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Mobile marketing is rapidly becoming the most effective means of reaching your business’s target audience. With smartphones being used as the primary way to access the internet, there are numerous advantages to using mobile marketing effectively. However, if you want to reap the benefits of this type of marketing, you need to apply the correct strategy. In this article, you’ll discover 7 mobile marketing best practices you can implement into your marketing strategies.

The Benefits of Mobile Marketing

Mobile marketing is an umbrella term that describes the utilization of mobile devices to attract customers. There are many unique benefits to prioritizing mobile marketing. For one, mobile marketing makes it possible to reach your customers where they already are – on their phones. 97% of Americans own and regularly use a smartphone. And, 15% of that population only surfs the web via their mobile device.

For a long time, most marketing was centered around the philosophy that casting a wide net is guaranteed to “catch a few fish”. However, today’s advanced technology, as well as changes in culture, has opened new doors for unique marketing tactics that can be even more effective.

By prioritizing mobile marketing, you’re no longer relying on customers to find you. Instead, you’re bringing your brand to them. With people spending more time on their phones than ever before, it’s the perfect opportunity to start marketing where they’re already focused.

To get more specific, it’s important to understand the various ways you can realistically implement it and make the most of what mobile marketing has to offer. Here are some mobile marketing best practices that will help you get the most from your efforts.

 

1. Know Your Goal

Marketing goals go beyond just increasing sales. One of the major benefits of mobile marketing is that it has the potential to create personalized, meaningful customer experiences. There are many ways you can employ mobile marketing tactics to benefit your business, staff, clientele, and even your brand – don’t limit your vision to just improving sales.

It’s important to work toward an established goal when you’re implementing new marketing tactics. Developing a methodical, organized, and thoughtful approach to mobile marketing can prevent issues in the long run.

Some great examples of mobile marketing goals include:

• Increase website traffic
• Increase sales
• Generate social media content/likes/views
• Improve customer relations
• Generate leads
• Receive customer feedback

Before you proceed with a marketing campaign, choose a specific, measurable, and realistic goal you want to achieve. This can give you some direction when designing your content and can save you time later.

2. Design Your Campaign

The next step in the process is choosing the campaign you want to run with. There are many different ways to go about mobile marketing, and each tactic has its own unique benefits and drawbacks. It’s important to choose a campaign that is congruent with your previously established marketing goal.

Below, you’ll learn more about some highly effective campaign types.

Location-Based

With location-based mobile marketing, you’re keeping track in some way, shape, or form of a customer’s physical location to send them specific notifications or content. This method is most effective for local businesses looking to improve foot traffic. However, it can be used in other ways as well.

Some examples include:

• Sending a customer a notification when they arrive at your store.
• Offering a discount/coupon if a customer scans a product in person.
• Showing promotions available at locations near the customer.

Activity-Based

Activity-based mobile marketing focuses on what the customer is doing and rewards it with engaging content that users are likely to respond to. Using mobile analytics, you can manually set up certain user behaviors that trigger a mobile marketing response. This grabs customers’ attention right away.

Some examples include:

• Sending a notification when a customer reaches a milestone.
• Notifying customers when new content is released.
• Sending a message to thank a customer for subscribing/leaving a like.

The important thing to remember about activity-based campaigns is that the customer’s consent is critical. Always ask customers to opt in before starting this method. Otherwise, it can become intrusive or annoying and can damage your business’s reputation.

Triggered

Triggered mobile marketing involves the use of notifications and mobile content to inform customers of offers and features they weren’t previously aware of. As opposed to activity-based marketing, triggered mobile marketing redirects customer attention from one thing to another.

Some examples include:

• Sending an email about extra features/promotions you’re offering.
• Notifying a customer about an abandoned cart in your online store.
• Inviting a customer to check out your business on another site/platform.

 

3. Target Locally

It can help to get as specific as possible when starting a mobile marketing campaign. One great way to narrow down your initial target audience, especially if you’re testing out new strategies, is to focus on local customers.

You can use location-based marketing techniques to send notifications to customers depending on where they physically are. For instance, when customers enter your store, you can send a pop-up notification letting them know about current promotions, new products, and more.

