3 Great Tips for Art Entrepreneurship
The Covid-19 pandemic has been full of so many things—concern, stress, and isolation, as well as introspection, inspiration, opportunity, and time. Time is such a valuable resource, and having an abundance of it during the pandemic has given me the opportunity to really work on and think about my business.
When I started Caryl Fine Art as a creative endeavor, I knew I wanted to paint, and I also wanted to find an audience and a creative niche. I dove in with a paintbrush and a dream. I identified as an artist... but now, after a lot of work on my company and my brand, I identify as a creative entrepreneur.
I could spend hours talking about all the things that go into launching and running a creative business, but for now, I’m sharing a couple of my tips for those thinking of taking the leap and turning their painting practice into a career!
1. Set up a Professional Website and Social Media Presence
For people who don’t know you directly, this is how they get to know you and your work. This is the first glimpse that they have of you and your business, so you want them to know who you are and what your brand is from immediately looking at your content!
Think about it: How often do you click on a website and stay there for more than a few seconds? How often do you just scroll along and move on to the next? Something unique needs to grab your attention for you to stay, or you must like the site’s feel and the tone immediately to keep reading, subscribe, or even make a purchase.
You want your online presence to do all of those things! The same thing goes for your Instagram, TikTok or Facebook presence. You want to make sure that your posts show the world who you are and what your work is like.
Create Brand Words
It can be helpful to brainstorm a list of “tone” words—also called brand words—that you feel capture you, your work, and your brand. Is your work “sleek, minimalist, modern,” or is it “whimsical, welcoming, bright?”
Keep these tone words in mind as you’re building your website or planning social media posts. Would those tone words come to mind for a first-time audience member clicking on your home page? (You want the answer to be YES!)
2. Nurture Your Audience with Newsletters
Email newsletters are the best way to deepen your relationship with the folks who have invited you into their inboxes. It doesn’t matter if you have a huge following or a massive email list. Having a “massive list” is not the end-all-be-all; having a community of happy and engaged audience members is THE most important thing.
3. Engage with Your Followers Online
When you post on social media, pay special attention to the folks who positively comment on your posts. It’s not enough to simply “like” their comments! Thank them, and take the opportunity to get to know them better. Not only do the social media algorithms reward this type of interaction, you are building relationships—the key to creating a solid group of super fans.
Now… who’s ready to start developing their own creative business?! I love mentoring artists who want to add “entrepreneur” to “artist” through my membership, The Painterly Way. Join the waitlist so you can come learn with your peers!
Free 2022 Artists Planning Guide
I want to share my method with you so you can reach your art goals in 2022! I’ve created a free resource just for you: The Caryl Fine Art 2022 SMART Planning Guide! Download this guide and then get planning!