by Carolyn Edlund
Fourth quarter is the perfect time for artists to supercharge marketing, sales and planning. Here’s your checklist.
Create a Marketing Calendar
This is your set-in-stone plan to maximize your marketing efforts during this important selling period. It takes 5-12 “touches” to close the average sale, so you must be persistent. Your calendar may include social post schedules, email sends, direct mail (think postcards or notecards) and even press outreach. Double your efforts to make those holiday sales, then make sure you continue to create and implement marketing calendars into the new year.
Get ready for retail
Plan carefully to ensure you have sufficient inventory of your work for holiday retail shows and orders. Track your sell-through, know what you need, and stock up on bestsellers so you don’t miss out on those last-minute sales. Make sure your show booth will look spectacular, designed to appeal to shoppers and increase the value of your work.
Set the tone for in-person sales
It’s not uncommon to get a bit burned out with the fast pace of doing shows going into the holiday season. But since booth fees aren’t cheap, and you are paying for every hour the show is open, you should be mentally ready to maximize your opportunities. Stay focused and positive, engaging with booth visitors and being fully present during show hours. Avoid self-destructive behaviors at retail events that can lose sales.
Plan an open studio event
Open studios are an excellent way to invite the public into your creative space to share your artwork and hospitality. Serve refreshments, gather email addresses, and identify warm prospects to follow up with. This is a good time to perfect your presentation, focusing on chatting with visitors and noting what connects, and what isn’t working. For tips on planning and executing a successful open studio, check out this guest article.
Cross-promote with artist partners
Partner with another artist who has a similar audience but does not compete with you. This type of strategic alliance can be very powerful. Share a show booth. Link to each other’s websites in your emals. Recommend your partner as they recommend you, doubling your audience of potential customes. These referrals can be retail gold.
Plan holiday email campaigns
Do you have an email list and do you reach out to them on a regular basis? Make sure you are collecting email addresses at shows, by networking and also through your website email opt-in form. Regular email campaigns can be sent monthly, to stay in front of potential collectors.
Fourth quarter holiday sales require a different approach, with a series of emails sent during the sales period to maximize exposure and incentive to buy. You may plan a 1-2-3-4 approach with daily emails throughout the Black Friday weekend, or ongoing reminders of events where shoppers can see you in person.
Contact your galleries and wholesale customers.
Act as a partner with retailers that represent you (such as galleries or wholesale buyers.) Make phone calls to see if you can ship any fill-in orders to your retail stores before it’s too late. Retailers may see inventory sold down and take a few more pieces before the end of the year. Don’t miss out on these by being invisible to them.
Follow up
Fourth quarter is the perfect time to contact everyone who has purchased from you or been a prospect in the past year. Social media posts, individual emails, invitations via direct mail and even personal phone calls can help you close sales you wouldn’t otherwise make. This is the time of year when people are spending. Don’t run out of gas. Instead, end the year with a big push!
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