Marketing for creatives

So what is marketing for creatives?

Looking for pictures to illustrate this post, I did a search using the word ‘marketing’ in several photo libraries. All of them presented me with page after page of men in suits; of graphs, spreadsheets and computer screens; and a token sprinkling of women in the corporate uniform of skirt suit, shirt and heels. 

It’s no wonder that most creatives see marketing as something alien, nothing at all to do with us.

And yet.. I’ve never met a successful creative who doesn’t do some sort of regular marketing. This doesn’t have to mean graphs and spreadsheets. And it doesn’t involve a business suit. But it might mean learning new skills, doing things that feel uncomfortable at first, putting yourself and your work out there more.

It’s worth it. In fact, it’s the only way to make your work pay.

Redefiniung marketing for creatives

I’m going to offer some new definitions here, more fitting for creative work. Think of it less as marketing, selling, pushing, hustling.

Marketing for creatives is about connecting. Sharing. Explaining. Offering. 

It’s about building lasting relationships with your audience; with your clients. With the agents, managers and gate-keepers who might book you, employ you, or otherwise offer work. And with the retailers or galleries who might stock your work.

It’s less about being needy and money-grabbing, more about loving what you make or offer and wanting to share that with people who might also love it.

You’re not screaming, “Buy my stuff!” at random strangers. Instead you’re issuing an invitation to your tribe, your audience, to the people you want to work with: “I made this for you. Would you like to know more?”

It’s all about being creative and authentic, open and generous. Finding, then communicating with people who are aligned with what you do, and interested in finding out more.

There. Doesn’t that feel better already?

How you do your marketing is up to you.

There are no one-size-fits all solutions here. It’s about running experiments, finding what works for you, your communication style, your strengths, your work, your ideal customer, your audience.

• Research your ideal client, get to know your audience, the language they use, the challenges they face. Find out what they want or need from you, how you can satisfy, delight – and sometimes surprise them.
• Read about some of the limiting beliefs many of us have around marketing and selling our work, and decide not to be restricted by them. You can choose to believe that marketing could be fun for you, and effective. Then act accordingly.
• Learn to tell your own story well, to explain what service you’re offering and how it can help; or show your process and explain what’s unique and wonderful about the work you make.
• Be brave! Find out how to become more visible. Show your work more, listen to feedback, find new outlets, stockists, clients, venues, publications.
• Remember you don’t have to create lots of content from scratch. Use your creative assets, your past work. And keep promoting it, too.
• Communicate directly with your audience or your customers, staying in touch regularly and building a relationship with them so they become real fans.
• Get comfortable pricing your work or your services, making clear offers so that people can buy it, work with you, support you.

This might involve stepping way out of your comfort zone, at times. But this is a life-long process, not a one-time push, so it’s worth developing the skills you need, exploring and discovering what works. Then making small, incremental improvements over time.

If you’re not spending at least 20% of your time, permanently, on some sort of marketing or outreach, you’ll find it hard to move forward.

Marketing for creatives: some pointers

Have a clear goal in mind

Need to bring in income quickly? Then your immediate focus shouldn’t be on growing your Instagram following, or building a beautiful new website.

Instead, you probably want to approach potential new clients/venues/retailers personally. You might send out pitches and proposals. Get in touch with past clients/contacts to see if they need your services (or if they know anyone else who does). Or post to your small Instagram following or on your shabby old website with a special, time-limited offer to bring work in quickly.

Want build an audience for something you’re putting out in 6-12 months’ time? Share interesting and relevant content now on social media and on your website. Collect email addresses, and start a regular newsletter, connecting and building a relationship with the audience you’re aiming for, and building excitement for your launch.

Already have a product or service, but don’t have an audience of your own for it? Invest some time in learning how to target Facebook ads at your ideal customer or audience, and build from there.

Or find people/organisations with an audience that would enjoy what you do or find it useful – then find a way to partner with them. You could offer to write a guest post for their blog, or guest on their podcast. (Tip: make this about what their audience wants/needs, not what you want/need). You might send your product to an influencer, or support a bigger act in their live shows.

