Bringing something new into the world requires a lot of focus and energy – which is why so many creatives neglect to invest the necessary time and effort into promoting their works. But unless you garner a following and loyal customer base, you might struggle to make a living doing what you’re passionate about. Fortunately, many creative professionals have found simple, effective marketing strategies for getting their work discovered and building their name in the industry. 

Establish Your Goals     

While you want your self-promotion strategies to be creative, you must approach them with specific goals. Are you hoping to build a local following or connect with other creators in your industry? Is your plan to cultivate a global audience? Do you want to sell more songs, ceramics, concert tickets, or artwork?

Take time to write down specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. The more specific and realistic your goals, the less time you’ll have to spend on marketing yourself, and the more impactful your efforts will prove to be.

Identify Your Target Audience

It’s crucial to know your audience when it comes to self-promotion. Clearly defining your target audience will equip you to reach supporters on a broader and deeper level. Create a follower/supporter profile through a mental picture or a written document. 

Also, include in your profile the customers' demographics (e.g., location, age, income, etc.) and psychographics (e.g., attitude, behaviors, aspirations, etc.). Then, you’ll know precisely at whom you’re aiming your promotional strategies.

Draft a Business Plan

When starting a new company, part of thinking like a business person is creating a detailed business plan. At the end of the day, you must sell your work to make a living. So take time to create a business plan that describes your work, how your company will be structured, how much it costs to complete your projects, how much money you plan to make in the coming months, and more. Having this document handy will help you to make crucial decisions and secure funding if you ever need it. 

Incidentally, this is a document you’re going to be revisiting quite a bit, revising as you gain more information or the situation changes. If you're ready to learn how to edit a PDF, a free online PDF editor can save you a lot of time and hassle. This tool allows you to revise a PDF so you won’t constantly have to change file types to make edits to your business plan.

Revamp Your Branding     

Few things are more essential to building brand recognition than having a solid visual identity to rely on. In many ways, creating your personal brand is the first step to promoting your work. Determine whether to sell your work under your personal or business name. Then, design an appealing, unique logo related to your creative industry.

It’s hard to overstate the impact a well-designed logo can have on distinguishing your work from other artists and building brand awareness. These days, online logo design tools allow you to save money by creating your own logo. These tools provide a range of styles and icons to customize with your brand's typography, colors, and other elements.

Use Social Media     

No channel is more effective than social media for building awareness, optimizing visual content, and showcasing your personality. If used strategically, social media engagement can deepen your relationships with existing and potential customers.

With that said, it’s easy to waste time on ineffective social media tactics. The key is to regularly post tasteful content that highlights the unique qualities of your work. But you might also benefit from posting about other professionals in your industry.

Consider where your target customers spend most of their time and commit your time and energy to boosting your brand on those platforms. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other media each have specific strengths. Learn how to use each platform impactfully, and you’ll be shocked by how it helps spur recognition for your brand.

Build an Email List      

Email marketing is still an effective strategy worth investing in, so work hard to cultivate an email list. Invest in tech tools that allow you to create and send email newsletters. And offer website and social media users incentives for joining your list. 

Conclusion

Creative industries are quite different from others in many aspects. But when it comes to marketing and building awareness or even starting a business, you will benefit from using many of the same tactics and tools that entrepreneurs in other fields use. Heed the advice above as you lay the groundwork for your marketing strategies, and constantly be on the lookout for ways to improve your self-promotion.

The Ghetto Flower team offers digital marketing services that can enhance your brand and make your business thrive. Schedule a consultation!