The January Reset: One Metric, One Goal, One Plan

INTRO It's January. Everyone's planning. But most artists are tracking the wrong numbers—followers, likes, email subscribers, website traffic. In this episode, we cut through the noise and focus on the ONE metric that actually predicts everything else in your art business: new customers acquired per year. We'll cover: Why this single number matters more than anything else The "lineup problem" that keeps most artists stuck at 7-8 customers per year The 10x challenge: compete against your 2025 self, not other artists The compounding math that turns 70 customers into 1,500+ over 10 years Why "tending the garden" is the marketing shift you need to make A copy-paste AI prompt to build your entire 2026 plan in minutes THE PROMPT Copy and paste this into Art Helper, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Grok: I'm an artist planning my 2026 business growth. Help me create a customer acquisition plan. Here's my data from 2025: - Number of NEW customers acquired: [X] - My current product lineup: [list what you sell - wall art, prints, cards, originals, etc.] - Average price points: [list your price ranges] - How I currently get customers: [social media, art fairs, gallery, website, etc.] Based on the 10x framework: 1. Calculate my 2026 goal (10x my 2025 customers) 2. Break it down into monthly targets 3. Identify gaps in my lineup that could help me acquire more customers at different price points 4. Suggest 3-5 specific actions I can take each month to hit my target 5. Create a simple tracking system I can use Keep it practical and specific to my art business. I want to treat this like a real business, not a hobby. SOURCES Statistics cited in this episode: Repeat customers generate 300% more revenue than first-time buyers — Gorgias/MobiLoud Only 27% of first-time buyers ever return — RevolutionParts/MobiLoud 75% of purchases happen within 24 hours of discovery — Nielsen Norman Group/Guiding Metrics After 12 days, 90% of your conversion window is gone — Guiding Metrics 70% of online carts are abandoned, 80-90% never return — Baymard Institute (50-study average) Increasing customer retention by 5% increases profits by 25-95% — Bain & Company/Harvard Business Review Repeat customers account for 48% of all ecommerce transactions — SalesLion

In 2026, everything is fake — fake content, fake influencers, fake engagement. But here's what's always been true: story is what takes "not selling" to "selling." Van Gogh died unknown with 900 paintings worth nothing. Frida Kahlo was overshadowed by Diego Rivera for decades. The Impressionists were literally mocked. Same artwork. Different story. In this episode, we look at what changed — and how you can apply the same framework to your art in the age of AI. Links Mentioned: Lulu Meservey's "Standing Out in 2026" The woman who turned Van Gogh from worthless to $10 billion

Northern California oil painter Terry Sauve joins the Art Marketing Podcast to share how she's crushing it in what many are calling a tough economic year. Terry breaks down her path to a record-breaking $276,000 in    sales — including $28,000 from her website alone and $23,000 in print sales. She talks about starting over at 29 after her mom said "I always thought you'd be an artist," training at the Academy of Art in San Francisco   with masters like Brian Blood and Craig Nelson, and the slow-and-steady grind that replaced her decade-long wait to "be discovered." Terry gets real about selling $25 matted prints that brought tears to collectors'   eyes, saying yes to more shows during uncertain times, and why the path to success isn't a meteoric rise — it's doing "the next right thing" over and over again.   ---   Links Mentioned   - https://superwhisper.com/ — AI-powered voice-to-text for Mac & iPhone. Offline, private, and works anywhere you type.   - https://willowvoice.com/ — Voice dictation that actually works. Speak naturally, auto-formats text, removes filler words.   - https://www.instagram.com/terry_sauve/ — Follow Terry's luminous landscape paintings   - https://www.terrysauve.com/ — Terry's official website with originals and prints

In this episode, we sit down with the creative powerhouse couple Jency and Aaron Hogan, who've built a thriving art business from their Louisiana home. Discover how these two artists balance their individual creative practices while supporting each other's artistic journeys. From Jency's vibrant mixed media paintings that explore themes of mental health and personal growth, to Aaron's stunning wildlife photography captured across the country, learn how they've created a sustainable creative life together. Connect with The Hogans: 🎨 Jency Hogan (Mixed Media Artist) Instagram: @jencyghogan Linktree: linktr.ee/jencyghogan 📸 Aaron Hogan (Wildlife Photographer) Instagram: @eyewanderphoto 🛍️ Shop Their Art: Website: hoganart.shop

ou know how sometimes you discover something so powerful, so game-changing, that you almost want to keep it to yourself? That's exactly what I've been doing with today's topic. But recent developments have made it impossible for me to stay quiet any longer. Look, if you're an artist who's tired of posting on Instagram and feeling like you're shouting into the void... if you're frustrated with how hard it is to get people to actually click that link in your bio, or start a real conversation, or – heaven forbid – give you their email address... then you need to hear what I'm about to share. Ok, This is the link so you can experience whats possible inside of the ManyChat flow.  Bonus... you will also get a free Instagram Audit out of the deal. https://ig.me/m/art_storefronts?ref=w46857600 Youtube Links I found that explain this feature https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgXkOQQExOA&pp=ygUVbWFueWNoYXQgaWcgZm9sbG93ZXJz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afYr7eQJ21w  

