There is always a market and there were lots of people who spent money even in the great depression. The key is to go where the money is and be visible. 

Proof... just yesterday a gallery in NY told me in spite of the market he sold a $400,000 painting. Someone has money. This same gallery told me that they have never seen huge drops after 9-11 or even the crash in 87. Yes things softened some for a couple months but it got back to normal after a couple months.

More Proof... a guy I paint with has had a bit of a dry spell for the last three or four months. Then out of the blue this month he has sold 20 paintings, including 12 after the market crashed.

Show up. Keep your work visible. Be everywhere you can be.... galleries, shows, magazines, online. Just be visible.

My Wedding Theory of Advertising

There is another advertising principal... I call it the wedding principal. Sadly I see it all the time. Clients and companies will spend months developing a new product, building a new gallery or retail location, prepping for a show. Suddenly getting people there is an after thought.

You can spend months in preparation, planning, renting halls, caterers, buy the dress, etc. The day of the wedding comes and no one is there. Why? You forgot to mail the invitations. Advertising is like mailing the invitations. You have to invite people to show up. 

What if you sent a wedding invitation to someone at random from the phone book. Chances are they would not show up. The reason you can mail one invitation to a wedding is because the people you want to attend already know who you are.  

But unlike a wedding which requires one invitation... we cannot assume people know who we are. In order for them to accept our invitation we need to build trust (which is really just getting to know us) or we have to have a compelling reason for people to show up. For instance if a brand new gallery mailed out invitations to an opening but did not say anything about who the gallery is, what the show is, etc. Chances are the opening would be empty. If there is an image, a prominent artist they might get some takers. But if they are established, known and trusted the place will be packed. 

Bottom line: Build trust first (which is the cumulative impact of continued exposure and trusted quality offerings) and make sure all your efforts don't go into the product alone. You have to let people know or even the best product will fall on its face. Send the invitations! Advertise.

My Bald Tires Theory of Advertising

There is a principal I call the bald tires syndrome.... Here is the scenerio. You read the newspaper every day and every day your eyes see an ad for the tire store. You either skim over it and don't notice it, or maybe their name goes into your subconscious. But after a trip to a gas station someone says, "your tires are getting bald, you need to do something about that before you have a blow out and get killed." This is what I call a trigger.... the trigger in this case is you now need tires, therefore it triggers you to pay attention to all things related to tires. 

Suddenly you notice tires stores when you drive by, suddenly you pay attention to tire ads in the news paper and then at some point you go get tires. Your awareness of tires was heightened. Where did you go to get tires? You either went to the place that had that ad every day because their name went into your subconscious, or you started reading ads and one day picked one of the ads and went into a store that was advertising. What if, on the day you decided to pick a tire store from the ads in the paper the tire store who had been running all those ads was not present. Chances are you would pick another ad.

That's the value of continued presence.

This holds true for any publication but its very important with our publication Artist Advocate which helps connect artists to galleries. Some galleries are looking now, some may not look this month but will look next month, others may not look for a year. But when they do decide to look for someone its important that your ad is there. If not they may pick someone else.

 

The Brick Wall Theory of Advertising

I recently heard these words from an advertiser who said this: " I am currently debating whether to place another ad in this upcoming Fall issue or to wait until the February issue to post another ad."

Those of us who have spent our lives in advertising understand a principal, which most people don't understand. I call it the brick wall theory.... please bare with me as I share this. Its a little long but important to understand.

Imagine that there is a road with cars going buy. Your goal is to stop the cars so you decide to build a brick wall across the road. So when no cars are coming you build one line of bricks across the road. But because bricks are expensive you decide to stop the project for a little while. Meanwhile a car comes along at 35 mph, hits the little row of bricks, which have no impact on the car... its a little inconvenient bump. But when it goes over the little row it tears it down as it goes over it. A couple months later you decide you have enough money to build your wall again so you build that first row of bricks again, but then you stop until you can afford more bricks. Again a car comes along, bumps over the bricks, tears them down. This goes on and on and one and though you try to build the wall many times, each time the foundation is torn down.

Meanwhile you have a friend who is also building a wall. She builds the first row and immediately on top of it builds the second row. Already because of the second row being a little to much for a car to go over the car comes to a stop and then slowly proceeds around it but not over it, which allows her time to build a third row, then a forth, and so on. Each time the cars slow a little more, and in fact the cars start to back up because the wall is not a real wall and it has to be noticed. Eventually the wall is so big that every motorist knows about it and has an impression of it.

Of course advertising is not a wall but advertising is designed to slow people to take notice, and the more you do it the more they notice until at some point everyone has awareness of the advertiser. Once they are aware, as the wall grows, they pay closer attention to it, then as it increases in size they have to take action.

Advertising is like building that brick wall one layer at a time. If you start and then stop you're merely a bump which barely gets noticed. If you get that second ad the cars notice you more, the third even more, and so on. Once you build a wall you keep that brand alive by keeping advertising alive and once the wall is built its hard to not notice it and harder to tear down.

Will You Crash Too?

