Andy Warhol wasn’t just one of the most iconic artists of the 20th century. He was also a smart, savvy marketing genius who had an in-depth knowledge of branding, public relationships, and perception management.  He had several roles, including magazine publisher, filmmaker, television personality, and more. In his fascinating career, he blurred the lines between commerce and art – changing both significantly. 

Andy would have loved the internet era. These days it is easier than ever before for everyone to have their “15 minutes of fame.” Anyone with a unique idea to offer the world can set up a website and start hustling. However, you need to know how to market yourself for those 15 minutes of fame to last longer and turn into a sustainable, thriving business. 

A significant factor is your landing page – the first page prospective buyers see when they arrive on your website. It should be concise and straightforward, offering just the right information to inform visitors about your brand and convert them into subscribers, buyers, and leads. 

So, here’s what you can learn from adman and Pop artist Andy Warhol that you can apply to your landing page design. 

Create an Unmistakable Visual Brand

There’s a reason why Warhol’s name is synonymous with Pop Art – much more than any of his other contemporaries. He turned his name into a brand, promoting his image at every public appearance and interview. 

There was no mistaking Andy Warhol. He was always clad in black turtlenecks, faded jeans, and a fake blond wig. His art was just as recognizable. There’s also no mistaking the bold, Technicolor hues of his prints. Alternatively, the motifs feature repeating images of the era’s most iconic celebrities and products – from Campbell’s Soup to Elvis Presley. Because he created such an enigmatic and fascinating mystique around himself, the media followed his career and personal life very closely. 

Just like Andy Warhol made himself immediately recognizable, so should you when designing your landing page, website, and any other marketing materials. It’s important to keep the visual aspects of your brand consistent so that you and your brand will immediately be recognized at first glance. You want your visitors to know that your landing page is unmistakably YOURS from the moment it loads, rather than just a generic template.  

Using visuals in this way can be an essential part of storytelling, and this is one of the most powerful ways to breathe life into your brand. When you tell a story about who you are, you’ll evoke an emotional response that will make the visitor remember you and help you form a deeper connection with them. (Here’s a great video that will teach you more about storytelling.)

Be Transparent

Transparency and honesty are rare in marketing, so they are powerful. You can immediately establish trust when you are transparent with your customers on your landing page. 

Andy Warhol said, “If you want to know all about Andy Warhol, just look at the surface of my paintings and films and me, and there I am.” He marketed himself as highly transparent and insisted, “There’s nothing behind it.”

How can you be more transparent on your landing page?

• Look for ways to make things clear on your landing page right away – who you are, what you do, why you do it, and what you want the user to do. 
• Make sure to focus on your message and lead the user to action. Any sponsored elements that can pull the attention away from your service need to be removed or placed in a different location. 
• Openly share information about your business and explain your products and services. 
• Use high engagement tools like tutorial videos, high-quality content, testimonials, bright images, and podcasts.
• Be clear. Lead and instruct the user to follow your funnel and take action.
• Make it simple for visitors to find your location and contact information. 
• When you ask your visitors for personal information, make sure to explain to them why and what you will do with it. This will improve your visitors’ trust in you and your brand. 
• Add a clear CTA (Call to action) to help instruct the users on what to do.

Don’t Be Afraid of Asking for the Sale

A lot of creatives and entrepreneurs have issues about asking for the sale. There is a myth of the starving artist – the idea that creatives don’t make big bucks and that if you focus on making a lot of money from your creative output, you are “selling out.”

This myth holds you back from achieving success and producing your best work.  

Andy Warhol started his career as an incredibly successful commercial artist selling product illustrations to department stores. He went against the grain and embraced capitalism when many other artists dismissed it. Andy loved money, and he was not ashamed of it. He never believed that making big money and expressing himself honestly through art were mutually exclusive. 

So, don’t be afraid to ask for the sale, right on your landing page. Shyness will get you nowhere. Think like a salesperson and remember ABC – Always Be Closing. Make the call to action direct and be confident in asking your visitors to invest in your truly excellent product or service. 

Celebrity Endorsements Are Powerful

Andy Warhol made many portraits of the most iconic celebrities of his era. There’s no doubt that the popularity of his art was enhanced by the fame of his subjects – such as Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, and Mick Jagger. Humans are social creatures, and we tend to worship celebrities, and we put a lot of value on anything associated with them. 

Including a celebrity (or at least a well-known name in your industry) can do wonders for the performance of your landing page. For example, suppose your website is about online marketing and SEO. You can get a testimonial or quote from an influencer in the industry like Brian Dean or Neil Patel. In that case, you can bet that will impress your visitors. 

Celebrities have a powerful influence on the crowd. Savvy marketers know that associating a celebrity with their product will increase brand awareness and improve authority. 

These celebrity endorsements trigger the “crowd effect.” When someone sees their idol associated with a product, they will run to purchase it too. They talk about it, which creates a buzz. You know what happens when a buzz is created, of course… the sales start flowing in. 

(Of course, it’s illegal to include a celebrity endorsement on your product unless that celebrity has actually permitted you. So, make sure your testimonials are legitimate!)

Become a Machine 

In an interview with Art News, Warhol once explained that he was using screen printing methods at his factory to produce his work because he wanted to “be a machine.” He made great art, and then he found a way to reproduce it repeatedly, adding his own touches and tweaks to the finished prints. No matter what product or service you offer, it could be advantageous to think about where you can automate to scale your business like Andy Warhol. 

The idea of being a machine – fast, mechanical, automatic – is what many digital marketers are trying to achieve. They are looking to create a solid landing page, offer or conversion funnel and then replicate it and automate it. 

How can you tweak your landing page to make your website more like Andy Warhol’s factory so that you can churn out products like a machine for your customers? 

Follow These Marketing Tips

• Use A/B testing. Create multiple versions of your landing page to see which one converts better. You can test almost every element in your pages, such as the title, subtitle, text, images, videos, testimonials, registration forms, colors, and more.
• Set up automated email marketing that will engage with your target audience every step of the way, offering them attractive promotions and leading them towards making a purchase. 
• This can also be done by re-targeting your audience via social networks and search engines so that you can bring them back to your landing page or store in order to buy more products. 
• Develop a subscription offering that allows customers to pay a small amount each month. 
• Instead of every project being 100% unique, offer 20% customization and leave the rest to an established process. 
• Automate and outsource as much as possible.
• Put limits on your offerings on your landing page rather than leaving them open-ended. Make these limits clear right away, along with the deliverables included, the flat-fee price, and a name for the product. 
• There are even tools and services that you can use to easily create and automate your landing page production and conversion funnel. For example, ClickFunnels makes it easy to turn your business into a well-oiled machine. 

Why Not Start Marketing Warhol Style?

These are just a few of Andy Warhol’s traits and techniques you can apply to your landing page to increase your success. After all, as Andy once said, “Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art.”

What Andy Warhol painting is your favorite? Tell us what else you love about him below! 

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