Marketing Your Art the Right Way

Selling Art, Not Selling Out

Category: Marketing

Art Marketing Online – How To Go From Discovering Your Audience to Building a Passionate Fan Base

This is a long article. If you want to read a summary of what is covered in it, you can jump to and read the conclusion.

One of the most commonly asked questions artists ask is “How can I market and sell my art online?” While it can be very beneficial to sell your art online, it is also a lot of work. There is no magic bullet for selling your work online.

Everyone wants a shortcut. We see other people doing the things we want to do and assume they got there overnight. We want success, but are we willing to put in the work?

You are different. You are here because you want to learn exactly what it takes to build an audience. You are willing to put in the work. You want to build a business around your art.

In order to sell your art online, you must first build an audience. Click To Tweet

In order to sell your art online, you must first build an audience. You might think this is common sense, but many artists overlook this basic fact. If you want to sell your art online and build a lasting business from it, there are some very important things you must do.

This guide is intended to teach you some of these essential elements. It will help you turn your art from a hobby into a business. It will cover everything from finding your audience to building a passionate group of fans. So, let’s get started.

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7 Writing Topics that Can Help You Build a Connection with Your Audience

“I know writing helps me build a connection with my fans, but I don’t know what to write about.”

As artists, all we want to do is work on our craft. The canvas calls to us like a newborn baby calls to her mom. We don’t want to step away from our art because that’s the thing we know how to do best. Others keep telling you to “Tell your story. It’s what people want to see.”

You might think “I’m not a writer.” or “I don’t know what to talk about.” Is writing about yourself and your art really that important? Yes, and I’ll tell you why.

Let’s say you have two similar paintings. They are equally beautiful and they are the same price. Next to one, all you see is the artist’s name and the title of the painting. Next to the other, you see the same thing, but there is also a description of the piece. It talks about the emotions and history behind the work. It tells you the artist’s perspective and why she created the piece. Which painting would you rather buy?

I’m guessing the painting with the story. As humans, we are born to like stories. It has helped our civilizations survive and thrive. You can use this tool of story to draw people to your art.

If you need help figuring out what topics to talk about, here are seven topics to get you started.

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Why Artists Should Listen to the Fizzle Show Podcast

The Fizzle Show is one of the best podcasts around. Even with all the other podcasts I have lined up, it is a must listen every week.

As an artist, I find it especially helpful. In my experience, artists cringe when thinking of their art as a business, but that’s exactly what artists need to become: businesses. That’s why I recommend The Fizzle Show to any artist who wants to make a living from their art. The show doesn’t cater to artists in particular, but the lessons artists can learn from the show are invaluable.

Here are ten reasons artists should listen to the the Fizzle Show:

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Ten Marketing Ideas Artists Can Steal From Me Right Now

Main photo by elhombredenegro

Unlike many people, I don’t have a problem coming up with ideas. I have trouble choosing what ideas to focus on. Becoming successful is not about how many good ideas you can come up with. Anyone can come up with good ideas. Becoming successful is about focusing on a few good ideas and seeing them out to completion.

One thing I do every day is James Altucher‘s method for becoming an idea machine. Each day I write down ten ideas based on a single topic. The purpose of this exercise is not to come up with ten good ideas. It’s to exercise your idea muscle. Just like any other muscle in your body, you must exercise your idea muscle to make it stronger.

One of the topics I chose was Ways for Artists to Promote Their Art. I may or may not get to these ideas some day, but you are free to try them if they pique your interest.

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Why You Shouldn’t Market Your Art to a Large Audience

Looking for a large market to sell your art to? Then you’re probably doing it wrong.

Main Photo by Viktor Hanacek

Have you ever thought to yourself “Where can I sell my art to a lot of people? or “How do I attract buyers when there are thousands of other artists selling the same thing as me?” If you have, you’re thinking about your art in the wrong way.

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