5 Sustainable Strategies for Networking

In the last episode, we talked about 4 relationships every artist needs, and in this episode Kaylan tackles how to network and actually build those relationships in ways that are sustainable. So, go back and listen to Episode #26 if you missed it and then dive in to Episode #27 of Thriving Artists, Podcast, 5 Sustainable Strategies for Networking. Networking is hard work and can be time consuming. Having a plan to develop your network means you are intentional, you are motivated, and you are invested in your career and the art careers of others!  Kaylan’s 5 sustainable strategies for networking are: Identify your relationship layers- Take the 4 layers of relationships we outlined in episode #26. Who are the people in those categories? Write down their names! If you have even one person in each category, that’s great! Target the gaps- Find places those relationship layers feel a little thin. Maybe you have many people in your audience but could use some close art friends in your inner circle. Maybe you have lots of close friends and artist mentors and peers but you need some art professional connections.  Pick a time frame and time amount- Make time for networking and consider it part of your work. Pick a time frame, this is when you will network and for how long. You probably naturally already have some networking built into your life. This could be a monthly studio date with a friend or a crit crew meeting through TTN. It all counts! Share consistent content- Share consistent content and share that content consistently across all layers of your network. Did a museum acquire a new work of yours? That’s something to share! Spread the news to your close friends, your mentors and peers, your followers and your professional contacts. Identify your outlets- Identify your outlets for each layer of your network, this means asking how you best communicate with each layer. For your close friends, you may use text messages. Maybe for peers, you use the Thrive together Network. It might be best to communicate with your audience and followers through Instagram or a newsletter. For professional connections it might be email or a postcard. Head to thrivetogethernetwork.com to download your Artists Networking Toolkit and join us for the FREE SESSION of Art & Tea on Tuesday March 14th where we are going to be working all this out together.