Building Marketing Operational practices

Artists and makers have skills that make others envious of their creativity. Here’s how to take your unique lifestyle and turn it into a seamless production cycle.

Recently, I began working with a sprawling creative business with a long history of hosting events, selling merchandise, and partnering with other brands. Like many independent creatives, the pandemic dramatically affected their business. They shrunk from a staff of four to operating their business solo. 

In the process, they deprioritized sending out regular newsletters, posting to social media, and documenting the creative activities at the heart of their business. When I reached out to their pre-pandemic clients, most responded with the same question: “Oh, they’re still open?” The business was operating fine, but none of their loyal following knew about it. 

A consistent practice builds familiarity

Independent artisans may find themselves in the same boat, focusing so intensely on new work they forget their promotional strategies. But calling them strategies makes them sound more complex than they are. Really, they’re a set of common-sense principles that help independent and small shops build promotional practices when strapped for time and resources. The trick is to remember that direct, consistent, and repetitive actions lead to positive long-term results.

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