If you are on a tight budget, our series of practical tips will help you use effective low-cost marketing tools to promote your art with class. So far we have covered:  Your Promotional Identity, Business Cards and Cover Letters to introduce yourself and your art Postcards, Rack Cards, Flyers, Brochures and Catalogues, Portfolios and Packets and Press Releases and Newsletters to broadcast information about yourself and your art. ______________________________________________ Note cards are a triple win to spread your art and your good name: ~ You can send them. ~ You can sell them. ~ People who own them can send them. Why send note cards: Note cards show that you care to take a little more time to stay in touch. E-mails are easy to ignore. Note cards say "Open me first!" You can use your art note cards to: acknowledge birthdays, holidays and special events;  invite collectors, art professionals and artists to a special preview of new work;  announce a special award;  share an article that features your work; thank viewers for attending your gallery reception or open studio; thank gallery dealers for hosting an exhibit; thank collectors for purchasing a piece of art You can sell note cards, either as originals or reproductions, at events and on your web site. Note cards are affordable art in any economy. What to include on your note card: The front of the note card is the easiest for artists:  create a mini-original work of art or use pieces of larger originals that did not make it to prime time; use a high quality photograph of your work; wow collectors by going the extra mile when they purchase a piece of your art. Make them a set of personalized note cards using the piece they bought for the image. Since they aren't expecting it, you will be giving them a nice surprise. Most collectors will brag that they own this piece of art, so they become part of your sales force when they send the cards out. Think about why you are sending the cards, to decide what to include on the inside: blank, for a personal handwritten message; a typed message or quotation; a personalized message for a collector.   The back of the note card is very important marketing real estate. If you want your cards to work for you beyond the message, make sure to include all of these items: title of the work dimensions of the original (height x width x depth) © <date> <your name> story about the image picture of you your bio your full contact information Here is an image of a terrific card that watercolor artist Patrice Federspiel sent to me after my recent visit to her studio in Hawaii: © 2008 Jamie Lynn Gilmore. All rights reserved. www.gilmorearts.com. Photo credit AGK. Patrice hand wrote the envelope and inside the card, her message included: "This card is by a Big Island artist, Jamie Gilmore. I love her work and had to think long and hard before sharing this card. (I only have a few, but then this is what they are for!) I hope you enjoy it."   When I contacted Jamie for permission to use her card, she was very professional and sent me a contract for the loan of the image. Now that's extra proof she's in business!   Post your success stories and questions about promotional tools below in the comment area.    Get Help When It Gets Frustrating Remember, if the process eats up your precious studio time, is technically beyond you, or frustrating, please let Robin help. It's not a big investment and you'll end up looking ever so splendid! Her dedicated support has helped me, and can help you, make a better living making art. Robin is located in Los Angeles, and serves artists world-wide. For more info on how she can help free up your time so you can focus on what you do best, email her at Robin@ArtistCareerTraining.com. The first 15 minutes is on us.     P.S.  Please tell your friends and stop by to meet Robin and me at The Learning & Product Expo: Art! in Pasadena.





The key here is to make everything you send out represent you well without going broke or spending much of your precious studio time on it.

Sorry if I sound like a broken record, but it bears repeating and is reeealllly important:  Good clean design, consistency and readability are critical. Plan ahead for a quality results that save you time and money.  Re-read Aletta's "How to Use Print Promotional Tools" tips and my "Marketing Action Tips."  Seriously, there is a wealth of info there. Click here for an index that will help you find what you need.

Before you start designing or placing that order with the printer, check postage rates at www.usps.com. The bigger your printed promotional piece is, and the more it weighs, the more it's going to cost you to mail it. I have an inexpensive food scale that measure in grams, up to a pound, and it's invaluable. Since you may not have an actual sample to weigh, find something you have in the same size and about the same weight of paper and weigh it. If it's even close to an ounce, your finished piece may go over and cost you more. If you don't want to pay the extra, opt for a smaller size or a lighter weight paper.

Click here for my short video on how to let the United States Post Office websitse help you, and here for my short video showing where to find more info in the A.C.T. Blog to help you design and get it all printed.

