How To Sell More Art By Building Your Tribe

How To Start A Tribe

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, you will discover that it is easier to build a village with a tribe.

Seth Godin Books

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 or driving in your car.

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 for survival, they group because of their interests.

Painting Repeat Patterns by Hand: A Daily Practice by Cleo Papanikolas on Creativebug!

The internet has made it possible for people around the world to meet people with the same interests. Tribes are 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 unique 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. No one can create art precisely as you do. There are thousands of artists who would love to learn from you. Many people would love to talk and learn more about the subjects you create.

By sharing your knowledge, you will become the 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 worldwide, you will need to build a tribe.

The Connection Between Tribes And Word-of-Mouth

Before the internet, word-of-mouth reviews 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 thanks to social media.

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

You have to provide excellent customer service. You want people to talk about you and your services positively.

One negative review could have your business spin downward.

Your tribe will become one of your most significant 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 we share some actions you can take to help you build your tribe and positive reviews, let’s talk about positive reviews.

You have to realize that not everyone will like or be happy with your art or services.

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 share a positive.

How can you turn a negative experience into a positive one? 

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

The next step is to take action.

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

You have the opportunity to change a negative experience into a favorable situation in real-time, thanks to Twitter and Facebook.

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

For more information read, 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 reply.

It’s essential 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.”

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.

How To Build Your Tribe

• 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

Final Thoughts On How To Sell More Art By Building Your Tribe

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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How To Sell More Art By Building Your Tribe

Have you read Seth Godin’s book? Let us know in the comment section below.