Start with where you want to be, what you want to achieve. Then work backwards and see what’s the most efficient way to get there. 

The easy way is often the best way

When I started out as a coach, I tried to do all the marketing activities I could think of. And the more I read and researched online, the more ads were pushed into my feed offering new ways to get more clients, build an audience, and earn five, six, even seven-figure sums.

I took myself to the brink of breakdown trying to learn new tech skills and make a perfect website. I tried to write weekly blog posts even though I didn’t really know who my audience was, or what they wanted to know. And I posted random content on social media, without any strategic goal except to somehow build a following.

It was exhausting and overwhelming.

Unsurprisingly, it didn’t attract the clients I wanted, either. 

My own coach was bewildered by this. “Why aren’t you approaching the people you know already?” he asked.

There was no simple answer to that. I was embarrassed, unsure. Scared of rejection. But mainly: it just hadn’t occurred to me that after a long career in journalism, I already knew people who were my ideal coaching clients. 

So I met with the people I already knew.

I talked to friends who were literary agents and band managers, to record label heads and PRs, to people I knew from the art world, fashion, film and TV.

Some of them didn’t get it. Others immediately booked me, or recommended me to exactly the kind of interesting creatives I wanted to work with. 

It gave me breathing space, to gradually work on the other things too. The website still isn’t perfect, but it’s a lot better. You’re reading one of the posts.

As for social media, I’m not sure it’s right for me. I did a three-month experiment to see what happened if I was more committed. I didn’t enjoy it.

You can’t do everything

Posting on every social media channel. Designing a website. Launching a shop on an online marketplace. Starting a YouTube channel. Networking. Giiving talks. Writing an e-book. Starting a newsletter. Launching a podcast. Pitching ideas. Approaching new retail outlets. Rebranding. Creating merchandise… all of these are efficient ways of marketing for creatives, and great things to do. 

But you can’t do all of them. And you certainly shouldn’t try to start too many at once. Concentrate on no more than two or three marketing activities at a time. Or even just one, if you’re feeling overwhelmed and unsure.  

Some of them will be experiments, to see what works for you. When you do have something that’s gets you the result you want, systemise it. Make it as easy to do as possible. Automate it or delegate it, if you can.

Make it a regular part of your work routine. Then look at your goals again, and try something new. 

Make offers consistently

If you’re sharing your work on social media, make sure at least one in every four posts tells people how and where they can buy that work – and how much it costs.

If you’re providing a service, regularly direct people towards your prices and packages. Make it clear how people can buy your work, how they can book you, stock you or otherwise support you.

Yes, this will annoy some people. Each time, you’ll lose a few followers or subscribers. But they were never going to buy from you, anyway. They just weren’t your people. 

Don’t be afraid to ask

Ask happy customers for testimonials and referrals. Reach out to existing clients and let them know if you are ready to take on more work. 

As a freelance journalist, I often sent out emails that simply said: “Due a story being postponed, I’m available this month. So if you have any last-minute features, I’d be happy to turn copy round quickly.”

If I sent that to 10 editors I’d worked with previously, it almost always led to work. 

I’ve also been on the other side as an editor, wondering who I could get to do an interview that had been offered at short notice. At such times, an email like this from one of my reliable contributors felt like a gift.

Connect, connect, connect

Stay in touch with old clients and customers. If you have an agent, a manager, a gallery, retail outlets, see them as partners. Don’t be passive and wait for them to get you the sales, the work. Check in regularly, see if there’s anything they need from you.

Send out regular newsletters to your audience. Not a writer? Send photos, make videos (they don’t have to be slickly produced; a recording on your smartphone is fine). Find every way you can of connecting and serving them.

You’re building lasting relationships here, not going for the quick one-off sale. Be generous, open, giving. And find ways of doing this that are fun for you, that feel authentic and real. That’s how we get fans and customers that come back, again and again. And how we build a career and an income for life, making the work we love.