Crafting Your Strategy: From Studio to Social Media

Episode Transcript:

[00:00:00] USB Mics - 1: Welcome back to The Art Is… a podcast for artists. , this is season five, episode nine, and I am your lovely co-host, Lauren Hill

[00:00:15] USB Mics - 3: Alongside, Isotta Page.

[00:00:17] USB Mics - 1: Here in Los Angeles. Strategy is a major part of the coaching work that I do.

[00:00:27] USB Mics - 1: Whether it is developing a strategy for sharing your work, developing a strategy for sales, marketing,

[00:00:38] USB Mics - 1: Or even developing a strategy for networking, figuring out. What results you wanna create and dialing in on them will really help you create the dreams that you so desperately desire.

[00:00:56] USB Mics - 3: one of the things that I've been recently developing strategy on is

[00:01:01] USB Mics - 3: segmenting my time properly. It's super important to recognize that sometimes setting constraints can actually be really helpful when you have all the options open to you. It can be very overwhelming, whether that's in terms of the work you wanna make, the materials you wanna use, what clients you wanna.

[00:01:23] USB Mics - 3: sometimes it can be really helpful to narrow in and just decide within a small framework of possibility, what can you be doing? And

[00:01:35] USB Mics - 1: I've

[00:01:36] USB Mics - 3: also done a lot of experimentation with constraints when making this podcast. Back in season one, all of my episodes were under 13 or 15 minutes, and then in season two and season three, I was experimenting with longer form, but I was always interested in including a little bit of spontaneity in all the work that I was doing.

[00:01:59] USB Mics - 3: So,

[00:02:01] USB Mics - 3: Being

[00:02:01] USB Mics - 3: professional and showing up and doing stuff consistently, I was really adamant about including this element of surprise in my work so that despite repetition, everything stayed exciting and new.

[00:02:16] USB Mics - 3: regardless of what you do, I'm sure you all have long to-do lists and it can be incredibly overwhelming, especially when you're finally in the studio to look at the to-do list you have for your creative work.

[00:02:31] USB Mics - 3: and Lauren's ideas on this have been really helpful for me, so I hope they are for

[00:02:35] USB Mics - 1: you too.

[00:02:36] USB Mics - 1: it's almost like when you have an organized home or an organized studio, it allows you to feel comfortable. Getting more work done. And I think the same thing goes for your to-do list.

[00:02:51] USB Mics - 3: so creating

[00:02:52] USB Mics - 1: a strategy within your business

[00:02:55] USB Mics - 3: is a

[00:02:56] USB Mics - 1: a very helpful tool. And one of the ways that I do this is focusing in on three results maybe.

[00:03:07] USB Mics - 1: Just taking a look at your month and focusing in on three results that you wanna create for that month, what would those three results be?

[00:03:20] USB Mics - 1: I think of these as needle movers. So what are these results that are really going to move the needle in your business? And then on a day-to-day, use that same framework of what are the three results that you wanna create on this particular day?

[00:03:40] USB Mics - 1: Yes, we have this long to-do list and there's many different things that you wanna get done, but sometimes

[00:03:47] USB Mics - 3: the

[00:03:47] USB Mics - 1: overwhelm that comes with looking at all the things that you wanna get done can debilitate you from actually getting any work done at all. . So focusing in on three to four results that you wanna create in a day, and being able to prioritize the most difficult ones first, so that you can take action on them, get them off your plate so that you don't have to think about them so much.

[00:04:13] USB Mics - 1: There's a book called Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy. and basically the idea is to first identify your frog. So what is the hardest, most important task of the day? That's your frog. And then you just want to eat it. Like go all in and eat that fricking frog. Do that most important task first thing in the morning so that you don't give yourself a chance to like lay in all.

[00:04:46] USB Mics - 3: the

[00:04:46] USB Mics - 1: Thoughts and discomfort about it. You just get it done and just repeat this every single day. What you will do is create momentum throughout your day by getting that first difficult thing done and it allows you to show up more powerfully in your other tasks.

[00:05:10] USB Mics - 1: I think when looking at your day and thinking about getting three to four things done off your to-do list may seem like not that much work If you're a high achiever like many of us are, but setting yourself up for success so that you don't end your day feeling. defeated for not getting the work done you intended.

