Art Marketing: A Major Topic for Painters: Part 1
by L. Diane Johnson

Selling for Peanuts vs. A Marketing Plan

Some time ago, there was a great discussion about art and marketing in the Marketing forum on a popular Web site. I hope this rich exchange will continue. One of the artists stated there is much more to becoming an emerging painter, and "a successful painter besides selling a few wares here and there for peanuts", referring to painters who sell their work for next to nothing.

As you may already know and have experienced, the entire arena of art marketing and selling has become huge. Topics ranging from developing a strong package to packaging yourself, and pricing work to where to sell that work. The list has grown so large that there are now many books out there addressing many aspects of marketing and sales.

There are how-tos for pricing, making lists, how to secure direct (selling your work yourself) to indirect (selling through galleries, dealers and the like) channels. But few cover the importance of making a marketing plan, when to implement that plan and how to know when you should go to market.

I cannot cover all the ins-and-outs these three issues in a small newsletter, however, there are some clues I can offer. Let's start with the importance of making a marketing plan; then in the next issue go on to discuss how to know when you should go to market and implement that plan. From there, much can be said about root causes of marketing problems and how to remedy them.

Briefly, a marketing plan is not something to ignore, it is essential to the success of your painting business. Whether an experienced or emerging artist having a plan can make or break career advancement.

The plan can be simple or complex, but the more simplistic the better if you've never created one. One online step-by-step tutorial for building a marketing plan can be found here. It is extensive and thorough. Not all the content will apply to you, but much of it will. Even though you may be a sole-proprietor, you are a business like any other. Elements of your business will be just as pertinent and important to develop as a large corporation.

You may be asking, "Why do I need this? I just want to sell a few paintings!" Well, that is one of the questions that will be answered as you develop your plan. Even if your objective is to sell a few paintings, how are you going to go about it; what will you charge; how do you collect taxes; should I collect taxes; what are the benefits and drawbacks of selling paintings myself vs. through a gallery; how do I know if I am making a profit or loss (even on a few paintings?), and so on.

Are you getting the picture? One suggestion for you as a business person is to first assemble your "kitchen cabinet." Most successful businesses have started with a kitchen cabinet. What is this? Simply put, it is a small group of people you invite to be a part of your inner business advisory circle. It may be comprised of a respected business person, a consumer (perhaps someone you know who is a savvy shopper), a generally wise person whose opinions you respect, or others. But keep it small and meet regularly.

The objective is to gather these folks to meet with you to strategize about your business and get your ship going in the right direction. LISTEN to what they have to say about you, your work, your potential, the art market as they know it (or discover more about), and what it will take in one, five and ten years to make you a successful painter. Out of the first meetings you will yield a mountain of insights and ideas to begin building your overall marketing plan.

"I don't have time for this", you may be saying. You can't afford not to do this! While you are honing your artistic skills and creativity, you can be reading about and building your plan before you go to market. And seasoned professionals, you can do this as well. It's never too late to create and implement a plan. How else will you have checks and balances to gauge your progress? And why spend time on things that are known not to work? Step out on solid ground and become profitable sooner rather than later selling for what your work is worth, not simply for peanuts.

Johnson is an award winning fine artist with over 30 years painting and teaching experience. Diane is a signature member of the International Acrylic Painters Association, a full member of the Pastel Society of America, Signature Member of Plein Air Painters of Hawaii. For more, visit her site at LDianeJohnson.com.