Branding for Artists: 7 Steps to Grow Your Brand as an Artist

In The Beginning

“Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.”

Andy Warhol

There is art, and then there is the art of business.   

As with any business, you must have a viable product or service to market and sell; something that people want, that intrigues them, that they just “need to have.” I have found some artists are conflicted with seeing their work as “product.” I get it, but you want to sell your work, don’t you? From a business sense, your art is product.

First and foremost, your art must be of the quality that people see the value in your talent and are willing to spend money on it. Your work should be unique, not just different to be different, but something uniquely special. What sets your art apart from other artwork? What makes the art you create special? What is your story? Clients love to know the artist’s story, why you create what you create, what drives your creativity. The answer to these questions will provide a foundation for developing your marketing plan. 

For a quick guide to writing your story, visit Joely Roger’s How to Write an Artist Statement.

Your friends love your art - your family loves your art…cool, now let’s go after people that may actually BUY your art! Remember, compliments are great, but they alone do not pay the rent. Now’s the time to make a commitment to building your art business, to developing your BRAND.

How to Build an Art Brand

1. Do Your Research

Review what other established artists in your area are doing. Do they have a website? What platform is the website using? Review their social media and if possible, visit an exhibit of their work. Reviewing others marketing is not intended to specifically copy what they are doing, but to get a feel for what is working in your area – and what you are up against as you seriously jump into the art business.

Also, it’s very important to digest the pricing of art from established artists in your area as it will shed some light on what you may decide when pricing your art. Pricing your art is always a tricky thing, especially in the beginning before you are established.

For more tips on pricing, the power of quality materials and more, visit 10 Tips to Sell More Art.

2. Devise Your Promotional Tools 

Everything you do going forward will be a reflection on your professionalism as an artist, and as a businessperson.

Take the time to write up your business plan and your marketing plan so you can stay on target. Its best to have your promotional ducks (website, social media, email, etc.) in a row, ready to show your work and shout out your accomplishments. You also need to know the budget you can afford, so to cover the costs of art materials (paints, canvas, framing, etc.) as well as any marketing materials, and advertising.

This includes your website, online ads and boosting social media posts, stickers, brochures, flyers. etc., exhibit and association membership fees, and business cards. I am still a believer in a well-designed business card as an important marketing tool. Not every one of your potential clients will be savvy enough to deal with a digital business card on their phone, actually most will not! In my in-person presentations I tell artists to never leave home without their business cards, as you never know who you might meet along the way.

You can’t depend on them remembering your website, email, telephone number, or even your name to look you up once they get home, but you do stand a much better chance of getting them to find you and your art when they have your card in their pocket! Put some thought into your card design and quality – it represents you, your art, and how creative and professional you are!

If you do not have a professional appearing website, you should. There are artists today that have decided to pass on having a website in lieu of presenting their art and information strictly on social media. I have two websites – one as a portfolio of my work and the second as an ecommerce site for my Cape Cod gallery. I also use social media to promote my work and gallery.

You will need to decide what will work best for you. I think it’s smart to have a strong website presence that contains quality images of your art and pertinent information on you the artist, your work, and how to purchase. There are many options out there that allow you to create a pretty cool looking website without breaking the bank – and its always best to be able to update and edit the site yourself versus having to pay a website creator to make changes, etc. every time you update your work or information.  

3. Display a Simply and Savvy Social Presence 

While I am not a huge fan of social media, it does provide an artist a way to get many eyes on their work and accomplishments, as well as selling their art online. Years ago, one only had advertising options of print, radio, or TV – all expensive and out of most artists budgets. Today with a successful social media marketing plan, you can reach people not only around your community, but around the world for very little investment. 

First step is to create BUSINESS PAGES (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) for your art business. Most likely, you already have personal social media accounts, and you will let your friends/followers know of your business page. Those interested in your art will follow to the new page and provide a start to building your online business audience. 

Always be professional, interesting, and informative, in your posts. Only post high-quality images of your work on your page. A BIG TIP is to keep your personal social media and your business social media far apart! Your BUSINESS pages should be just for that – BUSINESS. And your art business pages are no place to display your political, etc. viewpoints, or what you and your friends had for lunch.

Keep in mind that when you state a political, etc. position, on your business page you have at best just eliminated 50% of your potential customer base. If you feel that you must – as an artist – dwell on political, etc. issues on your business social media page just know, it’s usually not a great move for generating revenue from sales of your art. It never makes sense to deliberately alienate potential customers.

Showcase Your Art 

If you are as serious about selling your art as you are about creating it, you need to have a plan and stick to that plan – and everything you do with the marketing of your art should be a step in that well thought out plan designed to achieve your art business goals. This includes how you present your art.

4. Don’t Skimp on Materials

It is vital that you present your art in a 100% professional manner. This means that for framed and matted work that you use the best possible materials that you can. All too often I see a noteworthy piece in a show that is finished with a cheap looking mat, and an even worse looking bargain bin frame. Believe me, art buyers see this right off, and it tells them you are a beginner, or that do not care enough, or know enough, about your art to properly present it – this decreases value. 

