Promoting Your Art Online: The Top Five Ways

promoting your art online
promoting art online top 5 ways

When it comes to promoting your art online, there are a number of different strategies you can use. In this post, I will discuss the most effective methods to help you find your audience, and for your audience to find you!

With the ease of access to the internet, more and more people are turning to online platforms to showcase their work. This is especially true for artists, who can use the internet to reach a global audience.

There are a number of ways to promote your art online. In this article, we will take a look at five of the most effective methods. These include using social media, setting up a website, taking advantage of search engine optimization, experimenting with video, and using online marketplaces to sell and showcase your work.

Top 5 Tips for Promoting Your Art Online

1. Create a strong social media presence

For any business that wants to be successful online, it helps to have a strong social media presence. This is especially true for art businesses, which are usually highly visual.

person holding smartphone taking picture of bridge during daytime

There are a few key things to remember when creating a social media presence for promoting your art online. The first is to focus on quality over quantity. It’s better to have a small number of high-quality pieces than a large number of low-quality ones. This means that you should focus on creating work that is visually stunning and engaging, rather than churning out a large quantity of content that is quickly forgotten.

The second key is to be active and engaged with your audience. Social media is all about interaction, so make sure to post content that encourages comments, questions, and shares. Don’t just post your art and expect people to engage with it; start a conversation and get people talking.

And finally, the third key is to be consistent. Posting irregularly will only serve to frustrate your audience, confuse the algorithm, and potentially damage your chances of success. Make sure to post regularly, and to maintain a consistent voice and tone across all of your social media channels. By following these three key tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating a strong social media presence that will help promote your art to a wider audience.

2. Develop an art blog or website

There are many ways to promote your art online, but one of the most effective is to develop your own blog or website. By having a dedicated space for your art, you can control the narrative around your work and ensure that your target audience is seeing the message you want to send.

photo of person using laptop for graphic designs

Here are a few tips for getting started:

  1. Choose a focus for your blog or website. Whether you want to showcase your own art, write about art news, or highlight other artists you admire, it’s important to have a clear focus for your site. This will help you attract the right audience and create content that is interesting and engaging.
  2. Make sure your site is visually appealing. People are visual creatures, so it’s important to make sure your site is visually appealing. This means using high-quality images, an eye-catching layout, and easy-to-navigate pages.
  3. Write compelling content. Even if your site looks great, it won’t be successful unless you have compelling content to share. Write blog posts that are interesting and informative, and be sure to update your site regularly with new content.
  4. Spread the word. Once your site is up and running, be sure to promote it through social media, Pinterest, and other relevant channels. The more people who know about your site, the more traffic you’ll generate.
  5. Monitor your progress. Keep an eye on your website’s traffic and analytics to see how your site is performing. This information can help you fine-tune your content and marketing strategies over time to further improve your results.

By following these tips, you can develop an art blog or website that is both successful and enjoyable to maintain.

3. Use search engine optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization, or “SEO” for short, is a technique that can be used to help promote your art online. By optimizing the content using key phrases related to the artwork, an artist can make their content more visible to potential customers who use search engines like Google.

photo of woman in front of painting

One way to optimize your content is to ensure that all images and videos are given descriptive file names, titles and alt tags. This allows search engines to index the content properly and help people find it when they search for specific keywords.

Another way to optimize content is to use key phrases on your artist website that are related to the artwork you want to promote. Think descriptive phrases such as “landscape paintings” or “custom pet portraits”. By including these key phrases in titles, tags, and descriptions, artists can improve their chances of being found by potential customers who are searching for those phrases.

In addition to optimizing website content, artists can also use SEO to improve the visibility of their social media posts. By including key words and phrases in the file name, post description, and alt tags (where available) artists can make it easier for potential customers to find their work on social media sites like Instagram and Tiktok, which are moving towards more SEO based search algorithms in place of hashtags.

By using these basic SEO techniques, artists can reach a larger audience and promote their artwork more effectively.