People are paralyzed by fear because of recent stock market downturns and the government bail out. There is no doubt it is frightening.

So... since you have to make a living as an artist will you crash too?

Though everything in the financial markets is out of our control there are things you can control:

1. Your Attitude and Determination:

You have three choices. You can decide to succeed no matter what. You can choose to fail. You can choose to see if you'll fail or succeed. Managing your attitude is critical. You must tell yourself no matter what the market conditions you will survive. Yes you will have to work harder, be more creative and maybe reinvent yourself. It won't be easy, but this success attitude actually will make a difference. In the 1980s I decided to succeed no matter what. I became creative, aggressive, increased my promotional efforts. Meanwhile my competitor was overwhelmed by his fear, he began shrinking and because he was so afraid to spend any money he went out of business. When that recession started had ruled and had more market share than I did but by the end he was out of business. Meanwhile I used the recession as a lever to change the game and ended up owning the market share. It took guts and determination because I didn't have much money to work with and I risked what I had. But because so many others were lying low I stood out and ended up stronger when the recession was over.

2. Your Output:

If your sales decrease don't decrease your output. Keep painting, sculpting, etc. Build inventory for better days. Plus because you probably will need MORE galleries to succeed you'll need to have more inventory. Keep yourself under pressure. Invent new concepts for new shows.

3. Your Tenacity: 

If your attitude convinces you that you can succeed you'll need to become more tenacious, a more aggressive marketer. You need to pull out all the stops. INCREASE your visibility because chances are your competitors will decrease. This is where market share is won, which is not possible (inexpensively anyway) at any other time. This is the blessing of recessions for marketers. You need to do more, try more things, do more mailings, more emailings, build customers lists, get more galleries and enter more shows (for visibility.

Crashing is not an option. Success is the only option. There are always people with money... in the US markets, in foreign markets. You have to find them, reach them, brand yourself, and sell them. No excuses. Don't let fear slow you down or paralyze you. This is a huge opportunity to grow.

Art In Down Times

Since everyone is whining about the economy and a bit paralyzed by fear I decided to call around and find someone who went through it. I promised I would not use his name BUT this is a real person (name available upon verbal request) at an established art gallery.

I wanted perspective. "Have you lived thru stock market crashes in the art business?", I asked and what was the outcome. Here is what he said:

"In 1987 everyone thought the art world would come to an end. Our business slowed down a bit for about two months, but it did not end. We had ample business all along just not as much of it. But at the end of two months everything was pretty much back to normal and our business was thriving. People with money who buy paintings continue to buy them. In fact I sold a $400,000 painting today (this was written two days after a massive stock market crash in October 08)."

"Right after 911 the same thing happened. Everyone thought our business would die yet within a few days we were selling paintings again. It took about two months for things to fully come back but we never experienced a huge down turn."

What Business Are You In?

If you're like many I know you strive to quit your job and become a full time artist. Perhaps you've already done it.

Many artists have shared their frustrations with me. "Eric, I wanted to be a full time artist yet the business aspects are taking me away from what I love, which is creating art. What should I do?"

Most people I know never anticipated that they were opening a business enterprise. They just wanted to paint or sculpt or create. 

Suddenly the responsibility of bringing home the bacon is dependent on your ability to create art that others want to buy, establishing your name, selling your product, and managing the business aspects like taxes, paperwork, framing, shipping, etc. So can you get away from it?

Unless you have a solid helper... a spouse, friend, partner you're probably on your own. Its always helpful to have someone to help if you can find someone to volunteer (even a couple hours a week) or someone to work for you. The clutter of doing business can impact your artwork and your rhythm.

I've watched too many people give up and return to life working for someone else. We don't want that to happen to you.

My belief is that your best bet is to find a great art gallery. They can boost your career, manage your promotion, and hopefully bring you consistent revenue. Take the marketing off your lap unless you absolutely love it and are good at it. Then you can focus on better quality artwork, which should result in higher prices eventually.

Secondly ask yourself what you can farm out to others. They don't have to be employees (you don't want to do payroll taxes, benefits, etc.) Break your roles into different pieces. Can someone do the framing for you and then box and ship for you? It might be worth a higher price for your frames if you can drop off the works to a framer to handle this aspect. A good small business accountant can keep your books, manage your accounts, watch your revenues, and do your taxes for not a lot of money. Probably a couple hours a month for not much invested. Often art students will work for little or nothing to be able to observe you. Can you put them to work doing prepping of canvas, varnishing and so on?

Anything you can do to stay focused on artwork will make you a better artist, happier, and less encumbered.

Knowing What You Really Want

"Eric, I want to be successful," said an artist I was consulting with recently. "Have you defined success?," I asked?

Its not enough to want success because success for one person is not success for another. If you want success you first need to define what you want your life to look like. How?

1. When you dream of success, what does that dream look like. Take a pad of paper and write everything you dream. Write as much detail as you can imagine.

