Are you ready to generate more traffic and increase your art sales? In this post, discover 9 blogging mistakes artists must avoid so you can generate more traffic to your art website and start building a loyal following.
9 Blogging Mistakes Artists Must Avoid
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You have probably heard me say in the past that your artist blog will be the fuel that drives traffic to your artwork.
The problem is that it takes time for blogs to gain authority and rank in the search results. That means you will have to promote your blog posts on your social media sites and email list so they will be read.
Once your artist blog starts to gain authority and rank in the search results you will start to see your traffic increase dramatically.
Wouldn’t you like to rank higher in the search engines so you can start to generate more organic traffic?
We would all like to receive more traffic. More traffic means more sales.
I am going to share with you some blogging mistakes that I have learned over the years so you avoid these beginner blogging mistakes that will slow down the growth of your art blog.
9 Basic Blog Tips
Images – Artists think that if they take a picture of their artwork and post it on their blog, it will sell immediately. You have to spend some quality time taking pictures that will reflect your work. I have seen pictures of artwork that are blurry or too far away, a shopper will not be tempted to purchase a piece of art if they cannot tell what the art looks like. High-quality images sell.
Here are some articles to help you with photographing your artwork:
7 Tips Photographing Artwork to Sell
4 Best Digital Cameras For Photographing Artwork
Why Professional Quality Images are a Must for Art Websites
Good Content – You might think that you are writing great content but do your readers feel the same? When you are sitting down writing a post, you are writing for your readers, not for you. I have read so many blogs that the writers are only writing for themselves. It provides no value, emotion or entertainment for the readers. That is a sure way to lose an audience. Take some time to learn what interests them and start providing information they are searching for.
Here are some articles to help you write content your readers will read and share:
Art Marketing Basics: Pillar Content Generates Traffic
How to Write Pillar Content and Why it is Important for Artists
Ann Handley explains how to write for people reading online in her book Everybody Writes. (affiliate link)
No Prices – A shopper will not know if your artwork is for sale if you do not make it clear to them that it is for sale. Adding a price and a link to purchase your art, will make it easy for the impulse shoppers to make a purchase. It will be a rare occasion when someone spends the time searching your site to see if they can buy a piece of your artwork.
This should be at the top of your blog checklist. Make it easy for your audience to make a purchase.
If you are finding a difficult time pricing your artwork you might be interested in Art Pricing Guide – Pricing Art to Sell.
You expect readers to find you – Many bloggers believe that because they post an article, everyone is going to find their article and read it. No matter how great your content is, if no one can find it, it will not be read. You will need to spend some time marketing your posts. Eventually, you will gain a loyal following, but in the meantime, you will want to share your posts with everyone. To get an idea of how hard it is to have your articles noticed check out how many blog posts have been posted today!
Post Length – Some writers believe that they have to write a certain amount of words for their post to be found and shared. If the article is interesting to a reader, they will share it no matter how many words it contains. Your post should be as long as it needs to be for you to get your point across. Anything more or less will lessen the quality of the post.
Headlines – Most people will only read the headlines. If you do not make it intriguing to a reader, they will scroll through your article. It is said that two out of ten people open a post and read it. Your headline should represent the content of your article without any empty promises.
Here is a post to help you write great headlines:
5 Tips for Writing Catchy Headlines that will Attract Readers
Inconsistent writing – People that read your posts want to get to know you. The will continue to read your articles because they value what you say. A big mistake that writers do is that they do not write with their unique voice. Write as if you were sitting down talking to your friend.
Difficult reading level – I have seen this too many times to count. For some reason, artists think that they have to use a particular vocabulary to make themselves look smart. That is farthest from the truth. If the reader does not understand what you are saying, they will leave. Make your articles as clear as possible to get your point across. Fewer words are better. If it takes 15 words for you to get your point across, don’t use 35 words. Tell your story quick and respect your reader’s time.
You are an expert in your field – This is true. You are an expert in your field, but do not fool yourself. You are still learning. Artists, writers, people learn every day. Let your readers know that you are still learning, and you would like to share with them information that you have learned. This makes you look like a real person instead of a salesperson.
Conclusion:
If you want to build your traffic and increase your art sales, keep an open mind and learn every day. Everyone makes these mistakes in the beginning. The people who succeed are the ones that are willing to learn and adjust. You will find that you will always be saying I wish I knew that sooner.
- Be persistent.
- Be patient.
- Be willing to adjust!
9 Blogging Mistakes Artists Must Avoid Overview:
- Images
- Good Content
- No Prices
- Expect Readers to Find You
- Post Length
- Headlines
- Inconsistent Writing
- Difficult Reading Level
- Expert in Your Field
I hope you find these tips for bloggers helpful. Avoid these 9 blogging mistakes I have learned throughout the past years and start growing your artist blog quicker.
How long have you been blogging?
Leave me a comment in the comment section below.
You might also be interested in:
- Importance of Self-promoting Your Artwork and How to Be Productive
- 7 Effective Website Traffic Generating Tips for Visual Artists
- How to Sell Art Online and Make Money
- WordPress SEO: Optimize Your Artist Website for Search Engines
- How to Review Your Goals and Sell More Art Next Year
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28 Day Blogging Challenge for Visual Artists
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By Dave Nevue
The Productive Artist How to Live Your Dreams
The right mindset and time management skills are essential for any business. These topics are often not talked about but are key elements for your success. You will learn how to have a winning mindset and time management skills necessary for operating a successful art business.
