An Artist’s Success Blueprint

Let’s start with the basics – are you currently marketing and working to bring exposure to your work?

If so, congratulations.

If not, let’s get you started.

But, before you launch a PR, social media or marketing campaign, you want to make sure that you’ve outlined your objectives and thoroughly mined your stories. 

When it comes to PR and marketing brainstorming can be your most effective approach.  Make it a type of no-holds-barred, freeform, downhill-skiing approach.

If you’re working with a PR consultant make this a team effort.  If not, grab some trusted friends or associates and still make it a team effort.

You want people you can bounce ideas off.  You want feedback, plus you want energy. 

Make it a game, but one with a purpose.

Get excited.  Excitement is infectious.

Now develop three lists:

1. On your first list, cover your objectives, outline what you want to achieve with your art and in your career.  Write down your obvious goals, but then branch out.  What else do you want to achieve? 
2. In your second list write out the various ways you can build a bridge between you, your art and the public.  For example, exhibits, pop up shows, gallery shows, events, brochures, flyers, ads, events with other writers, PR, social media…  You get the idea.  Get creative, even if some of the ideas sound silly, write them down.  You never know. 
3. Since PR is on your second list, (if it’s not, go back and add it), this third list is going to be a list of story ideas you can pitch to the media.  This is the fun part.  This will be a list of stories, and pitches that you can present to TV magazines, newspapers, print publications, radio, online publications, blogs and whatever else you can think of. 

Start with the obvious and drill down.  Get a bit crazy.  Think out of the box. 

You’re an artist – be creative. 

Remember you don’t have to use all of these stories, or ideas, but the deeper you drill down, the better the chances of finding a great story, so let the ideas fly. 

These can be stories about your art, your journey as an artist, a personal experience that relates to your art, an exhibit, a new gallery show, an event, a unique point of view – keep drilling. 

From experience, I can tell you that you never know which one of those stories might lead to some major media coverage. 

Now combine those lists into a unified action plan that includes, your goals and objective, your various marketing approaches and your stories. 

Through your brainstorming you’ve created your blueprint, a unique success blueprint that is yours alone. 

Now turn that blueprint into an action plan.

And act!