Level Up Your Hustle: Marketing Tips for Artists
- John E. Streetz
- May 8
- 9 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Marketing tips for artists — from newbies to seasoned sellers
Whether you just got your first "You Are In" email or you've been selling your handmade goods at shows for a decade, one truth never changes: the best product in the room still needs to be found. Marketing yourself is not optional — it is part of running a successful creative business. Here are the strategies I share with every artist in the Streetz Artz Alliance, straight from the field.
Many artists spend years perfecting their craft but only minutes thinking about how people discover it. In today’s market environment, visibility matters almost as much as quality. The good news? Marketing is a skill — and skills can be learned.
"The best product in the room still needs to be found," - John Streetz
A lot of artists still think great work sells itself. Sometimes it does — eventually. But at live markets, visibility creates opportunity. The artists who consistently succeed are usually the ones actively creating and promoting themselves.
Why do some artists struggle with marketing from my perspective? Most creatives are balancing a lot — family life, school, demanding day jobs, and the constant pressure of running a small business. Building a brand takes patience, consistency, care, and time. Creating the work is only one part of the process; marketing yourself is equally important. If marketing continually becomes an afterthought, it may be worth reevaluating how time is being allocated within your business. Promotion is not separate from the work — it is part of sustaining it.
Many artists do not fail at marketing because they lack talent — they simply have never been taught how important small actions can be. Something as simple as reacting to a post, sharing an event, inviting friends, or adding an event to a business page can noticeably increase visibility, attendance, and sales. Sometimes the challenge is technology, but more often it is simply a lack of experience and guidance. Many artists are still learning, growing, and figuring things out as they go.
With this marketing tips article, my goal is to share both common and lesser-known strategies that can help artists improve their reach, strengthen their businesses, and build stronger communities around their work. I wanted to create something that empowers artists within the Streetz Artz Alliance and beyond.
01 · SOCIAL MEDIA FOUNDATION
Own Your Social Presence
Your social media profile is your storefront that never closes. Before anything else, make sure your bio clearly says what you make and where people can find you. Use a clean logo or professional photo as your profile image — and update your cover banner to match each show you're in. This one simple step signals to every person who lands on your page that you are active, you are professional, and you are going somewhere.
Consistency beats virality every time. You don't need to go viral — you need to show up. A predictable posting rhythm keeps your audience warm so that when show weekend arrives, they already know about it and they're already excited.
In addition, artists who actively support other artists usually grow faster themselves. Sharing another vendor’s work, commenting on their posts, and helping promote the overall event strengthens the market for everyone — including you.
PRO-TIP: Own Your Audience. Social media followers are borrowed audiences. Email lists are audiences you actually own. Collect emails at shows through a QR code, giveaway signup, or simple clipboard sheet. When algorithms fail, email still reaches people directly. A small email list of loyal buyers can outperform thousands of passive social followers.
02 · FACEBOOK EVENT STRATEGY
Work the Event Page Like a Pro
When you are accepted to a show, the Facebook Event page is one of your most powerful free tools. Here is how to maximize it:
Mark yourself as Going and share the event to both your personal page and your business page. Your business page's "Events" tab should automatically populate — free visibility. Note: Facebook does nerf great functions and changes things on their application; should any of these notes no longer work, let me know.
Invite friends in batches of 50. Hit the limit? Close the window, reopen it, and invite 50 more. Repeat until you've reached your entire network.
In some cases you and your business page can invite people.
In some cases you are given 500 to invite per event.
Tag friends in your share post — not just a generic link drop. A sentence like "I'll be there with new work, come find me!" outperforms a cold share every single time.
Comment on posts by other artists and the curator in the event. Heart posts instead of just liking them. Engagement signals the algorithm to push that content into more feeds.
Meaningful engagement matters. Reacting directly to posts, commenting, tagging friends, and sharing content all increase the likelihood that Facebook pushes that post into additional feeds.
Post something new into the event page discussion — a sneak peek of new product, a behind-the-scenes photo. Let the event page work as an extension of your own feed.
Many patrons are visual. The number of times I hear from an artist, "I had a patron see this in the event page and came specifically to buy this..." is astounding. This is a sure fire way to get patrons to the show.
PRO TIP: Updating your RSVP status closer to the event can sometimes help resurface the event in friends’ feeds
03 · POSTING CADENCE
The Countdown Posting Schedule
Most artists post once and hope for the best. The artists who sell the most post with intention. Here is the cadence I recommend for every show:
2 weeks out — Announce you're in the show. Share the event banner and your excitement.
1 week out — Show a sneak peek of something you're bringing. New product? Work in progress? Show it.
3 days out — Remind your audience with details: location, hours, what's new at your table.
2 days out — Feature a specific product post. Show your work, not just the event flyer.
Day before — Build the anticipation. A Reel, a Story, a TikTok — whatever is your strongest format.
Day of — Post when you arrive. Stories and Reels at the show itself pull foot traffic in real time.
