“Marketing For Artists? I don’t know where to start!”
Have you ever had this dilemma? Are you an artist who isn’t sure how to get clients? Artists deal with marketing themselves every day. They are constantly promoting their work, whether it’s in exhibitions or on social media. However, there is so much more to marketing than just actually promoting your work.
Being an artist is one of the most difficult ways to make money when you’re starting out. Your best bet is to simply use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to start sharing your art. Once you get people curious about your work, a lot of times they will email you themselves in order to buy something.
In this article, let’s discuss why you need marketing and how to start bringing clients through the door without having to rely on word of mouth alone.
Go Where Artists Gather
The first step to getting noticed is to go where artists gather. You need to be in the right place at the right time, so find out where other artists are and go there.
Marketing On Social Media For Artists
Social media is a great way to connect with other artists, share your work and get noticed.
First, start following the right people on social media. There are many ways to do this: if an artist whose work you like has a profile on Twitter or Instagram. You can start following them there. Follow the accounts of digital artists, galleries and portfolios that represent artists whose work you like. After that, look at who’s posting about art in general on Twitter and follow those accounts as well. You can also search for hashtags related to your field of interest — #artistsmarketing or #commissionopen as a few example—and see what results come up!
Once you’ve compiled a list of potential contacts, it’s important not just to browse their feeds. Remember to also engage with them by commenting on their posts and sharing their stuff yourself when appropriate. Everybody loves recognition from another artist; don’t be afraid to ask questions about how they’re doing things or what advice they have for getting noticed in the market.
This is probably one of the best ways to connect with clients and other artists. Facebook can be used as a portfolio, allowing you to share your latest projects, show your process and even post about new projects.
Behance
Showcase your work, then get feedback. This is another way to network with other artists.
Dribbble
Next, this provides a social network and online showroom for designers and artists. It’s an excellent place to get feedback on your work, and it can also help you find new clients if you have a strong portfolio.
DeviantArt
This is an artist centric platform that focuses in online community for artists, and it’s one of the largest communities online. DeviantArt has a large community of artists, art buyers, art enthusiasts and even collectors.
One of the best platforms for promoting your brand and getting noticed is Twitter. It’s also a great place to build relationships with other artists, fans, industry professionals and more.
Gank
If you’re looking for a SEA friendly platform to connect with artists, this new platform called Gank is a content creator platform that allows you to sell merch, art and many more with 0% fees. This allows you to have safe transactions for your commissions and provide one link for all your listings and social medias!
Preparing Your Own Portfolio
Once you’ve gotten a feel for who’s out there and what they’re doing, it’s time to get more specific about your own work. Go through your portfolio and find the best pieces that represent both your talents as an artist and your personal style. Is one of them an oil painting of a man holding a baby goat? If so, consider posting that image alongside an anecdote or description of how or why it came about (this is called “contextualizing”). Is another piece representative of how you approach materials in your work? If so, share that as well!
Where To Sell Art? Marketing For Artists Has Never Been This Easy!
One of the best ways to market your art is to sell it online. You can put up pictures of your work on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Gank and Twitter. These sites allow you to interact with people all over the world who might want to buy your art. If you are only selling locally, there are other options as well.
Sell your art at local events
Art fairs and craft shows are great places that allow artists to showcase their work in front of many potential buyers. The downside is that they usually charge a fee for being able to participate in these events so it’s important that this money be earned back through sales or sponsorships if possible!
Sell at galleries
Galleries have an established reputation within the art community. However, they also may have high demands from artists when submitting pieces for consideration which can make them difficult places for entry-level artists who don’t have much experience yet getting started out. However if an artist does manage to find one willing editor interested enough about their work then chances increase significantly!
Sell at local fairs
Similar format applies here except these tend to be less expensive than galleries (usually free) with similar objectives except slightly less prestigious nature due lack professional curatorial services involved.
Sell on the internet
The most accessible and cost-effective way to sell artwork is through online platforms in South East Asia such as Gank, Ko-fi or Etsy. These platforms have existing audiences who are willing to spend money on unique crafts so it’s important for an artist to create appealing pieces that attract buyers!
Where do I focus?
The key is to use a few social media platforms that best suit your style and to use them consistently.
Be sure your portfolio is professional and well-organized. A messy portfolio makes it look like you don’t care about your work or how others perceive you as an artist, making it seem like they shouldn’t either.
Key takeaway
As you can see, there are many ways to market yourself as an artist. You don’t need to be on every platform. However, it’s important to find the ones that work best for your style and personality. If you have any questions about these or other ideas for how artists can market themselves, please feel free to leave a comment below!
