Artwork is a busy market these days, and it sure can be hard to get yours noticed sometimes. You may feel like you spend more time trying to get eyes on your art than you do actually making it! Unfortunately, the difficulty to get noticed can make it hard to sell your artwork.
We all know that the more people see our artwork, the higher chance we have of selling it. But sometimes, it feels like no matter what you do, no one is looking.
Today, we’re going to give you five tips you can follow to make sure that people are seeing your artwork, and buying it! In only a couple minutes, you’ll be well on your way to being able to sell your artwork!
Are you the type to post every canvas the moment you finish it? You take some pictures, post them to your Instagram, link to your favorite hashtags, and wait for the likes? Do you treat every piece like it’s your best, even when you know it’s not?
Well, what if I told you that could be hurting you more than it’s helping you?
Instead of treating every piece like a masterpiece, save the fanfare for the ones you know are your best. This way, when new eyes fall on your artwork, all they see is greatness. You’re more likely to sell your artwork if the options are all great, instead of great mixed in with the good.
Have you ever created a piece, and received great feedback from critics or friends alike? Well, how did you follow up?
The smart answer would be “I created a series.” Was that what you said?
Painting a series doesn’t have to mean that you re-hashed your old idea in a new color or size. But it could be a smart idea to continue to explore what made that piece stand out. Is it the theme? Or is it the style?
At GeekPaintings.com, some of our most popular works are our sports paintings and prints. If we would have created one, sold it, and moved on to something new, we would have lost out on a lot of exposure, and a lot of money!
The more cohesive your artwork feels, then the easier it is for customers to connect to it. And the easier customers connect to your art, the easier they connect with you as an artist.
You’ll also find it’s easier to sell your artwork to galleries if you have own unique style.
It may seem counterintuitive – “my job is to create art!” you may be thinking – but it’s important to get out and meet people. Well, you may be surprised to hear that some artists make as much as 40% of their sales using only Instagram as a sales platform!
Now I know, it’s the digital age. Most of the “people meeting” we do anymore is online, and that’s fine. But make yourself a few social media accounts for your artwork. At GeekPaintings.com, we stick with Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and that seems to work fine for us.
You don’t even have to make it complicated. Post about your art. Post about artists who have inspired you. Tell the stories behind your pieces.
While posting online, make sure you’re using relevant hashtags. You want to make sure the right eyes are seeing your work. Tagging a painting of a mountain landscape as “#trees” won’t get the same visitors as tagging it “#mountainlandscape”.
On the flip side, be sure not to over-tag, or “keyword stuff” your posts. Sure, this may get your short-term views, but in the long term, it could end up getting you penalized by search engines. Or worse, you could develop a reputation by mistagging. Always remember, reputation comes first!
As your social network grows, you can use it to advertise upcoming exhibits. You can chronicle your successes, so your follows feel like they’re growing along with you. It’s important to balance the importance of building your brand while also creating products that people want to buy. It won’t matter how many followers you have if your artwork is just not what the people want.
But if you’re creating a strong product, then the more people know about you and connect with you, the more likely you are to sell your artwork to them. So get out there, and let them know you!
So, you painted a piece, finished the canvas, and you’re ready to sell your artwork. Well, slow down for a minute and think about your next step.
Why sell one canvas, when you could make copies and sell two? Or three?
Even better, why sell a canvas, when you could sell a framed print, a wall tapestry, a tote bags, and so many other things too?
Sure, it’s a little extra work on your end, but it’s definitely worth it in the long run. The internet has changed the art industry in so many ways, and we love how easy it has become to put your art everywhere.
If you’re looking for more in-depth tips about how to build your social media presence or website, check out these great articles about online branding or website design. With a little effort, you’ll increase your visibility, grow your brand, and get your artwork noticed by more people than ever before!
I know, all you want to do is create art and get it out there to the world. But unfortunately, to do that (and do it well) you need to look at your art like a business. And that means treating it like a job sometimes, even if it doesn’t feel like one.
Try committing to working on your art for 30 minutes per day. Or posting on those new social media accounts once a day. Or contacting twenty galleries about displaying your new series.
This doesn’t have to be a painful step. We’re not asking you to come up with metrics and statistics to measure your success. Make a plan, and hold yourself accountable to it.
Setting goals helps make sure you’re not wasting your time with unnecessary struggles. Instead, you’ll have a plan of what actions you’re going to take, and you’ll know how to take them.
Following through will also allow you to see your long-term goals clearer. As you go along, this will help you set short goals that bring you that conclusion you want, no matter what it is.
If you follow the tips we laid out here today, it’s only a matter of time until you, too, will be able to sell your artwork.
Feel free to leave a comment on this article if you have any more questions about selling your artwork. You can explore the other many articles posted to find even more tips!