Writing a proposal

On my "to-do" list this week is to submit a proposal for the National Arts Marketing Project. I want to talk about how artists and arts organizations can use "lean" marketing to discover and retain loyal patrons. Lean marketing is big in the startup world. I think it has a practical application in the art world with a few modifications.

At the core of this strategy is solving a problem. We talk about doing this all the time in the arts: better education, healthier cities, lower crime, etc. And these are all big problems to tackle. But the problem a consumer faces may not be that big. Maybe she needs access. Maybe he needs entertainment options. Maybe a person needs a context for appreciating a piece of work. It is an experiment.

Get to know your patrons. Understand their problems, desires, wants. Help them. Sell artwork. Easy, right?

It does take a lot of work and dedication. The good news is that you can do this type of marketing on a very tight budget. But like any business, you have to put some strategy into it so you don't end up wasting a lot of time and money.

To be continued...