2. Be specific. Saying, "I want to make a lot of money" is general. Saying, "I want to earn $50,000 a year" is specific.

2. Create priority for the dreams. Now that you have your list in specifics, which part of the dream is the most important. Knowing what is most and least important helps you focus your energy. For instance if your number 1 success element is "I want my work hanging in a museum within 5 years" requires you to do a lot of things differently than "I want to sell 1000 giclees a month."

3. Once you have your list prioritized, then ask yourself what it takes to get there and what sacrifices you are willing to make. For instance being home with my kids is more important than anything else in my life, therefore I know some things require me to be on an airplane every week. I'm not willing to do those things, and therefore have to either find more creative ways to achieve them or I need to redefine my goals.

4. Manage your "self talk". Anything is possible but if you're continually making excuses to yourself or others like "I cannot do that" or "this is impossible" or "no museum would ever want my work" your brain will fulfill your thoughts. If on the other hand you believe you can and stop negative self talk you probably will accomplish your goals.

5. Break it into small steps. When I work with artists on their goals, I first break every goal into small steps. X has to occur before Y can occur. Things seem more obtainable when you break everything into steps or mini-goals. When working with financial matters, work backwards. Here is an example.

An artist said to me the other day I want to make $200,000 a year before taxes. "How many paintings is that?", I asked. "I dunno, a lot I  guess," he said. So first I said, "How much do your paintings sell for in the gallery?" "$2,000," he said

So do the math. If the painting goes for $2000 and the artist retains $1000 from the gallery than he needs to sell 200 paintings. Right? Wrong, because in his $1,000 retained he has to pay for materials (canvas, paint,), shipping (often to and from) and framing. So it's important to know your costs and what needs to be applied to every painting. So if he has a $150. frame, $50 in shipping and $25 in materials his cost is $225. He now has $775 left, which means he has to sell 258 paintings a year.

So if the goal is 258 paintings a year to earn $200,000 pre-tax dollars he has to sell. Which means he has to sell 21 paintings a month. Of course not every painting sells, and most galleries are not going to sell 21 of your paintings every month. Plus you would have to paint 5 a week every week of the year. Chances are quality suffers. Right? Though this is another issue, lets stick to the plan for a moment.

This artist has to sell 21 paintings a month. If one our of 5 sells every month then in reality he has to paint and send 5 times the paintings to sell 21 a month. AND he has to have enough galleries to hit his sales numbers. If the good galleries sell 5 paintings a month then he needs 4 good galleries. Of course all galleries have hot and cold months, therefore he needs MORE galleries.

This is problematic. A good artist cannot paint enough quality and probably should not have too many galleries. So how do we solve this problem?

We either have to find other forms of income for the artist or we need to increase prices, or both. In this case I gave the artist the following advice:

a) Paint larger paintings, which will increase the amount of money you can generate per painting. It also allows him to do fewer paintings.

b) Find a gallery, which can sell your work for more money. The market the gallery serves often dictates the price.

c) Find a couple of quality galleries. But don't try to get too many, which can hurt your reputation.

d) Find some outside income sources like teaching and trying to win cash prizes in art competitions.

The bottom line for most artists like this one is that the goal should be to paint fewer paintings so that the quality can be increased, the size can be increased and the price can be increased. Though its harder to become a premier artist whose works sell for big prices, its a lot easier to paint 12 great paintings a year to make your money. But it depends on your goals and the time it takes to get to that place. In all cases its a lot easier to get there with a plan.

Success for an artist takes on many faces. For some its about money, others its about fame, others its about freedom and no other job. Establishing a career is very delicate and the wrong reputation created can hurt an artist forever (thus the problem with giclees for some). The starting point is to define your ideal life and all its elements.

Bite Your Tongue

"Where was this painted?" asked a woman when she approached me at a recent art show. Though I believe most people want to hear the story of the painting my instincts told me to bite my tongue. "Does it remind you of something?", I asked. Her eyes welled up with tears, "This is the exact spot my father used to take me when we went out on the canoe together." Though I did not ask if her father was gone, it was clear this painting reminded her of a special time and place with her dad. Had I said, "Oh, that's the shore up in Canada" it might have blown the sale.  

The lesson I learned: When they ask it may be best to first ask them if it reminds them of something.

Repetition builds Reputation

Eric: “What do you want to see tonight?” I asked my wife.

Laurie: “Let’s go see the new James Bond film. I heard it was great.”

Eric: “Where did you hear that,” I said, “Who did you talk to that saw it.”

Laurie: “No one,” said she. “I just heard it. Probably an ad or something.”

Advertising creates word of mouth.

I craved a painting from an artist I had seen advertised over and over for years. When my wife asked me about why this artist was so important I realized it was because I had seen her name for years and years and I assumed she was important.

Advertising creates word of mouth. Repetition builds Reputation.

Brag a Sale

As CEO of a tech firm in Silicon Valley I was charged with raising money on a regular basis. I ended up raising $18 million for my firm and was once asked by the local press what I did that made me successful at raising money. Of course what I’m about to tell you is a marketing principal as well.

I told them I was probably just lucky. But one thing I did do was approach every “pitch” with one thing in mind… Everything is a Cocktail Party Story. When I was at networking events I noticed that venture capitalists conversations went like this:

“Seen any good deals lately?”

