Clint Watson

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The Back Road

9/11/2012 7:09:34 AM by Clint Watson
 

Imagine you're driving down a busy interstate highway.  The congested roads demand your concentration and billboards shout at you from all directions, trying to entice you to exit and part with your money.  This is mass marketing, and every exit promises a Chili's, a Home Depot, a McDonald's and a Starbucks.

Now imagine you're driving down a secluded country back road.  There are no billboards, no traffic, no Starbucks.  occasionally, you might see other people...kindred spirits with whom you have something in common: a love of the road less travelled, and indeed a shared interest in this particular road.

All of a sudden, you see a bright green sign in front of a bright green treehouse that promises "The Best Banana Bread on the Planet."  Do you stop?  Of course you do!  Things like this are exactly why you take the back road.

This methaphor is actually real, and  the road is the Road to Kahakuloa Village on Maui.  Many parts of the road are only one-car width wide. [1]   My wife and I were delighted to find Julia's Banana Bread that day.  Certainly much happier than if we had found yet another Chili's or Starbucks!

Julia's Roadside Banana Bread "Treehouse"

Here's the thing:  "working" on your "SEO Keywords", measuring user engagement, pouring over Google Analytics graphs, working on increasing the number of "Facebook Likes" and trying to "reduce bounce rate."  Those are all mass marketing activities.   If you're Starbucks, you should be worried about your bounce rate.

But, unless you're Thomas Kinkade [2], marketing your art is a back road activity.

And, face it, your not Starbucks, and you're not Thomas Kinkade.  And that's a wonderful thing.

So why do you insist on setting up your bright green shack next to the interstate and then wonder why the cars zoom by without even glancing at you?

Be like Julia instead.  Find your back road.  The one where your kindred souls travel.  And then sell them the "Best Artwork on the Planet."

Remember, Sharing Art Enriches Life.

Sincerely,

Clint Watson

Software Craftsman and Art Fanatic

PS - "How many eyeballs are passing by is a useless measure. All that matters is, "how many people want to hear from you tomorrow?" - Seth Godin http://faso.com/brushbuzz/links/6952

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Footnotes:

[1]  so, along many parts of the road to Kahahuloa Village, because the road is so narrow, if you meet an oncoming car, the person going uphill is obliged to back up until there is enough room to pull off the road.  That's because it's easier to see behind you when backing up downhill.  What if the road is flat you ask?  It never is, you're always going uphill or downhill.  It's awesome.  Rent a jeep.  Stop often.

[2] Thomas Kinkade recently passed away.  RIP.

 

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Comments

 

bravo Clint!

Calvin J Goodman, who coached galleries and artists for 40 years was my marketing mentor. He said repeatedly, the art market (for original art) is never the mass market.

Like you've mentioned in the past, we artists don't need a huge following to make a living... Just a handful of folks who love our work.

Posted by Lori Woodward · via faso.com · 165 months ago

Thanks for a helpful reality check. I vacillate between am I doing enough marketing, the right marketing, and then feeling completely inundated with information. When I reach that point, I walk away from the computer and head to the studio because I'd much rather be doing what I do best.

I have always love the back roads, and am especially fond of Maui. It was a wonderful metaphor to clear the mind, and just wanted to say that I enjoy your input!

Posted by Grace Hessman · via faso.com · 165 months ago

The Back Road invites rethinking. I had not made a correlation between what makes me stop during travel and what might make someone love/buy my art. But I can see that both are done on a personal level. What appeals, and what doesn't. Our memorable travel is when we interact with the people who live in the area, on the back road. Thanks.

Posted by Carolyn Hancock · via faso.com · 165 months ago

I love the metaphor, and my husband and I just returned from a trip (that takes over 19 hours from our home in N. Indiana, on the interstate), to Accadia, Maine. My husband would drive the entire trip on the freeway, if he had it his way, I would not! Fortunately we are learning to give and take. From New York we took a lovely drive on Highway 9, which is a two lane road...thus a backroad for my husband Tim. My point is that even though the freeways are faster, the experience of the backroads is far more interesting, so it is with different types of marketing. Sometimes opportunities come along that will provide a chance to introduce my work to a large number of people. While those occasions don't often result in immediate sales, they do sometimes lead to further contact with clients and followed sales....

I really like the idea of backroad marketing however! I have found that my most effective "backroad" form of marketing to new clients is plein air painting and plein air events.

Posted by Diane Overmyer · via faso.com · 165 months ago

Hey Diane, I hope you had a fun and safe trip at Acadia NP! They have a nice "art in the park" show up there in the spring and fall on the Bar Harbor town green, and the artists I know who show there sell very well! Some come home with 5-$6000 in their pocket. Not bad for a couple days' work.

Lori

Posted by Lori Woodward · via clintavoblog.fineartstudioonline.com · 165 months ago

Thanks for the tip Lori. I don't know if I could talk my husband back into doing the drive again for the next few years. (We are hoping to head west next year). But Maine is definitely one of my favorite places in the country, that I have visited. I've been there four times now, and I have not grown tire of it yet! We love the quaint fishing villages up in the northern part of the state and of course Acadia offers so much! I really enjoyed plein air painting there. One morning I painted for while with two artists from Canada. They both came after I was nearly finished with a my painting, but I enjoyed chatting with them before we hiked back to our vehicle.

Posted by Diane Overmyer · via clintavoblog.fineartstudioonline.com · 165 months ago

I enjoy your posts but give it a rest with the Thomas Kinkade comments. It takes away from what you're trying to say.

Posted by Lynn · via faso.com · 165 months ago

This is the first thing I recall saying about Kinkade in ages and I've said nothing derogatory about him here. I'm confused about the "give it a rest with the Kinkade" comments.

Kinkade pulled off mass marketing like no other artist in my lifetime, my point was that what worked for him won't work for most artists. I don't think it takes ANYTHING at all away from what I'm saying.

My other point was may he rest in peace.

I appreciate your feedback, but am quite confused by your comment. I'm sorry it somehow bothers you.

Posted by Clint Watson · via faso.com · 165 months ago

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