 

4. Make Sure Your Site is Mobile Friendly

When designing your mobile marketing campaign, you must focus on creating content that is mobile-friendly. Your business’s website needs to be visually appealing and easy to use on mobile platforms – otherwise, customers won’t stay long. 

Page speed is the amount of time it takes to load everything on a mobile site. It has also been shown to affect how people feel about a company. And it also has an impact on your website’s Google ranking, thus affecting visibility.

The fact is, more people surf the web via mobile every single day. You’re likely even reading this article on a smartphone right now! By optimizing your website on mobile, you’re inviting additional traffic – which can then become sales.

 

5. Create Visually Engaging Content

Another best practice is to make sure your content is visually engaging. Odds are, you’ve visited a website in the past and decided not to stay due to the way the content is visually organized. If your website is boring, overwhelming, or lacks personality, many people will lose interest. Conversely, visually engaging content will have the opposite effect. For example, if you have the option to write content on a page or shoot a promotional video, mobile visitors may prefer to watch the video. In fact, 84% of consumers agree that watching promotional videos have convinced them to purchase a product or service.

Part of creating mobile-friendly content involves using larger fonts, more concise headlines, and using highlighting to summarize content succinctly. However, it also includes appealing pictures and well-produced videos.

When people are on mobile devices, they tend to read and scroll quickly. So, in order to avoid being glossed over, try using bold, engaging titles and fonts. Then, pair those things with images and videos that captivate viewers’ attention.

 

6. Make it Clear and Concise

Keep your content focused and worded concisely. The average time most people spend on a single page of a business website across multiple industries, is about 54 seconds. That’s not a generous amount of time. But, that’s your window of opportunity to intrigue them enough to stay longer. If your content is overly wordy or filled with “fluff”, customers will pick up on it and see themselves out.

7. Leverage QR Codes

QR codes are a vastly underestimated means of mobile marketing that your business should take full advantage of. QR (short for quick-response) involves the use of an auto-generated label that is readable by smartphones. These labels link to external content. Customers scan QR codes and are guided to websites, apps, or social media platforms.

Take advantage of the accessibility of QR codes to generate website traffic. It’s free and simple to link any URL of your choice to a QR code using Google Chrome.

Try it Out

There are many different ways to practice effective mobile marketing, and it takes some experimentation to figure out what works best for you and your business. Through the use these mobile marketing best practices, you can make the most of your mobile campaigns and form better relationships with your customers.

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Since the early 90s, with the explosion in popularity of national chains like Starbucks and numerous local shops, Americans have made visiting coffee shops a part of their daily lives. And even with a recent pandemic, the coffee shop industry was still able to grow between 2018 and 2023 at a rate of 1.4%. The total revenue of the sector is expected to continue to grow by 3.5% through 2029. 

Coffee is a highly consumable product, and the demand for specialty coffee has grown steadily in recent years. However, the success of coffee shops is due to more than just coffee. Local and national shops serve as gathering places for friends, families, and coworkers. Meeting for a cup of coffee or tea gives people a sense of community and social interaction.

By offering high-quality coffee, unique blends, and a welcoming atmosphere, a coffee shop can attract a loyal customer base that is willing to pay a premium for their daily dose of caffeine. If you have a love of coffee and community, you may have thought about starting your own coffee shop business. The good news is that there are several types of business models used by modern coffee shops which now makes it possible for just about any passionate entrepreneur to start their own.

In this article, we’ll look at a few of the main business models used by coffee shops.

 

Retail Model

The oldest and most well-known business model used by coffee shop companies is the retail model. Using this model, coffee shops sell coffee and other related products directly to customers in a physical location. However, the appeal is not in the coffee alone, but also in the atmosphere.

Typically, the coffee shop will create a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere for customers to enjoy their coffee. This means providing a variety of seating options. Outside seating, couches with coffee tables, and a variety of comfortable chairs are often found in some of the most popular coffee shops. This was one of the ways Starbucks attracted its customer base.

Another key to this model is to provide something else besides coffee and a nice atmosphere. Shops that use the retail business model also provide pastries and other snacks to attract and retain customers. 