4. Create short videos of your art

There are many ways to promote art online, but one of the most effective is through creating short videos of your art or art process. Art videos can be used to give potential buyers a tour of your studio, a closer look at your work, or even just to provide some educational information about your process or medium.

black android smartphone

Here are five tips for creating great art videos:

  1. Keep it short and sweet. Ideally your video should be between 15 -60 seconds long, which is what most short form video apps accept. Check out my post on how to use TikTok for artists for more short video ideas. If you want to post long format videos of your art, YouTube is a better place for that.
  2. Start with a bang. The first few seconds of your video are crucial in hooking the viewer, so make sure you start with an attention-grabbing image or scene.
  3. Use professional-quality footage and audio. This doesn’t mean you need to hire a Hollywood film crew, but your video should be well-lit and have clear, high-quality audio.
  4. Edit for maximum impact. A good edit can make all the difference in a video, so don’t be afraid to cut out any sections that aren’t essential. I recommend the InShot app for editing videos on your phone.
  5. Include a call to action. At the end of your video, make sure to include a call to action, such as asking viewers to like and share your video, or visit your website to learn more about your art.

If you want step by step instructions on how to create short videos of your art for Reels, TikTok etc. check out my Skillshare class!

5. Sell your art online

When it comes to selling art online, there are a few different avenues that artists can take.

selling and promoting art online

Here are five of the most popular methods:

  1. Set up your own online shop: One of the best ways to sell art online is to set up your own online shop on your artist website. This gives you complete control over the prices, shipping, and promotion of your work. You’ll need to invest some time and money into setting up your shop, but once it’s up and running, it can be a great way to make sales. You can use a storefront app like Shopify (paid) or Woocommerce (free) to set up your store.
  2. Use an online marketplace or Print on Demand: If you’re not ready to set up your own shop, there are plenty of online marketplaces that you can use to sell your art. These platforms make it easy to list and sell your work, and they handle all the payments and shipping for you. Some of the most popular art marketplaces include Etsy, Saatchi Art, and Fine Art America.
  3. Sell through social media: Social media is a great way to connect with potential customers and sell your art. You can use platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to promote your work and drive traffic to your shop, or sell directly through DM (direct messaging). Just make sure you’re using high-quality images and engaging copy to grab people’s attention.
  4. Take commissions: If you’re not interested in selling your existing artwork, another option is to take commissions. This involves working directly with clients to create custom artwork to their specifications. You can find clients for commissions through social media, by posting the type of artwork you want to take commissions for, and then taking requests via DM.
  5. Participate in art fairs: Another option for selling your artwork is to participate in art fairs and other in person events. This is a more traditional approach, but it can still be effective. Art fairs can be a great way to meet potential customers and build up a rapport with them, even if they don’t buy anything. You can hand out business cards with your social media links so they can follow you, and then potentially make a purchase through your website later on.

All of these methods can be effective ways to sell your art online. Just choose the approach that makes the most sense for you and your business.

promoting your art online

Conclusion

When it comes to promoting your art online, there are a number of different ways to go about it. By utilizing the five promotion strategies I’ve outlined above, you can give yourself the best chance for success. Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favourite method for promoting your art online?


Cheers,

julie signing off

Redbubble vs Society6 – Which One is Better for Selling Your Art Online?

redbubble vs society6
redbubble vs society6

Today I’m sharing a comprehensive guide on Redbubble vs Society6 for selling your art online.

These two popular Print on Demand websites are great options if you want to generate an income from your art and designs online without paying for inventory, shipping etc.

You can watch my video below, or read on to learn more about selling your art through Redbubble vs Society6 and determine which one is best for you!

Artist Store Front

Rebubble and Society6’s store fronts are visually quite similar. 

The most obvious difference is the custom header on Redbubble is a lot larger. Both store fronts feature custom logo or bio pic, a small bio section, and can be slightly customized to show specific item categories on Society6 or feature a collection on Redbubble.

Your Redbubble storefront shows your products sorted by most relevant by default. On Society6 you can choose whether to showcase your products in order of most popular items, most recent, or random.

There store front layouts have apparently been optimized for shoppers and to increase sales based on marketing research by the respective companies.

Type of Audience

Both Society6 and Redbubble cater towards a young, hip, and trendy audience.  Think festival gear, college dorm or first apartment decor, stickers, and unique accessories.

Trendy pattern designs and quotes are popular on both websites, but I think Redbubble is more on the trendy side while on Society6 you will find more abstract art and modern art based designs.

The audience on Redbubble is slightly younger though than Society6 as they focus more on stickers which are popular with teenagers and young adults.  However, Society6 has stickers too which can be popular with the right design.

