Last Updated on January 7, 2020

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Are you trying to build an online presence? Are you finding it difficult to attract new people to your artist blog and website? In this post, I am going to talk about how you can sell more art by building your tribe.

How To Sell More Art By Building Your Tribe

I first heard the phrase “build your tribe” from a podcast that featured Seth Godin.

Seth has inspired and motivated hundreds of thousands of marketers around the world and will have you looking at marketing your art a different way.

Seth’s describes a tribe in his book Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us as:

“A Tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea. For millions of years, humans have been seeking out tribes, be they religious, ethnic, economic, political, or even musical (think of the Deadheads). It’s our nature.”

If you have some extra time I highly recommend reading Tribes – Seth Godin you will not be disappointed.

You can even listen to the audio version of the book Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us (Unabridged) – Seth Godin while you are in the studio. I find that listening to new audiobooks and podcasts while I am creating art helps me to stay on top of all the changes in digital marketing.

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What Is A Tribe

Tribes have been around for centuries. A tribe was a group of families that supported one goal. The main goal was to survive and provide a better place for the next generation.

Technology and evolution have changed over the years but there is still one common denominator that remains unchanged, the desire to form tribes.

Tribes have a different agenda today than they did thousands of years ago. Instead of people grouping together for survival, they group together because of their interests.

The internet has made it possible for people around the world to meet people with the same interests. There are tribes forming for nearly every niche you can think of.

There are groups for TV shows, sufferers, animal rescuers, and even Disney fanatics. No matter what you like, you will be able to find a group of people who share the same passion.

How Will A Tribe Help Your Business

Every tribe needs a leader, and that is where you come in.

You might be saying to yourself, “I have nothing special to offer, I am not a leader.”

The truth is, you do have something special to offer. You are an artist with a passion for the subjects you create.

Not only will you be able to share your knowledge on the subjects you create, but you will also be able to share your art techniques with other artists.

When you share your beliefs and skills, you will be seen as an expert in your field. And yes, you are an expert in your field. There is no one that can create art exactly like you do. There are thousands of artists who would love to learn from you. There are also many people who would love to talk and learn more about the subjects you create.

By sharing your knowledge you will become a leader of a tribe. Your tribe will be the people who have the same passions as you. They will be the people who will support you and share your story with others. Your tribe will help you to build an online presence. If you want your art seen by people around the world, you will need to build a tribe.

The Connection Between Tribes And Word-of-Mouth

I can still remember one of my main goals as being a department manager for a supermarket over 25 years ago.

The goal was to provide a positive experience for every customer so they would provide a positive review to people they conversed with.

Word-of-mouth reviews was what would make a business bloom or wilt.

Today the concept is the same but the way people provide reviews is quite different.

Instead of a positive or negative review reaching two or three people, reviews are read by thousands of people in real-time around the world.

What does this mean for artists like you selling art online?

Just like 25 years ago, the goals are similar. You have to provide exceptionally great customer service. You want people to talk about you and your services in a positive manner.

One negative review could have your business spin down.

This is where your tribe becomes one of your biggest assets. They will be the ones who will support you as well as share positive stories via their social media platforms.

The Truth About Word-of-Mouth Reviews

Before I share with you some actions you can take to help you to build your tribe and positive reviews I want to talk about the reality of positive reviews.

The first thing you have to realize is that not everyone will like or be happy with your art or services.

If people only liked one artist, the rest of us would not have a job.Click To Tweet

Everyone has different tastes and expectations.

This is not a bad thing.

If people only liked one artist, the rest of us would not have a job.

Another thing to keep in mind, is that people will share a negative experience quicker than they would share a positive.

How can you turn a negative experience into a positive?

The first step is to know who is saying what about your business.

Please read 4 Social Media Monitoring Tools For Artists Selling Online. This article provides different tools you can use to help you monitor what is being said about your business.

The next step is to take action.

It is almost more important to act upon a negative comment than a positive.

You have the opportunity to change a negative experience into a positive situation in real-time.

Once you can identify a problem, act upon it. In most cases, just by responding will change an unhappy customers views.

I read a great article, How to Handle Customer Complaints Via Social Media written by Ravi Shukle on Social Media Examiner.

Here is a small part of Ravi’s post.

“1: Respond Quickly
It’s important to respond quickly and efficiently to customer complaints on social media.
As a starting point, try to reply within 1 hour. This doesn’t mean you need to have all the answers right away. Customers typically want you to acknowledge their issue so they know you‘re looking into it.
Next, let customers know when they can expect a response. This helps you manage expectations and reduce negative feedback. You’ve acknowledged the issue and set a realistic time frame for a response.
It’s important to consistently provide this same level of response on social media, even on weekends. According to a study from Convince & Convert, 40% of respondents expect a response time within hours of leaving a complaint.”

I highly recommend reading the rest of Ravi’s post. There is some valuable information you will not want to miss.

Your objective is to build a strong tribe by providing excellent customer service.Click To Tweet

More Customer Satisfaction Tips

Communicating online is more challenging than in real life,

People cannot hear your tone of voice and they can not read your body language. You have to get your point across via text alone.

Here are some helpful tips.

Treat customers like real people.
Be consistent.
Solve problems.
React to both positive and negative comments.
Provide more value than you promise.
Ask yourself, “What would make you happy?” then provide it.
Remember the customers do not owe you anything, you owe them exceptional products and service.
Make it easy for them to contact you.
Be sincere.
Be yourself
Provide excellent products

Conclusion:

Selling art is a business that provides a service and offers products for purchase.

Your customers will either become a part of your tribe or be unhappy with the service you provide.

Your objective is to build a strong tribe by providing excellent customer service.

The bottom line is that you will sell more art by building your tribe.

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