“Yes, I just invested in a company which makes neutron converters and I think it will make us billions when we go public.”

That is a cocktail story. These people like to brag about their deals… something interesting and unique and something that makes them look smart and something which will be a good investment.

So at a recent art event the conversation I overhead was like this….

“Bought any good art lately?”

“Why yes, I just snagged a painting for a great price. This artist is going places and his work is selling for about $100,000 already.”

Bragging rights are important to buyers. Sometimes is subtle (which is better). Subtle is to have people walk into your home and see a Monet hanging in view of the door. Sometimes it’s brash (more often than not, sadly). “This guy is selling for $X”

People love to brag about the paintings they buy. If they walk into a gallery and love a painting and buy it for $10,000… and it hangs next to a giant one by the same artist which is selling for $50,000. More often than not they will find a way to tell you the artist is selling for $50,000… maybe so you think he paid $50,000.

How can you use this?

1. Talk up how hot the artist is and what is happening with values.
2. Look for key phrases you can share about the artist that is worthy of a brag. “This artist just won the national OPA award which mean’s he was voted by the best as their best” or “Steven Spielberg (insert name of collector) just added this artist to his collection.” I guarantee you this will come out once it hangs in the collector’s home.

People love to brag. Load their lips with things they can brag about. It will help them emotionally connect to the art and for those who need a justification the story will help sell the artwork.

Use Your Advantage

My buddy was asking for some marketing advice. I asked him what advantages he had. For instance awards, memberships, etc. He noted that he was recently accepted into the OPA … Oil Painters of America. This organization holds artists to high standards and they won’t let just anyone in. “Wow,” I said, “Use that to your advantage.”

I don’t have any idea how many artists there are in

America

alone but my guess is there are hundreds of thousands. Everyone is an artist it seems… just like everyone is going to write a book someday. I think people perceive this. So when potential art buyers are considering buying something they don’t want just anybody. They may love your work but may hold back buying for some reason… that reason is confidence. Confidence that you are a good investment. Confidence that you’re not just another schmoe who paints. They want their love for your work to be validated.

I told my friend to make it a point to try and win every award, try and win the signature status to be able to use OPA behind his name and to use every possible opportunity to tell the world he was an OPA member. It’s a BIG deal.

I instructed him to make sure it was in his BIO toward the top (no one ever reads the whole thing). I suggested press releases to his list of OPA awards. I suggested he tag his ads that he is an OPA member (its external validation). I think there are probably 2,500 or so OPA members but of those only a small percentage takes advantage of their membership. Only a small percentage advertise that they are OPA members (perhaps there are restrictions on this I am unaware of. I know only a select few can put OPA behind their signature). So he can gain huge advantage with anything he can do to promote that he is an OPA member. It’s all about trust, remember. OPA is huge validation to a collector.

Building Trust

Selling anything is about transference of TRUST, which comes from awareness and frequent exposures over time.

Ever hear the term "Building a Friendship?" Building is a key word. When you first meet someone there are certain things you don't do, don't ask. It would simply be too odd. But over time once you know someone you can ask for a favor because you are known to be responsible with that favor to the friends with who you have BUILT trust.

Those unfamiliar with advertising want instant results (who doesn't?)... But the same principals of friendship apply to advertising. You have to build one brick on top of another. Eventually you are trusted.

When we first started we received some advertising resistance. People said they wanted to "watch" us. What they are really saying is we want to see if you're trustworthy. See if you continue to produce a quality product, etc. Same holds true for advertising.

If you're targeting a new group of people who do not have the advantage of knowing about you and your brand.... you have to build that trust before they will confide in you with their dollars. It's rare someone will send a check for thousands or tens of thousands of dollars unless they can feel comfortable that they will receive what they purchased and it will be authentic. That comes with trust. Trust can come through the references of others (good reason to use testimonials or quotes from known people in your marketing to new people).

It's important to remember that TRUST IS A PROCESS. The reason advertising specialists recommend CAMPAIGNS instead of single ads is that ONGOING visibility helps people become more comfortable with you. Just like a new friend... each time you get together you trust them a little more. Eventually you're real friends. Same with ads.

Can you speed the process? Somewhat... through the HALO EFFECT of others (testimonials or known spokesmen). Design quality and association with GREAT art also helps. Also size of ad sends a message of confidence. Ever see a spread from a gallery which is six or eight full pages in a row? It says "Wow! These people must be big if they can afford this." Of course TWO pages together send a similar impression. Full pages send an impression over fractional sizes. Its human psychology 101. Still FREQUENCY and CONSISTENCY is critical. If you're there...then you're not (and the potential customer is paying attention) it raises question. Also it reinforces your messages. It’s a cumulative effect, not a single ad but the impressions of multiple ads. Author Roy Williams says that people LOOSE impressions over time and if you are away too long you have to start from scratch.

Trust is a building process.

If You Were New?

I got this question from a gallery start up recently. What would you do if you were new and wanted to get established?