[00:05:37] USB Mics - 1: So it's a realistic goal. I'm all about setting realistic goals for yourself so that you can feel excited, motivated, and like you've accomplished things. I

[00:05:52] USB Mics - 3: I think it's really interesting how this kind of meta idea of strategy can really go into. helping Creatives plan their days and months. But it can also be used in terms of grappling the actual work that we have to do.

[00:06:08] USB Mics - 3: So as I shared in past episodes, II've always had a bit of an apprehensive relationship to I. and sharing my professional practice there. So one of the things that I was working on with Lauren in our private. coaching was developing a foolproof strategy with how I wanted to share

[00:06:28] USB Mics - 3: and be visible as an artist online. So

[00:06:34] USB Mics - 3: after

[00:06:34] USB Mics - 3: discussing it with Lauren, I realized that the two main threads of my work being my podcast and my art were both equally important to show up on my Instagram.

[00:06:47] USB Mics - 3: However, neither of them were really showing. up adequately. So by working on a simple framework of four types of posts to share, I've been able to compartmentalize this task and

[00:07:05] USB Mics - 1: rinse and

[00:07:05] USB Mics - 3: and repeat it without it having to bog down on my psyche and

[00:07:11] USB Mics - 1: feel

[00:07:12] USB Mics - 3: badly about.

[00:07:14] USB Mics - 3: not

[00:07:15] USB Mics - 3: doing the work. So in a sense, me eating the frog is posting on Instagram. and the four types of posts that I make just to explain it to you as an example, are sharing images and videos of work that I've done in the past. Um, recently I had the opportunity to do an artist talk where I shared a pretty comprehensive overview of all of the work that I've done over the past few.

[00:07:40] USB Mics - 3: years. Lauren helped me understand that the work that went into planning that talk can keep working for me in a sense, and so often I return to the slide deck that I

[00:07:53] USB Mics - 1: prepared

[00:07:54] USB Mics - 3: and use those images and ideas as inspiration for really simple Instagram posts that discuss my portfolio. another idea here is, , to reflect on the work that you've done.

[00:08:11] USB Mics - 3: Do a creative long form journaling exercise, and then draw inspiration from that writing as text. You can share in your posts. Personally, I am really a work in progress on this and have a long way to go in terms of how I write about my work publicly, but I'm just inviting you. . to Think about how

[00:08:41] USB Mics - 3: you

[00:08:41] USB Mics - 3: don't have to be constantly repeating work

[00:08:44] USB Mics - 1: and things that,

[00:08:47] USB Mics - 3: and that perhaps most likely things that you've done in the past or even conversations that you have in the have had in the past could be really helpful inspiration to how you share.

[00:08:58] USB Mics - 3: So the first kind of post I make is artwork that I've done. The second post that I make. is artwork that I've seen and inspiration that I have. I am an avi.

[00:09:14] USB Mics - 1: explorer

[00:09:15] USB Mics - 3: of museums and galleries, um, all over the world. Traveling and exploring art is truly my favorite thing to do. And so I have an archive of thousands of photos on my phone that I've taken even over the past years of wonderful places that I've gotten to.

[00:09:33] USB Mics - 3: visit. and recently I've just been drawing upon those images as sources of inspiration to share publicly. The third area that I'm starting to share in, which I have struggled with in the past is having this more behind the scenes approach, showing images of work in progress pieces and also behind the scenes shots of my studio and also of.

[00:10:01] USB Mics - 3: myself And the fourth and most, and the fourth

[00:10:09] USB Mics - 1: area

[00:10:10] USB Mics - 3: of posts that I'm making are post about this podcast. Art is a podcast for artists.

[00:10:16] USB Mics - 3: I've felt guilty over the past for not adequately sharing the podcast on Instagram and pursuing a really public strategy of marketing, but I'm getting over it and I'm just doing my best and trying to do a 1% per day growth strategy.

[00:10:44] USB Mics - 3: and

[00:10:46] USB Mics - 3: Just recognize

[00:10:47] USB Mics - 1: that even

[00:10:50] USB Mics - 3: one post is better than nothing, and not trying to compare myself to others and just doing something that feels within my bandwidth. So these four different segments I developed, thanks to Lauren, but if you can take a step back and think objectively about the different passions that you have, the work that you do, the kind of things that you wanna share with the world, how you want to be visibil.

[00:11:15] USB Mics - 3: You know, creating this kind of segmentation can be a really useful lens through which to actually get the posts done and to start creating a really simple strategy for your professional practice. Yeah.