One advantage of the retail business model is that it allows coffee shops to create a physical presence in their community and build relationships with customers. However, the retail business model can also come with challenges. For one, coffee shops are usually very labor intensive. This means one of the goals for your coffee shop should be to hire the right staff and to retain them. You will also have costs for rent, supplies, and inventory management, to name a few.

 

Franchise Model

Some coffee shops operate using the franchise business model. This allows entrepreneurs an opportunity to own coffee shops under an established brand and business model. Like with all franchises, franchisees typically pay a fee to the franchisor in exchange for access to the brand, training, and ongoing support.

Many coffee shops use the franchise model to expand their brand and reach new markets. Under this model, a coffee shop franchisor licenses its brand and business model to a franchisee, who operates its coffee shop under the established brand.

Here are some of the most well-known coffee shop franchises:

• Dunkin’ (Previously Dunkin’ Donuts)
• Scooter’s Coffee
• Biggby Coffee
• Aroma Joe’s Coffee
• Dunn Brothers Coffee
•  Cafe Barbera
• The Human Bean
• The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Although a company like Starbucks does not have franchises, they do allow licensing of their brand.

Under this model, the franchisor typically provides training, support, and ongoing assistance to the franchisee. In exchange, the franchisor receives fees and a share of the franchisee’s revenue. The franchisee benefits from the established brand and business model, which can help to attract customers and build a loyal customer base.

There are several pros and cons of the franchise model that potential owners need to be aware of. For coffee shop franchisors, the franchise model can be an effective way to expand their business. All without taking on the full cost and risk of opening new locations. The franchisor also benefits from a share of the franchisee’s revenue, which can provide a steady source of income.

Like with every franchise, one major challenge is ensuring consistency across all franchise locations. With so many franchisees, it can become difficult to ensure that customers are provided the same great experience no matter the location they choose to visit.

 

Mobile Model

The mobile model is a relatively new business model that some coffee shops use to reach customers who are on the go. Under this model, coffee shops operate mobile coffee trucks or carts that are set up at various locations, such as busy street corners, parks, or events. Essentially, this type of shop is more closely related to a food truck business than a traditional coffee shop.

A benefit to this type of business model is the ease of launch and operation. Most mobile coffee trucks and carts startup costs can range from $5,000 to $50,000. Costs depend on many different factors such as the size of the cart or truck. This business model also comes with less operating costs than a traditional shop. Costs like rent, staff, and utilities are nonexistent or are minimized using the mobile model.

However, the mobile coffee shop model comes with some unique challenges. Including some that are out of the control of the business owner. For example, as a mobile business that operates outside, you are susceptible to weather conditions. If it rains, snows, or is too warm outside, the mobile coffee shop owner may struggle to gain the foot traffic they need to sell their products.

Another challenge is the nature of being mobile. Shop owners must be able to transport their equipment and supplies from location to location and adapt to changing customer needs and preferences.

 

Subscription Model

Another, fairly new, addition to the coffee shop business family is subscription coffee boxes and services. Coffee manufacturers and sellers are now using this model to deliver their coffee right to their customers’ homes each month. Using this model, coffee sellers are shipping regular deliveries of coffee beans or other products regularly. This can be a way to generate predictable revenue and build a loyal customer base. Unlike the traditional coffee shop, however, most companies that use this model are internet-based.

Coffee shops that use the subscription model typically offer a range of subscription options. For example, they may offer monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly subscriptions, as well as different blends and roast levels to appeal to different tastes.

Here are some of the most popular subscription coffee companies:

• Trade Coffee
• MistoBox
• Verve
• Atlas Coffee Club
• Bean Box
• Blue Bottle

To maximize the potential of this business model, entrepreneurs must find their target market and do a really good job at serving them. They must also manage their inventory carefully to ensure that they have enough products on hand to fulfill subscription orders. Shops must also keep prices competitive as there are several other services for customers to choose from.

Conclusion

Gone are the days of coffee shops being a one-dimensional location-based business. Now, coffee shop owners can look to a variety of ways to drive brand recognition, increase their customer base, and grow revenues. The urban population continues to increase and so is the amount of disposable income for many. With coffee product demands increasing each year, now is the time to launch your coffee shop dreams. But, be sure to weigh the pros and cons and select the right business model to drive the success of your business.