1. You cannot leap frog time: Marketing a new business takes time. All the techniques you employ will make an impact but time is the most powerful tool. The longer you show up the more you are noticed.
2. Dominate What You Can Afford: New businesses want to spread their marketing to lots of places. OK if you’re cash supply is unlimited but… that’s rare. So it is best to dominate what you can afford. One impression does not do anything. You need multiple impressions over long periods of time to build trust. But pick an audience (a single magazine or perhaps two) and be in every issue with the largest ad you can afford. (If you cannot be in every issue, use one fewer publication and smaller ads.) Being seen consistently is critical.
3. Look Successful: How? Size, design (elegance) and what you are featuring (quality art).
4. Halo Effect: They may not know and trust you. Who do they trust? Hire that person as your spokesperson or at least offer a testimonial. It helps.
5. Put Customers to work: Those who love you should tell others. They won’t think of it on their own. Ask (graciously) for recommendations. “Is there a collector you know that might not be aware of us?
6. Be everywhere that matters. Be seen. (Tastefully)
7. Generate Publicity: Find something newsworthy you can do. Local press is a great place to start. Newspapers, Magazines (local), Radio and Television. Have a lecture series, a celebrity come to town, hold an event, make a major donation.
8. Don’t let up. You may think you’re everywhere and visible but it takes many impressions before people notice you. Meanwhile you think your message is getting old. It’s not. Be consistent in message and keep it visible.

A Diagonistic Tool for Marketing

The following was written by my friend Roy Williams who is a best selling marketing author.

Is your business growing slower than you think it should? Do you suspect its slow pace might have something to do with ineffective marketing?

The average business owner feels their business should be growing faster, but few know how to isolate the problem. Today we’re going to fix that.

The elements that affect the growth of your business will fit into one of four distinct categories. Understand these categories and you’ll have a framework for self-examination.

1. Share of Voice: What is your percentage of the total exposure for all the businesses in your category? How much of the total signage is yours? Magazine advertising? Directory advertising? TV advertising? Radio advertising? Newspaper? Direct mail? E-mail? Web traffic? If there are news stories related to your category, do they mention your brand or someone else’s? What percentage of the word-of-mouth advertising is yours? Each of these things contributes to your total Share of Voice.

Share of Voice can be purchased. But be careful; most advertisers try to reach too many people. A message of true importance needs to be delivered only once to be remembered. But is your message really that important to your customer? Is it safe to assume that your message will be remembered after being heard only once or twice?

Problem: You’re reaching too many people with too little repetition.

Solution: Buy more repetition from fewer media vendors.

Tip: Be an important advertiser to one or two audiences instead of an invisible advertiser to three or four.

2. Impact Quotient: How impressive is your offer when compared to the offers of your competitors? To be impressive, your message must first be believable, so close the loopholes in your message.

Loophole Open: Advertisers often cry, “Everything Must Go!” But the listener is thinking, “Or what? What happens if you don’t sell it? You’ll just come up with some new angle next week, right?”

Loophole Closed: “Everything must go! Any jewelry not sold by the end of the day will be melted down and sold as scrap. This means that until 9 o’clock tonight you can buy finished jewelry for slightly more than the value of the raw materials.”

Question: “What about targeting? You haven’t said anything about reaching the right people.”

Answer: I’ve never seen a business fail because they were reaching the wrong people. But I’ve seen hundreds fail because they were (1.) reaching too many people with too little repetition, or (2.) delivering a message that no one cared about. You’re going to be surprised how many people suddenly become “the right people” when you begin delivering a more impressive message.

3. Personal Experience Factor: Are you exceeding your customer’s expectations or falling short of them? Do you have the brands they prefer or are you pushing a weak alternative? Are your prices higher or lower than your customer expected?

A strong ad will only temporarily prop up a business that delivers a weak Personal Experience Factor. Unimpressive reputations nullify impressive ads. Have you been trying to solve an internal problem with external advertising?

4. Market Potential: What will be the total dollar volume sold in your product or service category this year (in your market or nationally)? Do you know the total, potential volume for your trade area? What percentage of that financial pie is yours? If you don’t have access to this information, there are two easy ways to get it. (1.) Carefully list every competitor you face along with your best estimate of their sales volume in your trade area. This can usually be done with a reasonable degree of accuracy. How many employees to they have? How much inventory? Square footage?  Estimate objectively and don’t leave anyone out. (2.) Contact a trade organization or Google to find a figure for total, nationwide sales volume in your category. Divide that number by the population of the

United States

(currently about 298,500,000.) to get a per capita sales volume. Multiply that number times the population of your trade area. I think you’ll be surprised how close the two numbers are.

It’s easier to grow small businesses than large ones. Show me a business selling only 5 percent of the Market Potential in their category and I’ll show you a business with huge growth potential. Show me a competitor 8 times as large, one that’s currently selling 40 percent of their market potential, and I’ll show you a business that’s going to have to work very hard to hang onto what they’ve got.

