Everyone has a personal brand whether they know it or not, artists included.
In simple terms your brand is what impression you give people, it is a timeless concept. As an artist, your brand essence is a blend of your artwork, your attitude, your story and your goals.
Many artists don’t realise ‘you’ are your brand. There are many benefits of managing your personal artist brand, including and not limited to:
- Charging a premium price for your artwork
- Being invited to more exclusive exhibitions
- Opportunities to sell on prestigious online websites, galleries or publishers
- Building a loyal long-term fan/collector base
How to Create and Manage your Brand
Your personal brand has several key parts attached to it. This gets translated into your website, social media, proposals, and in-person networking. In order to create and manage your brand, there are 4 simple steps to follow:
- Discover your story: Take some time to think about your brand essence. This is a combination of values, personal mission and unique attributes. Start by asking yourself “What do I want to be known for? Why am I an artist? What is my motivation?”. Then, write your story so that you can position yourself in the marketplace. If you need to, ask someone to help you copyright your story.
- Create: Your personal branding toolkit will need to present a consistent image both online and offline. Successful artists’ brands have a clear style identity:
- Language…think of the tone and your choice of words. Also, how do you present your brand name? Some artists add keywords in their title to differentiate themselves if they have a common name i.e. Joe Bloggs Art, Artist, Sculptor, Studio, etc.
- Photography of your artwork and you. Use strong, clear images.
- Typography (Business Cards, Leaflets, Artwork certificates, Email signature) etc. Use a consistent choice of font style, colour and layout
- Social media profiles
- Website
- Communicate: Whenever you communicate, your brand will be the impression that you leave. So, whether that is via your website, attendance at exhibitions and events, interviews for magazines and media sites, commenting on blogs, connecting with people on social networks, and reaching out to the press. Be authentic, be consistent and shine!
- Maintain: As you develop, mature and accelerate in your art career. Everything you have created should be reviewed to ensure that it precisely represents the current “brand you”. Some artists monitor their brand online to ensure all references are accurate and positive. This can be done by using a combination of tools, including a Google Alert for your name or artwork.
Final thoughts in Personal Branding…“Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken” – Oscar Wilde.
By Shirley-Ann O’Neil