Would you like to see more people revisiting your art blog? In this article, Effective Writing Tip – Keep it Simple, you will discover some writing tips that will make your readers want to come back for more.
I have been involved with online sales since the early 2000s. To put this in perspective, before Facebook.
When I started selling online, content marketing didn’t really exist. As long as I wrote a detailed description of what I was selling with keywords, I would generate traffic.
Over the past few years, I have learned the importance of content marketing and SEO. It is a different world and a different time.
If I wanted to continue to be successful selling online, I knew I had to join the game and implement a content strategy with my art marketing plan.
There was a large roadblock I was facing. I was never good at writing.
I was determined to be successful. I studied and practiced every day until I was where I am now. I am writing for a couple of larger businesses. I have three eBooks, and I write every day for Nevue Fine Art Marketing.
I will not claim I am a great writer, but I will say it is easier for me to get my thoughts across to you.
You can become a better writer, too, with practice. I want to share a tip that will help your writing become better instantly.
Artists can make money online. You just have to learn the best practices and how to implement the strategies for your niche.
Effective Writing Tip – Keep it Simple
Making an online presence will be something you will be working on every day if you are selling art online. For people to purchase your art, they need to know you sell art. Content marketing is an important part of any successful online business and will help you to build an audience. In this article, discover how keeping your story simple will be an effective writing method you will want to consider using.
Content marketing is an important part of any successful online business and will help you to build an audience.
Where many artists go wrong is they do not write for the reader. If you want your content to produce positive results, you need to write for your audience.
Benefits of Content Marketing
Content marketing is as important for businesses today as purchasing television ads was twenty or thirty years ago.
Businesses must make people aware of products or services they have to offer for them to generate revenue.
In the past, businesses would purchase advertisements to get their story across. Companies would spend a lot of money hoping their message would be heard.
Today businesses get their story across by writing content that can be found on the internet.
Unless you hire someone to write for you, providing content is free and will only cost you your time.
Content Marketing Benefits:
- Builds brand awareness.
- Builds relationships and trust.
- Improves recognition.
- Builds authority.
- Builds credibility.
- Positions you as an expert in your field.
Read more about writing a content marketing plan, How to Write a Content Marketing Plan Increases Art Sales.
What is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is simply telling a story.
It is not like writing a Steven King novel or a documentary.
It is sharing what you have to offer with people.
Your content can be shared using different mediums, such as text, images, video, and audio.
Every medium could interlock together like a puzzle that shares your story.
Try This
Take some time now to work on telling a story. Practice makes perfect.
I want to give you an assignment that will help make writing easier and more enjoyable.
If you are a painter, what makes your paintings unique?
If you draw, what makes your drawings unique?
It does not matter what you create, I just want you to write what makes your creations unique.
- Maybe it is the type of paints you use or the colors you paint with.
- Maybe you only work with graphite or charcoal.
- Maybe it is the way you use light in your paintings or drawings.
- Maybe it is your subjects.
Now that you know what you are going to write about, take ten minutes and start writing.
Do not worry about spelling or grammar. That can be fixed later.
At this point, you are only focusing on your creative side.
When you are done, put it away. You will be doing the same project for the next seven days.
At the end of one week, reread everything you have written.
You will notice that even after only one week, your writing became faster and better.
Writing Skills
You might still say, “But I am an artist, not a writer.”
I said the same thing to myself.
Writing never came easily to me. I have always struggled with spelling and grammar and still do.
When I learned that in order for me to be successful in selling art online I needed to do a lot of writing, I was hesitant. I said to myself, “How am I going to do this?”
The time came when I said, “I just have to do it.”
I turned on the computer, stared at a blank screen for ten minutes then visited Facebook.
After a few attempts, I had my first post completed. I will be the first one to say. It was nothing to be proud of.
In time, writing started to become easier. I spent many hours learning about content marketing and how to write effectively.
The only way I could grow my business was to learn how to tell my story.
You can learn too. You might even be surprised and discover you enjoy writing. It happened to me.
There is one book I would like to recommend to you.
The book is called Everybody Writes: Your Go – To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley.
I first heard of Ann’s book from a podcast show I was listening to on the way to work. It caught my attention and decided to purchase the audio version so I could listen to it while I was drawing.
The book is amazing and helped me in so many ways.
I enjoyed the way she wrote so much. I must have listened to the audio a dozen times. I even decided to purchase the eBook, so I could read it.
I am now at the point where I have been writing every day for two years. If you would have asked me if I would be doing this two years ago, I probably would have laughed and shaken my head.
Just like your art. The more you do it, the better you will be. Every post you write will be a little better than the previous one. You just have to start.
Effective Writing Tip – Keep It Simple
One of Ann’s tips I would like to share with you is how she emphasizes the importance of keeping it simple. This information had me jumping up and down, saying, “I can do this.” I didn’t have to learn large, sophisticated words. In fact, Ann said, “Use smaller words to get your point across.”
Spellcheck has helped me with most of my spelling issues and my wife helps me with my grammar and other spelling issues the software doesn’t catch.
The more I learned about writing, it all started to make sense.
The key is to get your point across without losing the reader. It was not as difficult as I once thought.
Do you know anyone that is long-winded?
What happens during the conversation?
You might be focused at first, but in time your mind starts to wander. At the end of the conversation, you realize you have no idea what was said.
The same will happen with your readers. The shorter the better. Get your point across and let the reader go on with their day.
You want them to remember you, not block you out.
Ann also goes over the importance of eliminating unnecessary words from your sentences.
I am still working on this, but like anything in life, practice makes perfect.
Here is an example of keeping it short from Workopolis:
“I possess the ability to learn new concepts quickly.”
Don’t write that. Instead:
“I am a fast learner.”
Even better, of course, would be to give an example of a time you learned something fast…
This is a great example of how something simple is more powerful.
You will learn much more from Ann’s book if you decide to buy it. You might want to consider purchasing it if you struggle with writing as I did.
Just Start
Are you ready to start sharing your story?
There is no better time to start than now.
The longer you wait, the more opportunities you will lose.
Don’t let yourself get caught up with excuses.
I have heard statements like these too many times:
- I don’t have time
- I don’t know what to write about.
- No one will be interested in what I have to say.
- I would rather be in the studio.
- I am an artist, not a writer.
Those statements or similar statements are just excuses. Comments like those tell me the person does not want to sell art online. They must be content where they are in life because if they really wanted to sell art online they would do whatever it takes to succeed.
People are not born great musicians.
People are not born great artists.
People are not born great writers.
People become better at things from repetition and a positive mindset.
In time, you will be more productive with your day.
Conclusion:
If you really want to make a presence online and you would like to start selling more art, start writing today.
Remember one key point as you are writing. Keep it simple.
You will never get your message across if no one can understand what you are talking about.
If you are ready to take your writing to the next level you might want to consider taking my course, Content Marketing for Artists.
You might also be interested in:
- Sell Art Online – Call-to-Action Strategy to Generate Sales
- How to write well-written Art Descriptions
- Art Marketing Strategy – Schedule Next Months Blogs for More Traffic