Uncommitted customers are the easiest to steal. Consequently, early growth comes with less effort than later growth, when the low-hanging fruit has all been picked. The business selling 40 percent of their market potential must now fight to win those customers who have some degree of loyalty to a competitor. Rarely does a business achieve more than 40 percent of the total, potential volume in their product or service category.

Examine your business through the 4 lenses of Share of Voice, Impact Quotient, Personal Experience Factor and Market Potential and you’ll quickly identify what’s been holding you back.

Advertising can’t change your Personal Experience Factor or your Market Potential. But a focused media plan will dramatically improve your Share of Voice (by reaching fewer people with greater frequency.) And better ad writing will dramatically increase your Impact Quotient.

Roy H. Williams

www.wizardofads.com

Standing Out

Every magazine has its own special editorial focus. Some focus on traditional artworks while others focus on abstract artworks or regional artworks. So does it make sense for an Abstract artist to advertise in a magazine of traditional art?

From time to time I get questioned about whether or not a dealer selling a style of art other than what is the primary style of a magazine should advertise that art in a different environment.

Assume for a moment that you sell abstract modernism. Should you advertise in a publication which features primarily representational art? Your belief systems and feedback from your customers is a great starting point. Do you believe (or hear from customers) that buy other kinds of art like representational? If so it makes a great deal of sense.

Dealers are encountering more buyers who “mix it up” in their home. They tell us some collectors will hang abstract and representational paintings in the same home, which is happening more with the new breed of younger collectors. Frequently collectors who love different kinds of art will hang one type of art in their main home and another style of art in another home just as they often decorate them in different styles. I recently visited one significant collector who had three collections: A collection of very traditional Victorian art in his offices, a smaller collection of Western art in another office and a collection of post-war modern in his home (mixed with some traditional Victorian).

Though this collector reads several art magazines covering different styles of art you would stand out if you advertised a post-war abstract in the traditional magazines or if you advertised a traditional painting in an abstract publication. For instance ArtNews seems to be filled with mostly advertisers selling abstract and conceptual artworks. Once in a while I see Wildenstein advertise something very traditional. It stands out. The same would hold true for someone advertising an abstract piece in Fine Art Connoisseur.

What about antiques? Though we do not focus our editorial on antiques because our research indicates many collectors of representational paintings do not collect antiques, many people who have antique paintings have them in a home filled with antiques. Advertising brown antique furniture or quality decorative objects would stand out in Fine Art Connoisseur because we do not focus on offering advertising to antique dealers.

Think about the customer and what they consume. Though it is important to advertise in the environment most focused on the people who buy your kind of art you can stand out by supplementing your advertising in a category focused publication which will allow you to stand out. This is why we often have advertisers selling Jets, watches, jewels, real estate or high end automobiles. These companies understand that the person who loves quality art and can afford to make a substantial investment on it can also afford to buy their product.

You can gain advantage with any magazine which reaches your target buyer if you’re the only one or one of a very few in your category.

Following Featured Artists

The following is one of the little secrets few advertisers understand and a trick employed rarely.

When art magazines print stories about a particular artist we frequently see galleries advertise paintings by that artist in that issue. This is a common practice and recommended. However, I they are missing an opportunity.

Human beings are... well....lazy. A reader may read about an artist or see an ad in a magazine which they think, "I'd like to own that painting or I'd like to own something by that artist." Then life gets in the way and the thought fades. Unless the reader takes immediate action to buy the painting while that thought is with them you have lost a potential buyer... unless you find a way to remind them.

With 20+ years in magazine publishing this is one of the least known, yet most effective techniques and advertiser can employ. Remind the reader by showing up in the issue FOLLOWING the issue which featured the artists. This acts as an effective reminder. You could even tag the ad with "This artist was featured in the December issue of Fine Art Connoisseur." This reminder is a second chance to grab those with good intentions who have either forgotten, put their magazine on a shelf, or wondering "where did I see that again?"

Advertisers who might have several artists who have recently been featured may wish to consider an ad with several smaller icons of images (paintings) in the ad act as reminders of previously featured artists. Sometimes readers need time for the thought of purchasing to germinate. If not reminded they easily forget (thus the value of frequency). I've had paintings I cannot stop thinking about for months but cannot remember where I saw it or even who the artist is. This acts as a powerful reminder.

Circulation Traps: Targeting Bus Loads Vs Buyers

Something about human nature wants to always be associated with the biggest... and the best. But what defines the biggest or the best? Most affluent people want to drive a Mercedes or Lexus, the super affluent want a Bentley or a Roller. They are the finest automobiles but are not the biggest sellers. In terms of volume sold

Toyota and Ford are the biggest. Most affluent people do not buy drive the cars which sell the most, in fact many people don't want to be associated with the masses. Instead they want what is unobtainable by the masses.

Advertisers have been trained to reach mass audiences and large audiences. This is critically important when selling mass consumer items like cell phones. But if you want to reach a select audience who can afford a specific item shooting for a mass audience is usually more costly and less effective even with a low cost per thousand.

