05: Crafting Your Story: How to Create a Connection With Art Collectors

Hey, liberated artists! Today's episode is all about fine art sales techniques and selling art online. And we'll be focusing on one essential strategy, the power of storytelling. In the art world, storytelling is the key to connecting with potential collectors and building a loyal following. In this episode, we'll explore why storytelling is crucial for your art marketing strategies, and provide tips on how to incorporate it into your website and marketing efforts. Stay tuned till the end to discover where to find prompts that will help you hone in on your unique messaging. Let's get started.

Hey, artist friend. This is Mariana Durst from the Liberated Artist Podcast, a space for unvarnished conversations about selling art online from a place of artistry, integrity, and courage. So whether you've got yellow ochre under your fingernails or clay dust on your jeans, I'll be your go-to guide as you bridge the gap between art and entrepreneurship. Your art isn't meant to stay stacked against the studio walls. Ready to walk this path together? Let's get started.

I call myself a marketing nerd. You've heard me say that, right? And if I were to drill down on what exactly it is about marketing that I nerd out about, it boils down to this one thing. Storytelling. While marketing can skew towards the side of science and data, what really lights me up is how story can help us make connections as human beings. You've probably heard this before. I mean, I know I certainly have about a million times that our brains are wired for story. And think about it, from the moment those first cave drawings appeared, I don't know, 20-something thousand years ago, we've been using story and art to communicate. Just take a moment and think about the number of stories your thoughts come up with in a single day. and how easy it is for us to transfer knowledge, life lessons, and observations using metaphors, legends, allegories, etc. We simply crave information that helps us survive, and our brains are always trying to make those connections between the stories we hear and our own experiences. And the science is fascinating. Research has shown that when we listen, our language processing area in the brain gets activated. However, when we listen to rich details of a story, like those rich, juicy sensory tidbits, our brains light up all over in all the different areas that would be lit up if we were living this exact same story ourselves. This means that by using story, we can create a shortcut between our brains and our audience's brains. How amazing that we can impart our ideas and thoughts and emotions to each other using story. Now, if you're nerding out like me right now about storytelling, make sure to visit the show notes at liberatedartistpodcast.com. and check out some interesting resources, including my favorite storytelling books. These are not books that tell stories, but these are books that talk about storytelling. It's kind of meta. Okay, so let's get back to the good stuff. Storytelling in the context of marketing refers to the practice of using narrative or story to communicate a brand's values, messaging, and products or services to their target audience.

For artists, it involves crafting a compelling story that engages and resonates with potential patrons, helps build an emotional connection with your work, and ultimately influences their purchasing decision. Storytelling can be used to create a connection between the artist and potential collectors by sharing the inspiration and meaning behind their art. This can help create a deeper appreciation for the art and make a really compelling case for purchasing your art. When I was preparing for this episode, I ran across a survey that was really interesting. It was done by Artsy. And it stated that 79% of art collectors said that the story behind a piece of artwork was very important. or somewhat important in their decision to purchase. Hello. This not only shows that storytelling is effective in creating an emotional connection, but that it also can directly impact your art sales.

Storytelling is crucial in marketing art because it helps you build a connection with potential buyers by conveying all of the emotions, the inspiration and the stories behind your creations. And it's not enough to showcase your technical skills or aesthetic qualities of a piece of art. Art buyers want to feel that emotional connection to a piece and storytelling can help you provide that connection.

I always tell my clients that we need to make it easy for our audience to connect with our art. And the way that we do that, or one of the ways that we do that is through storytelling. Because when we use storytelling to sell our artwork, we are lighting up our audience's brain in all of these sensory areas, making it a delight, firing off those happy hormones in their bodies because they are finding some connection there, some human connection. And not only is this a beautiful way to move around and be in the world, you know, building these relationships with others, but it can also make an impact on your bottom line.

Alright, I wanna talk about one of my favorite people. She was a client who came to me very fresh. She had never had a website. She was shifting gears from being this super successful scientist running multiple labs at a research university, handling multi-million dollar grants and teams of people. And she wanted to sell. work. She was doing a complete transformation and wanted to go from white lab coats to completely paint splattered clothing. I mean, when I tell you her name, you can go check out her Instagram and see how cute she is. Her name is Robin Davisson, and she's based out of Georgetown. She has a studio there called Studio Lab RD, and she is one of the most fascinating stories. that I'm gonna use here as an example to illustrate just how you can use that storytelling to connect with your people. So Robin had a really important and specific point of view where she approached her art making not too differently than she approached her scientific work. She found a lot of creativity in both of those worlds, not just the art making. And so she transferred her ability and her knowledge of fact finding and research and hypotheses and used it when creating her paintings. Beautiful abstract paintings, oh my gosh. So in doing this, she completely... turned the page and opened a new chapter, a chapter of her own personal renaissance. And when I heard the story, I knew exactly the story that we were going to tell. We were going to tell the story of a personal transformation, of going all in on those things and those dreams that have taken a backseat to life and career and of marriage and children to saying yes to those things and the courage that it takes to go all in on that dream. And through that connection, Robin has found so much success in finding amazing new homes for her art, connections with galleries, and now she has her own space and studio in Georgetown.

It's just fascinating. If you wanna... go check her out, please visit her at robindavissonart.com.

