Why don't art-specific marketing agencies exist despite obvious demand?

There are several reasons. First, most marketing consultants are generalists who don’t understand what actually works for art businesses. They might sell you Instagram packages, SEO services, or Facebook ads, but they don’t know which tactics will actually generate art sales. Second, the client expectations are often completely unrealistic—artists expect $10,000 in sales after 30 days of service and quit when it doesn’t happen, not understanding that building any significant business takes three to five years. Third, many artists quit too early whether working alone or with an agency—they send a couple emails or make a few social posts and give up. This creates bad experiences and bad reputations. Fourth, about 80% of artists are part-time with full-time jobs and families, making sustained effort difficult. Finally, many artists who seek agencies haven’t validated that their product actually sells, which makes any marketing effort futile.

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Asked by implied question from industry discussion · Answered by Patrick Shanahan and Nick · art-marketing-podcast · 2020-08-11