Art Creative Ltd

Making Your Mark: How to Be Successful in the Creative Industry

Martin Castilla            No comments            Aug, 26

If you want to be successful in the creative industry, there are a few ways to go about this in the right way.

Whether you want to be a photographer, artist, or anything else, you will have to be bold and not be afraid to get your name and your work out there.

Here’s a guide to some of the most important steps to growing a successful career and thriving.

Launch a Website

Start building up your brand from day one by launching a website. Choose a domain name (yourname.com would be a good place to start), and create a website around this. You can do this for free, for a small fee on a site like Weebly, or by paying a professional designer to do it for you.

It does not have to be expensive or complex. Simply create an attractive website that shows off your work, because most people are going to base their decision on the work you produce.

This will become your online portfolio and your marketing hub. Look after it, keep it up to date, and refer new potential clients to it whenever you can.

Get Social

Also set up your social profiles, which at the very least should include a Facebook page and a Twitter page.

Instagram and Pinterest are particularly suitable for creatives, and you can use these to show off your work, grow your community, and get your work out there so you get more business.

Social media marketing can help encourage people to share your work. Be bold and get involved by making contacts, engaging in the community, and joining groups. This is one of the major ways to get your work seen by more people.

Be Financially Savvy

Some people forget that being a creative is the same as running a business. You’ll need to take care of all the things that come with running a successful business, and that includes being smart with money.

Being financially savvy means only spending where you have to. The early days can be particularly lean, and you might even need to have another job on the side.

Or you could mix up personal clients with business clients who may pay more. You might want to sell photographs of landscapes, but if that does not pay the bills at first, you might need to combine it with commercial photography.

Get Insured

Just like with any other business, you’ll want to consider insurance. You have responsibilities when you are working no matter what you are doing, and there are financial risks to be aware of.

For example, if you are a photographer, you might be required to have liability insurance simply to get a job on a shoot in the first place. Many venues will not allow you to shoot unless you provide your certificate of insurance first.

Then there is your equipment, which can cost thousands of dollars to replace if it gets stolen or damaged. So get it insured or you could see your dreams of a creative career stalled.

If a client falls over during a shoot, or you accidentally cause damage to a venue, this could end up costing you a lot of money, so it’s not worth ignoring the protection you need.

Check out some professional photographer insurance online, find out what you need, and don’t take risks with your career.

Define What Makes You Unique

If you’re a wedding photographer, there may be a thousand other wedding photographers in your area. So how do you compete? By making sure you stand out.

What is unique about you and your photography? Do you specialize in a photojournalism style? In capturing unique images that other photographers miss? In photographing weddings in other countries?

No matter what creative industry you are in, you need to define your unique selling proposition (USP) to stand out from the crowd.

Build a Creative Support Network

Other creatives are your support. Some of them might be your competition, but most of them won’t be. They are in the same boat as you, so stick together and get support from each other.

Meet up online or in person, join Facebook groups, share tips and advice, and learn from them. It can be a lonely job when you’re out there on your own, so share the burden and learn a lot at the same time.

Invest in Your Creative Career

If you are a creative person and you want to make a go of a career as a photographer, artist, or whatever your interest is, there is no reason you cannot do so.

As long as you’ve got the talent, the commitment, and you’re smart about it, you can enjoy a successful career.

Don’t get slipped up by forgetting something like insurance or not planning your finances properly. It takes hard work and a lot of self-belief, but if you’re determined, there’s no reason why you cannot enjoy a successful and rewarding career.

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