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There is almost no hope for a business if its leaders do not perform their roles well. From the owner of the business to the third-line supervisors, every leader must take their roles and responsibilities seriously if they want the company to grow. However, some of the reasons why leaders fail are because they lose sight of their roles within an organization. Other times, those roles and responsibilities were not clearly outlined for them.

Whether you’re thinking about going for a promotion or if you’re an entrepreneur ready to build your team, you have to ask yourself “do I have what it takes to be a good manager?” There’s more to being a boss than merely telling people what to do. Being a good supervisor means mastering several key responsibilities.  

By understanding the roles and responsibilities of a supervisor, you will be better prepared for leadership positions. And your organization can ensure that they have effective supervisors in place to guide their teams towards success. If you’re a business owner, you’ll want to understand these responsibilities too. When you’re ready to hire your leadership team, you’ll need to be clear on what you are looking for and be able to communicate those expectations to candidates.

In this article, we will explore the roles and responsibilities of a supervisor in detail. 

Assigning Tasks

Knowing the abilities of each team member is important. A supervisor will determine what each team member is capable of and assign the workload accordingly. Each person should be given tasks that are appropriately challenging whenever possible. Tasks should be assigned fairly, so as to not favor a small number at the expense of many others.

New managers may struggle with getting too involved vs. letting each team member handle their respective tasks. It’s important to confront problems when they initially present themselves and create plans to address them. New supervisors may find themselves quickly overwhelmed if they start doing things for the team that each team member should be doing on their own.

Supervisors should track their methods for assigning tasks. This can help you maintain a birds-eye view of the whole team’s work.

 

Training New Employees

What are your new employees experiencing? As they come aboard, are they given adequate training and a message that they’re becoming part of a positive work culture?

Or, are they given a signal that they’ve just joined a sinking ship, and it’s too late to turn back now?

One of the best ways a company can create success – and profit – is by providing great training experiences for their new employees. Great training builds confidence, increases morale, and is time well-spent. This ultimately creates improved sales, better service, and happier customers.

As a supervisor, you may not be the person providing the training, but it is a core responsibility to ensure that every team member is properly trained. You’ll also want to follow up after initial training and confirm for yourself if there are any gaps in your team members’ knowledge. Are some team members “getting it” more than others? Does anyone need extra help? Are some people whizzing past their peers? Keep your eye on the progress of each new hire’s training to ensure that they are acclimating to their roles.

 

Creating and Managing Team Schedule

Good supervisors will manage the team schedule in a way that meets business needs, yet is also fair. 

Being candid with new hires is an important part of this process. Before they accept your job offer, prospective candidates should be informed if they’ll need to work weird hours as part of the job description. Your organization should be transparent if there are crazy seasons when employees have to work 12-hour work days to meet business needs.

Once your team members have said yes to the role, create timeframes for what they can expect in the role for the short-term and the long term. Create expectations for what they can expect weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly, as it pertains to your company or your industry.

No one wants to work for a manager who won’t let them attend their college graduation or take time off for their own wedding. Being able to balance business needs with the important events in your employees’ lives is a skill all supervisors should learn. 

 

Motivating Employees

Although often left out of the job description, motivating employees is a big part of supervisors. In fact, motivating others is crucial for any type of leader. And once you’ve gotten your employees motivated, then the task is to keep them motivated.

Supervisors are in a unique position to motivate their employees. They have a direct influence on the work environment and the tasks their team members perform. Also, supervisors can create a supportive and positive work environment that encourages employees to feel motivated and engaged. Conversely, a negative work environment can demotivate employees and lead to low productivity and turnover.

Supervisors can motivate their employees in several ways. For example, they can provide recognition and rewards for good work. They can also offer opportunities for career development and training, and encourage open communication and feedback. By showing a genuine interest in their employees’ well-being and career development, supervisors can create a sense of purpose and engagement that motivates employees to achieve their goals.

 

Conduct Employee Evaluation

Evaluating employees is one of the most critical responsibilities of a supervisor. But it’s not just evaluation – it’s the overall handling of information that is a test of professionalism for a person in a supervisory position.

Supervisors are exposed to information that their team members do not have access to. They may become aware of the need to make job cuts or the news that the company has missed financial targets. 