We all have budget constraints but bite the bullet here and DO NOT cut corners on your framing materials! For many years now I have used custom cut wood frames and only 8-ply mats from Frame Destination. My work has been featured in many galleries, exhibits, and in personal and corporate collections around the world – and always with these top-shelf framing materials. My work deserves the best finishing materials, doesn’t yours?  It’s a very smart - and necessary - investment in your business and brand.  PS. If something is out of your budget, create a gift list! Here's a great list of gifts for artists.

5. Develop Meaningful Connections 

A key to building an art career is getting your work seen. Unless you are a one-in-a-million prodigy, your art will not be selling itself right from the beginning, or just jumping into galleries. Joining a local art association can be a good first step to 1) get a feel for how you work is viewed by others, and 2) hopefully be the beginning of getting more eyes on your work, and 3) possibly connect with a mentor, an established artist, whose own success history can serve to help guide you, and…4) whatever promotional materials you may create and use, be sure to always have your website and contact info listed on them!

I recommend you join a local art association that requires you to be juried in, not one that just accepts everyone. To be juried in you would be required to submit a selection of your work to be judged by the membership board at the association. The best associations provide useful critiques if you do not get selected as well as constructive advice on how to grow should you be selected. 

Being “juried in” is a WIN and provides you a signal that your work has appeal, that you are on the right track. It also offers a positive message to shout out on your social media announcing your artwork has been selected and that you have been recognized for your artwork. You always want to make the most of every achievement and let your followers know your art is being acknowledged. People, art lovers, often tend to be drawn to artists that are getting noticed – let them know that you have been noticed. This is marketing your brand and your artwork.

Once juried into an association, enter as many of the associations shows as you can. Remember, you want to get eyes on your work. Take the shows prospectus seriously in the preparation of your art to submit and be sure to target your work to the theme of the show.  

Most art associations provide members the opportunity to eventually do a solo exhibit, featuring a large selection of only your work in their gallery for a week or two. This is something to shoot for as you grow within the association. It takes a lot of preparation and coordination of suitable work, but if done correctly – and with the usual associated promotional buzz – it can be a really nice boost to the local art world’s awareness of you and your art.

Be sure to lay out a plan covering all details from artwork selection, preparation, the cost of promotional materials, food, etc., BEFORE you apply for a solo event. Don’t set yourself up for any surprises when tackling this very important event.

6. Dive In

So, you have grown within your local art association. Your work has been selected for several shows, and you even picked up an award or two along the way. And now you have applied for and been accepted to do a solo show. This is a lot of work, but well worth it if done correctly. Again, remember everything you do regarding your art is a reflection on your professionalism.

There will be added costs associated with doing a solo show. Additional artwork needs to be created and properly framed, etc. You should have a show postcard, or at least a professional looking handout for the show attendees. You need to be sure accurate and flattering press releases are being crafted and sent to all appropriate media. Additional funds will be needed to present a nice selection of snacks and wine for the opening reception. Remember the old adage, you only get one chance at a first impression, and you want everything to be just right for this exhibit. Done well, you can get a lot of mileage out of a solo event. 

Another avenue to get eyes on your work - and create sales - is to participate in seasonal art shows that many communities have. This usually involves the cost of renting a space for a weekend, but you can benefit via the events marketing and exposure, and hopefully some sales. Other places like here on Cape Cod feature “art cottages” in several locations.

These are small enclosures that allow artists to rent them for a week (or longer) to sell their art. These “cottages” are usually set up in high traffic tourist areas in vacation communities. Being part of an art association, and an art community, will give you access to information on these sort of venues, and more established artists within can give you guidance as to which events have provided them with successful sales and are worth pursuing. 

And Suddenly, Your Art is SELLING!

7. Deliver Value to Cultivate Your Following

Good things can happen to those with talent and determination – stay focused on your mission!  Artists that are generating significant sales tend to involve their clients and their audience in their art world. Whether via social media, a blog, and/or email newsletters, they keep their followers engaged with news of the creation of new work, their accomplishments, and their artistic path. Build a contact list that you can reach out to with your news and art.  

Another useful thing is to signup for art marketing newsletters that will keep you in the know with marketing and sales tips sent right to your inbox. Notable ones are ArtsyShark.com, RobinSamora.com, BarneyDavey.com, faso.com/fineartviews, and FrameDestination.com.

Closing Thoughts 

I think you can see that you need to have a plan – you need to set goals, both artistic and business goals that you seriously go after and check off your list as you build your brand…yes, YOUR BRAND! 

Things will change as you grow and continue down your art business path. What was once an important piece of your marketing may no longer be so important, and new opportunities will enter the picture. Stay in tune with what is happening in your marketplace – both good and bad.  And maybe even a gallery representation is in your future (be prepared to pay 50% commissions on gallery sales). Remember, the more eyes you get on your work, the more likely something good will come of it. 

Personally, staying on a planned course with the marketing of my work and accomplishments has led to some very valuable things for my art career including magazine and online features, solo shows at prestigious venues, gallery representation, and eventually owning my own gallery – all leading to growing sales. Having a plan and sticking to it does work! Most of all, don’t get discouraged along the way as with any venture there will be wins and losses. The “lows” make the “highs” all that much more fun!  

About the Author

Learn more about the author and see more of his work in our Artie’s Eight Artist Spotlight featuring Bobby Baker.

Last updated April 16, 2024