If so, any tips on marketing/selling/reaching your customers and building a fan base?
My items take some time to create, from concept to completion, which means I don’t list new things on a regular basis. Therefore posting once or twice a day on my FB page is unachievable (it’s more like once a fortnight), and taking part in some challenges/promotions on here and elsewhere hard to do.
I paid for FB advertising recently which gained me a sale (yay!), and have some items in a gallery to give me some exposure. I tweet when I have something new to show off and share all over various pages and groups on FB (focusing on art/craft groups and magazines) and Pinterest. I tried Craftjuice but it didn’t come to anything really beyond some lovely people here voting for me.
Short of paying for more advertising, is there anything else I can do? I’m aware my prices are above what many can afford, therefore sales will be few and far between, but 3 a year isn’t going to pay for my overheads.
I am starting to feel very deflated which isn’t good when it comes to being creative.
We have prices in that bracket too, and yes, they too take a great deal of time to complete.
Have you tried getting in touch with magazines with a view to using your items in their room sets, etc.
We have found Twitter really good for getting our fine art prints under the right noses.
You birds are fab, don’t loose heart, it really is a case of keep plugging away at it…
Hope this helps
Hi Elizabeth - what a fabulous shop you have. I especially love the moon gazing hare and lovely fox head.
I was going to say perhaps try a bricks/mortar shop for your items, but I see you are already in a gallery. Perhaps build up a few more items and approach an additional outlet, something aimed at your market. Your items are very special and I’m sure once you’ve found the right customer base your sales will strengthen.
When it comes to tweeting, perhaps put 1/2 hour aside a day, varying the times you tweet to just chat, rather than just going on when you have something new to show. That way people will get to know you and look forward to seeing your new makes. There are lots of excellent hashtag hours that take place each week - perfect for exposure as people will comment on what you are promoting, retweet and favourite so your tweets will hopefully get seen by many, many tweeters.
It’s easy to get deflated - but don’t down tools - you have something very special and it’ll be noticed soon I’m sure.
Thanks littleRamstudio. I do have a spreadsheet of twitter names and FB pages for magazines and so when I do complete something I contact them in that way. I have thought about a press release but can’t think of an angle! Think I might do one for easter about the bunny heads though…
My mojo feels like it’s gone down the plug at the moment LOL!
Hi Elaine and thank you. Trying to find the right shop is the hard bit, especially in my local area. I know other local artists struggle with that too.
I did join in with the craft hour and kent hour hashtags on a number of occasions but that again just seemed to be people selling like me rather than customers. I think though you’re right about just chatting on Twitter, so I’ll give that a go and see what I get back. I did try during Ch4 Liberty of London programme (tonight Ch4) as some of my ducks are made from Liberty fabric, but then it fizzled out. It feels like I invest the time but not much happens if that makes sense. I’m then stuck thinking that my time would be better spent elsewhere.
I have had some lovely feedback in the past from Liberty, Country Living, Wealden Times, and others but nothing generated from that and it just went dead after my reply to them. I then have this dilemma - to contact them again and risk feeling like I’m hassling them or leaving it. :-S
I have things in the £50+ price bracket and occasionally sell them here but mostly it is the lower value items. Here in Cambridge we have an organisation called Cambridge Open Studios (you have a similar scheme in Kent called South East Open Studios (http://www.seos-art.org/), I had to do a bit of digging to find out where you are to give you your local group hope you don’t mind) and they do a summer event which is very good for attracting people who like crafts and are prepared to pay for it. I participated for the first time this summer, had 155 people come to my studio and sold 50+ items ranging from £10 to £100. Also got a couple of commissions from it. I don’t know how good your local scheme is but it might be worth trying it out.
Hope that helps (and I promise that I don’t gain anything for plugging for them)
Sasha
Oh I’d definitely contact them again - if nothing else, they may be able to give you some pointers. I know it’s hard to source suitable shops, but you don’t have to keep to local ones. There’s nothing suitable at all where I live, so I’m having to go a little further afield and am happy to mail goods to the shop if it’s the right kind and in the right location. One shop is 1/2 hour away, another, that I’m going to try next year is an hour away and my most recent new venture is way over in Blackpool (it’s very new on the cards) - that sparked from a customer purchse.
I sell quite a lot in the £50 and above bracket .
I find it really important to have things in all price brackets. People will collect my earrings for a while (usually around £35 mark) whilst lusting after a big something, then when they have saved or have a reason like a birthday or wedding anniversary they will splurge or be treated.
I made a conscious decision to make some more expensive items this year ( as I have some costly craft fairs booked) , items in the £120 -£250 + bracket, and have been amazed at how popular they have been.
They sell through Galleries , craft fairs and on line ( although I have found I sell higher ticket items more easily on the other side)
Hi Sasha, yes we do have open studios but I work from home and hubby wouldn’t be happy with strangers coming here as he works from home a lot too.
I know some artists who did it last year and to me it didn’t seem very successful as wasn’t advertised at all. If I had local fans then it would be a consideration, but that’s where I get stuck, the fan base bit!
I sell items above £50. The main battle isn’t the price but getting your shop seen in the first place - and that takes time and effort. Personally I find that time spent on Twitter always leads to a huge upturn in views. Good luck - I love Ophelia the duck by the way
I sell some items above £50, but most sell through personal contacts, even some friends too. I think the highest priced item I sold in the last year or so was about £250, an acrylic print of one of my designs.
In theory, if the right customer came along, I could blow up some of my images to the size of my house external wall, and the price would be considerable, but would have to outsource the large printing at that size !
Had one chap came back several times to purchase some photo-artwork prints of apples, that I had worked on for some time. He asked for one to have a slight colour change in the shadows, to match another print he had some time ago, and I was able to do exactly as he asked, so he keeps coming back for prints and cards.
I have been known to electronically airbrush clouds into large prints for customers. It can take hours to do, but it’s all about giving a very personal service. Network if you can, and speak to as many people in person, about what you do.
Hi - the first thing I ever sold on Folksy was a lovely abstract for £99. I was overjoyed but since then its been some prints but mostly cards. I am concentrating more on face to face and wholesale now, but also want to look at the Open Studios events. Maybe if your husband took a day off work, and was there to help you host, he might enjoy it a bit more? Or better still, take him to the next one that’s run locally, so he gets an idea of what is involved and how others manage things.
Almost all of my listed items range from £40 to £60 pounds and depending on the complexity of the design can take a from a few days to a couple of weeks to make. I often am asked to include personal mementoes in my art so the design aspect can be very time consuming. I love doing what I do so I don’t mind.
I don’t really sell here but use it as a portfolio so that those considering offering me a commission can see the body of my work (although I am not adverse to selling my ready to ship items) and can take commissions here too. These are most often in the £200-500 range. I also sell through local galleries and this has proven to be most lucrative.
Most of my business comes from Facebook and word of mouth. I don’t have a shop on Facebook as I absolutely hate it but I do post and share with a number of terrific and supportive groups there. I am also a member of the CMA which gives me visibility and provides me with ongoing inspiration and education.
I don’t think there is a shortcut to success. I believe that marketing, an innovative product and superb customer service is integral. I realise that most artists are not business people but the most successful ones have learned at least the basics and use this knowledge to their benefit.
