Tag: art marketing

Promoting Your Art in the Digital Age: Best Practices for Growing Your Fandom

Professionals in the creative sector must adjust to the changing dynamics and prospects of the digital marketplace, where skill in online marketing and sales is becoming crucial. The global online art market was valued at $9.18 billion in 2022, highlighting the significant audience and market potential for digital offerings. If your approach has mainly focused on traditional methods up to this point, like ad placement in art magazines or art contests’ participation, it would be beneficial to delve into the digital domain to greatly increase your exposure and connect with a much wider, varied audience. This transition builds stronger brand, authority, and creates new opportunities for income and creative output.

Utilizing Social Media to Expand Your Audience

Social media platforms, like Instagram and TikTok, have revolutionized how artists connect with potential fans. These platforms not only allow artists to showcase their creativity but also to engage with a broader audience through dynamic and interactive video content. However, the immense volume of content uploaded every minute makes standing out a real challenge, especially with constant algorithmic changes. This is where organic growth strategies become invaluable. 

By focusing on authentic engagement—responding to comments, participating in trends, messaging and thanking people, and creating original content—you can build a loyal following. To further enhance your visibility, it’s important to grow your audience with organic TikTok growth tactics by using targeted hashtags and joining platform-specific challenges to capture the attention of those art fans who are most likely to appreciate your work. Some artists choose to accelerate this process by employing professional services that specialize in organic growth, ensuring that their interactions remain genuine and impactful. Spend some time researching such companies, looking into other creatives who used their services to make your judgment about possible collaboration.

Establishing a Professional Online Platform

Building your own website for showcasing your art projects creates a strong, refined presence and establishes a central location for your portfolio. It’s paramount that your website strikes a balance between visual appeal and functional simplicity, enabling visitors to effortlessly browse and complete purchases. 

You must adapt your site for easy browsing on mobile devices. For example, if you use WordPress, pick a theme that makes automatic adaptation/ resizing of your website on different screens. Look at websites of your favorite artists to see what’s done well and can be borrowed for your site.

To build authority, use clear, high-quality images, art in interior space, art with collectors and in collections, exhibition reviews, detailed ‘about’ page with highlights of your shows and magazine features, and contact information, like the email you check regularly.

Fostering Community Interaction With Engaging Content

Sustained engagement goes beyond routine art posts. Incorporating interactive features like live broadcasts, question-and-answer sessions, and cooperative projects with other creatives can greatly enhance your connection with your community. 

Such activities show your audience that they are appreciated and give them insight into your creative process, which personalizes their experience and helps build a supportive community around your projects. Update your followers, fans and community about your new creative projects, art, upcoming shows to build the brand and create anticipation about your future initiatives.

Harnessing Email Marketing to Maintain Audience Connection

Email marketing remains a vital strategy for keeping in touch with your followers directly. Gathering email addresses through your website, social media or at live events enables you to build a mailing list. This list serves as a channel to distribute news about upcoming releases and special promotions. 

Sending out regular newsletters helps keep your followers interested and engaged, ensuring they stay updated even if they do not frequent your social media or main site. Tailoring emails to address each recipient by name and writing interesting headlines and newsletters can significantly enhance open rates and strengthen the relationship with your audience. You want to write an email that you wish to read yourself without being spammy. By writing your emails, look for a genuine connection with your audience.

Applying Analytics to Sharpen Your Audience Engagement Strategies

Gaining insights into your audience’s preferences and behaviors through analytics is essential for refining your promotional tactics and crafting content. Social media platforms typically offer foundational analytics that reveal high-performing posts, the composition of your audience, and peak activity times. 

By analyzing these patterns, you can segment your audience and design content that appeals to specific groups, enhancing relevance and engagement. For instance, segment artists who are interested in your teaching skills. Have a different segment for art collectors. This strategic use of data helps in customizing your communications to boost interaction and engagement rates.

Collaborating with Other Artists and Influencers

Collaborating with fellow creators and influencers can introduce your projects to a much wider range of audiences and bring new perspectives to your work. Forming alliances with creators who share a portion of your audience yet also reach different groups is beneficial; it presents your projects to individuals who are likely intrigued by your unique style. It should be interesting and relevant to both parties. Establish collaborations with like-minded people where you both can benefit from. Engaging in joint promotional efforts, like combined giveaways or shared events, can extend your influence and attract an even wider array of followers.

filippo tincolini-spacesman seat-marble, art contexxt miami
Filippo Tincolini, Spaceman seat, Marble sculpture, photo: V. Winters

Conclusion

The digital environment presents unmatched opportunities for those who are prepared to innovate and adopt new methods for displaying their projects. Direct interactions with followers on social media, enhancing your website’s effectiveness, or leveraging data analytics to guide your strategic choices—all these actions open doors to immense potential for those willing to leverage them. As you delve deeper into these digital channels, maintaining consistency and genuine engagement are crucial strategies for success in the constantly changing online world.

