It’s not always easy to figure out your brand, let alone take specific actions which will create a brand that art buyers grasp.
Yet, without an identifiable brand, it’s hard to sell art. So today we’re going to spend a little time explaining ways you can increase awareness about your brand.
Here are four questions that you can, and should, ask yourself about your brand:
1. What does your mission statement say?
The first thing you have to do is go back to the core of your business. . . your mission statement.
What is the heart of your business? What do you want your business to be known for? Where do you want your business to go?
Then you need to ask yourself, “When I look at my online presence, my marketing materials, my advertising materials, and my art, does it all line up with my mission statement?”
If it doesn’t, you need to figure out if you’ve gotten off track or if you’re moving forward in a new direction and your mission statement needs a revision.
2. Can your brand be identified online?
I used to think that a brand was simply about a logo, but it’s so much more than that. It’s about creating an atmosphere that says, “This is _______, the artist.”
Whether your art buyers are reading marketing materials, newsletters, interviews, or blog posts online, they should be able to identify you, the artist, through the words you speak, the images you share, and the things you stand for.
And, they should be able to identify you because when you interact online, you use the same:
• color scheme (on your blog, website, and social media)
• avatar or logo (whenever you post on blogs, forums or social media)
• name (whether it’s your company name or your personal name)
• website address
3. Can your creative style be identified?
Your creative style is something that art buyers should recognize no matter what medium you choose to create in, or what object you choose to depict.
From the colors, the brushstrokes, the designs, and the quality of your work, your style needs to shine through. If there are inconsistencies, take out the artwork that doesn’t belong. Keep only your best, your signature pieces, and build up from there.
4. What type of reputation do you have as an artist?
Believe it or not, how you treat your art buyers, and how you treat your colleagues, says a lot about your business.
You are your business, and therefore, how you treat others is a reflection of your business and some may argue an extension of your overall branding strategy. So be aware of how you are perceived, in your local art circles, online on Twitter and Facebook, and anywhere else where you interact with others.
By taking the time to develop a brand for your art business, you control how people think about you and your art. . . So the next time you choose the packaging for your art, or decide on your next art project, or opt to accept an interview or feature story request, think about your brand FIRST, and then proceed accordingly.
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