Painless Marketing for People Who Hate to Market
The world is filled with talented people and products that never get the recognition they deserve. And that's just not fair. But you're about to learn how to make all of that disappear without any marketing headaches whatsoever, so read on!
We all know what it feels like to be in a creative rut. You've been working in the same field for years, your creativity is at an all-time low and you feel like a failure--or worse yet, someone who doesn't need to be around other people because they're such an awkward bore. It's enough to make you want to hide in the back of your closet and never come out.
And those are the lucky ones. The rest of us have been broke and desperate, scrambling with our mouths open over some manhole that's collecting dust on the sidewalk, begging for a handout so we can finish paying off our credit cards.
We've all been there...and we all hate it. But why?
Well, because of one thing: marketing. Marketing is what keeps us down. It's a necessary evil that prevents us from reaching our full potential. And we're tired of it.
We want to do what we do best and forget the rest, but marketing is always in our way. But, there are ways to get around it--as long as you're willing to put in the time up front.
There are websites where you can upload your artwork and have someone else write all of that "marketing" stuff for you. And they're often expensive at $200 or more per piece, so you usually don't want to go that route unless you have unlimited funds to throw around.
But there are other ways of getting around it...and it's all about the art work and the marketing techniques you implement.
The first is to find a way to "hide" your art behind a cloak of mystery and mystique. For example, how about making a painting that's not for sale, but which you can show people? Or maybe you have an idea for an illustration that's really cool, but no one will ever see it unless they buy one of your paintings, so that way they'll be exposed to it without being forced.
I've done that with a few paintings and I have to say it's a blast! You never know what to expect, so every time I see people or read an article or watch TV, I'm surprised by something different. It's very fun. And, it's effective: I've actually gotten a few people to buy my art without ever having met me because of this "pre-selling" technique.
But here's another way: If you really want your art to get out there and make you some money, you need an "agent"--a person who can promote it for you and get the word out about it so that you don't have to do anything.
So, you need to find people who can help you with this and make your art "marketable."
You need to give it a face.
There are thousands of people out there who love art. They're tired of seeing it on a "throw-away" piece of paper and they want to keep it around, decorate their walls and so on. And there are lots of them, just waiting for some creative person like you to give them the face they've always dreamed of having.
That means that you need to lay down some groundwork by writing articles or doing interviews and videos in which you talk about your passion for art and how it has made your life better than ever before...and if you ever get the chance to paint, show people what you painted.
Then you need to find someone who can tell the world about it.
And there are several ways to do that. You could start a blog and post "news" articles about your art and how it has made your life better or worse. You could also put up videos where you talk about where you got your inspiration, how long it took to paint, what it looked like after you finished it and so on...and then post them on Youtube or iTunes U or other video sites so they can be downloaded and shared easily by anyone who wants them.
But, I believe the best way to do this is to just work on your art, showing it to as many people as possible, and then sending them a link to an application where they can see it in its entirety and they can download it at no charge.
That way you'll get much more exposure and the chances of someone buying your piece will be extremely high.
You may think that sending out links to your "art" is tacky or that you're being narcissistic or whatever else negative thoughts are passing through your mind...but really you're doing nothing of the sort; getting praise from people who see what you create in its entirety without having met you is something quite special, so don't shy away from doing so. This "hiding" is simply a way of getting your art out there to the people who want to see it without having to spend any money.
Of course, find people who are willing to promote your art and make sure that they have credit on the promotion of your work--that way you'll get the full value of what they're doing for you.
And once people see it, they'll be able to see their own reflection in your work. And then you can start charging them $5 or $10 per image or video link they share...and that way you'll be able to make some good money!
But your work can never be truly done unless it has a face. I know this sounds like a paradox, but it's true--you need to give your art a face because it will always be incomplete without one.
It can't do that on its own.
If you're struggling with marketing, consider the above tips and see if they don't help out at all--then consider what else might you could do with your art and how those things fit into the puzzle. You may find that there are plenty of other ways for you to get your art out there without having to spend any money or without having to give up some of your time on marketing activities.
Conclusion
For a long time people have been concerned with "marketing" and how they can get their art out there to the masses. But it doesn't have to be that way--there are other ways to go about doing things, so don't fret if you're having trouble getting your work out there.
If you need help getting your art out there, consider "hiding" it for now and then look for ways to give it some exposure in the future.
For example, you can post video links of your work on YouTube and then get someone else who has a large following on that site to share your link in hopes that people will watch it and like what they see.
So don't forget marketing...