Low Cost per Thousand Examples:
Assume you are selling cell phones and you want to reach 100,000 people. If the ads are $10,000 than you are paying a cost of $10 per person reached (100,000 people divided by $10,000 ad cost). In this case volume is critical. If 50,000 of the 100,000 reached buy a phone and you can get a customer for $20.00 ($10. cost per thousand x 2) who spends $400 a year it’s a big win. On the other hand; if you spend $10,000 to reach 100,000 of the wrong people who won’t buy your product than you have wasted all of your money.

High Cost Per Thousand Example:
Assume you are selling a $200,000 Bentley. If you reach the same 100,000 people as the cell phone provider your chance of reaching your potential buyer is slim and your $10,000 is wasted. On the other hand if you advertise in a media which reaches the “Super Rich.” The publication only has 10,000 people but every one of them is a Bentley prospect. You know that if you spend $10,000 for an ad which reaches 10,000 people and if only 20 of those people buy a $200,000 Bentley you’ve earned $2 million gross revenue on a $10,000 investment. That same $10,000 spent on the same media the cell phone company uses nets you no sales. So which is better? Large audience or very highly targeted audience? The cost per thousand to reach them is much higher but there is little waste, therefore it is actually less expensive to acquire a customer.

Refined Buyer Focus:
Refining the focus to reach people who will buy is more important than just reaching people who can afford to buy. Using the Bentley example what if you are targeting super rich people who live in a dangerous place like Rio where people who drive high end cars are frequently kidnapped. Those people drive non-descript cars in order to avoid attracting attention and would not buy a Bentley, therefore even though they can afford to buy a Bentley, they won’t. Therefore targeting people can afford a Bentley has have no value and no return and your ad dollars are wasted.

High Circulation Vs Focused Circulation:

In 22 years in the magazine business I’ve probably seen every trick. Publishers often employ wholesalers to sell large quantities of copies at low prices in order to drive circulation high, which allows increased ad prices. Often in these over 50% of the circulation are not buying customers, simply people who took advantage of a low price offering for a magazine they thought they might like. (Renewals are usually low among wholesale subscriptions and more wholesale subs need to be sold to keep up.) In the case of art publications using wholesalers these subscribers typically will never in their lifetime be able to afford and original artwork?

I've launched six magazines in my company and have tried many differing strategies and the one I like best is what I call FOCUSED circulation, which means reaching customers who buy products and not trying to build circulation by selling to librarians, high school art teachers, and art enthusiasts who don’t buy artworks. I certainly don't mind if they subscribe, however all of our marketing efforts target qualified affluent people who are known buyers original artworks. Period.

I once asked a dealer which she wanted more: a bus load of people to pull up and enter her gallery and eat her time or to see a Lexus drive up with a single buyer who walks out with a purchase. "Heaven forbid, I don't want those people in my gallery," said she. "Of course I want the affluent person who might buy something." She went on to say that non-buying foot traffic was annoying and she realized that her ads were generating traffic, internet visits and calls from people who don’t buy paintings.

Which would you rather have? Focused advertising targeting art buyers is more valuable than large reach.

Editorial Seduction

“Of course you’ll do a story on us,” replied a customer when discussing advertising. My reply was not what he wanted to hear. “ Well, we believe we should do anything and everything we can do to help our customers build their business… but we do not link a quid-pro-quo to advertising.”

Selling editorial is the second oldest profession and is right up there with the oldest profession. It’s a natural for people to want coverage and those of us in the publishing business are usually willing to offer it if there is reason for a legitimate story. However tying it to advertising has a downside…. Readers always know.

In fact I avoid anything that smacks of selling editorial. I remember being impressed with Schiller & Bodo and decided to have our editorial people write a profile on the gallery. In turn they suggested they buy an ad in that issue. “Absolutely not,” I suggested. “I don’t want to make my readers think you bought that story. If you want to advertise, that’s fine but do it in any issue other than the one featuring your story.” I believe Lisa Schiller was appreciative that we would protect their integrity as well as ours.

I once started a magazine called STREAMING. I was convinced by the man I hired to run the publication that we should offer coverage in the magazine in exchange for advertising. My gut instinct was to not do it, but I decided it would be worth considering since I had never done it. The magazine was a run-away success. We got loads of advertising and did loads of stories on our advertisers. This was destined to be one of the great ad successes of the magazine world. We were fat with ads and fat with stories about our advertisers. Our advertisers loved it…. Until they stopped loving it.

It turns out that our readers realized that advertisers had paid for their stories (or received them as a payback for an advertising commitment) and over time it started to backfire on the advertisers and especially on us. Advertisers were telling us that readers were complaining that our entire editorial content was bought. We had two great years… and then it all came crashing down once the readers stopped reading it. The story has a mixed blessing. We made a lot of money in those two years and then in year three we had to close the magazine. Short term success, long term failure.

The ultimate compliment is when a reader decides to pay money to purchase your magazine and when they agree to choose to spend their valuable time reading your content. They feel betrayed when they learn the content is driven by advertisers. Readers will  respond until they start to see patterns and realize that stories on advertisers relate to the same people advertising. It’s been going on for decades and in most cases the same thing happens....readers go away. This is why publishers who have long term goals of credibility avoid short term gains which kill their credibility.

