Are you interested in selling your artwork? Have you been putting it off because you don’t know how to get started? In this post, I am going to share with you some tips to help you sell your art online and build a solid foundation for your art business. Success comes with working hard on strategies that work.
Tips To Help You Sell Your Art Online
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Selling your art is an emotional rollercoaster ride.
It is easy to take criticisms personally when you are putting a piece of you on canvas or paper for the world to see. You will need to develop a thick skin and not take feedback personally. Your business will grow quicker if you can learn how to take negative feedback as constructive criticisms and see if there is anything you could do differently to make your art better.
There will be times when you feel like you are on top of the world after you have landed a sale and there will be times when you are frustrated because nothing is selling.
The ups and downs you will encounter will make it difficult to stay focused on what’s important for your art business.
Below are some tips to help you become a better business person so you can sell more art.
How To Sell Art Online And Make Money
In order for you to make money selling your art online, you need to have a clear vision of your objectives.
When you know what you want you will be able to create better art marketing strategies.
- Where would you like to be in three months from now?
- Where would you like to be in six months from now?
- Where would you like to be in a year from today?
- You will even want to know where you would like to be in five years.
I always recommend setting large goals. The sky is the limit. You might not reach your biggest goals but if you work hard towards them you will achieve more than if you set a small goal.
Writing business goals will be a challenge at first but like anything, the more goals you write the easier it will become.
Related Resources:
- How to Write Goals You Can Achieve Workbook
- Artist Goal Planners in Light Blue
- Artist Goal Planners in Light Pink
- Annual Art Business Review Workbook
It Takes Time To Build An Online Art Business
We live in a fast-paced world where you can gather information on any topic within just a few seconds.
Instant gratification has become something we are all accustomed to.
If you are hoping for instant success with your new art business you are setting yourself up to be very disappointed.
You will stumble on some stories highlighting artists who got lucky and became successful overnight but those stories are a very small percentage compared to how many artists art selling their creations online.
Most of the artists you see online have been working hard building an online presence. These artists have spent the time to learn how to market their art online and have implemented the strategies they have learned on a daily basis for years.
Once you can accept that it will take a lot of effort and in most cases several years to build an online art business you can start to develop long-term strategies that will produce real results.
Know Who Your Audience Is
Knowing your audience in the e-business world can not only help you communicate more effectively and avoid embarrassing mistakes, but it can also help you save money, make more money and advance your career. (Source: Miranda Morley)
Learning who your audience is an essential first step you should be focusing on.
It is almost impossible to sell fine art online if you do not know who is searching for fine art to purchase online. Every now and then you might get lucky and land a sale but the odds of that happening are far and few.
Take the time to learn who is interested in your artistic style and find out where they hang out online.
Most businesses create an avatar or customer persona.
It is critically important to the success of your marketing, sales, product development, and delivery of services that you have a deep understanding of who your customer avatar is. You’ve likely heard the phrase, “You can’t hit a target you haven’t set.” (Source: Misty Kortes)
Below are some questions you can answer that will help you to build your customer avatar.
- What is your customer’s average age?
- Is your target audience female or male?
- Where does your audience reside?
- What do they do for a living?
- How much do they make?
- What do they do in their free time?
- Where do they spend their time?
- What social media sites to they hang out on?
Related Resources:
Simple Strategy For Finding Your Target Audience
What is your Target Audience Searching For?
Focus On What Is Important
Developing good time management skill is important for any business owner.
You have to develop a strategy that reflects your goals and take action.
It is one thing to say that you have to do this and you have to do that but it is another thing to get the job done.
You have to be disciplined and self-motivated and this can be a challenge at times. Just keep in the back of your mind that what you get done today will bring you closer to your goals tomorrow.
One more thing I would like to talk about is the importance of spending quality time marketing your artwork. Yes, making the art is the fun part of the job but you will sell your work if you do not spend time marketing it.
For the past 16 plus years selling art online, I have done a 50/50 split. I spend 50% of the time creating art and 50% of the time marketing my art.
Related Resource:
Get More Done in Less Time The Part-time Artist eBook
Create Art You Have A Passion For
If you are planning on staying in the game I recommend you to create art you have a passion for.
Your love for the subject you create will come out in your work.
Did you ever see a musician play and they look like they wished they were somewhere else?
What did you feel? Probably the same as the musician but if you see a singer smiling and dancing all of a sudden you are singing with them.
The same is true with your creations, you will put in a little extra if it is something you love to create.
I see many artists change their subject and style because they are trying to find something that will sell. Instead of spending time learning who their target audience is, where they hang out and how to market to them they are chasing the 8-ball and wasting a lot of time.
Related Post:
Art That Sells – What Artists Need to Know
Do Not Compare Yourself To Other Artists
If you would like to fail at selling your art online then start comparing yourself to other artists and start doing it today.
However, if you would like to build a successful art business and sell original art online and sell art prints online then focus on enhancing your artist skills and stop worrying about how your art compares with others.
There is only one reason why you would want to judge your art and business with others and that is to learn how you can improve. Learn from other artists do not compete with them.
Focus On Ways You Can Make More Money
The last thing I would like to talk about today is becoming a smart shopper and find different ways you can supplement your income.
Related Post:
17 Art Business Ideas to Help Supplement Your Income
There will be many times throughout the year when original art sales will be slow. Think of different ways you can generate extra income for when your sales are down.
One thing you will want to learn is how to reduce the costs of operating a business. I will be the first one to tell you that the cost of running a business will add up if you are not careful.
Every month review your spending and see if there is a way to lower the costs without affecting the growth of your business.
A few pennies here and a few pennies there will start to add up.
For example below are some of the supplies stores I purchase from. First I will see who is offering the best sales then I will review the shipping costs. Whoever can give me the best deal wins my order.
You are in business to make money and the best way to make extra money is to reduce your spending.
All Supplies From Craftsy (affiliate link)
Artist Supply Source (affiliate link)
We make Arteza art supplies affordable to creators with every budget! Shop at ARTEZA today! (affiliate link)
Blick Art Materials (affiliate link)
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Conclusion:
I have to be honest and tell you that it is a challenge to make money selling paintings but if you have plan and dedicate time to learn how to market your online art business you can become very successful.
Tips To Help You Sell Your Art Online Overview:
- How To Sell Art Online And Make Money
- It Takes Time To Build An Online Art Business
- Know Who Your Audience Is
- Focus On What Is Important
- Create Art You Have A Passion For
- Do Not Compare Yourself To Other Artists
- Focus On Ways You Can Make More Money
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