6 Ways For Artists To Connect With Their Audience in January 2024
A new year is coming up fast and you might be wondering, “okay, now that the holidays and the busiest season of the year are over, what am I supposed to talk about to get my audience’s attentions?”
This is a fairly regular question that small business owners ask themselves as sales from the holidays wind down, we start counting the days, hours, and seconds till the year ends and then it feels like we have to start all over again.
Well, dear artist friend of mine, before you get your paint brushes or molding tools in a tussle, let’s bite off just a little bit at a time. Here are 6 things you can use for marketing to connect with your audience in January (and February) of 2024…
“Didn’t get what you wanted for Christmas?”
We all know how it feels to want something for Christmas but not get it. You’ve also probably experienced not being able to buy the things you want during the month of December because people keep saying, “Christmas is almost here! Why would you buy yourself something when the biggest gift-giving day of the year is right around the corner?!” And yet, the big day arrives and you still don’t get what you want. You feel a little deflated, seeing others getting exactly what they want… this is the number one reason why some small businesses actually have their biggest sales months in January! So don’t assume that because the holidays are over that sales season is over, you can absolutely appeal to people’s self-indulgent tendencies and market the gift they really wish they would have gotten on Christmas morning.
New year & starting over
New years day is the biggest day of the year for people to feel like they can “start over”. That feeling is so strong that it lasts for several weeks which gives YOU the opportunity to speak to that with your audience. Maybe your ideal customer is wanting to start putting themselves first more, instead of always taking care of others, and you share with them your one-of-a-kind earrings to inspire them to treat themselves more this year. Maybe your ideal customer likes to be first and you can help them pick out their first piece to start their 2024 collection. Maybe your ideal customer wants to work on their morning routine and you casually show off a cute mug you made that would inspire them to actually get out of bed instead of hitting the snooze button. Whatever the case may be, you might just have exactly what will be the catalyst for their new life and they deserve to hear about it!
Resolutions
This one is always popular but can be a bit short lived. You know about it, I know about it, everyone knows about it… resolutions. Similar to the “starting over” idea from the last topic, you can use the word “resolution” and it will instantly get people’s attention because they want to know what others are working on this year too. This is a good time to use those “POV” posts (point of view) and say something like, “POV: already achieving my new year resolution of putting myself first more often with my new [whatever you make]”.
Looking back at 2023
It’s often fun for people to see how a company has grown over time so another way you can connect with your audience is sharing photos of where you were a year ago. Even if they’re not buying from you now, seeing behind the scenes things like this will allow them to connect with you so that, when they are ready to buy, you’ll be the first one that comes to mind.
New arrivals for 2024
Are you full of new, creative ideas after relaxing for the holidays? Do you have a list of your own resolutions for things you want to make or collections you want to bring to fruition in the new year? If so, share them with your audience! If you can, make one sample, or one sample from each collection you want to do, and use them in your content with a hook of “sneak peek!” or “coming soon!” or “coming in spring/summer 2024!” This will get people excited for what you’ll be making and perhaps even get you some pre-orders!
Inspirational Quotes (my favorite!)
Inspirational quotes can really be used any time of the year but they’re even more great in January because people are more receptive to them. “How do I share them though?” you ask? One way is to use stock images of something that inspires you as the background with a more solid square in the middle and share them in a photo post.
Another idea is to simply share the quote with a white or solid background (don’t forget to use your brand colors here!)
If you’re using this for Instagram, this a great way to organize your page so it’s more aesthetically pleasing as well when people visit it for the first time. Another way would be to simply post a reel with a video and have the quote be typed out in the middle. No matter how you style it, you will inspire people and people, especially the ones who love art, love to feel inspired. The more you can do this, the more they will think of you the next time they’re ready to add a little artistic beauty into their life.
I hope this was helpful for you and I hope you end the year of 2023 having achieved all that you wanted to but, whether you didn’t or you did, 2024 is a new year to make new changes… and it’s right around the corner!
Artists, want to learn how to sell your creative work online so you can spend less time away at vendor markets and more time home with your family and the ones you love? Join my Artisan Coaching Studio monthly membership or simply sign up for my full course training with lifetime access!