Don’t misread this. All smart publishers will seek opportunities to help the people who support them, but there is a fine line between helping an advertiser and an advertising agreement which is tied to editorial. Readers feel betrayed by the publication and by the advertiser. Though there may be short term gain there can be long term reputation damage, which is difficult to repair. It’s easy to be seduced by print coverage but would you read a magazine if you knew every story was paid? Probably not.

The Lure of Personal Preference

Most of us who find ourselves faced with marketing a product or a brand are not schooled in marketing. Instead we have learned by trail and error. Marketing has been my passion for many years and I have had the opportunity to coach many companies in their marketing, including the opportunity to work with some national brands. Today I advise many companies on advertising and I also love to help galleries and artists craft their advertising strategy.

Years ago I learned about the Lure of Personal Preference. When I owned radio stations I had a station in the West which had a huge audience of teens and young adults. It was either #1 or #2 in its category at any given rating period. Advertisers who wanted to reach this audience were overwhelmed with results.

One day I was listening to the local “elevator music” station. (An Elevator Music station was the kind that played all instrumentals, very soft and slow background music. Few exist today in that form. The audience of Elevator Music stations were people age fifty and above. ). On the station I heard an ad for a local shop which sold hip clothes to teens. I was puzzled about why they were advertising on a station which reached the grandparents of teens, so I went and met with the owner to find out. Of course I wanted him to advertise on my station, which owned the teen market.

The eye opening experience of that conversation was one I have never forgotten. The owner advertised on that station because it was his personal favorite. When I asked him if he was getting any results from the campaign he said that he did not see any results. Why then did he continue advertising? “I play the station in the store and I like hearing my ads. Plus it’s the station my friends at the Country Club listen to and I like them to hear my ads.” The store owner was not advertising to get results (though he told himself he was). He was advertising to be visible to his friends. It was a status thing.

No matter what I said about how my audience reached the kids who should be buying clothing in his store I was unable to convince him. He was only going to advertise on that one station because it was his personal favorite and he listened to no other stations. So in his world there was only one radio station. I have no idea if he is still in business today, and if he is it’s because of his location in the mall, not because of his effective advertising.

How does this apply to the art world? I’ve encountered people who are doing the same thing. They advertise in places which appeal to them personally even though those places are not always where the buyers spend their time. They are lured by personal preferences, by the promise of articles or by what their friends are reading. (Status)

Status advertising has its place. People who want to elevate their position in society by being seen by their prominent friends should advertise to be seen. But if building business is a goal than advertising is about going where audiences will be reached: Audiences who buy art (not just look at it); New Audiences you are not presently reaching in places you’ve been seen for years (and therefore might receive a diminishing return).

Ask yourself about your personal preferences and if they conflict with your goals. If so, you may want to explore places, which reach people who purchase paintings.

Establishing YOUR Brand

"Don't waste your money," is what I said as gently as possible when an artist recently told me they planned to buy one ad in an art magazine to see what happens.

"Nothing will happen," is what I coached. Yes, something might happen, you might get lucky and get some calls, maybe even sell something. But don't count on it. I'll explain.

People who buy art are like most consumers. Consumers buy established BRANDS. If branding was not important than generic labeled grocery items would have succeeded when launched years ago. They were a giant failure. Instinctively consumers knew the generic brands were probably created by one of the well known brands, yet consumers felt uncomfortable and therefore did not spend.

How do consumers feel about your artwork? Unfortunately your artwork is only a part of the purchase decision. Buyers like to ask questions like ... Is this a well known artist? (Translation, "If I want to sell this down the road will anyone buy it?" or "If this artist is well known it will make me look smart for buying this painting.") Is this artists work considered important? (Translation: "I think its good but is it really? Will others like it? Will I look smart for buying it?" or "Will this painting/artist be worth a lot of money someday?")

Your brand is important in TRANSFERRING CONFIDENCE. That is what brands do... they make the buyer feel confident in their purchase decision... if they see your name frequently in print (ads or stories work about the same!) they will start thinking of you as a prominent artist. The more prominent you are in their mind, the more they will desire your work and they will pay a high price the more prominent they believe you to be.

My artist friend, whose name I cannot reveal, told me a story about advertising. She stated that when she first launched her career she could not get galleries to return her calls or consider her work. She could not get into most juried shows and her work was selling at low prices. So she scraped and saved and purchased a small ad in an art magazine. The ad consisted of her name (signature), an image of a painting, and her web site or contact information. She ran the ad and received no calls. But because she had been an illustrator in the advertising industry she knew time and frequency would make the phone ring. She ran the ad every month for a year and got a smattering of calls and a couple paintings sold. After about a year she became recognized. Suddenly her calls were returned, galleries were phoning her to represent her work, and she was getting invited to participate in shows bypassing the jury process. Her name was now considered a draw.

Consistency is critical for brand establishment. You need to be there month after month. This artist is now in several publications month after month. Her prominence has increased 10 fold in 5 years.