Overall I think the target audience for both of these sites are young adults (20s and 30s) and their parents buying gifts for them.

Ease of Uploading Artwork

Redbubble’s uploading tool is easier and more efficent than Society6, hands down.

Not to say you shouldn’t spend the time uploading your art on Society6, just expect it to take longer. Their current uploading tool is an improvement on what it used to be, and they are planning further changes for the future.

What is better about Redbubble’s uploading process?

  • You can upload one image for all products, and individual images as needed.
  • You can set a background colour for all products.
  • The ability to create square or offset patterns.
  • The “Copy” tool which allows you to copy all of the settings from an existing artwork, great to quickly upload recolours.
Products from Redbubble featuring my designs

Redbubble vs Society6 Products

Society6 and Redbubble offer a similar range of print on demand products including apparel, tech cases, home decor items, and accessories. But both have some unique products as well.

For example:

Myself, family and friends have purchased items from both sites. The quality has been good overall, and any time there was an issue it was resolved promptly.

Both websites add new types of products from time to time, which is fun.

Reviews of different Redbubble and Society6 products I own:

Earnings and Payment

Redbubble earnings are paid automatically around the 15th of every month (to Paypal, or direct deposit), and there is a $20 minimum threshold. If you don’ t meet the threshold by the end of the year they pay you out in December.

Similarly, Society6 pays automatically to Paypal, with whatever balance you have on usually on the 1st of every month.

Both are reliable and I haven’t had any issues getting paid from either.

society6 can cooler review
Can coolers from Society6

Product Marketing

Redbubble and Society6 have their own marketing departments who are professionals and good at driving traffic to their own websites. However, until your designs get their attention they probably won’t be promoting them. You will have to do some of your own marketing as well.

They do have re-targeting ads which means if someone views your design on their site a “cookie” will make it so they will see ads for your design on Facebook and Google etc.

Tips for Marketing your Print on Demand Products:

Most products have nice mockups that are easy to share or take a screenshot for social media, blogs and other marketing initiatives. 

You can also find some nice Photoshop mockups on the Redbubble blog.

throw pillow mock up template selling art redbubble
Redbubble throw pillow mockup

Society6 sends out e-mail notices to artists prior to upcoming sales. They will often provide a link to download a .png overlay to use for your ads. Usually it’s just text containing the discount amount and promo code.

Redbubble sends an e-mail to their subscribers when there’s a sale. It’s useful to be signed up for their newsletter to get these notifications so you can promote these.

Shipping and Packaging

Redbubble and Society6 both have pretty reasonable shipping costs which vary depending on your location, the product size and weight.

Redbubble has manufaturers worldwide and products are shipped from the closest one to your location. They usually add in a free sticker with your purchase, and the packaging is cute and fun to open.

Society6 works with manufacturers in the U.S. and they often have free shipping worldwide promotions.

Both companies work with different manufacturers for different products. So, for example if you ordered a t-shirt and coasters, they might come in separate packages and at different times.

Note: Some products take longer to manufacture than others so it could take longer to ship and receive!

Summary

I hope you’ve found this breakdown of Redbubble vs Society6 helpful. Society6 and Redbubble are both great options for selling your artwork online, but overall I prefer Redbubble, mainly because of their streamlined uploading process. I think it’s better for beginners.

However, both have great things to offer including unique products and audiences, so it really depends on what you like and what works for you.

I use both because, as they say, don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.


Want to learn more about selling your art online?  Here are some more great posts to check out!

Cheers,

julie signing off

[Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2018 and has been updated in 2023 for clarity and accuracy.]

How to Sell Your Art Online – The Definitive Guide

how to sell you art online definitive guide
how to sell your art online - definitive guide

Are you an artist wanting to learn how to sell your art online? You’ve come to the right place! I’ve been selling art online for over 6 years now and have written many blog posts on the topic, sharing what I’ve learned along the way.

Today I’ve created this definitive guide to round up many of those posts in a new, and hopefully helpful way.

If you want to get a crash course on how to sell your art online, don’t miss my Skillshare class: From Design to Product: Sell Your Art Online Through Print on Demand

Otherwise, read on to learn more about how to sell your art online.

Getting Started

To get started selling your art online you’ll need to have a collection of designs to start off with, decide on a platform for selling your art, and optimize your artwork for the web.

