Q1:  How do I discover who my audience is and is it relative to my web site?
You discover your audience on person at a time.  I know, I know...you want me to give you a magic web site or formula to just "plug in" to a ready made audience.  Unfortunately it doesn't work that way, you have to build your own audience, or as we discussed earlier this week, build your own community.  The absolute best way to increase your audience is to communicate with people who already support you and ask for referrals...and again, this is best done individually one person at time.

Q2.  How do you tactfully engage in a conversation with a buyer?
Assuming you have contact information, send the buyer a personal note inviting the to receive periodic updates about new work that you are completing, make him feel like part of an "insiders" club now that he's purchased, invite him to go to your web site and sign up for an email newsletter for more frequent updates (that's a way to get email addresses).  If you have phone number info, call him personally to remind him that he should varnish the painting (and offer to do it for him if practical) and then use that opportunity to ask if he would like email updates and ask for the email address.

Q3.  Can I publish the names of buyers?
No, not unless they explicitly give you permission.  Sorry - but people take privacy very seriously.   Having said that, you should always ask for permission...and, more importantly, you when a buyer says something positive about your work, you should ask for permission to use the quote as a testimonial.  Testimonials are an extremely powerful marketing technique . . . if they are genuine.

Q4.  Would publishing the name of a high-profile buyer drive up prices?
In the minds of some people....but it's not really as important as you think.  As a collector, for example, I really don't care who else has bought your artwork, I care about what it does for ME, how it makes ME feel.  But for people who are buying for prestige reasons, having high-profile buyers does help a bit.

Q5.  Is there a model of how the ladder (of success) works for emerging artists?
There's no model that I'm aware of - it's different for everyone.  However, one thing all financially successful artists have in common - they are not afraid to do the hard work of marketing.  They stop looking for the "magic bullet" and roll their sleeves up and build their career...one artwork and one person at a time.

Q6.  Where are lists of collectors?
There are not a lot, but you can purchase mailing lists of major art magazines like Southwest Art from list brokers like Edith Roman.  Other than lists like that, lists of collectors exist in each artist or gallery's private database - that's your job, to build your own in-house list, which will become your most valuable asset - would you share that with someone else?

Q7.  Who are these mysterious people?
They are housewives, professionals, doctors, plumbers, rich people, poor people, white-collar workers, blue-collar works and even kids.  In short they are everyone....and they're really not mysterious.  Everyone you know and everyone you meet is a potential "collector."

Q8.  How does a person market to them when they're nowhere to be found?
It's easy - they're everywhere!  How to market to them is a big question with lots of work.  All I can say is keep reading my newsletter and my blog (and read the archives) - how to market to collectors is what I teach artists every day.  Here's the secret: JUST DO IT.  The difference between success and failure is not something magic, it's a simple as this:  Successful artists just start doing it and keep doing it.....the unsuccessful keep looking for a magic solution and complain about the fact that they're aren't any buyers....but they really never DO any active marketing.

Here are a few resources to help you learn more about art marketing:

• Alyson Stanfield - Art Business Coach
• Barney Davey - Art Print Issues
• FineArtViews - Daily Email About art, marketing and inspiration
• Painterskeys - Robert Genn

Q9.  Issues with Buyers and prints?
Legally you own the copyright to your images and can make prints without the buyer's permission.  In practice, you need to be careful how you present the idea.  Make sure you present it as an ADVANTAGE.  Tell the buyer how much more PRESTIGIOUS her piece will be now that it is a popular print.  Make sure that she knows that images that have been seen in print widely are generally worth more money - that's why the Mona Lisa would command a far greater price than a more obscure Davinci painting.  Also - GIVE her a couple of prints for free as a thank you - she can use them as gifts.  Most buyers will find it difficult to resist the idea when presented this way. 

Q10.  Print on Demand Services?
Regarding services like ImageKind:  I'm sure it's a great service and there are a few other services that are similar (in fact we've considered offering something similar), however - don't expect too much in the way of marketing from a service like ImageKind....their big value is the service they provide.  Although they may bring you a few buyers, mainly you need to consider that their print-on-demand and shipping is a great way to be relieved from administrative burdens....To be really successful you cannot abdicate your marketing to other people - you simply must promote yourself (and your prints) to your own list through your own efforts.

Q11. Should an artist that is trying to develop a crowd of collectors not make prints?
This is a topic that is debated quite a bit.  I, personally, have no problem with prints...just don't overvalue them and hype them to be more than they really are (can anyone say "Thomas Kinkaid?").