Importance of Having a Plan for Promoting Art

In the past I have shared many great websites and promotional opportunities with all of you. There are literally hundreds of ways for artists to promote art on the internet. It is easy to feel overwhelmed with all that is available. Of course, it is impossible to be active with everything the internet has to offer.

Trying to do so may be one of the biggest mistakes an artist can make. You may find yourself spending much more time on the computer than in your studio. There certainly should be a balance between creation time and promotional time.

 

How can an artist who has just begun promoting art online know where to begin? Well, the first step should be to decide on a plan. A plan will help you focus your marketing efforts and zone in on what works for you. In past articles, I have been showing you some of what is available on the internet for artists. Use this to decide what works for yourself, your situation, and what goals you have for your art career.

I will give some examples of some commonly used plans for art promotion, which should help you create your own.

 

Plans for Artists Looking for Gallery Representation

Artists who are searching to be eventually represented by an art gallery may have to be careful about what they become involved in online, and how they promote their work. For example, some galleries frown on artists who sell prints through their art site. If you are eventually hoping for representation from an art gallery, it may be best to create an artist website, and only use it exclusively to present your portfolio.

Here is an example of a plan for those searching for gallery representation.

 

1. Create lots of art, preferably a series.
   
   
2. Do all preparatory work – create a portfolio, artist statement, and learn how to explain your art to others eloquently.
   
    
3. Begin building your artist resume by displaying anywhere you can, including coffee shops and groups shows. Also participate in art competitions.
   
   
4. Create a professional art website showcasing your portfolio. Keep it simple and user friendly.
   
   
5. Begin looking for gallery representation.

 

Plans for Independent Artists Wanting to Earn Money From Selling Art Online

Artists who want to avoid the gallery system altogether may see the internet as a vast opportunity. Keep in mind that selling art is much easier when the buyer can see the artist. But, with all the incredible networking tools available online, it is increasingly easier for others to get to know the artist. Here is an example plan to establish an online reputation, one step at a time.

1. Take good quality photographs of your art.
   
   
2. Find a good, reputable hosting service to create an artist website or a reliable portfolio site service. Work on presenting your art in the best way you can, including titles, descriptions, and easy navigation. Include prices for all your available pieces, and red dots beside the sold. If you sell prints, also let this be known beside each image. Find more tips for creating a presentable artist website in this post: Artist Website Design Errors to Avoid
   
   
3. Start an Art Blog
   
   At an art blog, artists can share thoughts, new artworks, and give their followers insights on who they are as a person and an artist. The following article explains a few helpful tactics for creating an artist blog: How to Create an Artist Blog
   
   
4. Begin an Art Newsletter
   
   Have a signup form for your newsletter on your art blog and your art site and send out an update to your list regularly. Find tips for creating an artist newsletter in this post: What to Write About in an Art Newsletter
   
    
5. Get profiles on the main social networks – Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and Pinterest. Make sure links to your art site are easily found at each one, preferably in the descriptions of every single image upload.
   
   My advice is to choose one of these to be more active on than the others. Consider using services such as Bufferapp to share updates at multiple locations at once.
   
   
6. Schedule time for each step
   
   This is probably the most important bit of advice I can give you. In order to never feel overwhelmed, look at your own situation and the time you have. If you have very little time for promotion, you may want to only post at your art blog once weekly, and send out a newsletter monthly. Managing your time is essential, and will help to achieve your goals as an artist.
   
   

Focussed Plans

There are many artists who are having success by just focussing on two or three areas. I see some artists using Facebook exclusively for promotion and either selling directly or redirecting fans to a site where art is available for sale. What is important here is to have one place to promote your art, and another where it can be purchased. Devoting all your energies in one area will likely help to achieve a healthy following and eventual art sales, especially if those people feel they know you personally.

Here are some very simple, but effective plans:

1. Create an art blog. Post artwork on Ebay and promote the art on your art blog including listings for your art.
   
    
2. Sell prints through Fine Art America and share new artworks with your Facebook page fans.
   
   
3. Open an Etsy Store and promote it through Youtube by creating art videos and including the link to your Etsy shop at the end of each one.

The preceding plan examples can actually be good places to begin for artists who first venture online, and especially useful for those who have very little time. Even if you do have a lot of time, the chances of success seems to be greater by focussing most of your efforts in one or two areas.

Have you come up with your own plan for promoting art? In what areas are you placing your main emphasis?

Thank-you for reading.. and have a wonderful day!!