How to traditionally advertise myself and get to known collectors?

[ElsaGarcia]

A lot of friends have tried using social media to promote themselves but they only seem to get professional and hobby artists to follow their accounts with no one buying anything.

I want to try a different way and use more traditional advertising ways but I know that handing a bunch of panflets probably wouldn’t work because advertising art is really different from advertising a small restaurant where office workers can order breakfast from.

Do you have any tips?

 

[Bongo]

Have you seen any traditional advertising for art?? Go look for it. Then copy it. The only traditional advertising I've seen for art is in art magazines. Outside of art magazines I don't think you'll find any.

 

[stevenD]

I have been trying for a year to get Art Galleries interested in showing my work, that may be the most "traditional" way.

I participated in several Exhibitions, that did not lead anywhere, except for meeting some great Artists!

You can join CaFe and search for Exhibitions, but be forewarned, many. most of these seem to center around a Gallery collecting $50 bucks from a thousand Artists and then sending you a "Dear John" email telling you you didn't make the cut!

I just launched my own website and have links to Social Media, seems like the "traditional" way of the future..

Cheers

 

[Artyczar]

Collecting some kind of mailing list has been key for me. I mean both emails and physical addresses. Over the years, as my list grew, I've sent out promotional ephemera, newsletters with images, and occasional sales on specific pieces. I've also sent them to galleries. This would not be the same thing as sending a portfolio or submitting to galleries to get their interest. It was mainly to get my name out there.

Remember, it's not about the number of names on your mailing list; it's about the quality. (Quality over quantity!) You don't need 100 collectors or even thousands of Instagram followers. You just need one or two key people who love your work and want to support you. Over time, things grow into better and better things. It's not a race, but it's about consistently promoting to your people. Not too much though. Just keep people in the loop with what's happening with you and your art. That might mean doing group shows for a while and promoting those, updating your website with new work, meeting with other artists at gallery shows, viewing what galleries show what types of work (getting to know your local art scene), sending out newsletters or starting a blog, participating a little bit on social media (but not so much you have no time to be an artist), and observing who's buying art and striking up conversations with them.

I am by no means a social animal. Quite the opposite. If it weren't for other artists and the internet/email, I would not be in a good place in this world.