Stand Out From The Crowd
Three key ways to get noticed by potential art buyers
There are literally millions of artists and creatives sharing their work on all of the social media platforms today.
The question is, how do YOU get seen and heard above all the noise?
What makes YOU stand out so that people who love your art can find you?
This is a challenge that I have spent a lot of time thinking about…. I was one of the Lead Marketers for a successful artist for almost a decade, and our team was constantly coming up with inventive ways to get noticed and get more artwork sold.
And what they boiled down to were three main things that are timeless marketing tools, that work again and again…
In my opinion, these will always be essential strategies for any artist trying to get noticed.
Share Engaging Stories
People always love a good story, and not just about your artwork, but about you too. It has even more impact if they can relate to it.
Artists often make this mistake - they talk all about their art (or not at all), but forget the important piece of how they connect to it personally, what inspired them to make it, what they struggled with in the making of it, and how they came to finish it. When people hear you connecting with your art in a meaningful way, it becomes a bridge for them to do the same.
Research
Spend some time researching who to connect with - either individuals or organizations. Think about who your ideal art buyers are, and where they potentially hang out. Think outside the box. Art buyers are not just visiting art galleries. They can be in specific businesses, clubs, organizations, coffee shops, etc. It depends on who you think is going to love your art. It won’t be everyone! But it will resonate with certain people and groups.
Connecting with the right crowd
Once you have found some places where your community hangs out, the next step is to reach out and participate in opportunities to meet them. This has a lot of impact if you can do this in person. When a person has met you, they are more likely to recommend you or connect you with more opportunities.
And of course, there are also ways to be authentic and memorable in the online space.
Once you start to connect with people, businesses, art buyers, publishers, organizations etc, you start to get a little more discerning about which of these are the best fit for you, and the things you stand for.
You begin to discover who you connect with most deeply and which communities truly resonate with you and your art. These are the people most likely to become your collectors and loyal art-buying audience
And the surprising part of all this, your art does not have to be perfect.
I know, I know…. What exactly do we mean by “perfect”?
I could write a whole other post on the subjectivity of that word, and the almost impossible standards and expectations we place on ourselves.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying don’t keep striving to create your best work possible. And do keep learning new skills and improving wherever you can…. But don’t be like me….
I waited almost a decade before I thought I was “good enough” to share my art with the world. When I exhibited in my first little local art fair, numerous art appreciators told me they thought my art should be in a museum or gallery. I was blown away by the positive feedback. I knew then I could have shared my work sooner, instead of waiting. I had been held back by my own narrow perception of “perfection”.
As I looked around at the fair, I could see that people were buying all kinds of quirky (dare I say “funky” without sounding mean) hand-made pieces - and not because they were “perfect” - but because of the emotion these objects, made with love, stirred up in them. Or because of the connection they made with the artist they spoke to.
Which leads me to how you stand out in a crowd…
As a Lead Marketer for a successful artist, here is what I discovered “stops the scrolling” and attracts buyers to your work…
YOU - your story, your unique voice
It comes through as your passion, and your humanity. This is your mission in life that also drives you to make your art - even on days when you don’t want to show up. The way you share your art can help potential buyers connect to it on a deeper level, and inspire them to support you and what you stand for.
It doesn’t need to be a “world saving mission”. Just something small, sweet, and authentic that connects you to other people. For example, the artist I worked for was a very talented high-end sculptor, but people also connected to him for his love of surfing and the wildness of nature. These things influenced his work for sure.
Maybe you are passionate about saving our oceans, or have a clear political perspective, or maybe you love pickleball or tango dancing…. It can be anything that stirs up your passion or zest for life. The more people get to know the person behind the art, the more they will love and appreciate your art.
I have put together a workbook to help you get really clear on your artist mission! Download it here…
The emotion your work evokes in your art buyers
This is connected to your story, but also includes the artwork itself. What do your marks, choice of colors, composition, the energy in your work stir up in people?
Buying art is an emotional act.
Some would say spiritual. Art has the important function in society of connecting us to thoughts and feelings we can not always find the words for. They are deep, powerful emotions that remind us of our humanity, our individuality, our shared collective experiences, our connection to Nature, and so many other things…
“Your buyers aren’t just purchasing an object—they’re coming to you to help them express themselves, create spaces that reflect their values and perspectives, and cultivate an environment that aligns with their energy. They want to feel more authentic, more at ease, more themselves in their own lived experience.” - Emily Jeffords, Artist
Once you can tap into the powerful emotion your art reflects back to the world, you become a stronger artist, more confident and more articulate about your work.
It helps you to get noticed if you have a short statement on your social media and website that encapsulates who you are, how you make people feel (or the problem you solve), and the transformation they experience. For example,
I am a _________ (type of artist) helping art lovers feel connected to ___________ so they can experience _________ (a transformation)
Eg.
I am a visual artist helping art lovers feel inspired about special places in nature, so they can escape their office life.
Add this statement to all of your profile pages and your website.
Your unique style - a.k.a. “brand”
The word “brand” can be off-putting and make us feel like we have to have a perfect image to present to the world.
In its simplest form, it means showing up consistently in a recognizable way. It can be as simple as using the same colors and fonts on your pages to create a certain “mood” when people find you.
Your brand style is “What people say about you when you’re not in the room”. Eg. What you do, what you stand for, how you do it.
Be thoughtful, present your work in the best way. Have great photos
Make your online “art world” as warm, fuzzy and inviting as a physical space. Think about your profiles and pages in the same way as inviting visitors to your studio, or your booth at an art show. You want to create a feeling that stops them scrolling and inspires them to reach out to you.
That is why you also need a compelling invitation for folks to join your mailing list, so you can stay in touch and share your work with them regularly.
When you have these three things dialed in, getting noticed by your art buyers will be much simpler than you think. I’d love to read your comments below.
Meanwhile, Stay Sassy and keep creating!
Next week: A surprising place to get noticed - that’s NOT IG or FB