Getting Discovered as an Artist: Tips and Strategies
For many creative professionals, getting discovered is the key to unlocking success. Whether you’re a musician, writer, artist, or designer, having an audience that appreciates your work can be essential in achieving success. Many creatives don’t know how to get their work seen and appreciated, so Steel Jackdaw has prepared some tips to help you get discovered and advance in the creative field.
Remember that It’s Your Business to Create
For an artist to gain visibility and recognition in the art world, creating quality work is essential. This means producing artwork on a regular basis but also refining a particular style and mastering various techniques. Fortunately, there are many forms and mediums that you can explore. Quality work is often rewarded with opportunities to showcase projects in galleries or online platforms. Consistently creating great work can help elevate your artist's profile, opening up possibilities and increasing your chances of being discovered.
Put Yourself Out There
Knowing and understanding your target audience is key to a successful marketing strategy. Creating content that resonates with a specific group of fans can help an artist reach more people and get discovered faster. The helpful information from Cornerstone Content can help you to learn more tips and techniques for marketing your content, including creating a content strategy and implementing SEO strategies.
You should consider which platforms to use to market your work, as well as how often you should post on these platforms to maximize visibility. Taking advantage of innovative technologies, such as live streaming, can also benefit your outreach efforts. By focusing on delivering quality content, you can create a successful marketing strategy and reach wider audiences.
Build a Fan Base
It's important for artists to build relationships with their current audience, as well as reach out to potential new fans or followers. Take time to interact with viewers by responding to comments, sharing behind-the-scenes stories of your process, updating them on upcoming projects, and simply just engaging in casual conversation whenever possible. Creating meaningful relationships with fans early on can create a loyal following.
Get Involved in Your Artist Community
Networking is a powerful tool for artists looking to increase their visibility. Establishing connections in the industry can open up new opportunities, leading to more exposure and potential success. Building relationships with industry professionals like producers, photographers, and art gallery curators is key to staying top of mind and establishing longevity in the business.
Building relationships with influencers and art enthusiasts can help to spread the word about your work, reaching more audiences and potentially drawing in new fans. Joining communities of like-minded people can also provide useful insights into trends and help you stay ahead of the game.
Find Opportunities to Collaborate
By working with other creatives, you can gain more exposure for your work and find new opportunities for success. Collaboration allows you to amplify your reach, meaning more potential fans and followers are likely to discover your craft. By teaming up with other talented people in the industry, you can increase their chances of being seen and heard by larger audiences.
Apply for Artist Grants
Applying for artist grants can be a significant step in furthering your creative work. These grants provide financial support, allowing artists to focus more on their craft and less on financial hardship. The application process often involves finding the right grants that align with your artistic goals, submitting a well-prepared application, and possibly presenting your work to a panel.
It's important to note that your finances may be scrutinized during this process. Grant organizations often want to ensure their funds are allocated responsibly. Therefore, reviewing your credit report and being prepared to provide financial statements can be crucial. Remember, applying for grants can be competitive, and the process may take time, so patience and persistence are key.
Keep Developing Your Skills
Developing better skills is essential for attracting attention in any creative field. You should take time each week or month to practice and hone your craft, whether it's songwriting, acting, painting, or writing. By continually improving upon an existing skillset, you ensure that everything you create is of high quality, which is an important foundation for attaining success as a creative professional.
Take Classes to Better Understand Business Practices
You are amazing and talented, and you know your art. But do you know how to manage a business that supports your art? If the answer is ‘no’ or ‘I’m not sure,’ then you may want to dedicate some energy to learning more about practices that make businesses successful.
You can choose to use a bachelor's degree in business to give you a leg up in the industry by learning about marketing, management, finance, and even data analytics. When you are most intentional and strategic about each aspect of your business, you can spend less time on those practices and more time on your art.
Set Yourself Up for Success
Once you have been discovered and your music or artwork is getting attention, you can start to build your business by curating a portfolio.
It's also important for artists to take care of behind-the-scenes details like registering as an LLC to protect personal assets and take advantage of any tax breaks. While an attorney can help with a business formation, artists who are just breaking even can save money when they use a formation service.
Implement Practices to Make Your Art a Sensation
For artists, gaining recognition and visibility is a huge undertaking, but there are a number of strategies and tools to help you get discovered. By creating a digital portfolio for your business, building an online presence with content marketing, connecting with other creatives, attending events and conferences, and applying for grants, you have more control over your destiny than ever before!
Steel Jackdaw supports artists by publishing a wide range of art forms on a regular basis. Consider submitting your work to us for our next edition!
Article by Nicola Reid
Photo Credit: Earl Wilcox via Unsplash