Facebook can be challenging when it comes to event visibility, as event-related posts are often not shown in followers’ feeds until days later. While that can be frustrating, there are ways to help increase engagement and improve reach. Tagging friends, fellow artists, or supporters in the comments — along with meaningful reactions and active discussion — can help boost interaction on a post. The more engagement a post receives through comments, shares, and reactions, the more likely it is to be shown to a wider audience in real time, especially on the day of the event.
The key principle here: for every event post, make a product post. One for one. Your audience followed you because they love what you make — keep reminding them what that is.
"Consistency beats virality every time." - John Streetz
04 · REELS, TIKTOKS & STORIES
Short Video Is Non-Negotiable
Here is the reality of 2024 and beyond: static posts are reaching a fraction of what they once did. Reels on Instagram and Facebook, and Short-Form Video are where the algorithm rewards you. You do not need a ring light and a professional camera. You need 15–30 seconds of something real.
Ideas that perform: a time-lapse of your table setup, a "what I'm bringing to the show this weekend" reveal, a before-and-after of a piece being made, or even just you talking directly to the camera about what excites you about the upcoming show. Authenticity outperforms production value when you're a small business creator.
Example:
"Are you artist, crafter or maker and like to craft shows in the Chicagoland area, then here's a tip for you from the Streetz Artz Alliance..." — Start every video with a sentence hook this way and watch your local following grow.
Here are a few of my videos -- but WIX won't let me embed these so I'll just post links:
05 · COMMUNITY PAGES
Go Local and Go Deep
Facebook community groups — "What's Happening in Villa Park," local neighborhood pages, town event boards — are goldmines that most artists ignore completely. If the show is in your area, join the relevant group and share the event page directly there. If another artist or the curator posts in a group you're already in, comment and heart that post immediately. Your engagement pushes it into more neighbors' feeds at no cost to you.
Don't underestimate physical marketing either. Put up posters in your community in the weeks before the show. Old-school works. People see a poster at the coffee shop, the laundromat, the gym — and they show up.
Posters hung at local businesses in Lockport did the job. Reaching out to local businesses and grabbing the attention of locals who support the local businesses will also support our event.
06 · YOUR WEBSITE
A Website Makes You Real
Social media platforms come and go — algorithms change, accounts get restricted, apps fall out of fashion. Your website is the one piece of online real estate you actually own. Even a simple one-page site with your story, photos of your work, a way to contact you, and links to your socials is infinitely more professional than having no web presence at all.
List the upcoming shows you'll be at. People who discover you online will want to know where they can find you in person. Buyers who loved your work at a show will Google you the next day — make sure they find something that makes them want to come back.
07 · AT THE SHOW
Your Booth Is Your Brand
All the digital marketing in the world means nothing if someone walks up to your table and you're staring at your phone. Make eye contact. Say hello first. Smile — every single time, even late in a long day. The experience a customer has at your table is the marketing that lasts the longest, because it turns a browser into a buyer and a buyer into someone who tells their friends.
Keep your space clean, organized, and at multiple levels — flat tables are forgettable, height creates visual interest.
Have a sign with your business name and social handles visible from a distance.
Offer multiple ways to pay: Venmo, Cash App, Square, cash. Removing friction closes sales.
Have business cards or a QR code linking to your page. Give people a way to find you after they walk away.
Stay until the end of the show. Leaving early not only loses you sales — it leaves a bad impression with the organizer and your fellow artists.
Attitude is part of your brand. Guests at a show are there to have a good time. Your energy is contagious. A warm, enthusiastic presence at your table will always outsell a nicer product at a cold one.
Left to Right: Casitas de Suenos, Gigawatt Coffee & Beaver Rub Spice Company -- all showing off their table display. Months of work went into decided how to setup their space after many shows. Take time to figure out your best display.
08 · THE LONG GAME
Growing Your Following Over Time
Building a loyal audience is not a sprint. The artists who have been in this game for years and have thousands of engaged followers did it the same way you will: one post, one show, one real connection at a time. Follow other artists in the events you're in. Interact with their content. Collaborate. Share each other's work. The community lifts everyone.
Set a goal to grow your following by a small, achievable number each month. Focus less on follower count and more on engagement. A hundred people who comment, share, and show up to your table are worth more than ten thousand silent followers.
Keep your content varied: show your process, your personality, your workspace, your inspiration. People don't just buy your product — they buy you. The more they feel like they know you, the more loyal they become.
I have watched hundreds of artists succeed and fail in real-world markets, and what is mentioned above is what consistently separates them. I plan to expand on this series and include more information about photography, Email lists, Professionalism & Reliability, Displays and visual Merchandizing.
"Promote, promote, promote — and may you sell all of the things." -John Streetz
Ready to Sell at a Streetz Artz Alliance Show?
The Streetz Artz Alliance runs curated handmade markets at craft breweries all across the Chicagoland area. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see upcoming shows, artist features, and more tips like these.
By John E. Streetz · Streetz Artz Alliance
Streetz Artz Alliance · Curated Markets. Real Artists. · streetzartzalliance.com
