Art Press Releases – Powerful Art Marketing Magnets
With the art market in a perpetual state of change it’s easy to forget that some of the tried and true art marketing techniques work just was well as ever. One of these is the (almost) forgotten art of sending press releases.
Press releases are very powerful. When we first opened the doors at Art Marketing Secrets we sent press release announcements to newswire services and local newspapers. The response was tremendous and we received a large number of inquiries and site visits as a result.
The purpose of press releases is twofold. First they are a way to create buzz about your art career. If your name is consistently seen in local newspapers and online searches people assume that you are “real” and that there is some importance to your work. You start to become a recognized artistic “brand”.
The second purpose is to promote your art events to the widest possible audience. “Events” can include a wide range of activities including solo and group shows, open studios, art fairs, philanthropic activities such as charity art auctions, and art-related travel journeys.
We’ve seen some terrific results from artists using press releases. One client who lived in New YorkCity submitted press releases to local newspapers announcing her plans for an upcoming European painting trip and promoting an open studio event. The release was picked up and printed together with a photo of the artist by “The Park Slope Courier”. As a direct result of this press release and the subsequent Open Studio, this artist sold two paintings in the $1,200 – $1,500 range and received two exhibition offers. This was fantastic for her as she was new to the area and previously had no local art-contacts.
Now – we can’t promise that you will always have that sort of success! But the point is that press releases used consistently as part of an art marketing strategy will bring you results.
To be effective they have to be very well written and you need to know how and where to submit them. So – please check back this week for more articles in this series including
- How to Write an Engaging Art Press Release
- How to Submit Press Releases to Newspapers and Newswire Services
Best wishes with your art marketing today!
Read the next article in this series: 6 Steps To Write A Great Art Press Release
Popularity: 13% [?]
Can you also give some guidelines about format, number of words, whether or not pictures should be included with the press release? Also, is it better to fax or email a press release to a newspaper? I know they all have email these days but would a fax get more attention?? Thanks.
Hi Marc. Thanks for the comment. Yes – we will be covering all the points you raised in the next two articles on press releases this week. Please check back for all the scoop!