10 Great Self-Promotion Ideas from Bob Barker To YOU

10 Great Self-Promotion Ideas from Bob Barker To YOU


This excerpt from Bob’s book, Unleash the Artist Within: Four Weeks to 
Transforming Your Creative Talents Into More Recognition, More Profit and More Fun.


Whether you have a passion for art, writing, music, photography or poetry, 
you quite likely feel that you’re filled with unbounded creativity. Why, then, 
does all that creativity seem to dry up when it comes to marketing your special 
talents? Why must you continue to work in obscurity? If this is your frustration, 
it’s time for a change. Use some of the following real-life techniques to help you 
launch a new promotional campaign.


1. Start Somewhere, Anywhere – Do Something Now
Never let a lack of money, knowledge or connections stop you from at least 
taking the first small steps toward getting recognition and exposure for your 
talents.


Los Angeles artist Kristine Kadlec could have waited until a respected art 
gallery invited her to exhibit her work. But she was ready to publicly display her 
work right away. That’s why she pitched a Borders bookstore in the area with an 
idea. That effort led to her first solo exhibit, “Artistic Recycling with Paper 
Weave Collage,” at the store. 


Just because her artwork wasn’t being shown at a traditional venue, that 
didn’t mean Kadlec would treat it lightly. She mailed 500 invitations, sent press 
releases to local media, promoted the exhibit online through art-related 
discussion forums, contacted area arts organizations and more. “This is my first 
solo exhibit and I’m planning to get as much promotional mileage as I can,” she 
said.


What can you do right now to promote and expose your talents?




2. Use Low-Cost, High-Impact Post Cards
Bob Westerberg is a copywriter who specializes in technology subjects. For 
many years, one of his most potent sales tools has been a monthly post card 
mailer he refers to as “the world’s smallest newsletter.” Every post card features 
a collection of light-hearted facts and trivia, along with a plug for his 
copywriting services. Since the idea is so novel, and since post cards are noticed 
and read so easily when they arrive in the mail, Westerberg’s mailing pieces are 
widely enjoyed by the people on his mailing list. He reports that this single 
technique generates about $25,000 a year in freelance writing assignments.


How might you use post cards to get more attention?




3. Describe What You Do in 10 Words or Less
When you get an editor, director, gallery manager or other important contact 
on the phone, he or she may very well ask, “So what exactly is it that you do?” 
How will you respond? By hem hawing around about how unique your craft is 
and how you “hate labels”? Don’t get caught in this trap.


You should be able to define your creative skills in 10 words or less. Why? 
Two reasons:


1. So you can quickly communicate your creative niche to media folks, 
industry people and potential customers


2. So you can use it as a gauge by which to focus all of your performances, 
titles, artwork, photos, ads and more around a consistent theme. People 
(including you) shouldn’t be confused about what they get from you.


Examples: If you’re in a band, use a phrase such as “We play blues rock with 
a touch of funk.” If you’re a writer, say “I specialize in how-to articles about sales 3
and marketing.” An artist might explain “I do black and white spot art for 
newspapers and magazines.” A photographer might say “I specialize in 
spontaneous slice of life photos.”


Whatever you do, make sure you can communicate it easily and quickly.




4. Do It Yourself
Don’t wait to be “discovered” or for your lucky break to come along. Instead, 
start making things happen for yourself now.


Musician Lance King performs in a band that plays melodic hard rock music. 
King had big aspirations but he didn’t want to wait around for an elusive major 
recording contract. So he started releasing his own CDs and investigating the 
European market, where music from America is often in demand. He established 
a distribution network and has sold more than 15,000 copies of his band’s CDs –
all by taking his career into his own hands.


How can you take control of your future?


5. Combine Your Efforts with Other Creative People
There is power in numbers. Instead of thinking about being in competition 
with other creative people, start brainstorming on ways you can combine your 
marketing muscle with theirs.


Every year graphic designer Jeanine Colini teams up with a printer and either 
an artist or photographer to create a promotional year-at-a-glance calendar. All 
three parties donate their services and each gives the calendars away to 
hundreds of clients and prospects. By taking this three-way promotional 
approach, Colini reaches far more potential customers than she would on her 
own.


Start thinking about how you might cross-promote with other creative 
people.


6. Give Away Promotional Samplers
During an outdoor concert, the Rick Recht Band had full-length CDs available 
for sale during and after the show. No surprise there. But the band members also 
repeatedly announced that they had a limited number of sampler tapes featuring 
three new songs that anyone could have for free.


Handing out free samples is a great way to create a promotional buzz. What 
could you give away to help promote yourself? A short excerpt from your novel? 
Inexpensive prints of some of your best artwork? Free public performances of 
your theatre troupe’s current production? Think about it.


7. Turn a Perceived Weakness Into a Strength
A group of Nashville painters, sculptors and photographers – who all 
happened to be visually impaired in some manner – pooled their resources and 
presented “Art of the Eye: An Art Exhibition on Vision.” Proceeds from the event 
went to a charity that helps people with sight challenges. A group of local 
optometrists sponsored the exhibit.


Do you have a perceived shortcoming – physical, mental, financial or 
otherwise? If so, look for opportunities to turn your situation into an advantage. 
If the aforementioned artists can, so can you.


8. Choose an Attention-Getting Title
Whether your creation is a novel, film, theatre production, music CD, book of 
poetry or art exhibit, give it a name that will create some curiosity and 
excitement.


When comedic actress Andrea Martin put together a one-woman show, she 
called it Nude Nude Totally Nude. From what I understand, the reference related 
more to her baring her soul than her flesh. But you must admit, it’s an eyecatching title. Of course, something this outrageous might not work for a 
conservative art form such as a symphony orchestra (although Brahms in the Buff
has a nice ring to it), but there are still appropriate titles that could easily be used 
to draw attention to any event, performance or other new creation.


9. Self-Syndicate Your Own Column
Do you create a product or service that appeals to a group of people who can 
be reached through specialized publications around the world? If so, could 
details about your craft be conveyed through informational articles that you 
write yourself? For instance, let’s say you put on workshops for actors. You 
could write a series of articles featuring tips for aspiring thespians and offer them 
to arts-related newspapers in your region.


Jeffrey Lant has self-published 10 books on various aspects of marketing. He 
offers a series of columns filled with money-making tips to any publication that 
wants to run them. He gives them away free to the publications as long as they 
include a plug at the end letting readers know how to contact Lant and get on his 
mailing list. His columns run in more than 200 newspapers and online 
publications, and they bring in thousands of sales leads. Many of these inquiring 
readers end up buying Lant’s books.


10. Understand How People Benefit From Your Talents
It’s not enough to just create your art, writing or performance and throw it 
out into the world. You must know why people are attracted to what you do. 
What physical and emotional payoff do your fans experience when they enjoy 
your form of creativity?


Kelly Borsheim, founder of Lumina Candles, understands this concept as she 
asks other artists, “What are you really selling – a thing or a lifestyle? Why 
would someone want what you have to offer? I am constantly thinking about 
which candles I want to make – and which I don't. I consider whether or not the 
candle fits my theme or philosophy. Is the product consistent with why 
customers do business with me?”


You’d be wise to ask yourself similar questions about how your fans benefit 
from your talents.


-Bob Barker








I hope these ideas and success stories have inspired you and will help boost 
your mental outlook and self-promotion efforts to new levels.


To make sure these ideas stick, I encourage you to contact me if you need any kind of marketing or advertising guidance.   MarketingByWB.com