Overcoming Visibility Challenges With Events

This is the first blog in a series discussing challenges and roadblocks with my personal art and events. I have now been doing private and public painting/crafting and other events for almost 2 years. In this time I have found 3 major roadblocks in getting the bookings I would like.

1) Visibility/Reach/Advertising

2) Scheduling conflicts with other local events

3) Weather

In this post I will talk about what I have learned surrounding visibility, reach, advertising.

When I first began hosting events, my presence was limited to Facebook, where I ran a shop within the Stars and Moon Art and Poetry page. Unfortunately, the platform wasn’t very user-friendly, and I encountered many scammers attempting to either take my money or purchase art using NFTs. This led to a lot of frustration. I also distributed flyers to local businesses in an effort to promote my work. Ultimately, my dissatisfaction with Facebook drove me to create my own website.

Despite the initial challenges, I did experience some successes. I sold several pieces of artwork and began leading paint-and-sip sessions at Lotus Lounge in Presque Isle, Maine, which turned out to be quite successful. I attracted a mix of regular attendees and walk-ins. During this time, I also expanded my services to include paint nights and events at people’s homes and at The Northeastland Hotel. I learned to submit my events to local calendars, including The Aroostook Common, the Chamber of Commerce, and regional news channels, all of which offer free listing options. Additionally, participating in craft fairs helped to broaden my audience, drawing in new followers and clients. Last year, I showcased my work in two art shows, including my first adult show, "Finding Peace," and I have two more scheduled for next year.

I’ve also begun running my own retreats in collaboration with local property owners, Airbnb hosts, bed-and-breakfasts, campgrounds, and event suppliers. Partnering with historical societies and sites has further expanded my reach.

Through my experiences, I’ve learned that effective advertising requires time. For smaller events like paint nights, at least a month of lead time for advertising is necessary. For larger retreats, I’ve found that a six-month to year-long promotional window is ideal. I also realized the importance of submitting my events to multiple social media platforms, ad services, and news outlets. Word of mouth proves to be a powerful tool for increasing visibility and attracting new clients. Getting involved in local public events, such as craft fairs, art walks, and festivals, as well as actively distributing flyers, has also significantly contributed to my outreach efforts. I have also noticed that video and photo content creation across all platforms Facebook, Tik Tok, and Instagram does increase viewership, site views, and bookings/purchases. I do struggle with content creation, both on a time side and on a "what content should I make" side. I have a variety of followers. I know that they like when I do instructional videos, paint with me, videos of me reading some of my old poetry, Join my day videos and videos discussing upcoming and past events.

I am entering this next year with 2 main goals.

1) Increase advertising

2) Create and follow a content creation plan/schedule

Please comment below any challenges/wins you have had this year and any suggestions for what you would like to see product, event, or content wise.