[00:11:31] USB Mics - 1: And consistency is everything. So what is gonna make it simple enough for you to show up and share Consist.

[00:11:41] USB Mics - 1: coming up with that strategy beforehand will really assist in that. And I love how you mentioned the repurposing of different work that you've used. You know, as artists and collectors and creators, we have so much in our archive that we're . I'm sure that you can agree with me that we're hoarding and. it.

[00:12:11] USB Mics - 1: It can be used in so many different ways. It's just an A necessary, getting clear on how you want to use it so that you can think of it more easily and consistently show up to do it. So to give you a clear breakdown of my own marketing strategy might help you understand how you can create your own.

[00:12:37] USB Mics - 1: For me, I start with a monthly blog. So I will, I actually work with a copywriter who is essentially my marketing assistant, and we have two meetings per month where we come up with ideas together for what this blog will look like. The other pieces of content I create,

[00:13:00] USB Mics - 1: Her name is Emily Oberman and her company's copy, edit Design. Definitely check her out if you're looking for a copywriter. She's amazing. . So first is my long form blog, and from that I then create one YouTube video per month, which is essentially the blog turned into a video and two email newsletters per month.

[00:13:31] USB Mics - 1: The first email newsletter is something that I've been.

[00:13:34] USB Mics - 4: been.

[00:13:36] USB Mics - 1: The first email newsletter is typically something that is more of a journaling entry. Something I've been thinking about or working through personally that I like to share my thought process on. And the second email is typically part of my blog, just introducing it.

[00:13:58] USB Mics - 1: I then break down the newsletters and blog into social media. So I'll take three to, so I'll post three to five times per week and I'll do five to seven IG stories per week.

[00:14:22] USB Mics - 3: Okay.

[00:14:24] USB Mics - 1: I also was doing an IG Live every week as well, but I've taken some time away from that for a. . Another strategy that I have is regularly checking in with prospects. So I typically spend one to two times per week doing that and two to ti and two to four times per week posting and engaging on Facebook and LinkedIn groups.

[00:14:52] USB Mics - 1: So this is the basics of what my goals are for my own marketing strategy, and sometimes I do fall. . And sometimes I like to experiment with other ideas, but I've noticed that the months that I am the most consistent are the months that I have the most sales.

[00:15:13] USB Mics - 3:

[00:15:13] USB Mics - 1: So, For us, sharing our examples with you is really just a way for you to start discovering your own strategy. And this may look different for different types of businesses.

[00:15:27] USB Mics - 1: You know, whether you're a fine artist or an illustrator, or maybe you're a graphic designer. I also work with travel agents, surf instructors, chef. musicians. So no matter what kind of creative you are, you can discover a strategy that works for you. And maybe it's more loose, like Ista,

[00:15:55] USB Mics - 3: or

[00:15:56] USB Mics - 1: maybe it's more prescribed like mine.

[00:16:00] USB Mics - 1: Either way, start small and grow. It's an evolving process. At some point. I do have the goal of changing. To four monthly newsletters, and maybe y'all wanna show up more regular on YouTube. can take your strategy and change it and evolve it as you go. But the most important thing is creating something simple, labeling it so that you know what you're doing and you can show up to actually get the work done.

[00:16:34] USB Mics - 1: And if you're still having trouble trying to come up with some strategy, a simple solution is just to ask.

[00:16:42] USB Mics - 3: I wanted to share with you live our conversation with chat G P T. We've just asked, what is the best social media strategy to increase visibility and sales for an emerging visual artist? The response. . There are several strategies that an emerging visual artist can use to increase visibility and sales on social media.

[00:17:05] USB Mics - 3: Number one, establish a strong presence on Instagram. Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms for visual artists. Share high quality images of your artwork and use hashtags to reach a wider audience. Two, utilize Pinterest. Pinterest is a great platform for artists because it allows you to create boards for different art styles, themes, or series.

[00:17:28] USB Mics - 3: Additionally, it's a visual based platform, so it's perfect for showcasing art. Three, create a YouTube channel. YouTube is a great way to create a following and build a community around your artwork. You can create videos of your art process behind the scenes footage and art tutorial. Four, use Facebook to connect with potential buyers.

