What does it mean that artists need to own their distribution channel?

Owning your distribution channel means selling direct to consumers where you control everything and aren’t dependent on third parties. This includes having your own email list—not just Facebook fans or Instagram followers. Many artists have plenty of social media followers but can’t figure out how to get sales from them. You need to get those people off social platforms and onto your email list, which is something you actually own and can take to other marketing channels. You can upload your email list to advertising platforms and show ads to those people. The key is having an audience you own, not one that lives on someone else’s platform. This owned distribution channel is what makes your business antifragile and allows you to survive when external channels disappear or change.

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Asked by general teaching point · Answered by Nick and Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2021-03-25