Every artist wants to create art that will go viral on social media. The feeling you get when you see likes and shares on your new artwork provides you a sense of accomplishment and pride for your hard work.
Why do you make art?
Do you make art because you want to receive likes on your Facebook business page, or do you want to make art that people buy?
It is nice to see positive engagement on social media, but at the end of the day, “likes” and “shares” will not pay the bills.
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Art Collectors Buy Art From Artists
To begin, I would like to talk about one feature every successful artist has in common.
Successful artists believe in their artistic skills.
Successful artists have confidence in their ability to draw or paint what they envision in their minds.
Do you believe in your artistic skills or do you look at your paintings and say “I could have done better.”
You can not expect anyone to admire your paintings if you do not love your finished artwork
You have to believe in your artwork before you can begin talking about your artwork.
Visit Blueprint if you do not feel confident enough to start selling your art.
Blueprint has over 80 painting classes that will enhance your artistic skills and build your confidence so you can proudly talk about every painting you create.
Here are just a few classes Blueprint has to offer:
- Startup Library: Painting With Watercolors
- Sketching The City In Pen, Ink, And Watercolor
- Realistic Watercolors Step By Step
- Startup Library: Painting With Acrylic
- Acrylic Landscape Painting
Don’t Compare Your Artwork To Other Artists
So many artists waste time and become discouraged because they are constantly comparing their artwork to other artist’s paintings and drawings.
It is perfectly fine to be inspired by other artists, but it is not productive for you to say my art is not as good as theirs.
You have a unique style that no other artist can duplicate.
Yes, artists can paint the same subjects you do and use the same medium, but they will never be able to create it exactly like yours.
Instead of trying to be someone else, focus on the message you want people to receive when they are looking at your paintings.
Why do people like art?
People like art because it makes them feel a certain way.
Maybe the painting reminds them of something in the past, or perhaps it inspires them.
Focus on the message you are trying to share instead of trying to be someone your not.
Master Your Tools
To be able to create masterpieces, you will need to know the tools you are using inside and out.
The art you create is a visual story. It is how you communicate with your audience. Learning everything your medium has to offer will allow you to get your message across more clearly.
You will turn potential art collectors into loyal art collectors when you can connect them to your art on an emotional level.
Be Modest
Like I said earlier, judging your art to others is not productive; acting like your artwork is better than another artist is also not productive.
You are not in competition with other artists.
We are all visual story tellers, and we all have a different story to tell.
Find A Quiet Place To Create Your Artwork
Your art studio needs to be a place where you look forward to going to and motivates you to create your masterpieces.
Keep your studio and supplies organized, so when you have that creative spark, you are ready to go instead of losing your inspiration because you have to spend an hour cleaning before you can start painting.
Find a time when you have an hour or two of undistracted time. Limiting outside distractions will help you to be more productive and allow you to focus on your story.
How Do I Find People To Buy My Art
Now that you have the confidence in your artistic skills, it is time to start selling art to people who care about what you create. An essential aspect of ant art marketing plan begins with knowing who your target audience is.
Many artists fail because they waste so much time searching for:
- What kind of art do people want to buy?
- Best selling subject matter?
- What size painting sells the best?
- What color paintings sell best?
Searching for what my competitors are selling with KeySearch is an essential part of my art marketing plan, but it is only one piece of the puzzle.
KeySearch also shows me what people are searching for on Google’s search.
Login to Keysearch and click Keyword Research to find out what keywords your art collectors are using to find art like yours.
Enter in a couple of words that describe your art in the search bar.
A search trend graph will appear on the right showing you how many times those words are being searched. On the left will be a list of similar words people are searching for online.
How To Separate Yourself From Other Artists
Separating yourself from other artists is easier than you might think.
The first step is to master your artistic skills and the mediums you use to create your artwork.
The second step is not to follow trends.
It is a good business strategy to know the market and your competition but do not create art based on what other people are creating.
The last step is to focus on what subjects motivate you to paint and draw.
For example, if you enjoy painting oceans, you should focus on painting oceans.
The more you paint a specific subject, the better you will become. In time you will have your own unique style that nobody can duplicate. At that point, you have separated yourself from all of the other artists painting oceans.
Talking and writing blog posts about art will be easier when you have a real passion for the subject you are painting and drawing.
Who Is Buying Art Like Yours
The information you gather through KeySeach will tell you what your target audience is interested in, but how do you know who your target audience is?
Have you heard the term niche marketing?
Niche marketing is an advertising strategy that focuses on a unique target market. Instead of marketing to everyone who could benefit from a product or service, this strategy focuses exclusively on one group—a niche market—or demographic of potential customers who would most benefit from the offerings. Source: Alexa)
Discovering what your niche is will:
- Help you to market your art online to people who have a passion for your artwork.
- Separate you from other artists in the art world.
- Increase sales by creating content tailored to people buying art.
- Help you to brand your art business.
The people who are purchasing art like yours have a passion for your niche.
What Is Your Niche
Your niche is what you enjoy painting and drawing.
If you enjoy painting landscapes, your niche is landscape paintings.
If you enjoy drawing wildlife, your niche is wildlife drawings.
What inspires you to paint or draw?
What subjects would you like to paint for years to come?
Focus on your passion and what inspires you to create art.
Making art that is meaningful to you will attract people who have the same passion. Those people are your target audience.
You will be able to talk about your fine art to your target audience because you already have something in common with them.
Branding Your Online Art Business
So far, we talked about having a winning mindset, enhancing your artistic skills, how to find your target audience, and how to separate yourself from artists who are creating similar art.
Now it is time to put it all together and talk about branding your art business so your target audience can quickly identify your artwork and content online.
Branding, by definition, is a marketing practice in which a company creates a name, symbol, or design that is easily identifiable as belonging to the company. This helps to identify a product and distinguish it from other products and services. Branding is important because not only is it what makes a memorable impression on consumers but it allows your customers and clients to know what to expect from your company. (Source: Brandingmag)
Everything you post online will be a reflection of your art business.
Take some time to decide how you will brand your art business, so your art collectors now that it is your artwork they are admiring online.
Creativelive offers many online courses that pertain to branding.
Most Popular:
Conclusion:
Now that you know how to create meaningful art, it is time to get into your studio so you can share your story with the world.
Art that sells connects a viewer on an emotional level.
Spend time learning your tools so you can create your art exactly how you envision it.
It takes more than just creating beautiful art if you are planning on selling it.
You will also need to spend time branding your art business and finding out who your target audience is so you can market your artwork more efficiently.
Popular Art Marketing And Sales Tutorials
Below are some of the most famous art marketing courses that will grow your online art business:
Most Popular – How to Make a Living Selling What You Make by Megan Auman
Most Popular – Build a Successful Creative Blog by April Bowles-Olin
How to Build a Business While Learning Your Craft by Megan Auman
Pinterest Marketing for Makers & Designers by Megan Auman
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