10 Rules of Effective Self-Promotion

(Illustration by Frank Hansen)

One of your most important tasks as a Freelance Illustrator is to put your work in front of the right people, make them remember you, and make them feel compelled to hire you for their next project.  As many of you know from experience, this is a full-time job in itself, and many artists are uncomfortable with the very idea of self-promotion or simply don’t know where to begin.  Others would rather spend their time doing nothing but creating art.  The fact is, without promotion, there’s no work to keep your business afloat.

While there are as many ways to approach the art of promotion as there are artists, there are definitely some key elements behind an effective marketing strategy.

Here are some basic rules to follow to get the most out of your promotional efforts:

1.  Be Unique

In order to get Art Directors, Art Reps, and anybody else to notice and remember you, there has to be something about your work, your brand, or your marketing strategy that they haven’t seen before.  The most common way to achieve this is with your portfolio, your website, or your promo mailers.  Try and think outside the box to find other ways to stand out.

2.  Be Relevant

If you’re aiming for a specific market, make sure you’re promoting yourself to the people who work in that field and only show work that they can relate to or see themselves needing in the future.

3.  Be Consistent

Try to give Art Directors a good idea of what they can expect to get if they hire you for their next book, t-shirt, or album cover project by showing a consistent style or method of working.

4.  Stay Fresh

Being consistent doesn’t mean you have to bore your potential clients, or yourself, with the same type of work day in and day out.  Show your target audience that your Illustrations can be dynamic and exciting.  Try to be inspired and to inspire others.  That is, after all, one of the things that makes you an artist.

5.  Use Social Proof

Testimonials and a solid client history can help to convince Art Directors and Agents that your work is desirable by others and can help to sell their product or service.  The power of “social proof” should not be underestimated.

6.  Make Connections

Seek out and introduce yourself to the artists and Art Directors in your target market.  Build real relationships with people and become a part of the community.

7.  Stay on the Radar

Don’t make the common mistake of sending out one promotional mailer or email and then sit back and wait until somebody contacts you.  Keep your marketing efforts on a regular schedule in order to stay on people’s minds and show them that you’re constantly creating new work and growing as an artist.

8.  Don’t Overdo It

Never harass an Art Director or send updates too frequently.  This will only serve to annoy them and cause them to remember you for the wrong reasons.

9.  Make a Splash

Try to do something exciting to grab the attention of your potential clients, such a showing your work in a public space, creating unique and memorable promo mailers, or publicizing interviews or features of your work.  If you’re going to contact a potential client, it’s nice to have something to tell them about.

10.  Create Personal Work

One of the best ways to express your true artistic voice, as well as stay fresh, is to create your own personal artwork.  This has the advantage of allowing you the freedom to let your style, passion, and vision speak for itself.

If you follow these guidelines with your future self-promotion, you will have a much better chance of being noticed and remembered amongst a growing sea of Illustrators who are fighting for the attention of the same Art Directors and Art Reps as yourself.

Promotion doesn’t have to be painful.  In fact, it can be one of the more creative aspects of your business if you try to see it as another opportunity to express your true artistic voice.

What’s your experience? Please share your thoughts in the comments section of this post