How to Market Yourself: Ideas for Artists, Writers and Musicians

So you are a very creative writer. Or maybe you are a fantastic writer. One of the best the world has ever known. Or a a very creative artist. Your pictures would make art critics swoon. Or maybe you are a musician and you've got the hottest new sounds around.....

And you're broke.

Dead broke.

Working at a bank, maybe serving coffee somewhere, digging ditches or pushing paper.

What the heck happened?

Where did you go wrong?

Well maybe it's just not your time in the limelight yet, maybe you haven't played those creative blues long enough to enter into those artistic halls of fame yet...or maybe...maybe it's because you are not marketing yourself!

Well, what do you mean by that, you say? Do you really expect me to go out there and sell myself to the public?

Yup, that's exactly right.

As an artist, writer and business woman, I learned many years ago that I could be the absolute best at what I do - and - be dead flat broke at the same time if no one knew who I was.

Well...let's back up a bit. I still have lots to work to do on that because I am now swimming in the Internet world - but in a nutshell - what I am talking about is marketing your creativity.

No kidding.

You could be the very best at what you do and if no one knows of your product, or who you are, you may never get that lucky break to who knows where...

Someone very business savvy once told me it's not what you know but who you know . Relationships are key in marketing your creativity. So many artists are so focused on their craft that they forget how vitally important is is that people know who you are. And the only way they are going to know who you are is by getting to know you, up front and personal. Like at meetings, networking groups, Chambers of Commerce's and social bookmarking sites such as Twitter and Facebook....among many others.

What else could you do to market yourself and your small business? Here are some ideas:

• Get some business cards from a company like VistaPrint. You can usually get the first 250 free to get you started.
• Pound the pavement. Go to other small businesses that could use your services and talk to them and give them one of your business cards.
• Face to face contact. Whenever you meet new people, give them one of your cards after meeting them. You don't have to be pushy, just say, "Here are one of my business cards. Give me a call if you need anything or just want to touch base with me."
• Fax businesses a flyer that could use your services. In our small business, we ended up doing business with people that sent us information via fax (just don't flood their fax machine with faxes, that will turn people off)
• Advertise on your car with an inexpensive set of car/truck magnetic signs. This is one of the best ways to advertise your small business and what you do.
• Write letters. Send small notes to businesses that you are interested in doing work with. You could also send them a sample of what you do.
• Blog about your area of expertise on a free blog or set up a small website for yourself.
• Letter your vehicle with vinyl letters and advertise what you do. Have a sign company install on your truck/car or even a trailer or boat.

All these activities can lead you to networking, networking and even more NETWORKING...

I've seen the success of this method in our former business. Networking provided key contacts for lucrative business accounts. People got to know me and my partner, and referrals started flowing in. Phones rang and orders were placed.

Without a lot of face to face contact though, no one would have known us unless we had put ourselves out there in the networking world.

I hope I've sparked that great imagination of yours to get you thinking about this. There are countless wildly talented people out there that never get to where they want to go because they fail to market their creativity.

And the creativity is you - yourself - your personal product whether it be music, painting or writing.

The only way you can market your creativity is by putting yourself out there in the world...so that all can see the wonderful talents you have. Creative marketing ideas are all around you.

You've already done the hard part - defining your talent. Now all you have to do is market that creativity!

(Dorsi Diaz is a freelance writer/publisher here on the internet. She is also an artist, photographer and specializes in visual communications)