[00:17:45] USB Mics - 3: Facebook is a great platform for connecting with potential. buyers. Create a Facebook page for your art and use it to share your work updates and upcoming exhibitions. Five. Leverage TikTok. TikTok is a newer platform that can be used to showcase your artwork in a fun and engaging way. Create short videos that showcase your art process behind the scenes footage and art tutorials and. Leverage other platforms. Other platforms like Bhan, art Station 500 pixel or px. And deviant art can be great for building a portfolio, sharing your work, and finding inspiration from other artists. But it's important to remember that building a following on social media takes time and consistency.

[00:18:30] USB Mics - 3: Be sure to post regularly, engage with your audience and be a. So thank you OpenAI for these relatively general strategies on how to create a successful visibility strategy.

[00:18:44] USB Mics - 3: I found them to. , be

[00:18:47] USB Mics - 3: somewhat helpful.

[00:18:48] USB Mics - 1: Yeah, and I think the key word is consistency. Again, don't let all these different suggestions overwhelm you. It's really about picking the one that works for you and sticking to it. So you don't need to do all of them. Just choose one or two and show up regular.

[00:19:12] USB Mics - 1: it's important to remember that building a following and social media takes time.

[00:19:18] USB Mics - 3: And

[00:19:19] USB Mics - 3: thank goodness we still have the incredible resources by Curated Splash and others like Jiggle and Juice to guide us because AI isn't replacing us yet.

[00:19:33] Isotta Mic - USB Mics: One of the most important topics that has been a recurring theme throughout Art is a podcast for artists Lifespan, has been overcoming and understanding the scarcity mindset that

[00:19:50] Isotta Mic - USB Mics: plagues

[00:19:51] Isotta Mic - USB Mics: all artists and creatives at every level and I believe that the importance of covering the topic of scarcity mindset in creative industries

[00:20:03] Isotta Mic - USB Mics: can never be over talked about. And so Lauren wanted to share with you today a segment of her conversation on overcoming that feeling of not enoughness, lack of abundance and more

[00:20:22] Lauryn Mic - USB Mics: Yeah, I was able to interview. The photographer, celebrity photographer, Welle Azai, who I met here at the Tasha store, and he really dives into his own experience with others, copying him, feeling,

[00:20:46] Lauryn Mic - USB Mics: you

[00:20:46] Lauryn Mic - USB Mics: know, that there's enough for us all to go around and wanting to share his work and his secrets with the world. his insight is very profound. So enjoy this snippet.

[00:21:02] And I'm also spending, I would say, and I've been doing this for about six years, about six, the past six years of my career, just helping other photographers do well. And when I, when I met you, I told you in particular that certain populations really marginalized people, black, brown women, really, uh, there are these glass ceilings.

[00:21:24] There are boundaries that we sometimes have to do a higher jump to get through. Right? So, Everybody is welcome, everybody gets the assistance, there's no one left behind. But I hold the door a little bit longer for the people that generally suffer from gatekeeping. So I've just been helping people on this account, this Instagram, podcast, TikTok, YouTube channel, my blog, all of that.

[00:21:50] So they have the tools. Yeah, and making such an impact too. Thank you. It's like that, that is, it's so profound, like, so many people I think, You know, are worried that if they share their secrets that somehow, like, they're gonna be copied or like found out or something, you know, there's so much fear in that.

[00:22:13] And the fact that you're so open about everything is so beautiful. It's that I cannot do what any other photographer can do. And they can't do what I can do. And that's what makes us special. And that's what has our DNA in our work. Your ability to share so openly and like not have. Like, I think there's so much fear around, like, I have fear around it sometimes, too.

[00:22:34] Like, oh, if I share too much, like, people are going to take advantage of me. And, and they will, to a certain extent, there's always going to be a percentage of people, because I don't want to pretend that the world is just all rosy and perfect, right? There are a percentage of people that are just...

[00:22:49] Miserable human beings. But I think that the vast majority of people, like way over 90 percent of people, are actually really, really good people. And I don't like when people say, well, copying is the highest form of flattery. That just shuts the person up that's being copied. And having the, and now you're like, great, now I have to be, I can't even complain about it because you're telling me I have to sit here and be flattered.

[00:23:12] Right. I think that's such BS, but people are going to do it anyway. So it just, it takes you and you're like, all right, cool. Well, let me, how do I present it better? Because, and, and when they copy you, this is the one thing I do believe in when they copy you, they're always behind you because they're copying what you just did.

[00:23:30] Right. But there are a lot of photographers that won't share. And, and that's why I started this account is because, um, truly nobody helped me. And a few, I remember telling you this one in person. A few actually made sure I went down the wrong path. So I was like, you know what, when I had, when I can, I will do it differently.

