Many artists struggle with how to promote their art and increase sales. One reason for this is that it can be complicated and time-consuming to learn and implement digital marketing strategies effectively. Another reason is that most artists don’t know where to start, so they concentrate on producing more art instead of learning how to sell the art they have already created.
Here are ten tips that helped many independent artists jump-start their marketing efforts to build their target audience and increase sales.
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10 Strategies For Promoting Art Online
The best way to sell art online is to develop a strategy to build name recognition, brand awareness and drive potential customers to your artist’s website.
The internet has made it possible for creative people worldwide to sell fine art and handmade crafts online.
The obstacle numerous artists encounter is that they fail to understand the importance of marketing themselves as an artist.
There is much more to online marketing than posting an image or two on Instagram or Facebook. Developing a marketing plan and implementing the tactics regular basis is the only way to see actual results.
Below are some essential strategies for promoting artwork online so you, too, can drive potential buyers to your website.
How to Write Art Business Goals How to Succeed
A great place to start is by writing business goals.
Having a clear vision of what you would like to achieve will help you develop more productive marketing strategies.
- What are some of your objectives?
- Do you want to build a successful art career?
- Would you like to have your art noticed by gallery owners?
- Are you just trying to generate enough money at art fairs to support your hobbies?
Take a few minutes right now to write down your objectives.
Related Resources:
Online Tutorials:
- Setting Business Goals & Objectives That Delivers Value
- The 90 Day Plan to Achieve Your Business Goals
Focus On Producing Great Work
Producing great art might seem obvious, but the key to success is becoming a better artist. Dedicating time to enhancing your artistic skills while learning to promote your artwork will increase your art sales. Great artists have dedicated thousands of hours improving their skills, and so should you if your ultimate goal is to sell your creations to art lovers worldwide.
Online Art Tutorials:
Here are hundreds of tutorials that will help you enhance your artistic skills quicker.
Share Your Work On Social Media
There is no quick fix when it comes to achieving success with your marketing efforts. It takes time and consistent effort to build a following, so start early in your art career.
The goal is to share your art with as many people as possible on social media. Start by creating accounts on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, and Tumblr.
When deciding which social media site to use, we suggest starting with one that you enjoy using most since this will make it more likely that you’ll keep sharing updates regularly. Learn everything you can about marketing on your favorite channel so you can make a social media presence and have your artwork seen by new customers. As you can see, there are so many different social media platforms to choose from, and if you are not careful, you could find yourself wasting a lot of time on social media with little to no return. So the best strategy is to master one social media platform at a time.
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- How to Sell Products on Facebook – For Artists
- 15 Instagram Tips For Artists Selling Art
- Why Artists Should Create A Pinterest Business Account
- How To Get Art Noticed On Twitter
- 15 Instagram Tips For Artists Selling Art
Social Media Marketing Tutorials:
- Facebook Marketing Without Buying Ads
- Twitter Marketing For Small Businesses
- Instagram Marketing: How To Cash In On Your Passion
Design An Attractive Website
After you get set up on major social media sites, start designing your website using WordPress. This is another critical element of marketing your work because visitors will land on your online art gallery when scrolling through Facebook pages and other social media pages.
Designing your website is essential because it can make or break your ability to turn site visitors into potential customers. The design of your artist website isn’t something you want to leave up to chance or hire an amateur designer. Your site is where you make your first impression with potential customers and collectors, which will determine if they choose to engage further by visiting your online gallery, subscribing to your newsletter, following you on social media sites, etc.
Your site is an online retail store, and you want to be sure to make a good online presence by having a platform that is easy to navigate and is appealing to first-time visitors.
Related Posts:
- Why Artist Websites Should Be Built On WordPress
- How To Install WooCommerce On A WordPress Artist Website
- How To Add WooCommerce WordPress Categories
- How to Add Categories in WordPress
If you are intimidated designing a website or do not have the time to dedicate creating a professional, you might want to consider hiring a professional freelancer from Fiverr. Professional web designers are waiting to put in the hard work for you.
Have An Effective Email Campaign
You’ll also need a well-designed email campaign that spreads the news when new artwork gets posted in your online gallery. An effective marketing strategy is to have an email sign-up on your website and to Facebook and other social media channels.
Creating newsletters might seem like a lot of work, but the people who give you their email addresses are the people who are interested in purchasing your artwork. You will sell more art by sending out a newsletter than by paying for Facebook ads.
Related Posts:
Growing Your Email List Tips For Creatives
Email Marketing Courses:
- Email Marketing – Copywriting and Growing Your Email Lists
- The Complete Mailchimp Email Marketing Course
Start Blogging
Having a blog is an essential part of your marketing efforts because it provides a central location where you can share the latest updates about what’s going on in your life as an artist and stay connected to customers and fans. Blogging also helps establish you as an authority in the art world and keep people engaged with your online content, making them more likely to visit and engage with your website, social media channels, and email campaign.
Publishing blog posts will help you reach new potential clients searching for products like yours in Google’s search because blog posts are searchable.
Related Posts:
- 4 Effective Tips For Writing Art Blog Posts That Rank Well
- How To Come Up With Blog Post Ideas That Generate Blog Traffic
- Where To Submit An Art Blog Post After Publishing
Build Relationships
Successful artists focus on building relationships with their audience rather than selling products. You should never use social media as a platform for advertising since this will make it less effective at attracting new followers who want to learn more about who you are as an artist. Developing long-term relationships with art lovers is a much better way to establish yourself as an artist and build a loyal following.
Promote Other Artists
Networking and promoting other artists is a great way to have your art seen by new people. If you make it a regular practice to tweet or share other artists’ Facebook posts, they will be more inclined to link back to your art site or mention you on their blog. It would help if you weren’t too self-promotional when tweeting about other artists since this can come across as annoying, and people may unfollow you.
Related Post:
9 Networking For Artists Strategies
Use High-quality Photos
Quality matters when publishing images of your paintings online since some viewers will want to enlarge them while others like viewing low-resolution thumbnails. To enhance the presentation of your paintings on your website, use Photoshop CC to edit your images so customers can see what they are buying before committing. Always include detailed photos showing the front, back, and close-up views of artwork so fans can see what they are bidding on or buying to avoid disputes later on.
Related Post:
7 Tips Photographing Artwork to Sell More Art Online
Be Consistent
As an artist, you must keep a consistent theme with your photos, writing style, and how you position yourself in cyberspace. If your website looks amateurish, then people will assume that all of your paintings are equally unprofessional. If the content you publish on social media is not high-quality content, people will not engage in your posts.
Everything you post online reflects your brand, so make sure you only publish the best content relating to your art business.
Strategies For Promoting Art Final Thoughts
To become a successful artist, you will have to work hard promoting yourself as an artist and your artwork. The digital age has made it possible for artists to make a decent salary selling their artwork. A working artist no longer has to depend on an art gallery business to showcase their work. With an online visual platform and learning how to promote art to a target market, artists worldwide can generate money doing something they love to do.
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