It is far easier to interest a previous customer in your art piece than trying to interest a new person!  After all, they have already proven that they like what you create! They are far more likely to purchase again, and with far less effort than marketing to a new prospect.  In fact the marketing mantra is that it is 5 times easier to market to old clients than new ones.

So what is the best way?  You need to stay in regular touch either via email or snail mail!  At the very least, you need to send correspondence out at least 4 times a year to your past clients.  Send Seasons Greetings cards in late November.  There is a marketing reason why you receive birthday cards from your dentist and insurance agent!

There are a number of  newsletter sites that make it easier for you to send professional looking newsletters. We use Streamsend to send our newsletters. These newsletter format give you the ability to be creative with your newsletter and also make things automatic. Your email subscribers can unsubscribe, share or contact you via the newsletters.

Our newsletters go out once a month to both our interested prospects as well as those clients who are good customers.  Occasionally we will let two months slip past.  We do not want to overdue the news and we include items of interest such as a funny video, fun trivia, what’s new, etc. and try not to put too much of “me, me, me” in them!

Be aware that  more people than you might suspect do not have email.  There are also those who simply do not want any more email.  To these   people, we send out 4 x 6 postcards.  We found that postcards were far more cost effective than letters that the client had to open (and might not)!

Steve has a list of client/collectors to whom he sent emails offering them the opportunity to be the first to be able to see and buy his newest offerings before he posts them on the website. It’s a great way to make your buyer feel valued and special!

So treasure those clients who have bought from you in the past! Do not lose touch with them. Sending something via the US Post Office twice a year insures that if they move, you still have their forwarding address. Once a year is not enough. Make a point of sending out Post Cards to those  in clients in January and July!

You simply never know when your client will purchase again. However, in these economic times when sales may not be as forthcoming as they were in the pas tand suddenly every seller in every market  is offering personal services that they did not bother with in the past, YOU need to stay super attentive to that client gold mine!

Most artists have fallen victim to the 20th century adversion to “selling one’s art” .   But the  expansion of the Internet, ease of accessibility, moderate pricing and a new generation of users (who can use a computer from the cradle) has added a new dimension and opened endless possibilities to the 21st century artist!

So why is there still such a hesitancy among many artists in regards to the words “selling or marketing?” It takes as much effort to sell trash as it does treasure!

Below is an excerpt from another Board that I peruse and I loved it!

I read a brilliant quote / analogy to the artist vs salesman aspect of life.. And it is something that I see in websites every day..

That little bit brought a lot of life in to focus for me.. Many people say that Rachel Rae can’t cook, yet she can “sell” what she does.. Always strive to be the best you can be at what you do, for me it’s jewelry, but never forget that you still have to “sell” to be successful..

For some artists such as Thomas Kincaid, (an example of brilliant marketing to the masses), a professional marketer took the artist by the hand.  For other artists, it may be the use of an Art Gallery. For others still, a concentrated effort on word of mouth.

Regardless of HOW you decide to sell your art product, your website needs to be more than a brochure. It needs to have art that can be purchased online in some format.  Take the time to visit merchant accounts online and learn how to offer this to your clients.  We like to use Paypal and the merchant store format that goes along with it!