Then, you’ll need to upload your art or list your products on the platform you’ve chosen. Finally, you’ll need to market those products to your customers.

To dive deeper into some of these topics, check out the following posts:

how to sell your art online

Where to Sell Your Art Online

The website you choose to sell your art online will depend on factors like your artistic medium, and what you want to sell. If you want to sell original paintings or screen printed t-shirts you could try Etsy.

On the other hand, if you don’t want to carry an inventory or ship physical goods yourself, then a Print on Demand marketplace like Society6 might be better for you.

If you want to sell your art through your own website (best if you already have a large following), then you might consider Printful, which integrates with e-commerce platforms on your own site.

There are a lot of different options which I’ve discussed in depth in other posts on this site, which are listed below.


How to Market Your Art Online

Marketing your art can mean handing out business cards to your network, sharing on social media or even blogging. You can try all of these, or just focus on a few like sharing on Instagram and Pinterest.

One thing I recommend is having consistent branding across all of your stores and social media channels. This includes having the same or similar headers, logo and profile photo. These can be changed and improved over time so just start with something simple and go from there.

I have several in depth posts about the different marketing platforms I’ve experimented with. You should do your own experimenting, or take some marketing courses (many are free!) if it is not your strong suit.

Running an Art Business

If you want to make money from your art then you need to think about it as your business.

You may already have a career or full time job, but that doesn’t mean you can’t also be an artist or business owner. Thinking about it this way can really help you reach your goals in the long run.

As with any business there are risks and responsibilities, like paying taxes! It’s best practice to keep a log sheet in Google Sheets or Excel to track your business expenses and income. This will help you determine where your money is going, and where it is coming from.

Most large businesses have an accountant, a marketing person, a CEO, and other roles. As a small business owner, you are all of these. As a result, there is a lot to learn, but you should strive to continue learning and filling in your knowledge gaps.

Below are some posts I’ve written on topics related to the business side of things:

Resources

Now that you have a handle on how to sell your art online, you may be wondering what the quality of the products are like. And how to optimize your shops to increase sales.

Below are some posts including product reviews, conducting keyword research, and other things you can do to improve your stores and reach.

Find even more resources in the Artist Resources section of my website!

My Print on Demand Stores

Below are links to my different print on demand storefronts. I’ve also got a shop on my own website you can take a look at for inspiration.

julie erin designs redbubble
julie erin designs threadless shop logo
society6
julie erin designs spoonflower
zazzle
teepublic

I hope this guide will be useful for all of you artists out there who are trying to make some extra money by selling your art online through Print on Demand websites.

Be sure to subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss any new posts, and bookmark this guide so you can come back to it whenever new information is added.

If you want a more in depth crash course, don’t miss my Skillshare class: From Design to Product: Sell Your Art Online Through Print on Demand.

You can watch the intro below:

Let’s do this!

Cheers,

julie signing off

Mandalatober Mandala Art Drawing Challenge

mandalatober mandala art drawing challenge prompts
mandalatober2019 mandala art drawing challenge

Hey guys! In the spirit of the well known Inktober art challenge that occurs every October, I decided to create my own challenge. I call it Mandalatober!

What is the Mandalatober Mandala Art drawing challenge?

Mandalatober is based on the popular Inktober art challenge. Inktober is an annual drawing challenge that takes place throughout the month of October. The challenge was created by artist Jake Parker in 2009 as a way to encourage people to get creative and practice their drawing skills.

The challenge works by providing a prompt list for each day of the month, with each prompt representing a different topic or theme. Participants are then tasked with creating a drawing based on that prompt, using any medium they like.

Today there are hundreds of different takes on the art challenge, most of which occur during the month of October but others occur throughout the year.

For Mandalatober, I came up with my own prompts to create 31 different mandalas in the month of October. I’m challenging myself to complete this challenge on Instagram, and invite you to join me!

Post your mandalatober creations on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #mandalatober2019 and tag me @julieerindesigns so I can see your work!

You may find it helpful to use my mandala drawing templates.

You can interpret the prompts however you want. Draw the mandalas by hand, digitally, create them with found objects, paint them, whatever you want to do. There are no limitations. The only rules are to post them on Instagram and/or Twitter and use the hashtag #mandalatober2019.

Make sure you’re following me on Instagram @julieerindesigns so you can see my interpretations for the challenge. I will also be sharing everyone else’s mandalas with the hashtag in my stories!

