In The Market - How to Successfully Market Your Art
Art and marketing? Yes, they can go hand in hand. Your art can work for you and help you generate extra income and by reading the steps below on how to make that happen, you can get you closer to making your art a business venture!
Successful marketing tactics come down to psychology. What is pleasing to the eye is pleasing to the wallet. When creating an art page, say on Instagram you want to consider having some sort of consistency to your page. By that I mean, if you are doing solely an art page, keep it an art page. Try to avoid posting a picture of your dog and then a picture of your art. Keep your art and social life on separate pages - it looks more aesthetically pleasing.
On my Instagram page @naive_melody you will see that my common theme of white backgrounds keep my page cohesive and gives it a sleek modernized look. I occasionally put in pictures of myself so that my audience can "get to know the artist" but I try to steer clear from posting selfie after selfie and keep the focus on my artwork. Don't forget to #hastag so that people can find you and make sure that you engage with your audience!
Having a social media page of your art is the most basic way to market your art and gain a following to let people know about you and your work then you can consider creating a website!
The next thing to do is to create an artist page like this one! Wix.com offers free website builders so that you can create an online portfolio that gallery owners can see. Having a professional online portfolio will help you immensely in creating a clientele.
If you do decide to create an artist website be sure to keep it updated so that your audience knows whats going on with you and your art and keep them engaged in your fresh and new ideas!
After you have a website you can now set prices online for your artwork. You can use social media as a promotional tool to let your audience know about the website and keep them updated on sales!
Tip: Even consider doing a free giveaway once you reach so many followers to reward your audience and get them engaged in your art pages!
Finally, you may consider making extra money by collaborating with websites like Society6 and Redbubble where you can upload your artwork online, have them put your art work on t-shirts, accessories and home decor, and make a few dollars on the mark up. It's not a lot of money that you take home after the cost of supplies, shipping, etc but it does give your following a chance to own something of yours if they can not afford an original piece.
Just remember that although there is a market out there for your art it will take time and effort. Try not to get too caught up in trying to make artwork just to please an audience and sell.
Make art for yourself first and you will be amazed at how the public will take to your genuine talent.
Hope these steps help you in your journey to becoming an art marketing genious!