Should I focus on high-end clients or keep serving my existing lower-end market?

It’s not mutually exclusive—you can do both. However, understand that working primarily with lower-end clients for original work can only take you so far in terms of sustainability. If you want to level up your business, you need to start targeting higher-end clients and pricing accordingly. That said, don’t abandon one completely for the other. You could have high-end original work and limited editions for premium clients while still serving other markets. The key strategic point is that acquiring new customers is crucial for long-term growth. It’s better to have 350 customers at various price points than just one whale purchase for $10,000, because year after year, you’ll have more people to email, run sales to, and build relationships with. Think about the lifetime value of building a customer base, not just individual transaction sizes.

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Asked by an artist transitioning from commission work to fine art · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2025-03-17