How to promote your art in the Digital Era: How to be seen or sell online
The most beautiful expression of human thoughts is art. Art has the role of impressing, captivating, creating states of mind and feelings to the receiver. I believe that, without realizing it, art communicates to us about our lives and determines us to find ourselves in it.
As the great philosopher, Immanuel Kant said, "Art does not want the representation of a beautiful thing, but the beautiful representation of a thing."
So let’s say you are passionate about art, you discovered you enjoy painting a lot, your family and friends are impressed by your talent and you are getting involved more and more every day. The next thing that crosses your mind is: how can I transform my passion into a business, how can I promote myself as an artist?
Painting, besides passion and hobby, can even become a business from which you can live. But like any business, it is subject to the rules of the business game, of which the most important rule is: promotion.
In this digital era, the best way to make yourself seen and to sell your artwork is through online platforms.
Tell me if it sounds familiar to you: you are online, looking for inspiration and ideas to promote your art. Whether you like "online promotion methods," "marketing ideas," "marketing strategies," or other similar words in the Google search box, most of the results are at least disappointing.
Suggestions such as "start a blog", "give people value", the cherry on the top, "be creative with a viral campaign" can be found on almost every site you go to.
Today's world is freer from prejudice than ever before, but we cannot say that it is completely missing. For example, there is still the stereotype of the incomprehensible and poor artist, always with his head in the clouds and his pockets full of wind.
Are you good at painting and tired of working for months on a canvas that sells almost as cheaply as a pencil? I have good news: you can make money from your talent and passion if you train a little on the entrepreneurship side! Here are some successful ideas that you can put into practice right away. If you have talent, people interested in art will always be there, so take action!
You followed all the steps, finishing with the University of Arts and personal exhibitions. How come your parents still pay your rent and give you pocket money? It's time to make a painting or drawing a business! You don't need to take loans to open a school, it's enough to advertise yourself and find out where to look for what you know how to produce. For example, if you live in a larger city, you can try to promote interior painting services. There are people who want spectacular decorations for their homes or even institutions that really want to offer a creative corner to employees. So leave a few flyers in the residential area of your city, send a portfolio to an advertising company (their creative department must be inspired and a creatively decorated meeting room will help copywriters or art directors immensely) or, why not, go to kindergartens that want to decorate the interior/exterior of the building with story characters. It is very important to have a presentation site, a portfolio of clients (even if they are, for starters, relatives, and friends), and a legal background - you can act as an authorized person or directly as a limited liability company. As you become a name, so will your requests.
But have you ever thought you can focus on your creativity and let others promote you?
If this idea crossed your mind and you did a little research on Google, I am sure that the first art sites that popped your window were Artsy or Saatchi Art, but there are many other websites that are working in similar ways, like Etsy, Artblr, Fine Art America, Artsper, Arts Artists Artwork, UGallery, Artfinder, Singulart and many more.
Well, if you are a professional artist, art sites like Artsy or Saatchi Art may be the optimal option for you to promote and sell your art. These websites are working with the main principle: Artists all over the world are creating a profile and a portfolio with their artworks and buyers can see it, analyze it, and buy it, all of this being possible inside of the platform. This way, the transaction between the seller and the buyer is made in a comfortable and easy way for both parties.
Besides this special feature, on these websites, you can find information about the world’s leading galleries, art galleries, art fairs, benefit auctions, and other events, all in one place.
And now appears the question: If I am not ready for Artsy or Saatchi Art which site do I choose?
The best option, as an amateur artist or even as a professional artist, is Artblr.com. This website has all the characteristics of the ones mentioned before but is more user-friendly and is accessible to every artist. Artblr is affordable, is commission free and it’s the perfect place to work on your online presence. It is addressed to both occasional and professional artists, all over the world.
After an artist is creating his Artist profile on Artblr, he has the opportunity to post two of his best artworks for free, and then as many as he wants for $19,99 USD per year. And for things to be more transparent and accurate, he also has the possibility to produce a certificate of authenticity for any of the artworks in his portfolio!
Another amazing feature is that any buyer can search for artworks and artists by city or country. This is why Artblr has become one of the best places for people and businesses who want to encourage artists in their own cities to decorate their homes of their offices.
On Artblr the buyer is communicating directly with the artist and there is no commission.
If you are still skeptical about how this art site works, you can always create a profile, upload some of your art pieces and take a close look at the mechanism, all of this for free!
Many artists are present on more than one platform and being on Artblr is definitely a good idea for every reason mentioned above.
So, what are you waiting for? You are one step closer to finding your way to success!
What does success mean?
A successful career in the art world depends on a number of factors. For some artists, success has nothing to do with the financial side. The success for these artists can come from the satisfaction of creating unique and innovative works. Other artists enjoy the thrill of sharing their talents with other artists and getting noticed. Of course, there are artists who focus only on the financial side. Only you can decide what success means to you.
It is important to emphasize that achieving success in any of the categories listed above requires time and effort. An artist should be prepared to dedicate a small part of his time.
Many artists ask us if we have any advice on how to achieve success on Artblr, and we certainly have! We encourage you to read and follow the 4 helpful tips in the lines below to maximize your chances of getting noticed:
1. Upload quality photos of your artwork
It is not a cliché when we say how important are the photos taken on the artwork and to represent reality as accurately as possible. As our clients cannot see the works in person, they rely heavily on the photos provided. So, a photo taken from a side angle, or that was taken from a slightly bigger distance, and in the frame, there are other elements in the room where you photographed, you risk that your work will not be highlighted at its real value, and the viewer may not be attracted to what he sees.
Don't forget the details in the photos!
Sometimes a single detail can capture attention and generate the acquisition of the artwork. For example, let's say you painted a picture in several rolls (read as transparent touches of paint applied in layers), and in a certain area you managed to get a spectacular effect, or, you focused much more on an important detail, this aspect can attract attention and increase the attraction to the picture in question. Who doesn't want a spectacular work of art in their home?
2. Write a detailed biography of yourself and precise descriptions of the works
Our collectors are not only interested in the work done, but also in the person behind the creativity. Therefore, we encourage you to write a biography as detailed as possible that highlights the creative processes or motivation for creating art.
Also, if you are at the beginning of the road it is just as important to specify this, the activity of our site encourages new artists, and this can turn into a plus for you.
3. Keep your portfolio up to date
We encourage you to update your portfolio always, every time you create a new piece of art you are free to upload it on the website.
4. The right price for your artwork
Proper prices are essential for the sale of works of art. As an artist, you should always be prepared to explain how and why you came up with your prices. It is therefore very important to adopt principles and methods of setting consistent prices.
Each artist has an equal opportunity to be selected for a special feature. Maintaining an updated and informative profile of the creative activity carried out can expose you to potential customers.
I hope this article helped you in your pursuit of the best alternative in promoting your art business!
You can always check https://www.artblr.com/en and discover more valuable information!
