How do I build a collector list when I'm starting from scratch and haven't sold anything?

You fake it until you make it. Everyone starts with the chicken-and-egg problem of not having any list at all. The solution is to start with a simple email list—even if it has just five or a hundred people on it. That becomes your ‘collector list’ even though they haven’t bought anything yet. Here’s how to treat them: Let’s say you’re releasing ten new pieces to the public on Wednesday. On Sunday, email your list—no matter how small—and say something like, ‘Because you’re on my email list and I appreciate your support, I’ve created a collection of ten new pieces that I’m releasing to the public on Wednesday. But because you’re on this list, you get to see it first.’ This creates exclusivity and value. Keep doing this consistently until you make actual sales and develop true collectors. Then you shift from treating your email list as collectors to actually having collectors, and you continue nurturing those relationships with special access and first opportunities.

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Asked by an artist asking how to build a collector list from zero · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2021-07-27