If you're selling your note cards, consider putting individual cards with their envelope into a glassine sleeve, or tie them with a piece of raffia or ribbon. Boxed sets are popular and can include 10 or 12 of one card, or a mix. Don't forget to estimate what it will cost you to send it to your customer, it may be more than you think.  Click here for info on where to get supplies, and here for DIY Tips.

Also, do what I do and create what I call "master files" that you can re-use and adapt as you need them, and back them up. Saves a ton of time and money. Click here for more info on that topic.

Last but not least, please go and read the article I wrote called "Jump With a Great Parachute." I know darned well that you're going to go off and try and do all this on your own, that's what people do in the beginning and that's okay and why I'm giving you all these tips on "how to." Then at some point you're going to realize how very much time and effort it all takes, how you don't want to sacrifice your precious studio time any more, and you're going to start thinking like the successful professional artists I work with. You're going to realize that you need help and it's worth the investment to have a professional help you get it all done. That's when I'd like you to contact me, because that's what I do for a living: I help fine artists get back to doing what they love (and what is actually making them money).
 I do hope to hear from you soon! All my best to you and yours,

Robin Sagara
Web Marketing Mentor
robin@artistcareertraining.com





Build Relationships vs. Broadcast Information
Good newsletters tell the story behind the story so that readers get to know you. People buy art from people they like and trust. As a collector, I love hearing about the person who created the art I own. Don't just send announcements my way. Keep me interested in why I should stay connected with you.

What to Write About
Go beyond facts and announcements. Lift the veil on what it means to be an artist from your personal point of view.

How to Write Your Artist Newsletter
Use a 4-Part Process: Write, Edit, Check, Proof. This applies to everything you write.
 

Where to Send Your Artist Newsletter
Every artist needs a good mailing list. Subdivide it with categories so you can send appropriate news to each group.

Invite people to sign up by surface mail or opt-in to e-mail. Make it easy for overloaded readers to stop receiving your news.  Make sure to include all of your contact information for readers who want to know more and to meet Can-Spam laws.

When to Send Your Artist Newsletter
Your art audience wants to see that you are a visible participant in the art world. Regular mailings are a great way to give that impression. If you have an attractive mailing coupled with a strong message the reader wants, you can send at least 3 or 4 times a year.

Use Your Newsletter to Support Promotional Events
Here's a description of the results painter Patricia Barnett created through her newsletter:

"I have enjoyed reading your tips about Print Promotional Tools.  It encouraged me to take up the Newsletter idea.
 
"My schedule to promote again at my gallery was due the end of June through July, so early on I began to write the Barnett Buzz Newsletter 2010 for my patrons.  Finishing the text & images placement, placing it in a CD-R disc and preparing for May/June travel, along came my computer and printer.  Most every night I printed 25 or so newsletters and post cards.  On arriving back from the trip, all I had to do was to fold, stamp and mail them to 220+ collectors.
 
"Accompanying the newsletter was a postcard for collectors within driving distance.  I promised to spend 3 hours each Sunday afternoon through July at the gallery available for a Collectors' Visit.
 
"These are the results:
 

Thanks for the promotional tips.  It really stirred my desire to think about promoting my paintings and . . . it worked."

P.S. If you could ask a question about marketing and selling your art online and offline and get answers from an artist advisor who has worked with thousands of artists in all media all over the country, would you invest an hour of your time?

Artist Career Training wants emerging artists to succeed. That's why we are going to do a special FREE Art Marketing Q & A on Wednesday, October 13th, 2010.
 
Reserve your spot now!

We're collecting questions now, and Aletta de Wal will answer the best ones during a special teleclass on Wednesday, October 13th, 2010. The live call is free. (If you can't make it, a recording will be available for download after the call for just $10.00.)
 
Step 1: Please click here to register. Fill in the registration form and type in your question. Be specific, e.g. "How much work do I need before I can start marketing?" or "If I want to create a web site, what do I need to have ready before I contact a web designer?"

Step 2: You will get an email with the telephone number and access code for the call. The call is free but you will need to pay the long distance charges.

