Throughout
civilized human history, creative minds of every type were comforted by the
knowledge that if a publisher, producer, or gallery accepted their work, they’d
receive financial support in the form of advanced payments and promotional
initiatives. In essence, after years of struggle, rejection, and torment, the
creator was chosen by an elite group of tycoons to be idolized above others. In
return, he or she wasn’t asked to perform any kind of true marketing efforts,
aside from public appearances.
In
today’s business world, that’s rarely the case.
The
influx of creative small businesses and indie creators has diluted the arts and
entertainment markets. That shift in business has forced creative talents to
perform their own marketing initiatives to achieve success. Some creative
professionals believe this to be an unfair burden. Others herald it as an
opportunity to have more control. No matter how you view the circumstances,
it’s a reality that must be understood.
It’s
astonishing how many talented writers, artists, and performers pour passion and
professionalism into their creative endeavors, but then practice marketing initiatives
like an amateur. It’s the equivalent of buying a $500 pool stick, but never
practicing the game. When it comes time to prove your skills, that shiny pool
stick is only as effective as the player who wields it. In other words, it’s
simply not enough to have a fantastic creative product. You must know how to
market that product to mass audiences to win the game.
That’s
why our team developed Financial
Success for Creative Professionals. The plan is the first proven set of
marketing procedures, guaranteed to achieve long-term success for writers,
artists, musicians, and performers of all stripes.
To
ensure creative success in today’s market, there are a number of steps that
must be completed. Let’s briefly explore each of them.
Understand
the truth about marketing artistic creations. So many people believe marketing is
subjective, much like abstract painting or poetry. It isn’t. Marketing is really
about the science of consumer psychology. You must reach the correct audiences
to maximize exposure of your work, draw in potential fans, and then drive revenue.
When you truly understand the fundamental theory about generating mass
awareness of your creative experiences and know how to shape the perception of
your work, it’s hundreds of times easier to get noticed and achieve success.
Most
marketing professionals hold advanced degrees. The FSCP marketing plan contains
the same resources marketing pros use for success, but developed specifically
for creative professionals.
Build
your marketing structure. Before an artistic talent can sell
work to a base of potential consumers, you must first build your marketing
structure. That includes a comprehensive website (not just a simple blog), a strong
social media presence, and a uniquely branded market position. You must also
use mass communications vehicles (email newsletters, for example) to build
relationships with your future fans. No one, and I mean no one will buy a book,
portrait, MP3, or any kind of creation without having achieved emotional investment in the creator and
your products. The FSCP marketing plan provides you the ability to build your
uniquely branded market position, set pricing, and then shows you how to
interact with hundreds of thousands of consumers to maximize sales and raise
the quality of life for your fans.
Take
advantage of media marketing opportunities. The meat of any marketing initiative
must include interacting with potential fans. This is referred to as shaking hands and relationship building. Much in the same way a car salesperson walks
up to a consumer and extends a hand, the FSCP marketing plan shows you how to
use the power of the web to connect with hundreds of thousands of consumers
through social media, the news media, and personal print media. Using these techniques provides consumers an
easy path to personally identify with your artistic creations and then become
emotionally invested. This is sometimes referred to as the “warm fuzzies.”
Once
the warm fuzzies are achieved, your potential fans are empowered with the
knowledge that purchasing your work will benefit them in some way. Remember,
your creative efforts are meant to enhance the lives of others. When a
potential fan personally identifies with your creation and they’re given a
clear path to enjoy the experience, it’s like taking candy from a baby.
Diversify
your income from multiple venues. Success is never achieved by selling
one product in one location. That’s one of the biggest mistakes made by indie
authors, artists, and performers. Your creations must sell in multiple
locations to reach the maximum number of targeted consumers that identify with
your style. It’s also paramount that each creator offers several products and
accessory items for sale, such as t-shirts or bookmarks.
For
example: an indie author with a book released must ensure it’s selling in each
possible retail location. Sure, Amazon may have 60% or more of the book buying
public, but that doesn’t mean you ignore the other 40% that shops on
lesser-known retailers. Furthermore, offering accessories increases revenue and
provides depth that large publishers always provide for intellectual property and
indies usually lack.
Those
are the basic high-level steps that every creative talent must follow to
achieve true financial success in each respective field. As stated earlier, the
FSCP marketing plan is guaranteed to deliver
that success to each creator and it’s why our team is so proud to have
published it for your use.
It’s my
hope that you’re taking your creative career seriously. It’s not always easy to
rise above the chaos, but if you follow the proven plan, it’s an amazing
experience to watch consumers around the world swoon over your creations that
raise their quality of life. That’s a true gift and your legacy. Be proud of
it.
As the
tagline goes, “If you pour your passions into each project or performance, you
must propel your career to the next level, realize your full potential and
achieve financial success.”
Together,
we’ll make it happen!
Good
hunting.
Ron Gavalik’s Bio:
Ron
Gavalik is the author of Financial
Success for Creative Professionals and has over 20 years of celebrated
experience in corporate and creative marketing. This former Director of
Communications has assisted private, nonprofit, and artistic organizations
achieve success through grassroots
experience marketing initiatives. Gavalik is currently the Publisher for Grit City Publications and creator of the innovative Emotobooks fiction
medium. He holds a B.S. in Marketing Communications from Point Park University
and an M.A. in Writing from Seton Hill University. His work in the arts has
shaped success for countless creative professionals who seek financial
independence.
Contact Info:
Website:
http://creativesuccess.net
Facebook:
http://facebook.com/GritCityPublications
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/RonGavalik
