Spring cleaning your art business.
It’s officially spring in Australia, and with it comes spring cleaning. But instead of dusting off the cobwebs in your home, let’s dust off the cobwebs of the neglected areas of your art business. The out-dated information on your website; art marketplaces that haven’t led to any sales; your social media profile; your emails; and of course, your studio space.
Website spring clean.
Your website is one of the first places someone goes when they discover your work. It should give visitors a clear, current picture of you, your art, and how they can connect with you. But websites tend to accumulate information as they evolve, and some information is doing more harm than good.
What to review.
Exhibition announcements. Shift ones that are outdated to an archive of past exhibitions.
Your biography. Does it reflect your current practice and direction?
Artwork listings. Remove sold works or relocate to a different area if significant to your portfolio.
Services. Are you still offering what’s listed on your website?
Contact details. Are these correct?
Website links. Check every page, button and link for anything broken.
Page engagement. What pages are visitors to your website engaging with most? This will help dictate what people want and where to focus your energy.
Art marketplace spring clean.
Art marketplaces can be great to reach new audiences and sell your work. But are they doing either?
What to review.
How many pieces have you sold through each marketplace?
How much traffic has it gained?
How much traffic has it driven to your own website?
Does the audience align with the buyer you want to reach?
Has the platform pushed my artwork?
Social media spring clean.
Your social media profile/s are a key part of your business. People can discover and connect with you, follow your journey. But what are they discovering and connecting with? Are they connecting at all?
What to review (Instagram-specific).
Your bio. Are the links all working correctly? Is what you’ve listed in your bio still accurate and relevant?
Linktree. Remove what’s no longer relevant. Could it be simplified from ten links to three? Are they in order of importance?
Your profile picture. Does it still feel right? Is it an old portrait that could do with a refresh?
Your pinned posts. Are these still important to you and your business?
What type of content is getting high engagement? What type of content is getting low engagement? Focus on the high, less on the low.
Do your social posts align to your values and your work?
How often are you posting on social media? Do you need to dial up or down?
Are your followers gradually increasing? Are you sending traffic to your website?
Gallery spring clean.
Galleries, stores, cafes. Wherever you’re physically showcasing your art. You are not tied to a gallery forever. If a relationship isn’t working, perhaps it’s time to explore a new one.
What to review.
Which ones align to your current values and artistic direction?
Which ones are actively supporting your work?
Which ones have a customer base that aligns with your target customer?
Are there opportunities to discuss a future exhibition?
Do processes need to be clearer?
Which ones have you sold pieces through?
Which ones have you gained new customers through?
Email spring clean.
Emails are a powerful 1:1 channel. People have chosen to be sent emails directly from you, but are you making the most of it? Are you sending emails that are useful for subscribers and get engagement? Is your audience list growing or declining?
What to review.
Have you got automated emails for new subscribers? A welcome email, an abandoned cart email.
Are your email templates on brand and feel aligned to your work currently?
Do the links in the emails work?
How many new subscribers have you gotten over what timeframe?
Have you lost any subscribers?
What is your email engagement like? Open rates, click-through rates?
What was the most successful email/content?
Studio spring clean.
This is where the magic happens. Your studio should support your practice, enabling you to work efficiently and enjoyably.
What to review.
Does your studio foster inspiration or does it need refreshing?
Is it easy for you to find the tools you need to create in the moment? Or do things need reorganising?
Are you comfortable shooting content with it in the state it is, or does it need zhuzhing?
Is your lighting and surfaces still suitable?
Could anything be removed or added?
Need help with your art business spring clean? Contact Palette Peach Blossom here.