Too many times we feel defeated when trying to sell art and compete with the all the other amazing artists in the world. Well, I hope that I can provide you a few tips that will help you and give you the upper hand advantage.
It seems that my career has gone from Art to Technology and back to Art. It goes in this cycle quite a bit. One thing I can tell you is that technology rules and it is taking over so you really need to get on the bandwagon. If you feel like you are not computer savy, then learn and learn quick. The internet can provide a wealth of information and even help you sell your art. There are tons of services online to help you market and I will talk about those in a minute, but first you must understand technology.
If you are a bit behind on computers and the internet these days, here is an update…
“Web 2.0″ If you have not heard about this, it basically means “social media”. Social Media and interaction on the internet is the next generation, wave of the future. Sites like YouTube, MySpace.com, FaceBook.com, Digg.com, etc. are where the customers are at. Yes it might seem a bit strange, to sell your art through these type of sites, but you can. More and more, our traditional advertising methods are disappearing. Unless you live a very tight small community where everyone knows you and buys your work, you will never be “noticed” unless you get out and sell yourself. Becoming a full time artist is basically becoming a business owner, you really need to represent yourself.
The above mentioned services are only a few of your options, there are tons of sites out there and even some art related like DeviantArt.com. Start doing a Google Search on Art Galleries, Free Art Sites, Free Picture Posting Sites, Sell Art Online, etc. You will find tons of great services. Now, this isn’t to say this is your only source. Realistically you should have a very nice online portfolio of your work and use these other sites to drive traffic. For anywhere of $500-$1000.00 you can have a professional web designer build you a site. This is your most important aspect of your business, because it really is your “Front Door” Don’t try to take on the daunting task of building a site yourself if you don’t know how. So many times I see people using Ugly templates or trying to design something in Front Page, and it is a dead give away you are an amateur. Why would you spend hours painting, drawing, sculpting or whatever art form you do, and then post your beautiful work on an Ugly site? Don’t do it. It is equally important that your site can convert lookers into Buyers. If you site is Ugly, no looker will ever buy. Make sure you have an easy payment system and checkout on your site as well. There is nothing more frustrating to the Online Shopper to get stuck during checkout. Take this Tip serious, I build sites all day long and I know.
I was listening to a Podcast about marketing and I heard the Host say, “You can’t open a store in the middle of the Desert and expect shoppers to magically arive.” This is what your website is when you first launch it. No one knows it exists until you point them there. This is where the Social Media sites come into Play. Many of these social media sites let you add links, make these links point to your site. Another way to drive traffic if you don’t like social media sites, have a friend right a Press Release about your art, or have them interview you and do a bio on you and your art. You can post these articles on the net at places like http://www.pr.com/ or http://www.goarticles.com/ Another one of my favorites is EzineArticles.com
The main thing with any of these suggestions is that you are putting your art into your own voice on the net. Additionally there are free services that allow you to have online Galleries. Upon sale they usually collect a small fee, but again you are getting a link back to your full site and getting your work visible. A very quick and simple way to get people to see your art is to Sign up for a Free Google account and Join Google Groups. There are tons of discussions going on. Once you have an account just search for “Art Groups” You will find tons of Art Related discussions that you can join in on. Most times you can even ask people to review your art by posting a link to your site. Whatever group you join, make sure you read the rules, some groups don’t like too many links.
So I hope this gave you a few tips and tricks to selling your work. The internet can bring you customers from all over the world you never thought possible. One last tip before I leave, is check out eBay for selling art. There are many successful artists who sell their work primarily on eBay.