Evaluating employees and exercising fairness becomes extremely important. Good supervisors are discreet with sensitive information. They maintain a respectable reputation that helps their team members know that each person’s job performance is being evaluated in a fair and unbiased manner.

A supervisor should not discuss disciplinary information with employees who have no reason to hear this information. 

 

Managing Workflow

Dealing with your own tasks can be challenging as an employee. But, when you become a supervisor, your view becomes much broader. Managing workflow means ensuring that the work assigned to all employees is getting done by their deadlines. This means improving processes and communication with employees. 

While this seems easy, managing workflow can become increasingly difficult as a business or staff grows. However, there are now several workflow management tools that can make the job a little bit easier. Here are just a few:

• Monday.com
• ClickUp
• Smartsheet
• Airtable
• Hive
• Kissflow

 

Resolving Team Conflict

Sometimes cooler heads don’t prevail. And, when it comes to team conflicts, sometimes people don’t work things out by themselves. One important and often overlooked responsibility of a supervisor is to resolve team conflicts. This includes being a mediator when employees are not getting along. It also means bridging the gap between management policies and processes and employees’ needs and objectives.

Supervisors may find themselves determining the best way to help team members resolve team conflicts, or even reminding team members of the appropriate ways to respect others in the workplace. 

 

Interviewing Candidates

Building teams can be a challenging task. Supervisors have the challenging task of determining who is the right fit for each role. Interviewing candidates can be a time-intensive part of this process. Making the right judgment calls to know if a candidate is a right fit for the position can be part of this process. Part of this also involves assessing how a candidate’s experience matches the demands of the position. 

 

Conclusion

Being in charge might sound like fun, but there’s a lot of responsibility behind the title of a supervisor. Many roles are required to perform the job as it’s intended. Good supervisors participate in the interview process, create team schedules, manage workflow, and assign tasks to their teams, all in a day’s work.

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Even if you’ve never heard the term “The Great Resignation” before, you’ve likely noticed it happening all around you. American workers are rapidly quitting their jobs in response to various changes in the country’s workforce, and it’s changing the way the American economy is shaped.

What is The Great Resignation?

The Great Resignation is a term used to describe the recent economic movement characterized by mass employee attrition. This pattern isn’t just hypothetical – it’s backed up by statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and it’s very real. Although many people attribute these recent changes to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s much more to the story.

Why Are People Leaving Their Jobs?

Job Insecurity

Recent studies show that only 20% of American workers express a feeling of job security within their current occupation. Not only is this statistic alarming, but it also indicates that there is a deeper problem with the current job market than just a lack of employees. People are struggling to find growth opportunities within their industry, and mass layoffs executed by corporations haven’t helped.

Burnout

During the pandemic, American workers reached an entirely new level of exhaustion. Often, during recessions, affordable luxury items and certain recreational activities see an increase in sales due to consumers coping with stress with small, occasional rewards.

However, during the pandemic, shops and restaurants were closed, and people were prevented from being able to go out and relieve stress. Between being cooped up at home and unable to enjoy anything beyond that, it’s no surprise that workers never really received a true break.

Corporations are looking to hire as few people as possible to complete the jobs they need done, and they’re looking to pay as little as is required of them. This creates a strong distrust between laborers and employers.

Not only that, but many hourly workers have experienced being bombarded with their coworkers’ responsibilities without being compensated by a pay increase, which builds resentment and perpetuates the ongoing burnout.

Mass Layoffs

Not only does company treatment of employees factor into job insecurity, but it doesn’t help when corporations are executing mass layoffs due to mismanagement. Some major companies which have done this include (but are not limited to): Facebook/Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, and Zoom.

Mass layoffs affect long-term employees the most; individuals who have dedicated decades of their life to a single position or company now find themselves thrust back into the workforce with little direction and support.

Individuals are also less likely to apply to jobs when a company has recently cut so much of its labor force, dividing employers and workers even further.

A Never-Ending Race

American workers have repeatedly expressed frustration with the seemingly impossible-to-reach American dream. 7.7 million U.S. laborers have two or more jobs, shattering the previously held notion that one person with a full-time job should be able to afford to support themselves – a belief upon which the “American Dream” was initially founded.

