Like many artists, Matthew Cortelles there was one problem: He was great at creating art—but terrible at selling it.

Then he made three fundamental changes to his business and sales soared. “I've been getting a lot of orders,” Cortelles said recently.

What changed? It's a simple formula that any artist can follow: First, create a headquarters. Next, package your work. And finally, build relationships.

In this article, you'll see how each part of Cortellesi's business formula works—and how it can affect you, too.

Meet the coach who helped Cortelles

The entrepreneur had an idea: What if we took a talented artist struggling to make a living from their art and paired them with a coach who specializes in turning artists into entrepreneurs?

Cortelles fits the bill: He's a New York-based photographer who's been at it for 30 years, capturing unique images of the urban environment (like the one at the top of this article). When we connected, he had an asset Instagram account but almost no sales strategy. People would DM him asking about buying the prints, and he would sell about 40 a year for $375 each.

The entrepreneur connected him with Carolyn Edlund, founder of The Artsy Shark. She teaches online courses and works directly with artists to help them make a living from their art.

Cortellesi and Edlund met for two training sessions. You can listen to their full conversation at of the entrepreneur Problem solvers podcast, or by clicking here or by listening in the player below.

Below, we'll break down the three main lessons Edlund taught Cortelles—and how it can help your art business, too.

Rule 1: Create a headquarters

Cortellesi had about 10,000 followers on Instagram, which Edlund said was great — but it was also a problem:

“Instagram's algorithm is keeping your work from being seen by the very fans who follow you,” she told Cortellesi.

Many artists rely on Instagram or other social platforms because it's a great way to showcase their work. Edlund agrees that it can be valuable — but artists should also remember that they don't own their social media audience. They have no way to directly contact all of their followers, and any post they make will only be seen by a fraction of users.

That's why, according to Edlund, every artist needs “a headquarters” – an online hub where they take all their visitors. Cortelles had a website, but it was barely functional.

“Your website is your headquarters,” she told him, “and I would encourage you to really build it as a place where you want people to go.”

Then she asked him, “How many newspaper subscribers do you have?”

“I have no idea,” he replied.

It's time to prioritize the newsletter, she said. Newsletters are the most direct way to reach your customer because unlike Instagram, there is no algorithm standing between you and your subscribers.

Edlund recommended a funnel: Cortelles should use his Instagram feed to drive newsletter subscribers and then use the newsletter to continually push people to a revamped version of his website.

And what would be on that website? This is the second lesson.

Image Credit: Photo by Matthew Cortellesi

Rule #2: Package your work

Cortellesi is a prolific photographer. He always shoots new material and then posts it on his Instagram.

That's great for his creative process, Edlund says—but that productivity was also spilling over into his sales pitches. When people were looking to buy his photos on Instagram, they were seeing a huge range of offers: lots of photos and lots of ways to print them.

“If you have 495 images and they all come in 13 different substrates with 12 different finishes and 15 different frames, people will get analysis paralysis and they'll just freeze and walk away,” she told him.

Instead, Edlund recommended that he narrow his offerings. Instagram may be a storefront where he posts everything, but his website should have a more direct and limited shopping experience.

“Pick what you think is the best to offer, and then offer them in maybe three sizes,” she says. “So they get maybe nine picks.”

When an artist does this, they are making life easier for the customer. It is as if the artist says: “Here is the best work to choose from.”

Cortellesi said this was a challenge – how do you limit the value of working years? Then he realized that Instagram could be his friend: By seeing which images had the most likes and comments, he had a sense of which images would sell the most.

Rule #3: Build relationships

Why do people buy art?

“People aren't just buying artwork,” Edlund said. “They are buying the story and they are buying the artist.”

Artists often forget this, she says. They are so focused on their art that they forget to sell themselves also. She encouraged Cortelles to share the stories behind his photos, as well as to be open about his history as an artist.

Then, she says, he finds every possible way to share that knowledge and build personal connections with his audience.

She offered several ways to do this:

Live events: He can show his work in galleries, art festivals or anywhere else where people are. “When someone has seen your work in person, they will remember the personal experience,” she says.

Special Offers: Artists should offer ways to support and fund their work, such as a GoFundMe. Then, says Edlund, the artist can foster relationships with their backers with ongoing deals and gifts. “Maybe you give them 25% off,” she said — and include a handwritten note to thank them for their support.

Online Messaging: Personal interactions matter, both online and in person, and sometimes a simple DM can turn a viewer into a customer. For example, she says, Cortelles should DM people who leave comments under his posts and say, “Hey, I just launched a new page and I have a special offer going on. I'd love for you to see my work.” When you offer people a special deal directly, you can convert casual followers into paying customers.

What Cortellesi did further

After speaking with Edlund, Cortelles spent months building a new website. As Edlund recommended, she offered a limited quantity of his photograph – and he explains the story behind every photo.

He also created a logo and then printed cards featuring his logo and web address. He will start going to restaurants, coffee shops and anywhere that displays art, to talk to the owners and ask about hanging his pictures along the way.

In short, he said, he feels emboldened — because he finally understands that his art won't just sell. it should be the one to sell it.

“You're ready,” Edlund told him, “and you'll be marketing forever. You don't have it all at once, and that's okay. Take one thing at a time, learn from your mistakes, and you'll see what to avoid in the future You are set for success.”

It's simple, really: Artists thrive when they think like entrepreneurs. And sales is its own kind of art.