Here's how to decide between announcing, commanding, and inviting, what to include when space is tight versus when it isn't, and the common mistakes artists make on their announcements and invitations.
The post How to write an art show invitation: announcing, commanding, or inviting? appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>A good art show invitation does two things. It communicates the full who, what, where, when, why, and how of the event, and it does so in a tone that makes people actually want to come.
Here’s how to get both right.
Announcing, commanding, and inviting: what's the difference?
Whether you’re opening a show at a gallery, hosting an open studio, unveiling new work at a pop-up, or inviting collectors over for a private preview, your wording sets the tone for how people will respond.
Announcing
An announcement is a presentation of the facts.
I’m having an exhibition. Here’s the opening date and time. Here’s how you can see the work.
Announcements work earlier in your marketing, especially paired with a “Save the Date.” They’re useful for press releases, social media captions, and anywhere you need to convey information efficiently.
Commanding
A commandment sounds like this:
Come to…, Drop by…, Mark your calendar…, Sign up…, or Don’t miss….
Calling this a commandment sounds harsh, but’s not usually perceived that way.
We’ve been trained by years of marketing to read commands as invitations and understand the spirit behind them. They get the job done on postcards and posters where space is tight.
They can also go ugly fast in the wrong hands. Too pushy, too salesy, too many exclamation points.
Inviting
An invitation is a request for someone’s attendance. It’s warmer, more personal, and closer to how you’d actually talk to a friend.
I hope you can come.
It would be lovely to see you at…
Please drop by if you can.
I’d love for you to be there.
You’re invited.
When I write invitations, I picture the person at the other end. Real names, real faces. I’m talking to them as individuals, not as a list.
“Come to my show” asks someone to show up. “I hope you can come” tells them they’ll be welcomed when they do.
When should you announce, command, or invite?
The closer you get to the event, and the warmer your relationship with the recipient, the more your message should lean toward invitation.
- Save-the-date postcards, emails, and early buzz: announcement or light commandment.
- Printed show invitations where space is tight: mostly announcement with clear details, but find room for a warm phrase (“You are invited…” or “I hope you’ll come”).
- Email to your list: invite. You have the room, and email feels personal. Just remember that they are receiving as individuals, not as a collective. None of this “You’re all invited.”
- Individual messages to collectors, VIPs, close contacts: invite, and make it specific to them.
- Social media: mix. Announce early, invite closer in.
What should an art show invitation include?
Every version (announcement, commandment, or invitation) should consider these questions. Of course, not every invitation can include all of this information. A postcard has room for the essentials. An email or a personal letter has room for all of it (or at least a link to more detailed information on your website).
Questions in bold must be answered.
As for the rest, use your best judgment for various platforms and purposes.
Who
- Who are you? Full name.
- Who is the host?
- Who are the other participating artists, if any?
- Who is it benefiting, if it’s a charity event?
What
- What is this? (Opening reception, open studio, artist talk, sale, preview.)
- What will we see?
- What will we do?
- What should we bring, if anything?
- What’s the phone number to call or text if someone can’t find the place?
Where
- Where is it? City AND state. If the invitation might travel internationally, include the country.
- Where do we park?
- Where can I see more of your art or find more information in advance?
When
- Date and start time.
- End time.
- Exhibition open and close dates, if it’s not a one-night event.
Why
- Why should I come?
- Why are you doing this show?
How
- How do we get there? Any tricky directions, elevator issues, or accessibility notes?
Common mistakes artists make with show invitations
- Forgetting the state. You know you’re in your town. The internet does not. (This is especially true if you aren’t segmenting your list and careful to send it only to local people.)
- Assuming people know they’re invited. You learn this the hard way. You hand someone a detailed postcard and they ask, “Is this a business card?” Not everyone recognizes an art show invitation when they see one. Say “You are invited” explicitly, especially for anyone outside your core art community.
- Assuming people know what an open studio is. Many don’t. Spell it out: “My studio will be open so you can take a peek behind the scenes. Come see new work, have a glass of wine, and say hello.”
- Leaving out the dress code when the event is new to recipients. If it’s casual at your studio, say that. People hesitate when they don’t know what they’re walking into.
- Designing a postcard without following postal service specs. USPS (and most international postal services) apply a barcode to the bottom portion of the address side during sorting. Any text or artwork in that zone gets covered. Use a mail-approved postcard template for your country so your event details don’t disappear under a sticker.
