Branding Yourself
What does branding mean exactly?
Your brand is like a signature for what you push forward in the world, what you are known for. When you do it well, you will be know do do something above any other competitor. As an individual artist it may seem unlikely that you can establish a brand like large companies do but it is no less important if you want to gain customers. You must create a brand of your own.
You may think that telling the world who you are is good enough. But in my experience, it doesn't attract customers unless you focus on the customer need you can fulfill.
Putting yourself in your brand
Is there something unique or otherwise notable about your artwork? Companies that focus on their branding constantly reinforce public awareness of their brands to achieve long-lasting recognition. Your own brand should encompass something unique about your art, or about you. Make a list of how your art differs from another artist and build on marketing it so that potential customers learn to recognize your style.
In the art world Thomas Kinkade uses the brand “Painter of Light” as his defining statement. His brand explains him and his art in a short, powerful sentence—and because of he’s so well branded, everyone knows who he is!
When we think of brands, we often think of just an image but that’s actually not the case. While most of us are familiar with the Taco “Bell” or the Nike Swoosh, good branding is usually more of a catch phrase that states a purpose or reason for being (like Kinkade’s brand) rather than a logo.
How to create a strong brand
To create an effective brand you must first understand the type of customer you have or wish to have. Refine your brand to as simple an item or phrase as possible, and third, you have to promote your brand constantly.
1. Define your key core competency.
Take some time, sit down and really apply yourself to defining the single best thing that you do. Many artists are generalists. You may be a painter but also involved in sculpture, graphic design, or illustration. Focus on the mediums that compliment each other or choose one you want to market.
2. Create a key phrase built around your core competency
Just like any artist, you need an artist statement. You need a venue to put forth your statement. You can use social media pages, a web page, a blog or a variety of means. I found myself always saying, "Let me show you how" so it was a natural key phrase for my paint party business.
3. Draft a symbol or logo to reinforce the message visually
Sometimes having a symbol or visual identity to go along with your branding statement can be very effective. . . but it isn’t always necessary. However, if you feel the need for a logo to reinforce your key statement, then create one. It doesn't always have to be an image. Norman Rockwell used his signature as a logo. My logo has evolved over the years depending on what I am doing. I like to reacreate myself from time to time and freshen up the logo. I am using an easel with a paintbrush with that key phrase of "Let Me Show You How" under it.
Effectively promoting your brand
Large companies with deep-pockets can launch massive campaigns utilizing every form of media. That is not realistic for most artists. Once you have decided what you do well and thought of a brand, it is time to think about how you will get it out there. In today's world, social media is not only a cost effective way to market yourself but a very effective one. Visual artists in particular have embraced social media. It would stand to reason that it would be the place to be seen by customers and peers. If you have an online presence, make it relative and current. Post often so people wonder what comes next. Use hashtags and tag people in the photos. It will help your "search engine optimization" and bring your brand to the top of searches.
Put your brand on everything you create. If you send e-mails, use your brand phrase or statement below your signature line. If you produce postcards or flyers, place the statement prominently. Also, don’t forget to put your brand on your website and business cards. If you are a visual artist, you may want to put one of your artworks on your card.
Ideally you’ll have a well-balanced mix of online and offline promotion, and through repeated use you will begin to forge an identity based upon your defining statement. You may even become “one” with the brand, like Nike has with “Just Do It.” You know when this “oneness” is achieved by the fact that people know instantly who you are when your symbol is displayed or your phrase is written or spoken.
Respect Your Art
If this is what you have chosen to do for a career, show it some respect. If your Facebook page is directed toward clients, keep it clean and think of it as advertising. Create another individual page if you must fly your freak flag. Work is work or it would be called something else. Connect with other artists that you respect and set yourself apart from those that just want to hang out and hope someone walks through the door. It is in your control to get someone to walk through that door for you and your art.