Additionally, households which could previously sustain themselves off of one person’s full-time labor and the domestic labor of a spouse or partner, can no longer keep up with the increasing prices of industries such as housing, gas, insurance, and even day-to-day expenses such as groceries. This is culminating into an overall feeling of hopelessness, especially in the younger generations.

Tensions between the upper and lower class in America continue to come to a boil in recent years. Today, the richest 1% of Americans make 84 times as much as the bottom 20% of Americans, creating a massive gap in earnings. The middle class is dying out altogether as more and more people fall into poverty – now, the middle class is no longer the majority as it was in years prior, but is instead fading fast.

One major issue contributing to this dilemma is tax cut-offs which primarily benefit the 0.01% of upper class Americans. This marginal class of individuals has seen a significantly higher increase in income compared to their stagnating lower class counterparts.

In the 1970s, the U.S. marginal tax cut off was 70%, as compared to today, where it has stagnated at 37%, thus allowing these wealthy few to continue growing while the other classes struggle to survive.

Needless to say, lower class and impoverished Americans are frustrated and exhausted, feeling as though there is no way to “win” in today’s economic climate. These factors combined create the perfect storm, which has unsurprisingly resulted in what we now know as The Great Resignation.

Who Is At Risk?

The Great Resignation affects all laborers and employers, whether they’re working in a corporate setting or providing blue-collar labor. Individuals who work for a lower hourly wage will find themselves struggling to keep up with the continued increase in inflation, particularly in industries such as real estate.

It’s no secret that times are tough all around in the U.S., particularly for those on a limited income. The younger generations, Millennials and Gen Z, will likely suffer the most due to exhausted resources and corporations failing to adapt their wages to the modern cost of living.

For example, millennials represent a remarkably lower percentage of home-owners in the U.S. compared to their older counterparts, and 34% of Gen Z fully expects never to be able to buy a home. Additionally, U.S. Social Security retirement funds are expected to be exhausted by or before the year 2037 – when Gen Z will be approximately 40 years old, leaving little hope for the newest generation to ever retire.

This feeling of hopelessness among both younger generations has cultivated an overall resentment and frustration with the workplace, creating a massive shift in cultural attitudes toward work altogether. One example of this attitude change is the recent Gen Z philosophy of “quiet quitting” – essentially describing the practice of steadily providing the bare minimum for employers unless a pay raise is on the horizon.

This mindset, although often criticized as being lazy, is not entirely unfounded. The federal minimum wage has stagnated at $7.25/hr since 2009, and even companies that pay competitively fail to make much of a difference. Research shows that workers haven’t been compensated this little in comparison to the cost of living in 66 years.

Taking into consideration these monumental shifts in American views about work in addition to the bleak future of corporate America, it’s certainly no surprise that people are losing interest in working hard for what seems to be very little reward.

How to Handle This as An Employer

As an employer, it will quickly become increasingly difficult to keep up with workers’ demands and to provide them with enough incentive to continue working. However, there’s no reason to lose hope altogether. There are things you can do to make it more likely for your current employees to stay, including:

• Compensate your employees competitively.
• Take the time to get to know your workers on a personal level.
• Provide additional breaks, PTO, and other incentives.
• Make an effort to motivate employees.
• Treat your employees as equals.
• Offer growth opportunities within the industry for hard-working employees.
• Listen to employees’ concerns and suggestions and ask for feedback.
• Offer new ways for employees to enjoy their time on the job (such as a break room, remote work opportunities, and employee events).
• Automate when necessary
• Have a plan to make sure your customers are not effected

Looking Forward

The Great Resignation is a phenomenon that is somewhat unprecedented, and it’s natural to experience some concern. However, the best thing you can do to navigate this situation as an employer is to do as much as you can to support your employees during this turbulent time in American economics. Be aware of the struggles workers are forced to endure at this time, and try to be understanding and patient.

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Company Culture · Grow your business · Leadership

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Many artists in the world would love to be able to spend most of their day creating works of art that they can share with the world. Whether it is painting, music, photography, digital graphic art, or even film, artists express themselves through their works. However, many artists still need to pay the bills and need income to support their passion. This is when an artist should begin to find ways to make money from their artwork. A step in that process is to choose the right business model.