- Not naming the host venue. If the event is hosted somewhere other than where people expect you to be, make that crystal clear.
- Sending an email invitation with no images or cramming too many images onto a postcard. If people can’t see the work, they have no reason to come see the work. On the other hand, single images on postcards are bigger and more impactful than including a bunch of smaller images.
- Treating every recipient the same. A stranger on your mailing list and your top collector should not receive identical copy. The collector gets a personal note. The stranger gets the warmest version of the public invitation.
One last thing
An invitation’s job is to bring specific people into your world so they can experience your work in person. Write as if you’re writing to one person at a time, and your invitations will do their job.
The post How to write an art show invitation: announcing, commanding, or inviting? appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Why spend virtual ink on such an old-fashioned method of communication? Because postcards can do what email cannot do.
Postcards can’t be targeted as spam by an aggressive filter.
Postcards can’t be accidentally (or purposefully) deleted by recipients.
Postcards are likely to be tacked to a refrigerator or kept as a memento.
Postcards are tactile. We can hold them in our hands and ponder them. They have the potential to delight, which is something we rarely say about email these days.
You, like the private clients I advise, would benefit from sending three or four postcards a year.
Postcards are most often used to invite people to an upcoming exhibition or open studio.
Some artists design a single postcard with a schedule of all upcoming shows they’re participating in.
But if you don’t have an upcoming exhibition, you might wonder what you’d say on a postcard or why you’d send one in the first place.
Here are 8 other occasions for using postcards to promote your art and build relationships with your list.
The post 8 (Other) Occasions To Send Postcards That Promote Your Art appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Why spend virtual ink on such an old-fashioned method of communication? Because postcards can do what email cannot do.
Postcards can’t be targeted as spam by an aggressive filter.
Postcards can’t be accidentally (or purposefully) deleted by recipients.
Postcards are likely to be tacked to a refrigerator or kept as a memento.
Postcards are tactile. We can hold them in our hands and ponder them. They have the potential to delight, which is something we rarely say about email these days.
You, like the private clients I advise, would benefit from sending three or four postcards a year.
Postcards are most often used to invite people to an upcoming exhibition or open studio.
Some artists design a single postcard with a schedule of all upcoming shows they’re participating in.
But if you don’t have an upcoming exhibition, you might wonder what you’d say on a postcard or why you’d send one in the first place.
Here are 8 other occasions for using postcards to promote your art and build relationships with your list.
1. Feature your website.
Announcing a new website is, well, kinda boring. Instead, use a postcard to announce a new feature on your website such as:
- Art in situ << Perfect for sending to interior designers and art consultants
- New series of work
- Framing options for your work
2. Unveil a new series or even a single piece.
Leverage something you have written about the new work on your blog or social media and include a short version on the postcard.
3. Announce gallery representation.
Telling the people on your postcard list that you are represented by a new gallery is a generous gift to the gallery. They’ll love you for it! Or at least they should love you for it.
Such an announcement also tells people that you have attained yet another goal. It’s proof that your work has the seal of approval of the art establishment. (Not all artists aspire to this.)
4. Advertise products.
If you’ve turned your art into card decks, home décor, or a book, it’s time to get the word out.
5. Offer classes and workshops.
Pique the interest of recipients with an enticing view of your upcoming classes. They can find details by heading to your website page that has the class info.
6. Express your gratitude.
Why not use postcards as Thank You notes? You can design a special “Thank You” version or use any of your postcards with a blank backside for the purpose.
7. Send holiday wishes.
Print postcards for your favorite holiday, especially one that is aligned with the art you make. You don’t have to save them for Christmas.
Experiment with postcards for Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or Independence Day.
If you’re more adventurous, send a postcard in celebration of your milestone birthday, or the birthday of one of your art heroes/heroines, International Artist Day, or any one of hundreds of offbeat special days that you’ve never celebrated before.
8. Let someone know you’re thinking of them … just ‘cuz.
Are you old enough to remember the times when we called someone just because we were thinking of them, or when we mailed a “Thinking of You” card? Yep, some people still do this, but we’re more likely to send an email.
You don’t have to have a reason to send a postcard with your stunning art on the front.
Your Turn
How do you use postcards to promote your art and nurture relationships?
The post 8 (Other) Occasions To Send Postcards That Promote Your Art appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>The post The Most Versatile Postcard You'll Ever Create appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Still, it’s valuable enough that I don’t think I can keep it from you any longer.
