10 tips to market the arts with heart

Situations by Maia Flore

Across performing, literary, visual and community arts, when it comes to marketing there are common sore points many individuals and organisations have in common: getting you or your project out there, promotion, budget constraints, lack of brand clarity, confusion around social media strategy, challenges with ticket sales.

The problem is that many of us are stuck inside the conventional arts marketing box, said John Paul Fischbach, Executive Director of Auspicious Arts Incubator at Creative Victoria’s latest Expert Program.

What does the box look like? It’s filled with what Fischbach describes as “spray and pray” marketing – conventional banner advertising, flyers, posters, social media posts that shout at rather than draw in the audience.

‘But please be inspired to never do that again,’ said Fischbach.

While we may be hardwired to utilise these tried and tested methods, the point to note is that they are tired.

‘You are working really fast. I don’t know anyone in the arts who is not working faster than they have before. When you are working fast your brain wants to go down proven pathways. The best thing I can do to help is to get you to step outside your comfort zone.’