Why should I run sales for holidays like Mother's Day even if my art doesn't seem to fit the theme?

You need to exercise the fundamental marketing muscle of running sales, regardless of whether the holiday seems to fit your art. Running sales during these events teaches you crucial mechanics: how to warm up your audience, when to start planning (30 days ahead), when to drop the offer, how to structure discounts and scarcity, how to follow up mid-stream, and how to close the sale. These are skills you’ll use for the rest of your business life. Think of smaller holiday sales as practice races - 5Ks that prepare you for the marathon of Q4. The artist who runs six or seven sales during the year will vastly outperform in Q4 compared to someone who skips all the practice opportunities. Plus, you can get creative - make a Mother’s Day themed product in your style, add a limited edition pillow or other gift item to your store, or simply run a sale with free shipping or a modest discount. The key is to participate and learn the process.

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Asked by artists wondering about holiday relevance · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2021-03-06