How printing greeting cards can be a powerful marketing tool for artists and photographers
“Printing Greeting Cards for Christmas. It is the biggest and best time for selling greeting cards of your art and photographs. Don’t miss out on this vital opportunity for marketing and sales”
For artists, illustrators and photographers printing greeting cards can feel more of an add on, than a great marketing tool, but they can become part of a great marketing strategy to connect with your target audience.
Firstly artists and photographers are always looking for cost-effective ways of promoting artworks and photographs. The ideal marketing strategy is being able to reach a wider audience to introduce them to your artworks and what you have to offer. In the case of photographers, it’s about introducing your potential buyers to the art of your photographs, rather than the commercial aspect of your photography work.
Both artists and photographers have to identify and consider different revenue streams from their artworks and images. One of the most budget friendly is having your art and photos turned into custom printed cards.
So how do greetings cards become a powerful marketing tool and how do you achieve this?
Getting organised and creating a greeting card collection
When you first decide to print greetings cards, it forces you to look at your art or photographs as a group. Seeing you artwork and photo images in a smaller format helps you to visually group them together and assess what looks good as a collection. You will be able to see if there is a common theme, do the images flow together? Basically you will get an overview of your artwork images and start to see which ones will work as a collection. Also this perspective helps you see what your potential buyers, collectors see.
Overall by printing greetings cards you should be able to clearly see what is unique about your images and if they work cohesively as a collection. This is the start of making sense of what you have to market and who is it most likely to appeal to (your target market).
Trial and Test
For a small budget you get to trial and test your potential buyers reaction to your work. So rather than having to spend money on prints of each artwork or photograph to create a collection to show. Why not have greeting cards printed of these images, to show first. Especially at fairs and events. You’ll be keeping your costs low and gaining some essential market research. There are usually local crafters/ creatives markets where you can trial your art and photographs. It may be a trial, but have plenty of information for potential buyers to take away and have those trial cards for sale.
Also you can approach independent retailers and galleries to gauge their response, without having to carry large artworks or photography prints with you. You’ll be showing how your images look from a commercial aspect for businesses. It also demonstrates you’re more serious about your creative business, especially if you have good quality greeting cards, with great colour, professionally printed and where you can demonstrate consistency of look and that quality can be maintained.
Good and bad feedback is important
Usually independent gallery, gift and card shops are happy to trial a few of your printed greeting cards and see which appeal to their customers. This means there is no large cost outlay for you or them. This is a great way to gain important market research and great feedback.
While it’s wonderful to receive positive feedback, it’s good to get genuine feedback, even if it’s negative. Let’s face it a retailer has to make a living, so if something doesn’t sell you will know instantly. Bear in mind though it could sell somewhere else, certain styles and subjects sell better in different environments. Do your research on retailers, see what they already sell, will your style make a good fit. It doesn’t have to be the same, but never forget retailers know their customers, so they are a good source of advice. Remember to be polite, they are busy people, with a business to run.
Printing greeting cards with a professional finish and Consistent Reliability
Using a professional fine art printers for printing greetings cards can make a big difference in how retailers and potential customers respond to your cards. You don’t want your cards to fade from sunlight and you don’t want flimsy cards to start curling after being handled a few times. You need a fine art printers that actually prints cards with pigment inks, so you don’t have fading cards after a few displays at art fairs. Also they can advise on what important contact details need printing on your greeting cards. They can also print your art and photographs onto heavy weight card stock, tell you which card will suit your image best and able to offer short volume print runs. Very cost effective when you are using greeting cards as part of your marketing strategy.
Get in touch see how we can help or place your order here.
Christmas Custom printed cards, connecting on a personal level with your potential buyers and supporters
Everyone says your first potential buyers of your art and fine art photography are your family and friends. So imagine how many people you could advertise too. By sending Christmas cards of your works to everyone you know, including your dentist and local post office. It is amazing how many businesses will be pleased to put up a greeting card on the counters and walls, for all to see and it didn’t cost you a penny in advertising. Don’t forget the all important hand-written message inside too! You never know who will see your cards and turn into a regular customer.
Think outside the box
Greeting cards are a low cost marketing tool, you just have to think outside the box a little. Even sending a thank you to your local wildlife charity centre can lead to an opportunity. Venues and retailers are usually happy to trial a small batch of your cards. You also get great feedback on which images are popular. This could make you re-think your art or photography subjects.
Overall greeting cards are small for sending and transporting. They are great for a small budget and are great at sending a positive feel to whoever receives one. You can’t lose, by printing greeting cards, it’s about how you use them. Think of lots of ways you can get those images in front of lots of people, without the high expense. Including sending a card with a lovely message and a few sample cards to magazines and publications. Don’t be corporate in your wording, be personal, because you are selling you and your abilities. That extra care and attention will stand out amongst their business mail.
Get In Touch
So what are you waiting for, start putting a collection of your images together. Get in touch and let us help turn your art and photos into printed greeting cards, to a professional finish.
Here at The Artists Print Room our custom printed greeting cards are printed with archival pigment inks and trimmed, creased and packaged by hand.
Please click here to place your greetings cards order
Did you know that we are the only fine art printing company in the UK which has been accredited by Canson Infinity, Hahnemühle Fine Art, Epson Digigraphie, ILFORD and the Fine Art Trade Guild? Also, why not sign up to our mailing list to keep up to date with news, products and future competitions at The Artists Print Room – just complete the form below.