Postcard Front
If you get one of these in the mail, it might be for any of the following reasons:
- Because you did something nice for me and I’m sending a thank-you note
- Because you did something amazing and deserve a way-to-go note
- Because you’re having a birthday
- Because I just met you and wanted you to know how happy I am that we crossed paths
Postcard Back
Steal my idea for your own versatile postcard! Just keep the following guidelines in mind.
- Use your own words and design.
- Make sure your words are “evergreen” – that you’ll be able to use them one year or more from now.
- See that your words can apply to at least three different occasions like those I mentioned above.
- Don’t promote anything if you’re sending it as a personal greeting or thank-you note. Promotional postcards have a different purpose and shouldn’t be mixed up with those that are intended to nurture relationships. Still . . .
- Highlight your art on the front of the card. Using your art isn’t the same as saying “buy me now!” It’s sharing a piece of yourself with the recipient.
Do you have use for something like this?
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Since the topic of the week seems to be old-fashioned marketing rather than Internet marketing, let’s think about why you might want postage stamps with your art on them.
If Robert sends mail using regular stamps, he says he hears from a few people with RSVPs.
When he adds the postage stamp featuring his art, Robert notices something more.
When I use the stamps with my art, I notice an uptick in messages from people — often just to comment on the stamps. It’s a great way to help jump-start a dialogue about the event. I’ve had people ask about the specific works in the stamps, too. I have several versions of the stamps, some 44 cents and some 28 cents with different images.
They just seem to help raise the level of buzz about events.
Stamps of your own design are not inexpensive. While twenty 44-cent stamps cost $8.80, twenty of your own design are going for $18.95. The US Postal Service has a list of available vendors.
Do you live outside the US and know of a non-US vendor for self-designed stamps?
Have you had good results from using your own stamps?
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]]>Where do postcards fit in your marketing plan?
Think about adding postcards to your regular self-promotion efforts. Email, Facebook, and Twitter are great, but you should mix things up a bit. Get offline from time to time and interact in the real world—especially when it comes to your marketing. Send postcards to your mailing list three to four times a year.
Postcards are relatively inexpensive to print and mail. Yes, postcard mailings still cost money, but they’re cheaper and more personal than buying an ad. Postcards are real mail sent to real people who know and like you. They have an image of your art on the front (hopefully with your name there, too) and are likely to stick around longer than email in an inbox.
“What if I don’t have anything to say on a postcard?”
Ha! That’s a cop-out. There are endless reasons to send postcards—as if staying in touch isn’t reason enough. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Events
This one is easy. Send postcards as invitations for exhibit openings and closings, sales, arts festivals you’re participating in, open studios, tours you’re leading, and workshops and classes you’re teaching.
Announcements
Mail postcards trumpeting awards you’ve received, a recent acquisition by a corporation (get permission), completion of a public art piece, new gallery representation, new studio, new address, new baby, new book, new pet, or new you.
Holidays
It’s easy to send postcards for the usual holidays, but you’re more creative than that! Don’t forget your favorite artist’s birthday, your birthday, a holiday related to your niche, and Happy July 23rd! (I’ll bet nobody else gets Happy July 23rd greetings unless it’s their birthday.)
FINAL WORD: Don’t wait for something big to happen to send postcards. Send them three or four times a year as part of a marketing strategy to keep your name in front of your fans. Get out the calendar and see what makes sense. If you need to get straight with your plan, take a look at the Blast Off class. Grab the lessons online at your convenience beginning May 19.
There’s more about using snail mail in Action 9 of I’d Rather Be in the Studio!
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]]>One thing I do when mailing out postcards is to have my name printed on the front along with the image. That way your name is visually linked with your image and if anyone decides to pin up your postcard they always know who the artist is without having to take it down and flip it over.
Add your name to the front of your postcards.
This is a terrific tip that I didn’t want you to miss. Galleries understand this. They usually have their gallery name on the front–perhaps in combination with the artists’ names. It’s part of their branding that helps you remember them.
Next time you get something in the mail from another artist or gallery, notice the writing that is on the front along with the image. See how the text helps you remember the name of the artist in relation to the work.
You can also put your name on the front of the note cards you print for your own use. Around the border of the image, add something like one of the following.
- A Note from Casey Craig
- Thank You from Casey Craig
- Birthday Wishes from Casey Craig
Why not?!
Got other postcard tips? Leave ’em here and help out your fellow artists.
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