I can’t wait to see what you guys create from this challenge. At the end of it all, some time in November, I will create a blog post with my favourite entries from the challenge so stay tuned for that!

Happy creating!

Cheers,

julie signing off

Find more great posts below:

Tips for Selling Your Art on Amazon Merch on Demand

tips for merch by amazon selling
what I've learned after 1 year of merch by amazon

If you’re an artist or graphic designer, applying to sell your designs through the Amazon Merch on Demand program can definitely be worth your time.

Everyone shops on Amazon these days. And after a year of selling my designs on Amazon Merch on Demand, I thought I would share some of what I’ve learned!

What is Amazon Merch on Demand?

Firstly, what is Merch by Amazon? It’s essentially a Print on Demand service, similar to Redbubble or Society6. You can upload finished artwork to a variety of products, including t-shirts and cell phone accessories, and then they are printed and shipped out after a customer purchases that item.

Below is a screenshot of my earnings from September 2018 – August 2019. These figures are not huge compared to others out there, but it’s nothing to shake a fist at either! For reference, I only have about 100 products listed at the time of this writing.


As you can see, I’ve made about $2000 in total so far. I hope to double or even triple that figure in the next year!

Here are some things I’ve learned along the way.

Tips for Selling on Amazon Merch on Demand

  • Getting started can be frustrating. Application rejections don’t always make sense and are likely automated, so make sure your application is filled out correctly. One wrong thing could lead to automatic rejection.
  • Getting accepted takes time. Be patient. It can take a few weeks in some cases.
  • Once your application is approved, you start with only 10 design slots. Think carefully about which 10 designs you want to use. Once you sell a few products you will be able to add more.
  • Each level is known as a “tier” and each tier comes with more design slots.
  • Regarding tax withholding – use your SIN number or other similar tax ID number otherwise they will withhold 30% of your earnings (if you are a seller outside of the U.S.). I couldn’t figure out what my Tax ID number was at first, so they withheld 30% of my royalties for the first 5 months. I eventually received those with-holdings but it took an additional 5 months to get it.
  • The brand name doesn’t matter much but may aid in search.
  • You don’t have a storefront unless you sign up for the Amazon Influencer program. You will also have to apply for this using one of your social media accounts, and you are not guaranteed to be accepted.
purple mandala popsocket amazon merch on demand
Popsockets from Amazon Merch on Demand
  • T-shirts and PopSockets seem to be the best selling product types.
  • Keywords and descriptions are very important.
  • Design rejections happen. They don’t always make sense and are often automated, so just revise and try again. Make sure to follow all of Amazon’s guidelines for keywords and descriptions to avoid this as much a possible.
  • Not everything will sell, and what does sell might not even be your best work.
  • Your design will be deleted if there are no sales after 1 year. When this happens, you can either revise your keywords and description or move on and try another design.
  • There are no discounts or sale promotion on Merch products.
  • You can sell in other marketplaces, like Germany, Italy, Spain and even Japan.
  • There is a lot of competition on Amazon, so make designs that are unique and stand out.
  • Never use anything copyrighted, or you can risk losing your account altogether.

I hope you’ve found some of this information useful. Check out my Artist Resources page for even more tips on how to sell your art online.

Have you considered selling on Merch by Amazon or are you already? I’d love to hear your thoughts below. Happy selling.

Cheers,

julie signing off

You may also be interested in these articles:

Common Scams for Artists to Watch Out For

common scams for artists to look out for
scams for artists to watch out for

Hey guys! If you’ve been online pretty much ever, you’ve probably seen a scammer in action. But did you know there are scams that specifically target artists and creatives?

I have personally encountered some of these scams and they can be very difficult to identify. I created this post in order to share them with you so you don’t fall prey to them!

Scammers are always coming up with new ways to take your money or intellectual property, so I’m sure this list will be outdated as soon as it’s published. However, I’ve also provided some tips on how to weed out a scam if you think you’ve encountered one.

scam alert letting text on black background

How to Identify a Scam

It’s always exciting as an artist when people reach out to you and recognize your talent. Many people and companies prey on this and find ways to disguise their scams as “opportunities” for artists.

Read every e-mail or message thoroughly. If the language and grammar is very poor and sentences don’t make sense, it’s likely not worth your time and could even just be an automated message.