The art of donation: is it worth it?

Over the years I’ve donated close to two dozen pieces, including my donations to CSN (the Community School of Naples), State College high, the Seeds of Learning, the humane society of Naples and many others. They were nice works, the artwork that had the potential to sell, yet I chose to let them go. In this post I’d like to share both sides of the coin for other artists to consider before donating your art.

In my opinion, it all boils down to your motivation, standing behind the very act of donation. Many artists feel sour and often become negative talking about the art donations they made in the past. Why?

#1 Artists feel used donating art.

Artists feel used. First, all fundraisers ask artists to donate their art for free. There is absolutely no profit going to the artist, only the promise of “getting your name out there,” or getting “exposure.” In my experience, name recognition or a promise of exposure is not worth it. I had zero contacts coming in from my donations.

#2 No real tax-deduction for artists.

Second, although it’s said that your donations are tax-deductible, they are, but not for the artist. Say you bought a piece for $100. If you donate it to a charity, you can write $100 off as your tax deduction. If the artist donates his artwork, he or she can deduct only the cost of art supplies used to manufacture the piece. The deduction sum doesn’t include the artist’s labor, level of expertise, tuition loans, years spent learning, etc. Therefore, when the artist donates, he or she gives it away for real, which looks unfair to the artist at times, because the institution seems to “make money” using the artist. Moreover, in my experience only half of organizations that sold my art for their purposes sent a “thank you” note to me. And none of them shared the information on price it went for or the client’s name without me asking about it.

#3 Devaluing of art.

Third, many think that your art donation devalues your art because it can sell for any price and you have no control over its pricing. It’s also a sign that you are a “weak” artist since you donate art instead of selling it. Therefore, if you aim to make money via donations, don’t do it not to get disappointed with meager results.

Most artists paint no matter what, walking against the grit of economic problems. The financial pursuit via donations is not the right path to take. Let's become financially successful in other ways, dear artists :)

Now I’m going back to my original idea: your inner motivation  is the whole point of donation. I donate because I feel good helping others. It sounds cheesy, but I feel fortunate I live in a place where I can create, and I’m able to share my gift with purpose at heart. I feel that my art can change the world for the better, even if it looks like a drop in the ocean today. Like most artists, I’m proud of the fact that I’m not motivated by greed or a lucrative business to paint. However, making money is absolutely necessary for the artist to continue doing his or her work!

If you decide to donate a piece, work out the mutually-beneficial agreement with the organization. My tip is to set the base auction price and require half of that base price as payment to you if the art sells.

* This article was written back in 2015 but nothing has really changed in favor of artists.

Check out visionary art for sale!

Art business ideas from Sensei Alford and Courtney Miley

Stop sending artist portfolio to galleries, this is how it works! Tips from Courtney Miley & Sensei Alford | Ellemnop.art gallery

Art Business Ideas That Work

Subscribe & Rate this podcast on Spotify and Apple | Show your support for the podcast: here | Podcast Host: Veronica Winters, MFA | veronicasart.com

Into the chaos, 24×30″ by Courtney Miley

In this episode you’ll meet with Sensei Alford and abstract artist Courtney Miley from the ELLEmnop.art gallery. They both live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

We discuss art and the business of art. Courtney shares her motivation behind painting, challenges and outcomes. Sensei talks about his art business ideas and secrets how he finds clients, artists and vision in his daily work.

Contact: Keidrick ‘Sensei’ Alford, gallery co-owner | sensei@ellemnop.art | Courtney Miley, abstract artist https://ellemnop.art/galleryinfinity/


how to make money as artist, hooked on art podcast

How to make money as an artist: interview with John Middick

Why artists don’t make money and how you can: strategies for artists

In this episode, I interview a colored pencil artist- John Middick. He is the creator of Sharpened Artist podcast and Sharpened Artist Academy. We discuss why artists don’t make any money and how to turn that around with teaching. We talk about some strategies to create various income streams outside gallery system. We discuss how to listen to yourself to find and use your natural gifts. In this episode you’ll also hear us talk about art contests, mentorship, colored pencil brands, papers and so much more 🙂 Join the conversation by sharing this episode with your friends and subscribing to the podcast.

Find John Middick here: https://sharpenedartist.com/

This interview is also available in a video format on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WqBhz9xReo0

Find Veronica here: https://veronicasart.com/