This post is a result of a conversation that I had with a good friend of mine that lives in Arivaca, AZ. We have been discussing how to market her art for several months and have had some great conversations. I wish I had recorded all of them!
You know, at some point I’ll figure this whole art marketing thing out! I would like to be able to give people a general formula and say, “Here, do this. If you do these things for this long and stick with it, in one year you will make enough money to make it worthwhile.”
I HAVE heard from some artists that their blog and other online promotion has paid off and they sometimes make a few hundred dollars from it. But if you want that to happen, you have to have put the time in online creating and building your community.
I think a general blog will have a tougher time selling than a specialized blog. Okay, artist blogs are specialized, but not when compared to all the other artist blogs out there… and there are TONS of them!
Think in terms of what kind of blog and blog content would really grab people and make them want to come back week after week. I think anything “story” related, if the story is told well, would accomplish that. One idea is to have a blog that is place and story related. For instance, writing a weekly post about things that are going on in and around Arivaca. A lot of people would be fascinated by what goes on in a place that is so remote and wild. With elements of Border Patrol, illegal activities, beautiful scenery, a strong community… there is so much to write about. Combine that with pictures using your cool new camera and then get the word out that your blog exists. People will come back week after week for the story and because you make it personal and use the first person perspective, a certain number of people will want to buy your art because they have connected with you and know your story.
What I would like to do is open this up for discussion. What are YOUR thoughts about how to build a blog that helps you sell your work?
Chris O’Byrne
www.OnlineArtsMarketing.com
www.YourArtMarketing.com
8 comments ↓
The story is king in selling art online. You want to create a world where people feel you, not just see your work. You want them to see themselves in your work, that’s what the story is there for. Tell a story, not a made up one, the real story behind your work, whatever that is…and it helps to let people into your world. Once the connection is made, after time…sales is a numbers game…you will make more sales and that will grow as people begin to become a fan of your work…they tell two friends, and so on (yes like that breck shampoo commercial in the 70’s). It’s taken me 5 years of blogging, and 7 years of online selling to understand the importantce of being a storyteller in my work (art) and in my words (even in person when selling art, you need to know the story for each work).
Being transparent in a way that allows you to have some privacy but also let others into your (art) world.
That’s just my two cents. Great post, thanks again Chris, now please give Sara back the camera so I can see pictures of her new seascape, I’m dyin ovah here!
@Heather:
What you wrote was a great addition to this post, I loved hearing it in your own words. And especially with the internet become more interactive and all about connections, your story (and thus your reputation) becomes even more important.
I can’t give her the camera, yet, I’m still up here in northern Arizona. I’ll be back home this evening!
I am finding my online voice in my blog. What I see attracts people to reading it is my mix of art and spirit that is very true for me, and not hitting anyone over the head. That plus amusement, consistency, and an ease in my writing.
I think each blogger must work from his or her truth, just as each artist and indeed, human must, in order to say hello to an audience. And to come across as being real. I also love the storytelling idea and find that to be a strong way to write and present a blog.
It looks to me like this medium of showing and selling art online is in a stage of experimentation and development. There is so much to learn about doing this, and I am fascinated. One reason I love to sell directly to people is that I like people and want to talk to those who buy my work. It’s really fun.
By the way, wonderful topic! I’d love more on this one.
@Kris: Thank you for talking about this. This whole idea of connecting with people and developing your voice and your presence online is something that fascinates me and I think it is important to talk more about. Stay tuned!
I have to agree with what has been said here and that this is a great topic.
Blogging has also had an influence on how I think about my own work - why I make it. Telling the ’story’ is a wonderful exercise. Getting feedback from the community is inspiring. I love to see and hear about how other artists think - what do they see?
I am not ready to sell on-line yet, but blogging has been an excellent experience that may help bring me to that. I love to have a ‘relationship’ with the artist that I buy work from - this makes a blog for on-line sales a necessity, IMO.
@Michelle: We are all learning so much and there is so much more to learn. I love seeing so many artists blogging and exploring ways to connect online. It seems like many artists are writing to other artists in their blogs, but I think that is still a good way to relate to the so-called potential customer. I wonder what their posts would look like if they wrote to that customer. Hmmm…
Great topic–I make handmade books, and I’m still figuring out the best way to connect to potential customers (I’m still pretty new to blogging).
While of course I’d like to reach potential customers, at the same time I don’t want my blog to just be a big selling machine–there’s enough of that going on out in the corporate world. I can really see the sense in what you’ve all said–the importance of finding your voice, telling your story. Seems like a good, and authentic, thing to do.
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