Whenever you are approached by a person or company find out as much as you can about them before proceeding. Google the company, and read reviews about them on websites like Better Business Bureau. Ask friends or other artists if they have experience with this company. If you can’t find anything about them online that’s usually a red flag.

When a company sends you an offer or contract, thoroughly read the fine print because there could be a catch. If you have to spend any of your own money up front, it’s probably a scam.

Always consider what’s in it for them. Why are they interested in you and your art? What do they get out of the partnership? Not to say your art isn’t good, but no one works for free or without motive.

a red flag on the beach, artist scams

Here are some common scams for Artists to watch out for

  • Companies reaching out to you for a “media feature” – Don’t waste your time. You will later learn you have to pay upwards of $5000 for this feature that probably doesn’t reach your target audience at all.
  • People asking to “collaborate” only to get free content from you, such as a photo of yourself using their product. Unless it is a big company which aligns with your brand, don’t give away your content for free.
  • Someone asking to use your art for their website or logo. Be very wary and do your research before sending them anything. Do not give it to them for free either. At least create some sort of contract saying they cannot re-sell your art and only use it for a specific purpose so you could take legal action if needed.
  • People asking for free art or products in exchange for a social media shout-out. I strongly encourage you never to give your art away for free. If the person is a legitimate social media influencer they probably would not be approaching you.
  • Amateur art shows that are paid for by the artists. These art shows sound exciting but you should not be forced to sell tickets or pay to fund the show yourself. Always research the company, read reviews, and consider what they are getting out of it.
  • So-called “gurus” trying to you sell you expensive courses to “help your business”. Some of them ask for $20,000 or more! Don’t give up your life savings for the same things you can learn online for free.
  • People asking to buy your artwork, but want to pay through non-traditional payment methods. ONLY accept payment through Paypal, Cards or E-transfer. Do not accept cheques. Never send files or ship art until after you’ve received payment and it’s in your bank account.
  • Sellers ripping off your designs to sell on websites like Amazon, AliExpress, TeeSpring etc. Google the keywords of your most popular works every few months to see if it shows up on websites that are not your own. Then submit take-down notices.

Have you ever been scammed or encountered an artist-specific scam? Leave your experience below for others to learn from!

Cheers,

julie signing off

Want to learn some legit ways to sell your art online? Start here!

What to do When Sales are Slow in Your Print on Demand Store

what to do when sales are slow on print on demand
What to do when sales are slow print on demand stores

Today I’m sharing my thoughts on what to do when sales are slow in your Print on Demand stores.

In retail, whether online or brick and mortar, there are sales cycles.  This means that sales slow down at certain times of the year and peak during other times, like at Christmas.

It can be frustrating and confusing to go from making several sales in a month to barely any, but that is totally normal and just the reality of retail. It does not mean you’ve failed, so don’t get down!

Think about how you personally shop. What times of the year do you spend the most money and when do you save? You will most likely find this reflected in your sales.

Here you can easily see the cycle peaks and lows during the year from my Redbubble analytics:

sales cycles on print on demand online retail stores

You can see my sales peak in November and December and drop down in the spring. Then they steadily climb back up until August when people shop for Back to School.

This sales cycle is totally normal and something you will need to get used to and prepare for, especially if your sole income is through online retail shops.

Instead of getting frustrated and throwing in the towel, there are lots of things you can do during these low times to get your shops ready for when the sales start to rise again!

Here is a list of things you can do when sales are slow in your print on demand stores:

  • Update your website or blog. Start creating one if you haven’t yet.
  • Create and add new designs to your shops.
  • Find new ways to promote your shops. Start using Pinterest for example.
  • Grow your social media followings.
  • Go through your stores and update or delete under-performing designs.
  • Go through your designs and update titles and keywords to be more SEO friendly.
  • Enable new products you haven’t offered before.
  • Do a brand overhaul: refresh your logo, banners, etc.
  • Create designs for upcoming holidays or other themed days of the year.
  • Promote sales going on in your shops. If your sales are slow, so are the websites you sell on and they will often have really good sales during slow times to get people to buy.
  • Ask others for feedback. You could ask friends or other Print on Demand artists for feedback on your stores and/or designs.
  • Network. Find and join support groups with like-minded individuals. There are lots of Print on Demand groups on Facebook.
  • Learn new business and marketing strategies through YouTube, Skillshare or other sources.
  • Take a break. Sometimes we need some time away to replenish our creativity.  Go on a holiday or spend time with friends and family and come back with new ideas.
  • Open a new print on demand store. There are lots of print on demand sites out there, perhaps there is one more suited to your style. Here is a list of Print on Demand sites to try.
  • And most importantly don’t give up!

