Error No. 4: Becoming a "Carnie"
Showing our work at art fairs has so far proven to be the #1 most effective marketing tool! However, it is important to know that not every “arts and crafts” fair is an appropriate venue! They can be a downright waste of time and money! Believe me, when your “fine art” booth is located between a guy doing slap-chop demos, and another selling shammies, you will see nothing but the backs of people's heads as they try to avoid eye-contact with the “carnies.” And, if you are anything like us and can not stand to take a loss on your booth rental, you will actually have to become a carnie! You will have to compete with your neighbors to get people into your booth! This is not easy. They are on the defense, having already been bombarded by other carnies! If you somehow manage to get somebody into your booth, you must quickly present the poor fool with every sales pitch you can think of. If you are really lucky, you might end up with a mercy sale, the kind where they buy the cheapest thing in your booth just so you'll let them go! These are not sales to be proud of, and you'll come away from these shows ashamed, skinny, toothless, and hoarse! So, when applying for shows, take a look at who the other vendors are and what they will be selling. If this info is not available, beware of non-juried shows or Chamber of Commerce sponsored events - they will often rent a booth to anybody who is willing to pay for it without regard to whether it is actually an art or a craft. Also, the location of an event is important. You might want to avoid fairs located in Wal-mart's parking lot, or in areas where the majority of people don't even know what art is and couldn't care less. In other words, never do art shows in Fresno!
Stick to affluent areas and jurried shows as much as possible!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Art Marketing, Cara and Christi Style: Error no. 3
Error No. 3: Reciting poetry to customers
Unless you want to get a sideways look, a nervous cough, a quick exit from your booth, and an extreme and long lasting embarrassment, don't ever attempt to recite poetry to your customers!
Rational: It freaks people out! I have unfortunately (it is hard to even admit due to the humiliation) done this enough times to gain sufficient experience to know not to do it! I don't really know why people are so freaked out when you start rhyming, It's like you suddenly proved that you're psycotic! You will be in a great conversation with somebody. They will be really interested when you mention your book of art and poetry! But the second you try to give them an example of the poetry, they are out of there so quick you don't even know what hit you!
There is probably an exception to this rule: If you know the poem like the back of your hand, have practiced reciting it out loud, can do it very well, and the situation is appropriate (eg: The customer has told you that they love poetry and has actually requested a recital), then you might be OK. I, however, will not be doing it again as I can not remember our poems well enough. I inevitably go blank from nervousness after I have non-poetically spit out the first line or two, and then have to embarrassingly admit to the cloud of dust that remains where the customer once stood, that I don't know the rest of my own poem, sorry! Best choice? Just don't do it!
Unless you want to get a sideways look, a nervous cough, a quick exit from your booth, and an extreme and long lasting embarrassment, don't ever attempt to recite poetry to your customers!
Rational: It freaks people out! I have unfortunately (it is hard to even admit due to the humiliation) done this enough times to gain sufficient experience to know not to do it! I don't really know why people are so freaked out when you start rhyming, It's like you suddenly proved that you're psycotic! You will be in a great conversation with somebody. They will be really interested when you mention your book of art and poetry! But the second you try to give them an example of the poetry, they are out of there so quick you don't even know what hit you!
There is probably an exception to this rule: If you know the poem like the back of your hand, have practiced reciting it out loud, can do it very well, and the situation is appropriate (eg: The customer has told you that they love poetry and has actually requested a recital), then you might be OK. I, however, will not be doing it again as I can not remember our poems well enough. I inevitably go blank from nervousness after I have non-poetically spit out the first line or two, and then have to embarrassingly admit to the cloud of dust that remains where the customer once stood, that I don't know the rest of my own poem, sorry! Best choice? Just don't do it!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Art Marketing Cara and Christi style, more about business cards...
Error no. 2: Not carrying your business cards with you wherever you go!
Cara and Christi's rational: We don't have a rational for this one, we just always forget them! (and secretly we were probably just being cheapskates again)
Solution: Keep a small stack in each bag, purse, backpack, suitcase, jacket pocket, car, bike basket, wallet etc. (I haven't actually done this yet, but I am planning to tomorrow cause I boffed this one up just last night at a social gathering of people I had not seen in a long time, one of which was a customer from 6 years ago who had lost my contact info and really wanted to check out my new work and probably buy something! It sure would have been nice to be able to give her a business card. But I didn't have any - dummy!)
