July Retrospective: Back in July 2014, I wrote a daily series exploring the realities of navigating the creative economy. Twelve years later, looking back at these entries (and my original awful hand-drawn illustrations!), I’m struck by how the core truths of a creative career remain completely timeless. Each day this month, I’m opening up the archive to share these foundational lessons—with a few modern reflections layered in. 

If you’re a new creative graduate looking to find your footing in the creative economy, a Gen X looking to pivot into a creative business, a side-hustler or someone who just wants to up their creative business game, there’s something for you in this series. Just don’t judge my drawings 😉

Keep in Touch

In any business there are only 3 ways to increase your revenue:

1. Increase your prices
2. Get more customers to purchase
3. Get existing customers to buy more

Of these three, the most effective is #3 – Get existing customers to buy more (or buy again). This is why you want to keep in touch with your existing customers, to encourage them to repurchase.

Increasing your prices may deter new customers from buying. As you have probably figured out, getting new customers is costly in terms of both time and money.

The most cost effective way to increase your revenue is to encourage repeat purchases from your existing customer base.

When you are a solo-entrepreneur your time is your number one resource so choosing both time-effective and cost-effective ways to increase your business is where you should focus your energies.

How do you do this?

To keep your relationships warm, you must keep in touch with your customers. You must look for ways to be present in their lives on an ongoing basis. Ways to do this include:

–        An email newsletter

–        A printed mailing

–        Sending them flyers or eflyers when you have a new show/showing/project

–        Keep in contact through various social media platforms

–        An occasional phone call – invite them to something or see how they are doing with your product/service

–        Throw a party and invite all your previous customers

–        Christmas card/Valentine’s card/Easter card

–        Send them a card on their birthday

You want to look for opportunities to stay in contact with your previous customers on a regular basis.

While you are keeping them informed about what you’re doing, look for opportunities to help promote THEM or THEIR work. You are looking to build a community (or a tribe in Seth Godin’s terms) so you want the exchange to go in both directions. Look for opportunities to refer business to members of your community (this is a great way to encourage them to refer business to you). Ask for information and referrals from your network. And promote your new work to them at the same time.

You might consider offering an incentive to repeat customers – 10% off their next purchase  to encourage repurchasing. While you’re at it, give them a sneak peek of any new work you’ve got.

Action – put pen to paper and sketch out how you can keep in touch with your existing customers over the next 12 months. As a minimum you want to contact them quarterly, but to be effective you probably should aim to reach them at least once per month.

Longevity in a creative career isn’t accidental—it’s built on strategy.

While the landscape shifts, the core principles of thriving as a creative freelancer haven’t changed. For deeper, modern frameworks on building a sustainable creative practice:

• Read the Book: Looking for a step-by-step field guide to building a resilient career in the creative economy? Pick up my recent book The Thriving Creative: Successful Freelancing in the Creative Economy available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and from my publisher Routledge.
• Stay Connected: Join my community and to receive the complete 31-day hand-drawn playbook as a single PDF at the end of the month. Sign up below.