Thomas Emmerling, Director Kunsthaus 7B, Cisnadioara (Michelsberg), Romania
At beginning of the pandemic we
hired a social media expert. We had been convinced that through the restrictions
who forbid opening the gallery, it would be a better way to reach publicity. We
had been thinking the whole world will be just virtually anymore, this will
sustain after the lock-downs, we will reach more people – and it will be much
cheaper than the classic way of acquiring new clients. We installed our web-shop,
offered skype and zoom events, and collected likes from all over the world. Now
after almost 9 months we have to admit, that we did not reach any new client through
social media marketing. And we found out, that we cannot pay bills with likes
and shares. As well our artists find out, that something is missing, in spite
of all the global appreciation of their works, something essential is missing,
something they could buy bread with. Our social media specialist gave us a lot
of advices, to find the right hashtags, the right time to post, the right
colors to post and so on. Photos, films, jokes, some content which is just
indirect related to contemporary art from Central Europe. At the end of the
line, our expert analyzes that we are not really in the market. Somehow we had
the same impression. The chance to find new clients on social media is not
determined by the market, but by chance.
My critic on social media should
not sound as comments from frustrated guys, who just simply don’t know how to
do it in a proper way. My critic should waken up the sector and encourage us to
think, what aside social media is necessary for art-sales. Last but not least,
social media can be a marketing instrument, but it can be not a sales-tool.
Surviving in world of
contemporary fine arts without social media is simply not possible anymore. It
is like the virus of the “Emperors new cloth” catched us all.
So what exactly remains to do?
First of all, we have to be aware of the difference between marketing and
sales. Marketing can only help to increase the awareness in your target group.
But awareness in arts, even appreciation, is not leading mandatory to sales,
there is another step, that has to follow. The process of sales has its own conditions.
I assume, that in spite of many
social changes due to Covid 19, one important factor remains, that trust and
confidence are the most important ones in art-sector. Dealers, galleries and
artists trust a lot into social media, it seems that collectors are still
hesitating and waiting, they don’t trust in the same intensity. Still it is
necessary to win the confidence of the clients. If your clients are the persons,
trusting you and believing in you, they will help you as well through hard
times.
As a logic consequence of what we
said until now, and in paradox to the vibe, everything should be online now, I
think, personal contacts are getting more important in very near future. People
are getting more and more individual and more and more privat nowadays.
Art-Industry cannot ignore it. The times are over, when speechless,
black-dressed unfriendly and arrogant people are “running” art-galleries, just
proudly showing what they have. Even named galleries are suffering on that
problem. The task of sales-staff in galleries is to find out the lifestyle of
the client and what would fit the best to him and her. They have to remain
friendly and behaving like good friends, even when the discussion is ending without
deal. And they have to take the leadership in the sales process, not to let it
up to the client, if they buy or not.
The future belongs to the
art-seller, who is asking and understanding his clients and winning its trust,
even when the instagram and facebook accounts are not showing the most likes in
town.
Coming back to social media: Instagram
& co. are helping artists to achieve a name amongst other artists, their main
competitors. An art-gallery in a city with two million inhabitants might have
50, if it is good organized 10 relevant competitors. Being aware that
social-media marketing is just entertaining, but not selling, I have to face
the truth, that there I have one up to six million competitors. Even when you
combine your social media activities with good content, it will be hard to
break through. Meanwhile collectors buy a piece of the artist personality. This
is transmitted more intensive in unique artworks than in uniform social-media
trends.
Most of the big shots of
collectors are not represented on facebook, some of them you even can’t find on
the internet, because their access is filtered. They will not involve
themselves in the unfiltered world of social media. Of course this idea has a
big “BUT” button as well. The art-advisors, curators and secretaries around the
decision-makers need social-media to inform themselves about the works,
artistic CV, indicators for concepts or criteria to buy. In the front office of
the collectors instagram and facebook are checked and filtered.
Does my friends, contacts, the
people I am following reflect my self-understanding? Does it reflect the
context I would like to be in? Who is my target group, whom I am following and
who is following me? At the beginning you will be happy to obtain any follower;
later on you should have the courage to clean your list from time to time. Of
course in social media, masses are counting. But in opposite to TV-Stars, artists
are not under the pressure to win everyone. Less is more, and it is more
important that you build your marketplace in your target-group.
From our experience there are a
lot of advices to give in social-media marketing, and I am sure other art-dealers
have to give that as well: Prepare content for some days or weeks ahead, so you
have it, when you will need it. Always be aware, that posting by its own is not
enough. It is more important, to involve yourself into the community. Like,
share, comment, communicate, take care of postings, stories and catch awareness
with being there.
In order to have a strong
presence, you have to be online permanent. You have to react and be one of the
first to comment share like and repost. The permanent presence is not only in
posting but as well in involving yourself into the community.
The threat is that small
galleries with small capacities on human resources as well as artists marketing
themselves will be selected out, if they are not following the rules. The
algorithm will not remember them. But when you are just hanging on twitter
& co, there is no more time for the real job of an artist, painting, as
well as the real job of a gallery – convincing the right people and selling
personally.
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