You have a product that you have designed by hand and your talents in the field of arts and crafts have received praise from your friends and family. It may be an oil painting or a wooden sculpture of an animal which you have painstakingly created. Maybe your intention is to sell it and others like it. Your only problem is that although you have drawn acclaim for your work locally, you want to promote it to a larger customer base. Luckily there are various techniques for accomplishing this.
First of all, it is a good idea to show that you are capable of variety. Creating distinct pieces of art will demonstrate originality to potential customers, but also show that your abilities are not restricted to one area. The variety could be the subject of the piece or the medium itself. For example, you may have produced some watercolour paintings of natural landscapes, so perhaps create some others with an emphasis on architecture or the human form. If you forge mostly metal sculptures, then consider constructing some from wood or plastic with different themes.
Taking lots of good quality photographs of your work from many different angles is a prudent measure. If you feel that you are unable to for whatever reason, consider enlisting the assistance of an experienced photographer. This will complement your work and its quality and demonstrate your proficiency wherever these photographs are shown.
Using the photographs you have acquired, compose a small booklet of your work, complete with information on the pieces: the titles, dimensions, prices and the medium. If you travel around a lot visiting art galleries and craft fairs, make sure you have a few of the booklets handy along with some business cards. Due to the social nature of these places, you may end up attracting new customers, resulting in a potential increase in sales or even an exhibition.
It is essential to have a good working website with an up-to-date portfolio of your work, including plenty of photographs and a concise and informative biography. A well-composed page about your background and experience and how you came to form your business can be a key factor when it comes to a customer purchase. Consider setting up a dedicated email address for the business which matches the name of the website. Contact information should be placed considerately, so customers can contact you with inquiries easily.
Making your business known on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest is probably the best way to generate a buzz around a large amount of people. Join arts and crafts groups online and spread word of your business on art directories. Again, post photographs, be descriptive and promote the name of your business. Attach relevant tags and share these posts around, linking them all back to your website.
When you are adding content to your website and social media profiles, it is best to hold some of it in reserve. Not showing people all your work at once will allow you to add new posts in the future. This will give the impression that you are active, creating new and exciting pieces on a regular basis. An added advantage of this is that you will have time to spare on other aspects of your business.
As your work begins to gain in popularity, you may have people contacting you with requests for a piece of artwork with their specifications. Being prepared for this and anticipating demand is all part of it. For example, you may be given a deadline by a customer seeking an item for someone’s birthday or other celebrations. Ensure that you have all the materials needed and have taken costs into consideration when pricing. This will make the task less stressful and more straightforward.
These may be some of the most effective approaches for developing a small arts and crafts business. However, the success you are looking for with your work depends very much on you, your confidence in it and how well you can handle its promotion. A combination of these assets and the preceding tips will almost certainly reward you with a favourable outcome.