How long does it take to train an assistant or employee to effectively help with my art marketing?

It takes a minimum of one full year before an assistant, intern, or employee becomes truly valuable to your art business, and often a year and a half before you see real ROI. The real value comes in years two, three, four, and five. Marketing and selling fine art is like learning a completely new language—it’s filled with nuances and industry-specific knowledge that takes time to absorb. You can’t approach hiring help the same way you’d run a Facebook ad test expecting immediate returns. The industry is so different from other businesses that even someone talented at general marketing needs extensive time to understand how art selling works. Most artists fail at hiring because they expect quick results and don’t have the patience or resources to commit long-term. If you can’t make a three-to-five-year commitment to training and keeping that person, the investment isn’t worth it. This is why professional marketing services exist—those teams already know the art business inside and out.

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Asked by general teaching point · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2022-03-04