Your emails are landing in spam. Or worse—the promotions tab where they go to die. You've tried everything: better subject lines, different send times, smaller segments. Nothing works. But here's what nobody's telling you: Gmail doesn't care about any of that. They care about replies. And today, I'm showing you exactly how to get them 100+ Email Reply Ideas - your sandbox https://blog.artstorefronts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/100-Email-Reply-Questions-for-Artists.pdf Get an Instagram Audit - I will be sure to be gently https://arttipsdaily.com/instagram   Speech to Text Ai Apps - take the voicepill & you will never look back Wisper Flow - most call it "Flow" https://wisprflow.ai/ Willow https://willowvoice.com/  

Here's an engaging episode intro for your podcast show notes: Episode Intro: Q4 is coming fast, and just like elite surfers who train all year for that monster swell, creative entrepreneurs need to be ready when the holiday buying season hits. But here's the thing – while those surfers need to maintain peak physical condition year-round, your marketing prep is actually much simpler (and thankfully doesn't involve cold plunges or giving up carbs). In this episode, we're diving deep into the one marketing channel you actually own and control: your email list. While social media algorithms can throttle your reach and platforms can change their rules overnight, email remains the steady workhorse of creative businesses – if you know how to use it right. We'll cover the essential "Great Email Roundup" (hint: you have way more email addresses scattered around than you think), why getting people to reply to your emails matters more than you realize, and how to tastefully reach out to friends and family without feeling like that cringy life insurance salesperson we all know. Plus, I'll share why you need to up your email frequency NOW – yes, even if it makes you uncomfortable – and specific strategies for capturing more emails before the holiday rush begins. Whether you're at the "what's marketing again?" stage or you're already sending regular emails, this episode will help you level up your email game for the most important selling season of the year. Because unlike those surfers, we know exactly when our big wave is coming – and there's no excuse for sitting on the beach watching it pass by.

Coming up on today's Art Marketing Podcast, I'm talking with Kristen Harvey - an artist who went from designing video games for Sega to hand-making greeting cards that essentially run her local Arizona market. Not prints, not originals - greeting cards. She's cellophane-wrapping each one, taking custom orders from shops, running what amounts to a mini factory from her studio. And here's the kicker: she charges $3 wholesale because for her, it's not about the card money - it's advertising. She worked full-time for five to six years while building her art business on farmer's market tables that cost twenty bucks. Now she's teaching sold-out intuitive painting workshops where people aren't learning to paint like her - they're learning to find their own authentic voice. What really got me was her Instagram strategy. She paints at night (because of course she's a night owl) and records it, then people wake up to see what she created while they slept. It's this whole community ritual. But she won't go live because she steps back from the canvas too much to contemplate. I spent half the interview trying to convince her to try live broadcasting - even offered her my Zoom account to test online workshops. Look, if you're juggling a day job, worried about finding your style, or trying to figure out galleries versus direct sales, this conversation hits different. Kristen's proof that you can start with nothing but shutters to hang art on and build something real. 00:00:00 - The Power of Live Demonstrations Discussion on the impact of live painting on Instagram and connecting with audiences. 00:00:33 - Staying True to Your Authentic Voice Advice for young artists on handling criticism and maintaining authenticity. 00:01:03 - Introduction to Kristen Harvey Introduction of the guest artist, Kristen Harvey, and her background. 00:02:58 - Kristen's Artistic Journey Overview of Kristen's transition from various creative fields to becoming a full-time artist. 00:04:52 - Transitioning to Full-Time Artist Kristen shares her journey of leaving her corporate job to pursue art full-time. 00:05:13 - Relocation and Family Influence Discussion on Kristen's move from California to Arizona and family dynamics. 00:06:06 - Balancing Art and Day Job Kristen talks about her experience of juggling her art career with a full-time job. 00:07:50 - Farmers Markets as a Starting Point Kristen explains how she began selling her art at local farmers markets. 00:08:29 - The Success of Greeting Cards Kristen shares how creating greeting cards helped her gain recognition. 00:10:27 - Pricing and Sales Strategy Discussion on pricing strategies for greeting cards and the importance of accessibility. 00:11:15 - The Importance of Diverse Revenue Streams The value of having multiple income sources as an artist. 00:15:10 - Teaching Art Workshops Kristen discusses her approach to teaching and the importance of interaction. 00:17:43 - The Challenge of Online Teaching Kristen reflects on the difficulties of translating her teaching style to an online format. 00:19:07 - The Power of Live Broadcasting Discussion on the benefits of live streaming art demonstrations. 00:20:48 - The Busker Analogy Using the busker analogy to illustrate the power of live engagement on social media. 00:24:22 - Encouragement to Embrace Live Interaction Encouragement for Kristen to embrace live broadcasts and connect with her audience. 00:30:14 - Navigating Gallery Relationships Kristen shares her experiences with galleries and how she balances online sales. 00:31:14 - Advice for New Artists Seeking Gallery Representation Key advice for emerging artists on finding their voice and opportunities. 00:34:31 - The Importance of Authenticity Kristen emphasizes the need for authenticity in art and social media presence. 00:39:00 - Using AI for Artistic Support Discussion on how Kristen utilizes AI tools for research and workshop preparation. 00:41:55 - The Promise of AI for Artists Exploration of AI's potential to assist artists in their creative and business processes. Kristens Website: https://www.kristinharveyart.com/shop-art Her Instagram: @kristincre8s