Looking for more print on demand tips? You can find lots more tips about selling your art through Print on Demand websites in the resources section of my blog.

Happy selling!


Cheers,

julie signing off

How to Sell Your Art Online in 5 Steps

5 steps to sell your art online
5 steps to sell your art online

Are you an artist wanting to sell art online to make some extra income? You’ve come to the right place!

Selling your art online is an easy and low cost way to start your art business today. Below you will find out how to get started broken down into 5 easy steps.

How to Sell Your Art Online in 5 Steps

1. Build your portfolio.

In order to start selling your art online, you should have a decent sized portfolio for potential customers to choose from. Aim for 10-25 artworks.

You can either make a bunch of new artwork, or dig up some old pieces that could work digitally or physically to sell and repurpose them.

photo of woman in front of painting

2: Decide where to sell your art

Next, you’ll have to decide where to sell your art and that will depend on your medium, style, and goals as an artist.

Identify your audience and how you want to sell your art.

  • Are you going to sell primarily prints? (many avenues)
  • Are you going to sell physical work, such as paintings? (Etsy, or Fine Art America)
  • Do you create sculptures, jewelry or something else tangible? (Etsy)
  • Are you interested in designing t-shirts and/or home decor products? (Society6, Zazzle or Redbubble)

Check out my blog post about Where to Sell Your Art Online to help you decide.

I have also written some more in depth posts about the different platforms.

how to sell your art online infographic

3. Optimize your art for sale

You’ll have to optimize your art digitally, or take a nice photo of it in order to sell it online.

  • Scan or photograph your artwork in high resolution.
  • Try to get sharp lines and true colors by using a tripod and good lighting.
  • Post process in a program like Photoshop to fix colors, or clean up scans.

4: Upload and enable as many products as possible

Upload your art to your chosen platform.

If you are going the Print On Demand route,  only add to products that look good and work with the design. You may need to customize the design for different products, like having a version with a transparent background for stickers and t-shirts.

mermaid cell phone case example

5: Market your products

This is where a lot of artists struggle because we’re not necessarily business or marketing professionals!

  • Share your products and artwork on social media. Create an Instagram, Twitter, and/or Facebook page dedicated to your art. Ideally, choose one you use frequently so it’s not a burden to learn or use daily. Check out my post on 25+ Instagram Post Ideas for Artists for some inspiration.
  • You may also consider building a website, which can be a hub if you sell on multiple platforms. It could be a blog or just a portfolio of your work.
  • Learn basic marketing skills. To dive deeper into marketing, watch tutorials on YouTube or Skillshare to hone your business skills or even artistic skills as your business grows.

There is a lot to learn on the business side, but don’t neglect your art!

Consistently create new designs so you can figure out what works and what doesn’t, then make more of what resonates with your audience.

Consistency is key!

You may also be interested in these posts:

I hope you’ve found this guide to selling your art online useful.  Feel free to leave any additional tips or questions for me in the comments below!


Cheers,

julie signing off

Redbubble A-Line Dress Review

redbubble a-line dress review
redbubble a-line dress review

I finally bought a dress from Redbubble! Since I started uploading my designs there I’ve been curious about how their A-Line dresses would look, fit, and feel. I had a hard time finding any detailed reviews of Redbubble dresses online, so I decided to write my own!

After I published my Tropical Monstera Pattern and saw how nice it looked, I had to order one for myself, figuring it would be perfect to wear for summer or a tropical vacation.

I must say I am pleased with the dress. I ordered an XS after reviewing the size chart, and it fits quite nicely. (I’m 5’0″ by the way and usually wear size S)

It took a few weeks to arrive, because I’m in Canada and it got stuck at the border for about a week (due to Customs).