Additional reason to give out business cards freely: People like to use the services of people they know or have met rather than a complete stranger. And the awareness and desire to support local businesses is growing all the time! If you don't give out your card to people you meet, then they are not going to call you or buy your product or service now are they?- Christi
Cara and Christi's rational: We don't have a rational for this one, we just always forget them! (and secretly we were probably just being cheapskates again)
Solution: Keep a small stack in each bag, purse, backpack, suitcase, jacket pocket, car, bike basket, wallet etc. (I haven't actually done this yet, but I am planning to tomorrow cause I boffed this one up just last night at a social gathering of people I had not seen in a long time, one of which was a customer from 6 years ago who had lost my contact info and really wanted to check out my new work and probably buy something! It sure would have been nice to be able to give her a business card. But I didn't have any - dummy!)
Additional reason to give out business cards freely: People like to use the services of people they know or have met rather than a complete stranger. And the awareness and desire to support local businesses is growing all the time! If you don't give out your card to people you meet, then they are not going to call you or buy your product or service now are they?- Christi
Friday, April 22, 2011
Art Marketing, Cara and Christi Style
So Cara and I have been trying to sell art for about 6 years now, the last few of which were in an economic decline. Lucky for us, and due to our continued appearances at many new shows and gaining new fans, our sales have continued to grow, but ever so slowly! We consider ourselves sucessful, but in reality we are barely just so! If it were not for our extemely frugal spending, driving old, junky looking cars, growing much of our own food, going without health insurance and so forth, we would be starving on the streets! So, we have decided that it is time to start maketing! We tend to learn things the hard way, by trial and error, and are always trying to reinvent the wheel! So, some of the information we post here as we discover it will probably be embarassing to us and funny to some of you! We hope this will be helpful to others who are marketing, and entertaining to those who already knew the obvious things that we didn't!
Art Marketing Cara and Christi Style
Error no. 1: Hiding your business cards from the public at art shows
Cara and Christi's rational: (and this is a little embarassing), "cause people keep taking them"
Reason this is a mistake: Because people, including us, keep the business cards that they collect, especially if it has some really cool design on it. They will remember you and your art every time they come across it and may decide to go to your website, check out your newest art, and mabybe even buy something. They might commission a painting, even years down the road! They might also pass it on to sombody else who they know is into the kind of art you do. They might even have a "big time" connection with a greeting card company! Last, having an advertisement that people take willingly is golden! You don't run the risk or cost of advertising to people who just aren't interested! - Christi
Cara and Christi's rational: (and this is a little embarassing), "cause people keep taking them"
Reason this is a mistake: Because people, including us, keep the business cards that they collect, especially if it has some really cool design on it. They will remember you and your art every time they come across it and may decide to go to your website, check out your newest art, and mabybe even buy something. They might commission a painting, even years down the road! They might also pass it on to sombody else who they know is into the kind of art you do. They might even have a "big time" connection with a greeting card company! Last, having an advertisement that people take willingly is golden! You don't run the risk or cost of advertising to people who just aren't interested! - Christi
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Still new to blogging!
I spent the last hour working on the layout of this blog...Plan: to post our latest endeavor in sequence: Marketing Art! What works, and what doesn't! Stay tuned!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Photo shoot day two
I finally figured out how to get good results! Marc, my boyfriend had been telling me all along to get rid of the props and use white sheets and foam core. He was right! I am really happy with how these pics came out. It sure makes up for yesterday! See my new results in this new ETSY listing for baby dragon light switch plate covers!
Applewood Knoll Nursery Art!
Our baby owl and nursery art store now has light switch plate covers!
Link to ETSY
Link to ETSY
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Photo shoot, not so great
Cara and I just spent 2 hours shooting photos of our new light switch plate covers. We had props and lights, and a really nice digital camera that I borrowed. Then when I put them on my computer they sort of sucked!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, April 8, 2011
New!!! Stuff for kids!!! Coloring Pages!
Cara carefully selected and re-drew in simplified form 10 pictures of fairies and mermaids and created a pack of coloring book pages: http://www.etsy.com/listing/71708476
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Brand New to Blogging!
Hello everybody! We have a big learning curve happening here but eventually plan to make this a place to post interesting information about our whereabouts such as book signings and shows, and perhaps some step-by-steps and newly created art!
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