• You don't need graphic design skills to create flyers. You can use ready-made templates in most word processing software. Just fill in the blanks with words and images.

• You don't need special equipment to print flyers. You can print small quantities on your home printer.

• You don't need a huge mailing budget to distribute flyers. Most flyers are distributed by hand. You just need a supply of colorful stick pins or a good staple gun and the occasional bandage for paper cuts.

• You don't have to cram your message into a small space to broadcast your message. You can use both sides.

• No muss, no fuss, no waste. You can print on demand. If you run out, you just open up your document and print more.

• promote events and workshops

• highlight special promotions

• offer prizes through raffles

• educate art lovers with tip sheets

• create mementos of exhibits

• By now you should know that any marketing activity starts with your audience. State the benefits of what you are offering. Think about the places where they are most likely to see and read your flyer.

• Make your flyer visually appealing. It may be tempting to fill very nook and cranny. Don't. You can use both sides of the flyer to create a nice balance between text and images.

• Decide whether you want to use a template, design your own or get help with a custom branded design from a graphic designer. That way, you can work out the timeline and your budget.

• Decide how you are going to distribute your flyer and how long it will be around. If you plan to post outdoors, take the weather into account. If you want a "collectible" version as a memento, give extra attention to the archival quality and visual appeal.

• Share the space and make it easy for people to look at the whole board. When you post flyers on a bulletin board, you can improve the chances that your flyer is visible. I am famous for tidying up bulletin boards. Most of them end up a mess as people add new items, with no thought to what they cover up. Of course that means you can pick a prime location for your efforts.

• Some venues require you to ask permission before you post. If the bulletin board is in a store or restaurant, make sure to follow any guidelines. Don't annoy them or waste your time by ignoring their rules.

• Add a personal conversation to your piece of paper. I like to go one step further. I talk with the owner and staff to let them know about my event. They often let me know that they have told their regular customers to attend.

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 310-649-4434 Pacific time. The first 15 minutes is on us.



Robin's Marketing Action Tip -

Last week I talked about getting good printed results for your marketing stuff (like, business cards and postcards). 

This week let's talk about consistency: Whether you're doing one business card or several versions plus postcards and other materials, it's r-e-a-l-l-y important to be consistent in design and production.

What do I mean by "consistency"? Just like you have a signature style for your art, you want to have a signature style for your marketing materials.

Why? You want what you put out there to look as professional as possible, you want people to recognize the cards and materials as YOU. And you want it all to tie in with your brand so you are recognizable not only from your art, but from your marketing materials as well.

Not that you use the same design for every piece, but that you use the same type of layout, colors, and fonts. Even the same type of paper and whether it's matte or glossy.

You can do it yourself in Photoshop or other design software, and use an online printing company. Most are good, some are not. Hint: Dirt cheap online printing isn't usually great quality and the results won't represent you well. Spend a bit more and end up looking like the successful artist you aspire to be.

Remember, if the process eats up your precious studio time, is technically beyond you, or frustrating for you, please let us help. It's not a big investment and you'll end up looking ever so splendid!

All my best to you and yours,

Robin@ArtistCareerTraining.com



If I ever meet you, you can be sure I will ask you for your card and have mine ready to give to you. I don't just mean at art events, I mean anywhere you go. On my daily walks through the country hills I have met artists who became clients because I had a card tucked inside my shoes.

Artists who exchange cards with me show that they are ready to do business. Make it easy for me to contact you and to look at your work by having these items on your cards

• Your personal name
• Your art business name
• Your art business tagline
• Your surface mail address
• Your telephone numbers
• Your web site urls
• Your e-mail address
• An image of your work

You can use both sides of the card or create a miniature note card.

Artists who hand me excuses instead of cards are broadcasting their lack of professionalism. Don't tell me that you just ran out or forgot them or they are too expensive. It shows that you don't care to keep in touch or you want me to do all the work.

It's a simple habit to have cards with you all of the time. Leave them where you have your keys, have them at the entrance to your studio and put them in your car.

Encourage another artist. Share your stories about your business cards here. Click Here


P.S. If you need business cards designed and printed at a good price for great quality, contact Robin Sagara at 310-649-4434 Pacific time or Robin@ArtistCareerTraining.com

P.P.S. We appreciate it when you tell your friends about Artist Career Training. We encourage forwarding this publication in whole. Copying without acknowledgement of the publisher is against the law (and highly unprofessional!)

There is a computer programming term called GIGO.  It means "Garbage In, Garbage Out" and it's a good one to remember when you're designing/printing business cards, postcards, notecards, fliers, all that stuff you use in your marketing.

Why? Because the finished product can be no better than the digital file used to produce it, and printed materials require high resolution images (as opposed to web images which can be very low resolution and still look great).

Business Cards for Award-Winning Artist Deb Gengler-Copple, PSA, AFC

For example, for a business card the image you start with should be at least as big as the business card at 300 ppi (pixels per inch) and the card should be designed with software (like Photoshop) with color settings for CMYK (not RGB, which is for web use). If you're not digitally-inclined and don't know the difference between CMYK, RGB, pixels and dots-per-inch, do get some help from someone who is experienced in designing for printed pieces. You want your colors to come out right and the image/text to be clear and crisp. You want the design to be consistent with your brand (the design/colors/layout/logos that people associate with you and that you use on your website and other marketing materials).

We do a lot of designing for fine artists, it's not a long process and then they have a file to work with in the future. Above are a couple of examples. When we started working with Deb Copple, she didn't have a brand, so we created one for her (and her website) and now all her stuff is consistent and the minute people see it they know and remember her.

Doing it yourself? Here's a tip: try www.overnightprints.com. I love these people, the results are great (if you start with a great digital file), good prices and fast turnaround. They have templates you can download and use and if you follow the directions, your cards should turn out fine. Tip #2: Wait for the sales they have several times a year when you can get up to 50% off.

But if the process eats up your precious studio time, is technically beyond you, or frustrating for you, please let us help. It's not a big investment and you'll end up looking ever so professional and glorious!

All my best to you and yours,

Robin Sagara
Web Marketing Mentor
robin@artistcareertraining.com

FTC Disclosure: We do not benefit in any way from recommending www.overnightprints.com. We do so because they're a really great resource.