To launch a successful career as an artist, PR is essential. Art objects are everywhere, in parks, in trading centers, and in exhibitions at galleries. PR efforts for them would present them to the target audience and present them in the best way possible. PR is an effective tool that artists can use to increase awareness about their work. It can connect artwork with a wider media outreach.
How artists can benefit from PR
PR can secure interviews and speaking engagements for artists. There are a lot of artists competing for attention and PR efforts can help artists find audiences. Artists can get written about in publications which can help to gain more footfall to galleries. Media coverage can also help to increase sales of artwork. It can also raise the visibility of an artist. PR efforts can let people know about new projects and new exhibitions. Given below are some effective PR strategies for artists.
Create press releases
Press releases inform the media about changes and newsworthy events associated with an artist’s projects. The press release should also ideally include wide-angle photos of the venue to show the scale of the display. It should be concise and include the most important information. Once a press release has been created, it can be distributed to media outlets and put on the website of the artist.
Social media promotion
Social media platforms allow artists to connect with potential customers. Different demographics prefer different social media platforms. It is important to understand the ideal customer for the artist and develop social media presence accordingly. Users of different social media platforms normally prefer visuals to words. For instance, to announce new exhibits, posts can be shared online with an image, link and text. Using hashtags on posts will also attract an audience to a post. Responding to people who like or comment on artwork on social media can also build an audience base.
PR pitch emails
A successful PR pitch email is all about brevity. Instead of devoting paragraphs on artwork, it is better to be brief. The pitch should contain details about artwork such as date, subject, and location. It should also have links to the artist’s website and social media. An explicit request for coverage will also be helpful. If there are no responses within a couple of days there should be a follow-up email. Rejection should not be taken personally. If it happens, it could probably be because a particular type of artwork is not the right fit for a publication.
Collaborations
Solitude is required for creativity and most artists prefer to work on their projects alone. Collaborations help artists to exchange and advance ideas. Collaboration is useful as many products develop out of the exchange. Some collaborations have brands using pre-existing artwork for products. The collaboration between an artist and a brand can be highlighted in blogs and on social media platforms. For instance, the artist Yoshitomo Nara lends his illustrations to the genderless capsule line designed by Stella McCartney.