As an artist, you likely have talent in a specific niche. It’s imperative for growth to figure out how to build your presence in that particular market. Maybe you’re starting out for the first time, or maybe you’ve been at it for a while and you’re looking for ways to scale your business.
No matter your job or vocation, one thing will never change: You must be able to market yourself. Otherwise, that good talent and skill you’ve been building for all these years will go to waste if you can’t access the people who can make use of it and, more importantly, be able to cut you a check.
Let’s explore a few items of interest when it comes to branding yourself as an independent contractor artist.
Building a Brand
One of the most important things to consider when inserting yourself into a vertical is to evaluate who your audience is, where they are, and if they need your services. If you live in an oversaturated area where people with your talents are abundant, try taking your business online or relocate to a place where there’s more lucrative demand for your services.
The next step in fostering brand awareness is showing up to events and providing samples of your work to local businesses that could utilize your skills. It might even entail some pro bono work for a couple of known and reputable businesses in your area to showcase your work and that you’re available to do more.
Presence Online
A crucial part of owning your own business as an independent artist is having an online presence with a website.
A clean site that itemizes your services and shows off what you’re capable of will be the staging area you need to kick start new business relationships. Try implementing slideshow features on your site to maximize the viewability of your artwork right when visitors hit the homepage.
Hurdles To Anticipate
Much like any other business, there can be a lot of liability if not properly secured and planned for in advance.
It’s wise for any new business to conduct a SWOT analysis to anticipate not just your strengths and opportunities but also the weaknesses and threats that face your business.
Protect yourself and your own personal assets and property by purchasing insurance for your business. In the event that a business deal wanders out of scope or falls through entirely, you don’t want your personal assets on the hook.
The art industry can be competitive, and economic uncertainty as a business owner can only amplify this competition. Minimizing your existing debt should be a priority so that you can benefit from revenue profits a lot quicker.
One of the key aspects of the business to keep in mind as an artist is to stay flexible for your potential clientele. We encouraged the itemization of your services above and, while that’s true, you should be agile enough to accommodate a unique or custom request.
Try to venture out of your comfort zone if a client asks you for a specific style. Some of the best motivating learning opportunities are when an opportunity comes knocking with cash at the door. Try not to turn new work down simply because you’re unwilling to stretch yourself.
If You Build It, They Will Come
If you put forth the effort and due diligence in defining your niche, your unique flavor, and how you can be useful, you’ll get noticed. It’s rarely an overnight success, however. It takes time and patience in order to create the reputation that people will one day seek after.
Keep a positive attitude and remain consistent. Build a rapport that makes you known for your reliability, and you’ll have the makings for a quality brand companies want to make deals with.