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Marketing Made Practical was created by Sue Edworthy — an arts marketing consultant, educator, and facilitator with more than twenty years of experience in the non-profit performing arts sector. Sue has worked in rehearsal halls, production offices, and boardrooms. She understands what it feels like when resources are limited, capacity is stretched, and marketing decisions…
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Somewhere along the way, marketing got framed as the enemy of art. Marketing is “selling out.” Marketing is “watering it down.” Marketing is what you do after the real work is finished. These ideas are deeply embedded in arts culture. They’re often learned early, reinforced quietly, and rarely questioned. And while they’re understandable, they’re…
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Let’s clear something up right away:Most board members want the organization to succeed. They just don’t always understand how marketing actually works, especially in the arts. This is not a moral failing. It’s a role confusion problem. Why boards fixate on marketing Marketing is visible.Marketing feels actionable.Marketing looks like something you can add more of…
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There’s a special kind of exhaustion that comes from hearing, “Marketing is marketing. Just apply best practices.”This sentence is usually spoken by someone who has never tried to sell a contemporary dance piece on a Tuesday night in February. Yes, marketing principles are transferable.No, the context is not. Arts marketing lives in a strange in-between…
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Why Arts Experiences Are Difficult To Market A thoughtful look at how arts organizations can reduce uncertainty and communicate value before the experience. Many arts experiences are what economists call experience or credence goods — where the value isn’t fully known until after the moment itself. Selling the Unknowable, a piece from ArtsManaged Field Notes,…
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Marketing your creativity doesn’t mean becoming louder, slicker, or more “brand-y.”It means being clear, human, and intentional. Here are five ways to do exactly that. 1. Start With What You’re Actually Making (Not the Platform) Before you worry about Instagram, newsletters, or whatever platform just launched yesterday, answer this: What are you inviting people into?…
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Marketing in arts and culture is not hard because cultural workers aren’t smart or creative.It’s hard because the system is… let’s say aspirational. Here are the top 10 challenges I see over and over again. 1. Tiny Budgets with Big Expectations You’re expected to deliver Broadway-level results with community-theatre money.And if it doesn’t work? Well,…
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I’ve watched artists try to force themselves into marketing systems that were never built for them. Artists don’t need more marketing advice.They need different marketing advice. Here’s why. 1. Artists Are Not Products (and Don’t Want to Be Treated Like One) You’re not selling soap.You’re asking people to connect with an idea, an experience, or…
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Digital marketing for creatives gets wildly overcomplicated for no good reason. Digital strategies are not about chasing trends or pleasing algorithms.They’re about using the internet on purpose. Here’s how to do that. 1. Use Digital to Show Process, Not Just the Polished Finish The final piece is great.The making of it is often more interesting.…
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