Marketing and sales
Marketing and sales are essential pillars of income for freelancers and entrepreneurs.
By: Sirpa Lahti, University of the Arts Helsinki
Understanding the key concepts
Marketing refers to the actions taken by an individual, business or organisation to promote the sale of their products or services – in other words, to encourage the audience to act in a desired way, such as buying an artwork or product, booking a ticket or attending an event. Marketing strategies may include analysing and influencing customer behaviour, conducting research, planning, implementation and monitoring. To market effectively, you need to define your most important target groups. What kind of advertisement or campaign will reach them? How can you measure the success of your advertising campaign?
Communication aims to inform and share information.
Build your brand and communicate what you do
Marketing communication is based on your brand and public image as an artist. What kind of professional do you want others to see you as? Clarify what you do, and what your goals are – these help determine what kind of marketing communication you need.
We are constantly communicating about our activities and ourselves. You may use social media channels, websites, emails and phone calls, but encounters with people also involve communication. Being able to communicate in diverse ways is one of the most important factors contributing to artists’ income. In fact, all systematic communication supports your ability to sell your work.
Read more about branding and building a public image in this article.
Target groups and channels
Target groups are groups of people defined by certain characteristics to whom you target your marketing messages. For an artist, this might mean clients, audience members, buyers or participants. You can define target audiences by age, location or interests, for example. The better you know your target group, the easier it will be to communicate with them, including creating content, choosing the right messages, targeting advertising or designing offers.
Artists often have several target audiences depending on their activities. The target group of services may be different from that of products. Consider:
- Who buys your products?
- Who buys your services or expertise?
- Who attends your performances?
- Who books your shows?
- Who buys your artwork?
- Who participates in your training? Who buys your training?
You can learn more about your target groups by speaking with people at your exhibitions, gigs, performances or other events. Review the visitor statistics and analytics of your website and social media accounts, and talk to colleagues. You can also conduct email or social media surveys for more detailed information about your target groups.
The more accurately you define your target audience, the easier it is to choose the right communication channels to reach them. You may communicate through your own social media channels, email lists, live events or media, and you may also use printed materials or partner networks. Read more about networks and networking in this article.
Sales
Sales are a cornerstone of income for freelancers and entrepreneurs. By answering the questions why, what, who, where and how, you will lay the groundwork for planning and executing your sales.
Why?
Your reason for selling might be earning a living, but the buyer’s reason is to fulfil a need, solve a problem, gain a benefit or another reason. You should always focus on the customer’s perspective.
What?
Your products may take many forms and include physical products, services, experiences, concepts or expertise. Also consider whether sharing the artistic process could be sold as a service. For example, could you organise a workshop based on your artistic methods?
You can develop more products and services to sell and bundle them together. You can create a service to sell with a product or vice versa. Read more about productisation and service design in these articles.
Who?
Who buys your work, who pays for it, and who uses it? Your target groups may include individuals and organisations – public or private. Who needs your products and services? 
Where and how?
Sales can happen in person, online or through a venue. In-person sales involve phone calls, emails or meetings. You can sell things online through your webshop or another digital platform or service provider. Sales venues include galleries, shops or studios. Keep in mind that platforms, exhibitions and events often take a commission to cover their expenses and even promote sales.
Read more about marketing collaboration and agreements in this article.
What do you need to support sales?
To start sales, you need real contacts – people and organisations in your target group. Pricing is critical. What is the price level in your market? Clarify the price structure of your product or service (e.g. material and facility costs, salary costs including indirect costs, sales commissions) so that you can also explain your pricing to your clients. Learn more about pricing in this article.
You can use a wide variety of materials to present the product, service, experience, concept or expertise you are selling. Such materials include websites, portfolios, photographs, videos and digital brochures, which you can send as a link or an email attachment. Also create texts to present the products you are selling and practise an elevator pitch, i.e. a short speech to present yourself or your product. Read more about these topics in the following article.
Sales work
Both your own efforts and external factors affect sales. You can influence the product or service you are selling, pricing and the materials you use. External factors include customer base, the general price level and competition, and are harder to control but worth understanding. You can study basic marketing literature or take a course to improve your knowledge.
Sales processes and timelines vary by artistic field and depend on the nature of the work. Your sales may be continuous or periodic. Consider how your sales schedule affects your communication. For example:
- When do you announce that a new work or exhibition is coming? How do you continue your communication up to the launch?
- When do you release new merchandise (album, trailer, video, poster) to support sales? How do you use them to support sales?
- Could you share your creative process as part of your marketing?
- Artists can share their working processes through platforms such as social media or open workshops.
- Sales processes also differ depending on whether you are selling directly to an individual or organisation or selling through an online platform.
- The direct sales process:
1. Send an email and follow up with a call.
2. Negotiate by phone, in person or via email.
3. Confirm the sale in writing (at least a mutual email confirmation).
- The online sales process:
1. Add your product to a webshop.
2. Promote it to your target groups through social media or email.
3. Sale is confirmed when the customer places an order and possibly pays in advance.
Negotiation skills are essential for successful sales work. You can read more about them in this article. Always aim for mutually satisfying outcomes. Prepare well for negotiations and know what makes up the price of your product or service. When negotiating, be ready to compromise on price or content if necessary. Have backup options ready – consider different options, and how they affect your first offer.
In sales work, it is important to keep the client’s perspective in mind. How does the client discover your product or service when the need arises? Is it easy for them to make a purchase decision using the information available? Is it easy to reach you? Think from the buyer’s perspective when you consider your sales process. 
Thanking and acknowledging the client after the purchase strengthens the relationship. Trust is at the heart of sales work. Try to gain the client’s trust, as a trusted relationship facilitates future sales. You can think about ways to get customers to return. Even if the same customer does not return, they may recommend you to others. Word of mouth is powerful!
How do I get started?
- Reflect on your networks. Who have you worked with or sold to? Who would you like to sell to? Can you identify new potential customer groups?
- Schedule time for sales. Try different approaches. Sales work is a social activity. Show your personality when you sell, as it may be what makes you stand out.
What if sales work feels overwhelming?
- Do not get discouraged by setbacks – they happen to everyone and are part of the process. Talk things through with colleagues!
- Trust your knowledge, skills, service and product! They deserve to be seen and purchased!
- TIP: Is there a colleague you could collaborate with when doing sales work? Do you know someone who might sell your (or a group’s) products, expertise or services on your behalf? There is strength in collaboration.
Sources:
Karjaluoto, H. (2010). Digitaalinen markkinointiviestintä. Helsinki: WSOYpro Oy. LinkedInin hyödyntäminen markkinoinnissa.