Step 3: Ask your artists friends to join us by forwarding this link:  http://tinyurl.com/ArtMarketingQ-A but make sure they register as well so that we will have enough phone lines.

Step 4: Mark the date on your calendar: Wednesday, October 13th, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. Pacific time. (Check the local time here: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html).

Sixty minutes could save you a ton of frustration and open up the tap to get the money flow going.

Reserve your spot now!



"Press" or "Media" releases build your credibility and visibility.

• Get clear on who will be reading your release: journalists, art professionals, other artists or the general public. Write to them, not a mass "audience."
• Get up to date surface mail, e-mail and social media addresses. The printed press is struggling to make ends meet, but don't discount your local or regional paper to get attention where you live.
• Decide what is newsworthy. Why should your audience care? Is there a human-interest angle? Will you be showing controversial work? Did you get an important commission? Will celebrities be there?
• Factually answer the questions "who", "what", "when", "where", "why" and "how" about your topic. Identify key words your audience uses to look for this type of information and for S.E.O. (Search Engine Optimization).
• Once you have the facts, brainstorm interesting ways to describe your news. Avoid "art speak."

• Write a draft without worrying about length or format. Make it appealing to your audience. Include a quote from someone who your audience considers a credible source of art information.
• Leave it for a day. Make art.
• Come back to it with fresh eyes. Edit, or  "slash and burn" away all the excess until you have 500 to 800 words. Leave it for a day. Make art.
• Ask someone else to check it. Make final changes.
• Come back to it with fresh eyes. Proof read it for grammar and spelling. Double-space the text.

• Build relationships with people who have the power to spread your release.
• Select publications that attract the audience you want to attract.
• Select the best timing for your event that coincides with the publication's themes or monthly "editorial" calendar.
• Follow submission requirements and deadlines.
• Prepare black & white and color images to send in the appropriate format.

• Post your media release on your web site.
• Post the headline and URL for your media release on social media.
• Send thank you notes (preferably handwritten) to anyone who published, forwarded or linked to your media release.
  

Sample:

P.S. If you are bewildered about where to even begin with your promotion, reply to this e-mail with your questions and ask me about a free 15 minute consultation to help you get started.

P.P.S. If you already have a strategy but are worried you may go broke just to create and update your website, online marketing, and printed marketing, contact Robin@ArtistCareerTraining.com with your questions and ask her about a free 15 minute consultation to help you get started.



If you are on a tight budget, our series of practical tips will help you use effective low-cost marketing tools to promote your art with class. So far we have covered:

• Your Promotional Identity

• Business Cards and Cover Letters to introduce yourself and your art

• Postcards, Rack Cards, Flyers, Brochures and Catalogues to broadcast information about yourself and your art.

Why You Need a Professional Portfolio

• The best portfolio is functional - easy for the recipient to review and easy for you to produce. I've seen all types of presentations of artwork, from old cardboard folders or scrapbooks holding snapshots to big fancy black leather custom-made notebooks with engraved stationery and custom-printed oversize photographs. Many of these portfolios are amateur or uselessly elaborate. The easiest container for both you and your viewers is a "dressed" view binder with your promotional identity in the plastic sleeves and spine.  
• Each portfolio you create is drawn from your Master File (Electronic, print and CD) of all your updated material. Once you have a Master Portfolio, all you have to do is update it whenever you have an event, award or new body of work. (You do update your material every time you have something new to add, don't you? If not, you might miss an opportunity!) Make sure to keep a backup off-site and natural disaster-proof. 
• The contents typically include:
  • Cover letter,
  • One- or two-page resume,
  • Artist's statement,
  • Articles and press,
  • Labeled color photocopies of images
  • Inventory list for all images with retail prices
  • Sample rack cards, brochures, postcards, business cards
  • CD of contents
  • Self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) in back pocket

P.S. If you are bewildered about where to even begin with your promotion, reply to this e-mail with your questions and ask me about a free 15 minute consultation to help you get started.
 
P.P.S. If you were away last month, you might have missed the announcement of our newest e-book "Affordable Marketing That Really Works For You" Your website, online marketing, and printed marketing materials by Robin Sagara.