What's the strategic approach to offering custom artwork or commissions?

The strategic approach is to offer custom work quickly and efficiently to get market feedback without overcommitting. Offer a specific size and price point with scarcity built in — maybe just one spot to start. Keep the offer simple and time-bound (five to ten minutes of your time to assess interest). Have people send you a photo of what they want (a pet, wedding photo, landscape location, etc.) and you create something based on your style and talent. This works for photographers too — custom shoots or personalized work for local clients. The goal is to bypass all the guessing and let your audience tell you what they want. If you drop your price to a great deal and still get no takers, that’s valuable feedback that your current audience isn’t going to buy anything, and you need to reach new people or adjust your approach. Commissions give you incredibly fast feedback on your subject matter, your audience, and your direction.

---

Asked by an artist wanting to test commissions · Answered by Nick Friend · art-marketing-podcast · 2024-05-10