[00:23:50] And I, and I am, I think. Yeah. Collaboration is so, I mean, it's, you know, it's either competition or collaboration and collaboration. Like there's always like enough people. I think people have this mindset that there's, there's not going to be enough for everyone to go around. And it's like, there's. There's so much opportunity out there.

[00:24:12] Yeah. There's plenty. And like the fact that if you have that mindset and you share, like it comes back to you. I think it does exactly that. And I think that there's so much in this world for all of us to win because people have said to me in the beginning, they're like, Waleed, you're literally training your competition to have your skills.

[00:24:36] Like, what are you doing? And I was like, there's just, I can't do what they can do and they can't do what I can do. And there's enough room for all of us to win and right now, artists and photographers in particular, but that's what I have experienced in. But artists are racing each other down to the bottom of the barrel and making sure they're like, no, no, I'll do it for cheaper.

[00:24:55] Oh, yeah, then I'll do it for cheaper. No, then I'll just do it for free. And now we have some photographers that are, um, offering the magazines. There's one magazine that asked me to do Charlie Puth. So that's enough research people do their Google. They asked me to do Charlie Puth and they said, we want you and Charlie likes your work, but there's another photographer with similar type of work that offered to pay for the full production.

[00:25:22] So not only are they willing to work for free, they're saying, I will actually pay for everyone. I'll pay everyone's salary and stuff. And I was like, let them have it. And it's getting there. So I thought, you know what, I'm going to keep teaching people because if you do better. And then they do better and they do better than we elevate the whole field and the whole market.

[00:25:44] Isotta Mic - USB Mics: It's so

[00:25:45] Isotta Mic - USB Mics: interesting to hear Wally's intimate thoughts on the topic of scarcity and. Dealing with copycats, and I find it so profound and exciting that not only is he dedicated to training and teaching the next generation of photographers, but recognizing how unique each and everyone's gift is, and that at the end of the day, Copying can only lead you so far. And I love that quote, recognizing that someone who is copying you is always gonna be behind you compared to where you are now while you're always moving forward.

[00:26:26] Isotta Mic - USB Mics: They're always gonna be in your tracks. and one of the things I found most profound about this snippet is his dedication to helping the entire. Creative industry level up and his true dedication to elevating the entire field away from this scarcity mindset and instead fueling a mindset of abundance that more leads to more, not less, and that there are enough opportunities, jobs, resources,

[00:26:59] Isotta Mic - USB Mics: whatever,

[00:27:00] Isotta Mic - USB Mics: to go around for all creatives And that. Collaboration is a gift

[00:27:07] Isotta Mic - USB Mics: and

[00:27:08] Isotta Mic - USB Mics: will lead to profound work.

[00:27:11] Lauryn Mic - USB Mics: Yeah. And for those of you who might

[00:27:14] Lauryn Mic - USB Mics: be

[00:27:15] Lauryn Mic - USB Mics: in sales, I wanna relate this to some of my experiences that I've had where, you know, working at an art gallery and getting commission. Or working at even the Tasha store where we're selling thousands of dollars worth of books and artwork and there's other sales associates on the floor also selling.

[00:27:39] Lauryn Mic - USB Mics: sometimes the jealousy that comes up when someone sells a big piece and thinking that. You need to cut in line somehow, or you know, overstep because there's not gonna be enough people walking in the door that have the money to spend. And I think this relates to other artists, creating artwork and thinking that, you know, there's not gonna be enough clients or, um, work.

[00:28:13] Lauryn Mic - USB Mics: For each person to go around. And I really try to tap into that belief that while lead was talking about of the abundance, that there is enough for us all to go around for us all to win. And so when I'm on the sales floor, when I have been selling, I really

[00:28:32] Lauryn Mic - USB Mics: tune back into those thought patterns of like, wow, if this can happen for them, this can happen for me too. Instead of thinking if this happens for them. Well then I'm not, they're taking it all and I can't have any. And I think what he pointed out too is really having that conviction in your own artistic DNA and realizing your own strengths along with realizing the strengths of others and how they are each unique. And one of the things that I teach in my coaching is really creating this positive self-concept. You know, what are your strengths? What are your passions? What are your talents, your accomplishments, and tuning into those and really digging deep and understanding them so that you can feel empowered to show up in your own unique way and not have to copy anyone else.