Marketing Materials that Impact

We've all heard it before: Art is a business. And let me tell you that's the truth!! While I loved my university training (BFA, Theatre), I spent 10 years getting over the anger that they never taught me how to generate an income from my art. I've actually done quite a bit of research and have yet to find a single educational program that teaches the business of artistry and that is such a shame because talent and the development of the art itself is only 25% of the equation. Over the years, I have built numerous successful businesses around artistic endeavors and I can tell you without a doubt that the other 3 ingredients (in equal parts) are:

1. Marketing
2. Networking
3. Publicity

Today, I'll discuss marketing as it is the first ingredient I recommend artists focus on when working to generate revenue for their work.

When I speak of marketing, I'm referring to any materials an artist uses to introduce or update potential buyers or clients on their work: websites, brochures, business cards, one sheets, flyers, mailers, stationery, even the signature line of your email!

What is most important in regards to marketing is the quality of its presentation. Listen up here! The quality of your marketing materials is a direct reflection of the quality of your craft/your talent. People will immediately equate their impression of what you use to sell yourself with the quality of what they will receive if they purchase your artistic services, or an artistic product you have created.

This is a lesson I learned as a filmmaker in Los Angeles. The first short film I produced, "The Boy Scout" had a limited budget of $35k. We wanted to shoot on film and we had elaborate stunts, costumes and sets. We went out of our way to produce a high quality press kit that looked like a million bucks, complete with articulate language about the project, bios on the team, and a great poster photo we shot, all presented in an elegant folder with our company logo embossed on it. Eventually, more than 45 people came together on set to assist us, including an award-winning cinematographer and an entire stunt team (who trained our actors in their studio for three months!). What we ended up with was an award-winning final product because our marketing materials impressed talented people to jump aboard and lend their expertise. Why? Because these marketing materials demonstrated that we were a group worth getting involved with. People equated our marketing materials with how our final product would look and feel.

I have since taken these high standards for marketing materials and translated them into my other artistic endeavors. I NEVER skimp on marketing. My goals with our materials are to:

1. Design Them Beautifully: You have 2 to 3 seconds to visually stimulate a viewer. You have to capture their attention and that doesn't happen through your words, it happens through the visual design and layout which evoke a positive emotional reaction if created well.

2. Word Them to Reflect the Heart of the Art: If the design has done its job, the viewer goes on to read some of the language. This is where your words must be concise and capture the heart of your product/service from the unique angle that is you!

3. Call Them to Action: They felt something from looking over your design. Then they loved what they read. Now what? This is where the all important Call to Action comes into play. What do you want them to do? Whatever it is (call me, email me, buy this, pass this on to 3 people), tell them what you want them to do!

Marketing does not have to be expensive. What it does have to do is inspire. Hit their soul with the design, hit their heart with your verbiage, and then hit them over the head with your call to action!

And...Come join me for a conversation about your core values at the Illinois Arts Alliance Foundation's "One State: Together in the Arts" conference June 1st, 2009 at 3pm. We'll discuss how to infuse your core values into your marketing materials!