Fabric artist triples revenue to $25K using one Instagram hack after losing 3,000 followers overnight Karen Payton lost her Instagram following but discovered Facebook groups were her goldmine. She shares how pivoting to the Grateful Dead niche, embracing custom commissions, and nurturing superfans built her $25K/year fabric art business. Key Topics: - The Instagram hack that forced a profitable pivot - Song commissions: Turn lyrics into best-selling art - Building superfans who share every post for 2+ years - Why "it's supposed to be hard" is actually good advice - From $9K to $25K using Facebook groups strategically Guest: Karen Payton, Fabric Artist (@karenpayntonartist) Timestamps: 00:00 The 3-year grind reality check 02:33 What is fabric art? (recycled clothing technique) 07:40 Art Storefronts as your "bandmate" 10:42 The long game mindset shift 14:56 Instagram hack disaster becomes opportunity 18:53 Custom commission breakthrough 23:02 Free contest generates $3K commission 27:07 Nurturing 5 superfans into buyers 30:25 Breaking into advanced artist strategies

Hava shares her experiences with our new product, Voice Prints, and how it has transformed her approach to creating content, from artist statements to social media posts. We explore the importance of leveraging AI tools to streamline her workflow, especially as she prepares for the busy Q4 holiday season. Hava reveals her strategies for promoting her art, including her popular beta fish calendar and seasonal products, while also emphasizing the importance of connecting with her audience authentically. We also discuss her new podcast, "I Love Your Stories," where she engages in conversations with artists and creatives from various fields. Hava highlights the theme of transformation and pivotal moments in her guests' lives, showcasing how challenges often precede breakthroughs. Throughout our conversation, Hava's passion for her art and her commitment to building a community of support among artists shine through. This episode is packed with insights on creativity, marketing, and the power of storytelling in the art world. Buckle up for an inspiring discussion that encourages all creatives to embrace their unique journeys! 00:00:00 - Seasonal Art Discovery 00:01:06 - Introduction of Hava Gurevich 00:02:12 - Hava's Artistic Journey 00:03:12 - Voice Prints and AI Integration 00:05:40 - Using AI for Artist Statements 00:09:16 - AI in Podcasting and Content Creation 00:12:00 - Preparing for Q4 00:19:22 - Hava's Holiday Product Strategy 00:25:35 - Navigating Sales as an Artist 00:30:54 - Organic Growth Through Seasonal Art 00:32:38 - The Importance of Diverse Content 00:37:06 - The Breakfast Club Webinar 00:43:35 - Launching the Podcast: I Love Your Stories 00:46:25 - Themes of Transformation in Creativity Subscribe to Havas New Podcast Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3xKRN04BGHTHRA01ZJUIzW?si=0a980851a28345e5 Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCFpvwtx2EvHXk98GSZC5Gw?sub_confirmation=1 Keep up with the latest https://linktr.ee/artmarketingpodcast\ Signup for a free account on ArtHelper and use my jazzy coupon code which is POD.  This will give you a free month of the Pro plan that has all the bells and whistles: https://www.arthelper.ai/