Society6 – Review of Features for Illustrators, Designers and Artists

Recently, I posted about a print on demand service called Society6. If you missed it, you can find it here: Society6 Review

At Society6, members can not only sell prints of artwork and design, but also sell them on products such as ipod cases, laptops, t-shirts, hoodies, pillows, and more. Society6 is basically an opportunity to license your art for printing on products (though Society6 does not assume any ownership of the works).

I have posted a few products for sale and am enjoying my experience with Society6 thus far. I haven’t sold anything yet through the site (only been there a week), but wasn’t really expecting to yet.

Here are some things I like about Society6:

Artworks are EASY to upload. For myself, they usually upload in a couple minutes, as the files are quite large.
Automatic posting to Facebook and Twitter.

Your profile can be synchronized with both, so that when you post a new product, your followers are automatically notified at these social networks. To link your accounts, go to Account under your profile name in the top menu.

You will see three links as displayed above. These will allow you to promote new posts at Facebook, Twitter or your website.
Artists retain the rights to their artwork

This is VERY important! Society6 does not assume ownership of any art by its artists, and the artists are free to post them on other websites!
Products can be promoted on your website or blog.

There are two ways to do this. The first is by installing a widget by going to the previously mentioned link. Copy the provided HTML code to the source of your website or blog to display a different product each time the page is loaded. The other way to promote your Society6 products is to link to the main product page in your navigation, or link to specific products in your posts.

(To the right is my painting “Entwined” on an iPhone skin. I love this!!)
Free Wallpapers and Backgrounds App

Society6 has a free app for Iphone, Ipad and Ipod Touch users. This can be an awesome way for people to discover new artists by using these mobile devices. The app is titled Society6 Daily Art Wallpapers and Backgrounds and is available in the iTunes store.
Collaborations

Every now and then Society6 announces a collaboration project which artists can enter, such as inclusion in special art books. Past collaborations have been with MTV, Good, EA, IdN, Vans, and Threadless.
Art Print Profit

While most of the products have a set profit for selling an item, the profit for art prints can be set by the artist. This means that the artist can set any amount to receive for selling a piece, and can increase prices at their discretion.
Promotion with Social Networks

The product has multiple ways artworks can be promoted by yourself, and by others who like your item.

Social sharing buttons for Stumbleupon, Twitter, Pinterest, Wanelo, Google+ and Facebook are included just below product descriptions.
Social networking

Society6 itself has a thriving social community of artists, designers, illustrators and more. Following other artists will allow one to keep track of what they are posting to Society6, and where they are commenting. Feedback can be given and received directly below the more from this artist section on any product page.

As with any such site, don’t expect to sell hoards of artwork right away.. or even in the first weeks. But, use the maxim “It’s better to give than receive”. Follow and promote others frequently, and leave great comments. If your art is eye-catching and trendy, you WILL be noticed.

Overall, Society6 is a great site for artists, designers and illustrators. There are artists who have built a community of followers over time, and are having great success selling illustrations, art and designs. With a little persistence and planning you could certainly be one of them!

Here is my personal Society6 Shop.