Over the last few months, I have been working hard on my new art show, “Little Pink Houses,” which opened this past weekend. The opening was wildly successful and I sold 80% of the paintings in the show by the end of the night. I have had many art shows, but this is the first one that has brought in so many people and that led to so many sales.
There is no need to ask why. It is simply because I practiced what I preach. I am a creative director and marketing specialist for a PR firm, so it is my job to promote, create buzz and show results, but I usually do that for our clients. This was my first time applying the same process to something of my own.
When it came to promoting my show, I used a combination of marketing tools to reach my audience. I knew that just using one or two PR methods wouldn’t reach a broad enough audience, so I broke out of the standard gallery promotions of direct mail postcards and headed straight to social networking. I started “teasing” the show on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest several months in advance. I created an event on Facebook and shared pictures of the paintings, along with tidbits about the show on Twitter every other day. This, without a doubt, created the buzz I wanted.
In addition to social media, I used direct mail, advertising and signage, and created a press release that was picked up by the local papers. The combination worked! Not only did we have a great opening night, but we had several online and call-in presales … there is no better way to open a show than with presales!
My goal was to introduce my art to a lot of people, and that is where social media came in. I also aimed to fill the opening night with interested art buyers, and that is where the local press, signage and direct mail came into play. My show was among many art events happening in town that weekend, so “noise” was a big factor. I had to break through that noise for my art to be desired and seen.
My financial investment in promoting the show was minimal, and my success in sales and exposure was off the charts, thanks to a strategically executed marketing plan that made the most of social media.
If it worked for a local art show, just think how strategic use of social media can work for your law firm and practice. Let’s talk!