How do I validate my art when I'm just starting with a small friends-and-family audience?

Do a validation campaign: tell your small audience (friends, family, coworkers) that you’re testing out launching a business. Share what your regular prices will be, then offer a special early discount because they’re your first supporters — but make it limited (for example, only three available, today only). Offer both an art piece and a merchandise item to test different buying behaviors. This low-pressure approach gets real feedback fast and shows whether your work resonates, without requiring a big marketing budget or a huge audience.

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Asked by an artist with a small initial audience · Answered by Nick Friend · art-marketing-podcast · 2022-01-14