Okay, so I wanna give you a couple of places to mind for those story gems. You can dig through your personal anecdotes and see if there are any personal stories that relate to your art, such as... how you became an artist, or what made you become interested in a particular subject matter, why you chose a certain style or technique. These stories can help potential buyers and collectors connect with you on a deeper level and better understand the inspiration behind your work. You can also dig for stories within your process and inspiration. You can use storytelling to share insights into your creative process and your inspiration. And providing a behind the scenes look at how you work, you can create a sense of intimacy and connection with potential buyers and collectors by bringing them into your studio and getting them up close and personal with your artwork. You'll help them better appreciate the value of your art.

The other day I was listening to the HBO Succession podcast because I just recently started watching that show and I am obsessed. And there was an interview with actor Jeremy Strong where he was talking about his process in becoming his character, Kendall Roy. And how much is at stake and how he skates on thin ice every time that he's on camera. And even off camera, he does all this work to be in character and stay in character and how this affects him and how this helps him become a better actor. And man, after I finished listening to that podcast episode, I really deeply appreciated watching this show. It felt more like a gift that was being given to me. And I looked at Kendall and that actor, Jeremy Strong, with a different lens. And I truly, truly, if I wasn't obsessed before with succession, now I really am after hearing what he goes through. And that's all because on that podcast, he really went into the process of becoming Kendall Roy. And this is what you can inspire in your potential collectors as well.

So another place to dig for stories is if you have any social or environmental impact that you wanna make through your art or any causes that you support. For example, artists who are passionate about social or environmental issues can use storytelling to convey their values and the impact they hope to make through their art. By sharing stories about how they work, They can address these issues and create a sense of purpose and meaning around their art, which can be very appealing to potential buyers and collectors who share those similar values. My friend and client Natalie Eslick, a beautiful Aussie artist, creates these beautiful portraits of animals with reverence and kinship and respect for their little beings. And in so doing, she connects with other people who care about their fellow creatures and who care about nature and preserving it and honoring it. You can check her out at natalieeslick.com. Her website's also in the show notes.

So how can you incorporate storytelling into your brand, your website? and other marketing channels. One of the reasons my work at Mariana Durst Studio involves branding, copywriting, and web design, and mentorship is that these are all great storytelling tools. You guys, I figured out how to be a storyteller and make it a whole business, because my job is telling artists’ stories in a way that helps them sell their work. Incorporating storytelling into branding, website design, and copy helps my clients create a consistent and compelling narrative that engages potential buyers and collectors. They can share their art in a way that is very integral with how they are and very aligned because they are not inventing this whole marketing strategy and technique that is foreign to them. They are incorporating their own raw source materials. In branding, I use storytelling to highlight my clients' unique perspective and values. This can include their background, inspiration, and creative process. And by weaving this story into branding materials, such as logos and patterns and packaging and business cards, they can create a cohesive and memorable brand. In website design, storytelling can be used to guide the design of a website, making it more engaging and user-friendly. I also sometimes give ideas to my clients about photography, art direction, or creative direction in their photos so that we can tell that story in a really cohesive manner.

Storytelling can also be used to clear create a clear and concise message that communicates my clients' unique value proposition, which brings me to copywriting. This is one of my favorite things that I do in my job, is creating these stories that help my clients connect with their audience. And I always strive to do it in a way where their audience feels. connected and invested in this story before they even purchase the artwork.

There are so many other places where storytelling can help you, not just on your branding, copywriting, or web design. Think about sales pages, newsletters, welcome sequences, launch emails, social media captions, reels, etc. etc. Storytelling should be a huge part of your marketing efforts. And if you are interested in infusing them with story, check out my marketing messaging for artists. It's a digital product that I have in my shop where you'll get over 70 prompts and marketing message ideas that will help you hone in on unique messaging that connects your art with your patrons. You'll never again be at a loss for words when it comes to selling your art. So check it out in the liberated artist shop at marianadirstudio.com/shop. There's a link in the show notes. So as we come to a close, it's clear that storytelling isn't just reserved for cozy campfires or sleepy bedtimes. It's a mighty instrument for marketing art that allows you to forge a profound connection with prospective buyers and collectors. And by weaving storytelling into your website and marketing strategy, you can offer a memorable and resonant encounter that will leave a lasting imprint and boost the likelihood of a successful sale. So go ahead and tell your tale. This is Mariana Durst reminding you that your story is the ultimate canvas for your art to shine. If you like this episode, I'd love it if you would please leave a review. This will help me reach the ears of other artists who are seeking to make more with what they do best.

Today's episode was brought to you by Mariana Durst Studio's prolific and profitable artist quiz. A quick quiz to assess your marketing prowess, learn your superpowers, and get a personalized plan to overcome overwhelm and get your art seen and sold. Your art visibility plan awaits at marianadurstudio.com/quiz. 

Thanks for listening to the Liberated Artist Podcast. Be sure to visit liberatedartistpodcast.com for show notes, bonus materials, and to subscribe to get new episodes dropped straight into your pretty little inbox when they're published. If you enjoyed today's podcast, I invite you to follow or subscribe to the show wherever you're listening so that new episodes magically appear on your feed. If you have any artists in your life who desire to or are selling their art online, then please be sure to share this episode with them. Want to connect? Me too. Let's continue the conversation on my Instagram @marianadurstudio.