by Carolyn Edlund
Has your art business felt slower lately? Are you slowing down too, becoming discouraged and unsure how to jumpstart sales?
When sales slow down, it’s easy to become discouraged. You may wonder whether collectors are still buying art, or if your marketing is working. Is all your effort is paying off?
I’ve worked with artists for many years on their businesses, and I’ve noticed something interesting. The artists who are building long-term successful careers rarely stop moving forward. They are busy even when sales are slow and opportunities seem sparse.
If you looked at their websites, social media, newsletters, exhibitions, and accomplishments, you most likely would never know they were having a difficult sales year. They keep moving anyway. Because they know that markets and the economy have cycles, and the reality is that as small businesspeople, they need to weather them.
Those artists are taking a long view. They are continuing to create new work. They’re applying for opportunities. They’re participating in exhibitions. They’re improving their websites, connecting with existing and collectors, and reaching out to the press. They focus on building relationships, which are essential in any economy.
Success in the art business is not based on what happens this week or this month. It’s the result of devoted, consistent effort over a long period of time. That’s what pays off.
Are you making these mistakes?
One of the worse things artists do during a slow period is to put everything on hold. If you have stopped creating art because you’re frustrated by weak sales, you stop the momentum. If you’re not marketing because you don’t see immediate results, the bottom drops out because you haven’t prepared for the future. When you choose not to apply for opportunities out of discouragement, you assure that your work will not be seen.
Responding to difficult times with inactivity often creates invisibility. The less visible you are, the fewer opportunities come your way. The fewer opportunities, the fewer sales. Things fall apart.
The opposite approach is usually much more productive. It requires determination and a positive view of your future.
Continue creating anyway
If sales aren’t happening, turn your attention to creating. A slower season can be an excellent time to get focused in the studio. When you don’t have the pressure of preparing for events, fulfilling orders, or meeting deadlines, you may have more freedom to experiment. Take that valuable time to develop new ideas, or begin a fresh body of work. This is actually a perfect use of your time, because your highest value work as an artist is creating.
New work is valuable for more than one reason. Of course, you need inventory to sell. But new work also gives you something meaningful to share with your audience, a reason to talk about inspiration or present work in progress. It’s natural to seek publicity for a new collection, which makes marketing easier.
Every new piece becomes an opportunity to reconnect with collectors and remind them that your work is evolving. Remember that collectors pay attention to artists who remain engaged and productive. When they are following your work over time, they want to see growth and commitment. They want to know that you are active, exciting, and continuing to invest in your career.
Marketing is for the future
It’s simply human to become frustrated with marketing, because we all would like immediate results. The truth is that the collector who joins your email list today may purchase a year from now. If you reach out to a gallery owner, you might hear “No” for now, but they may contact you months from now with interest. And your social media followers acquire art when the time is right for them, after they have watched your progress and the right piece comes along.
When you stop marketing because sales are slow, you don’t allow opportunities to unfold. Think of marketing as relationship-building rather than selling, and that is an ongoing process, through good times and bad.
Stay the course
So continue to reach out regularly to your audience. Share new work, upcoming events, accomplishments, and your brand story (you remember, the one that draws in fans.) You don’t have to be aggressive or salesly. But you do need to remain visible.
Over the years, I’ve watched artists navigate strong economies, weak economies, changing trends, and shifting marketplaces. The artists who come through these challenges most successfully are rarely the ones who sit back and wait for conditions to improve. They keep moving and creating and preparing for the future.
That’s my best advice to you. Work on your own trajectory, for yourself. You cannot control the marketplace, but you do control your own actions that look forward to a bright future.