It usually is not enough to simply advertise. It's expensive, and it's like using a shotgun to kill a fly. Buying ads in the newspaper will get your name out, but who will care? Sending postcards to a random list will get your art out, but who will keep it, and who will throw it away? Having a website helps, but who will look at it and how will they find it? Here's how I found my target customer.
First, I went to the art fairs; I showed off a little when I could; I had a show at a gallery; I made contacts through the community work I do. Over time, I sold some work. I tried to get to know my clients. I wanted to know what drove them to buy art from me.
Once I had a decent list of clients, I began looking for similarities. This can be tricky, because there are really very few of my collectors that are like each other. For instance, a man in his late thirties owns a painting of mine. A similar painting was bought by a teenager. Still, I had something to start with.
Most of my collectors are college educated. Some are businessmen, some are quality control specialists. Four of my clients are teachers, from preschool to college. At least one of my collectors is an attorney. Five are musicians or closely related to musicians.
Almost all of my clients are involved in the communities they live in. One works -and volunteers- at the Marquette Regional History Museum. Another was a local librarian. Another conducts the music program at his church. Others work with youth in the local music scene. Most of my ideal clients support local arts and culture.
So now I had a picture of my ideal client. It was time to find them, and get them to see me. Finding them proved to be rather simple, since I happen to be involved in a couple of local arts organizations. Getting them to see me was the real work.
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