Your Art Business Value Ladder
The greatest and most legendary marketing mastermind of the modern day has been giving us a live lesson on launching at an epic level.
“Who is this masterful maven, Mariana?” you might be asking.
It is none other than Taylor Swift, who for the past month or so has been serving up a doctorate-level marketing class on launching with her upcoming Midnights album.
Sure, I purchased her 1989 CD. And I might’ve drunkenly karaoke’d You Belong with Me at a Nashville bar. But even though Folklore was my emotional support album throughout the thick of the pandemic, and I’ve listened to Lover a thousand times—I’ve never meant to be a Swiftie. My TikTok feed disagrees…
…And who am I to get in the way of my divine digital destiny?
Hello. My name is Mariana–newly minted Swiftie.
I succumb. I have a million reasons to…. Her sick beats. Her masterful marekting. But mostly because of her lyrics, which won her the Songwriter-Artist of the Decade award from the Nashville Songwriters Association International just yesterday (9/20/22).
In her acceptance speech, Taylor nerds out and talks about the 3 imaginary lyric genres that she uses to categorize her songs:
Quill- The songs she writes which seem from a time long gone. Dense. Mysterious. Romantic and Poetic.
Fountain Pen- Most of her songs fall into this style. Modern storylines and vivid pictures painted with words meant to bring the listener right into the moment. The heartache. The love. These songs are her bread and butter.
Glitter Gel Pen- Exactly what you expect them to be. Frivolous. Bouncy. Care-free. With a twinkle in her eye she says they’re the equivalent of “the drunk girl at the party who tells you that you look like an Angel in the bathroom.” Fun bops that are easy to buy into.
So why am I bringing all this up?
Because as an artist yourself, you can tear off a sheet of Taylor’s ink-filled lyrics journal and use it to build your value ladder.
Click Funnels defines a Value Ladder as a “a value ladder is a systematic outline of a businesses’ products, services, and offers — which ascend up the ladder in both value and cost.”
Here’s a little diagram for you… it’ll all make more sense as you read.
Value Ladders help you gain a clear picture of all of your business offerings, understand or fine-tune your customer journey, and create specific offers that hit each of the different income segments of your audience.
Creating your value ladder will help you :
get a high-level view of your business' marketing ecosystem,
identify gaps in your offerings,
spot opportunities for growth,
and develop new income streams that fit right in.
Here’s how to consider these category offers as you structure your business and think about creating additional income streams (just note that for you, the examples may be different).
QUILL OFFERS
Quill Offerings are the créme de la créme of what you offer. They have your full heart and soul. They are dense with value and meaning. They demand all your skills and focus, so you only have a few spots every once in a while. They’re special and unique. They’re the cherry on top of the rest of your offers. And they’re justifiably expensive.
Examples of Quill Offers
Commissions
1:1 Services such as live event painting and coaching.
High-level offers with very limited spots or direct access to you, such as a mastermind or a live course with your feedback.
Cost of Quill Offers
$$$ - $$$$
Compared to the other offers, Quill offers are THE most expensive. Because of the demands on your time, energy, and skills, there must also be solid boundaries so that you can serve your patrons while still being able to nurture the other aspects of your business and art.
Marketing Your Quill Offers
Because these are a big investments, Quill offers are very likely only meant for a sub-segment of your audience which has the time and income to invest. Marketing such high-level offers begins with exquisite customer service as happy patrons will bring other people like them to you.
From there, you may choose to launch Quill offers one, maaaaybe 2, times a year. Marketing this offer requires building meaningful relationships with that segment of your audience. Consider personalized invitations to people you know would be a great fit. Or having an application process.
The built-in limit to the quantity of your Quill Offer is a great incentive for your well-qualified leads to get on board.
FOUNTAIN PEN OFFERS
Fountain Pen offers are your bread and butter. They’re what you most enjoy doing day after day. What you’re best known for and what your audience expects from you. These offers can still demand energy and focus but at a much more sustainable rate. This means that you’re offering this category consistently throughout the year.
Examples of Fountain Pen Offers
Original Painting Collection
Pre-recorded courses without (or with very little) access from you that you launch once or twice yearly.
Memberships
Cost of Fountain Pen Offers
$$ - $$$
Your Fountain Pen Offers are typically live mid-range in terms of the cost of your other offers. While they may be more abundant than the Quill Offers, they’re still special and unique because of the skill, effort, and energy you pour into them, and the cost reflects this.
Marketing Your Fountain Pen Offers
You’ll be marketing your Fountain Pen Offers two or more times per year, depending on the offer and your resources. For example, you may decide to open the doors to your course twice a year. Or that launching three collections per year is sustainable for you.
These offers will appeal to most of your audience (if you’ve been in business for a while with this offer). Warming them up for your offer is key to launching these offers via email and social media.
GLITTER GEL PEN OFFERS
Glitter Gel Pen Offers are fun, irresistible, and allow you to expand your creativity and add additional (often seasonal) income streams to your business. They may be evergreen (people can purchase them whenever), temporary, or limited edition. The key is that these lower-barrier offers invite more people into your world.
Examples of Glitter Gel Pen Offers
Short workshops
Prints
Small and/or seasonal and/or collectible products such as ornaments, candles, mugs, cards, wrapping paper, notepads, etc
Cost of Glitter Gel Pen Offers
$ - $$
Your Glitter Gel Pen Offers are, compared to your other offers, the most inexpensive. They’re meant to get fans of your work who may not have the means for your Quill or Fountain Pen offers, to collect your work.
Marketing Your Glitter Gel Pen Offers
Your Glitter Gel Pen Offers should be easy to sell as add-ons to a bigger purchase or perfect for first-time buyers. If they’re reproductions, you may choose to create gift bundles or offer promo codes to help promote these offers.
