So, you’re an artist (or some sort of creative), and you want to start selling your work online. Where do you start? Do you already have a website but struggle to get traffic to it? What do you do now? Well I think the answer is… blogging for your art business!
Why start blogging for your art business?
Why shouldn’t you? What’s the worst that can happen? It’s one of the easiest ways to get your artwork out there and seen by potential fans and buyers.
I’m not the most popular blogger ever, but way more people have seen my artwork now than if I had never started blogging. Now that I have a few years of experience, I can share that experience with you!
Why should you blog for your art business? To build a community of supporters and like-minded individuals. I think this is the main point of starting a blog for your art business (or any business), besides just getting your images out there and seen by as many people as possible.
As time goes by and people start following your blog you will find fans of your work. You will also connect with other bloggers to create a supportive community for your art business! Not only does this drive traffic to your blog but it will boost your confidence and allow you to blossom into the creative entrepreneur you want to be!
How to start blogging for your art business?
First of all you need to choose a platform that works for you. I like WordPress because it comes with a built-in audience. If you tag your post with the word “art” then it will show up on anyone’s reader feed who follows the “art” tag.
Since art blogs are not as popular as blogs about, say, blogging, recipes, or health/beauty for example, I think it’s important to take advantage of this potential readership.
You could also consider blogging on Tumblr, Blogger, or another blogging platform of your choice. You can even self-host your site if you have the knowledge and funds to set it up.
Since you are showing off your artwork, when you are writing your posts you want to use pictures, NICE pictures. Art is a visual communication and, especially if your work is a hand made drawing or painting, you want the image to reflect your work as truly as possible. Try to make it true to colour, and as clear as possible. Show off your best work!
- Write a little bit about your art – what inspired this particular piece? How did you make it? What materials did you use? What exactly is it? You don’t have to write a super long essay since you want the main focus to be your art, but just a couple of paragraphs will do.
- Use alt tags when uploading your images – keywords describing your art piece – so it will show up on Google image search! This is very important and could be a key driver of traffic to your art blog. When you add an image to your post there should be a section to add alt tags. Search for “how to add alt tags on (your blogging platform here)” if you are having trouble finding it.
- Connect with other bloggers. Follow the “art” tab and other tabs that interest you and start liking, following and reading other blogs! Eventually some of them will come check out yours too. You might even find other artists to collaborate with on future projects!
Share Your Blog Posts to Social Media
Now that you’ve written a blog post about your art, what do you do next? Share it! If you don’t already have a business Facebook page, Twitter, and/or Instagram account, start one now! Share your art and blog posts to each of these, and any others you enjoy using.
Pinterest – Pinterest is an image-based sharing website, which is great for artists, and can be a big driver of traffic to your blog. Pin to your own boards and try to join group boards for even more potential readers.
Add your social media and blog addresses to your social media profiles, and any other websites where you post your art.
Monetize your Blog: Sell your artwork online!
If you’re an artist then one of yours goals is probably to sell your artwork. Get started by checking out my post Selling Art Online for Beginners. Then you can show off all your products on your sparkly new blog!
I currently sell my work on the following Print on Demand websites:
Start with the sites listed above and see what works for you. There are also other ways to make money from your artwork and you can use your blog to promote these endeavors! Take a look at the Artist Resources section of my website for even more tips on how to monetize your art online.
Also, don’t sleep on collecting e-mail addresses. Encourage people to sign up to your e-mail list for first dips on your new art, products, and latest blog posts.
Conclusion
I hope this blog post has convinced you of the benefits of starting a blog for your art business, and given you some tips to get started!
Feel free to add any other benefits of blogging for your business that I might have missed. You can also ask any questions or post any comments in the section below.
Cheers,
Further reading and resources:
- The Resources for Artists Section of this blog
- Tips and Tools for Creative Entrepeneurs (My Pinterest board with tons of articles about blogging especially for creatives)
- The Abundant Artist website
- The Art Business Toolkit Notion Template