A business model is a method used to generate revenue from a product or service. In artistry terms, it is the way an artist can make money from their creations. There are several types of business models available for all kinds of businesses. Understanding your business model is important for many reasons. One of those reasons is that when you understand your business model, you are also closer to answering many other important questions about your business. When your business model is clear you get a better idea of who your customers are.

Many artists don’t think of themselves as business minded. However, for skilled and talented artists, it is very possible to turn their passion into a business or full-time job by selling their works. The good news is that in the modern age, there are several business models for artists to choose from. In this article, we will look at the most profitable and popular business model used by artists.

 

The Commission-based Model

One of the first ways artists made money from their work was by using the commission-based business model. This is a traditional model where artists create artwork on commission for clients, such as portraits, landscapes, or still-life paintings. The artist charges a fee for their time and materials, and the client owns the artwork. This model dates back thousands of years to the Roman empire and was widely used during the renaissance. During the Florence renaissance, wealthy patrons such as the Medici Family, as well as the Catholic Church, commissioned social, political, and religious art from artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci.

These days, everyone from governments to individuals, to businesses is commissioning artwork. The commission-based model involves artists creating custom artwork for clients in exchange for a commission fee. This model can be attractive to artists who enjoy the process of collaborating with clients and creating bespoke artwork that meets specific needs and preferences.

To make money from the commission-based model, artists typically need to establish a strong reputation and portfolio of previous commission work. They also need to be able to communicate effectively with clients and manage the process of creating custom artwork, including setting deadlines, managing expectations, and ensuring client satisfaction.

 

Licensing Model

Artists who want to keep ownership of their work tend to utilize the licensing model. Using the licensing model, artists can license their artwork to manufacturers, publishers, or other businesses for use in products or promotions. The artist receives royalties or a licensing fee for the use of their creations. However, unlike the commission-based model, artists still own their work. 

Although this type of model is more popular with photography artists, creators who sketch, paint, and create digital art can also utilize this model. We’ve even seen licensing artwork on products, such as clothing, home decor, and stationery. For artists, this is a particularly attractive business model because of the potential for passive income.

The key to using this type of business model is negotiation. An artist must negotiate licensing agreements and understand the legal aspects of licensing, such as copyright and trademark law. Graphic Artists Guild reports that typical royalties for artwork licensing are between 3-10% of revenues, with the rate rising to 15% for brand and character licensing.

However, it is important to note that licensing can also come with risks. Artists may need to give up some control over how their artwork is used.

 

Direct to-Collector Model

The direct-to-collector model involves artists selling their work directly to collectors, bypassing galleries or other intermediaries. This includes selling their art through art shows, galleries, social media, their own website, or online marketplaces.

If you’re an artist that is wanting to maximize profits for your art, this model is ideal. Art commissions, dealers, and galleries can take up to 50% commission from a sold piece. Using this model, an artist can keep the majority of profits instead of sharing them with a third party.

Another benefit to this model is that artists have more control over their artwork. Unlike the previously discussed licensing model. This artist’s business model does come with some challenges, however.

One is that artists are fully responsible for marketing, selling, and shipping their artwork. Many artists must also invest time and other resources to build a fanbase online to sell their work to their followers. However, if an artist is also willing to put in the effort to drive sales to their art, the direct-to-collector model offers a higher rate of return than most other models.

 

Subscription model

 

Instead of making money from their art, this business model is best for artists that would like to make money from their artistic skill set. Using the subscription business model, artists can sell access to exclusive content. This model can be particularly effective for artists who create digital content, such as videos, tutorials, or behind-the-scenes access to their creative process.  

To implement a subscription model, artists typically need to create a dedicated platform or website where subscribers can access their content. Or they can use established platforms like YouTube to gain subscribers and Patreon to sell their subscription services.

Artists may offer different tiers of subscription, with higher tiers offering more exclusive or valuable content. For example, a basic subscription tier might offer access to a monthly video tutorial, while a higher-tier subscription might include personalized artwork or a one-on-one consultation with the artist.

