Selling Yourself without Selling Out: Part 3

“If your relatives are creeped out about you being an artist, tell them you’re an entrepreneur,” Luann Jennings, director of Redeemer Presbyterian Church‘s Center for Faith & Work in New York City, half-joked at Selling Yourself without Selling Out: An Introduction to Marketing and Promotion.  In part 1 of our report on the artists’ professional development workshop, held on Friday, July 23, 2010, we discussed the concerns many artists have about self-promotion and the biblical perspective on promoting oneself and one’s art and in part 2 we discussed professional identity.  In part 3 we will now look at the basics of self-promoting and marketing as outlined by Jennings in the workshop.

As much as we like to think of art as a natural, God-given gift, artists–visual artists, musicians, writers, dancers, and performance artists alike–work hard to hone their craft.  In the verse that was discussed in part 1 of this series, 2 Timothy 1:7, we read, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”  Jennings revealed that “discipline” has the same root as “disciple,” and we discussed how self-discipline is about guiding ourselves toward our end goal.  “Self-discipline is a very mature, adult behavior,” explained Jennings.  As part of our end goal as artists, we self-discipline ourselves by taking classes and workshops, studying under mentors, practicing and perfecting our art.

Being a great artist is not enough, though.  Jennings quoted the website Fractured Atlas:

Let’s face it: artists can’t just be artists anymore.  The old myth that you’ll get “discovered” based on talent alone has been debunked.  Whether you like it or not, you’re running a business.  Maybe you’re a one-man-band or perhaps you’re a group that graduated from conservatory together.  Either way, if you’re like most of us, this is ground that wasn’t covered in your MFA program.

There is a business element to being a professional artist.  In order to make a living wage off of your art, to gain recognition in your field, and to establish yourself as more than just a hobbyist, you need to realize your art is a business just as one’s math skills make up their accounting career.  While there are many business aspects an artist should consider, this workshop focused on marketing and self-promotion.

Jennings outlined the 4 Ps of marketing:

Product

- Based on the consumer wants and needs

Who is your “consumer” or “customer”?

Do you have more than one type of customer that would require different marketing strategies?

- What is the product or service that is for sale?  Is there a need?  What are the benefits of your product over another that might meet the need?

Price

Baased on the cost required to satisfy both consumer needs and your needs

What are your needs?  At what point does it become not worth it for you?

- How do you balance the cost of making the product (or paying yourself) against the customer’s perception of value?  What is the “going rate” for the prpoduct you’re offering?

Place

- Based on convenience or location of the buyer

In a digital age, do you physically need to be in the same place as your customer?

- Where will the product be sold?  What will the channels of distribution be?

Promotion

- Based on a communication strategy about the product

- What specific techniques will be used to bring attention to this product over similar products?

What is the message you’re delivering about the product?

What is the brand or image of the product?

How is it different from/better than other opportunities your customer might have to fill their need?

Is the customer aware of their need, or do you need to stimulate demand?

What kind of communication outlets will you use? website/social media, TV/radio, print/posters/postcards, direct mail, email, personal selling, other…?

How can you get the most exposure for the least money?

Referencing Fractured Atlas, Jennings recommended conducting market research to find out more about the demand for your product.  She also suggested looking for ways to uniquely position yourself and your product.

In part 4 of “Selling Yourself without Selling Out” we’ll look at the marketing and promotion resources Luann Jennings recommended at the workshop conducted by Redeemer’s Center for Faith & Work.

As an artist, do you consider yourself an entrepreneur?  What are the business challenges that artists face?

(Artwork by C.K. Wilde.)