Aside from a photoshoot at English Bay beach, I’ve also worn this dress to work paired with a belt and black cardigan. I even received some compliments from my co-workers!

tropical monstera pattern redbubble a-line dress review

Redbubble A-Line Dress Review

  • It is loose and flowy, non clingy, silky feeling, and doesn’t wrinkle easily.
  • It is comfortable to wear.
  • The print is vibrant and shows off my artwork nicely.
  • The light and thin fabric is not see through at all.
  • It would be a great garment for hot summer days or a tropical vacation.
photoshoot model a-line dress review redbubble

I quite like the dress with a belt for my figure, as seen in the photo above. But, I think this dress is probably flattering for most body-types, especially with the option of a belt or no belt.

While this dress is great for hot summer days or tropical vacations, it could also be paired with a light cardigan and heels for a cute evening look.

More details about the dress from Redbubble‘s website:

  • 97% Polyester / 3% Elastane woven dress fabric
  • Made in the U.S.A.
  • Print covers entire front and back panel
  • Loose swing shape for an easy, flowy fit.
a-line dress paired with a belt, sunglasses and hat

Let me know what you think about this Redbubble dress review, or any other Redbubble products you’ve purchased by leaving a comment below!

Shop all of my dress designs on Redbubble

Check out these other Redbubble product reviews I’ve written:

Have a great day!

Cheers,

julie signing off

Selling your Art on TeePublic

selling art online teepublic
selling art online teepublic

I’ve been selling my designs on a Print On Demand website, called TeePublic for several years now.  So, I decided to share my experience with you!

Read on to find out more about selling art on TeePublic and see if it might work for you!

Open a free TeePublic store and start selling your artwork today!

First Impressions of TeePublic

  • This POD is very T-shirt focused (it is TeePublic after all).
  • Prices are comparatively very reasonable.  Maybe your friends/family won’t pay $30 for your t-shirt but they might be willing to pay $14!
  • Caters to branded and/or fan art.  (Personally I avoid this because I’m not willing to have my stuff taken down due to copyright infringement)
  • Punny and funny designs also seem to do well.
  • Owned by Redbubble.

Ease of Upload

  • Very quick and simple uploading process.  Few steps.
  • Intuitive tagging (suggestions come up even before you start typing)!
  • Must use a .png image for the t-shirts (ie. no background).
  • You can upload patterns for some products like pillows or totes, but you can only use one version of the image, you can’t upload a different file for the t-shirt (so in that case there would be no t-shirt for that design).
  • As mentioned above, there is no ability to upload multiple versions of the same design to suit a different product type, so keep this in mind.
  • You can resize and centre your design easily.

TeePublic Storefront

  • Pretty basic. Focus is on the design and T-shirts.
  • No models, just images of the products by themselves.

Here is a screenshot of my (old) store front:

teepublic home page

T-shirt product page display:

tea pot head tshirt teepublic

Products and Pricing

  • A fairly small range of products but they are quite affordable.
  • Basic t-shirts are $14 for the first 3 days after upload, then they go up to $20.
  • T-shirts go on sale for $14 at least 1x per month. (Other products go on sale too)
  • A wide variety of shirt styles including hoodies and kids’ clothing are available.
  • They also have stickers, totes, tapestries, phone cases, mugs, pillows, notebooks and prints.
  • Prices in USD.

Shipping

  • Starts at $5.99 to the U.S. and Canada.

Payment

  • Paypal or Payoneer payment options.
  • Paid monthly on the 15th for previous month’s earnings.
  • Affiliate program available, but you have to apply.
  • They also have a “refer an artist” program, where you can potentially get paid if you refer someone to open a store and they make sales.

TeePublic Community

  • There is a Facebook group but it isn’t very active.
  • No obvious forum.
  • Ability to follow other designers but not to like their individual works.
  • Less sense of community than other platforms such as Zazzle or Redbubble.

Promotional Tools

  • You will get an e-mail once a month or so letting you know about upcoming sales.
  • In this email are links to download various advertisement templates catered to different social media platforms, which can be used and edited in Photoshop.
  • Teepublic advertises their top design picks on the homepage and through e-mail campaigns so if you can get noticed by them, they’ll do the work for you!

Summary

  • If your work is very graphic, and especially if you do fan art, TeePublic could be a great option for you.
  • Their website and uploading process is simple and easy to use.
  • Their affordable prices, especially $14 T-shirts, is an excellent way to entice buyers.

So, what are you waiting for?

Check out TeePublic today and let me know what your thoughts and experiences are in the comments below!
 
Cheers,

julie signing off