Where is the real leverage in an art business—marketing expertise or product iteration?

The real leverage is in iterating on your product—your art. That’s where artists should focus maximum time. If you have eyeballs on your art through good marketing but it’s not selling, you have a product problem. You need to create more marketable art. This isn’t as hard as it sounds—you just need to think about it correctly. Consider your background, where you went to college, teams you like, athletes you follow, your city, popular local spots where people get engaged or visit, your hobbies (cigars, cars, etc.). Every piece is essentially a niche. These personal connections often resonate with others who share similar backgrounds or interests. Start there, see what your audience responds to, and iterate. This is how you grow from a struggling business to six or seven figures—not by becoming a marketing expert, which is essentially impossible given all your other responsibilities.

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Asked by a podcast host · Answered by Nick Friend · art-marketing-podcast · 2023-05-22