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Image courtesy Hugh MacLeod, Gaping Void. [1]     Perhaps the following question haunts you:   How do I find new customers?   Do you monitor worry about your website's traffic?  Do you encourage beg people to "like" you on Facebook? [2]  Do you wonder if  hope search engine marketing will ride in on a white horse and hand you new buyers?   On the surface, worrying about those things seems logical.  More traffic = more sales.  Right?  Wrong. Wrong.  Wrong.   Listen, you don't have to beg.  Instead, do what we tell artists over...and over...and over:  focus on your existing fans.  No matter how small your newsletter list is....start using it.  No matter how few [...]

Adobe Road Seriously, this is probably the best Pinot Noir I've ever had.  And that is saying something as I've had a lot.   My wife and I have an ongoing Willamette valley vs. Russian River valley debate, with me championing Willamette.  I must grudgingly concede that this wine, Adobe Road, proves her point very well.  Sincerely, Clintavo PS - As always share any wines you love in the comments! PPS - you can see more wines we love at http://instagram.com/clintavo       *******   Please feel free to forward this post to any of your wine-loving friends and encourage them to sign up for BottleFolio at:   http://bottlefol.io/email-newsletter     [...]

Vincent Cassar writes:   "After a completed sale, send a personalized thank you card to each of your customers and mention that you are growing your business and would welcome referrals."     This is a big, huge, "duh".  You already know this is a good idea.   However, look in the mirror and ask yourself honestly: Do you do it after every single, completed sale? [1]   If you don't, you're leaving money on the table especially in art marketing since, unlike many industries, finding customers interested in a particular artist is like panning for gold.  When your "gold panning" rewards you with a customer, treat her well and send those [...]

  Courtesy Hugh MacLeod and GapingVoid [source]       The secret to high art sales, which must be done IN ORDER:   craving -> creativity -> competence -> community -> conversations -> commerce  [original tweet]           Craving You must have a craving to produce art.  As Hugh MacLeod says, "The Hun­ger will give you everything. And it will take from you, everything. It will cost you your life, and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it."  If you don't have a craving this strong, it's probably time to think about doing something else.   Creativity Nuture your craving by acting on your creativity.  In other words, create.   Competence Lack of sales [...]

Turley Juvenile Good Zinfandel! Sincerely, Clintavo PS - As always share any wines you love in the comments! PPS - you can see more wines we love at http://instagram.com/clintavo       *******   Please feel free to forward this post to any of your wine-loving friends and encourage them to sign up for BottleFolio at:   http://bottlefol.io/email-newsletter [...]