The subscription model is usually an internet-based business model. If you’re an artist wanting to create a reliable recurring source of income, this model along with the licensing model, are the most effective. Click here to learn more about the pros and cons of the subscription-based business model.

 

Gallery Sales Model

One of the more traditional models for selling art is the gallery sales model. This is the art world’s version of selling an original product at a retail location. But instead of a store, the art is sold in an art gallery. Typically, galleries will take a commission on artwork sold, usually between 30-50% of the sale price. The rest goes to the artist. For example, if an artwork sells for $1,000 and the gallery’s commission is 40%, the gallery will keep $400 and the artist will get $600. Galleries also offer other services that artists can pay for such as marketing and promotional services.

However, gallery sales is not the only way to make money from this type of business model. Some galleries may also offer artist residencies. This is when a gallery provides artists with a stipend or housing in exchange for creating and exhibiting artwork.

To sell their work in galleries, artists usually need to have a strong portfolio of high-quality artwork. Brand-new artists will rarely have their work featured at a gallery without a portfolio. Having a strong reputation within the art community or receiving a lot of press can also help an artist land a spot in a gallery. Building relationships with gallery owners and curators is an important part of this model. So is networking within the art world and participating in group exhibitions or art fairs. All of this can help artists increase their visibility and sales potential.

 

Prints & Reproductions Model

Another revenue model artists can utilize is creating and selling high-quality reproductions of their original artwork to collectors, fans, and other customers. These reproductions can take many forms, including prints, posters, giclees, and other forms of digital or physical copies.

It is important to know the difference between a print and a reproduction. Prints are copies of original artwork that are made using a printing process, such as lithography, etching, or screen printing. A reproduction, however, refers to a copy of an original artwork that is made using a different process. For example, using photography or digital scanning. Reproductions can be made in a variety of formats, including posters, postcards, and prints.

You’ll need to invest in the production and marketing of their reproductions to make money from this model. This can include working with printers or publishers to produce the reproductions. You’ll also need to market and select sales channels for the creations This means promoting through social media and online marketplaces like Etsy.

If you’re an artist that wants to create some exclusivity, you can sell limited-edition prints. These are prints that are signed and numbered by the artist and produced in a limited quantity. Limited edition prints can often command higher prices and be more valuable to collectors than open edition prints.

Selling prints and reproductions can be very lucrative. But, it’s important to balance this with the value of their original artwork and the exclusivity that comes with owning an original piece. Some artists choose to limit the production of their prints. Or, they only offer them for sale after a certain amount of time has passed since the original artwork was created.

Crowdfunding Model

Crowdfunding has become a popular way to raise money to fund any project. Musicians, entrepreneurs, directors, and, yes, traditional artists have been using this model to fund anything from movies to businesses. Even though the most successful campaigns of recent history have been blockchain related, this model can still allow artists of all kinds a way to fund their passions.

The key to succeeding in the model is in the campaign. Good campaign execution can help make your dreams come true. A bad campaign can doom them. Here are a few things to do to help make your artistic crowdfunding campaign a success.

• Memorable and catchy campaign title-Make sure the title of the campaign is something that grabs people’s attention and describes the project at the same time.
• Compelling video-Use video to tell the story of the campaign.
• Your “why”-Make sure to explain the reason and passion behind your project.
• Goals and Timelines-Give potential donors a timeline and milestone goals so they know what to expect.
• Transparency- the costs associated with the project so donors know where their money is going.

Crowdfunding campaigns can also help artists to build a community around their work and gain exposure to new audiences. Successful crowdfunding campaigns can also serve as proof of concept for investors or publishers. This can help artists secure future funding or publishing deals. Artists can use crowdfunding platforms to raise funds for their projects or to support ongoing work. They offer rewards to backers in exchange for their support. 

Conclusion

Being able to create beautiful works of art is a gift. But, learning how to make a living from your creations is a skill. Evaluate your plan to turn your artwork into a business. Examine which business model works best for you. You can always mix or even change your business model if it isn’t working. Then, you can do the work you love while being able to live the life of your dreams.

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business model · Business Opportunities · featured · Find Your Way · Grow your business · marketing · Sales · Your Mindset

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Business Models · Find Your Way · Grow Your Business · Leading Your Team · Productivity · Sales · Your Mindset