Look, I get it. You’ve got incredible art sitting in your studio, but the only person who’s seen it lately is your cat (and they’re not exactly dropping those $$$ collector vibes). Let’s fix that, shall we? How to promote your art online isn’t just another boring marketing topic – it’s literally the difference between having ramen for dinner again or actually affording that fancy paint set you’ve been eyeing.
The Digital Art Hustle: No Filter Required
When it comes to learning how to promote your art online, Instagram isn’t just for selfies anymore. This artist @bunny penney rose from scratch to 100k followers; she was painting common items using her bunny ears. Weird? Yes. Effective? Absolutely. What she is doing now is she is selling prints and she is making good money.
The truth is, the algorithms of social media favor consistency over perfection. Post that half-finished sketch. Share your messy studio. They consume that raw and unprocessed content as if they have never seen the last doughnut at an art opening.
Show Us Your Process (Even the Ugly Parts)
If there’s one secret to how to promote your art online that actually works, it’s this: people are nosy. They want to see what your process is and that includes the failure. Do you recall how independent artist @ohheymaddief once spilled coffee on the watercolor commission she was painting? She uploaded a video of her mending it and the video made the rounds. she was even taking up appointments for six months in advance.
Behind-the-Scenes Magic
What you may consider as your attempts that didn’t go as planned, are actually loaded with naturally unusual and humorous content. That sculpture that collapsed? Document it. The painting you hate? Show us why. These create relation, and relation creates sale of art quicker than any marketing but a good one.
Email Lists: The Unsexy Truth
Hear me out before you roll your eyes. While exploring how to promote your art online, don’t sleep on email lists. He was like that friend whom we may not pay much attention but when we need them they are there for us. Digital artist @digitalmatcha added thousands of followers and was able to provide 5,000 subscribers for free coloring pages. It seems that the art student who once created her own limited edition prints that were sold in minutes and they are now popular to date.
Immerse yourself and generalize your view on the subject and contemplate, email is now your VIP section. These people wish to hear from you make sure that you respond to them. Bystanders are not idly swiping their phones to avoid your artwork while waiting for their latte.
Collaborate or Deteriorate
Want to level up your how to promote your art online game? Collaboration is your cheat code. When the indie artist call his music @artymarty was joined by another musician call @beatsbyem, his fan base grew like that of the latter. Cross-pollination works, folks.
Find artists in complementary niches. Jewelry makers + photographers. Illustrators + writers. The opportunities are almost limitless and the more companies introduce themselves to each other the more they expand the area of benefiting from each other.
Price Your Work (Without the Existential Crisis)
Real talk: pricing is part of how to promote your art online strategy. Underpricing screams amateur. Overpricing… is there anyone in this world who does not know what it means, apart from the famous graffiti artist Banksy perhaps? Study comparable artists’ pricing. Take into consideration the costs: material ones of course, and temporal, as well as that particular non-pecuniary price to deal with clients who claim they have a great chance at exposure.
The Art of Saying No
In this case, the best form of advertising is in fact to stop advertising. That influencer offering “exposure” for free art? The common phrase we can relate to it is “no one owes you a dime” meaning don’t hustle anyone unless they are paying your rent. Your time has value. Act like it.
SEO: Make Google Your Gallery
Learning how to promote your art online means making friends with search engines. Title your pieces thoughtfully. It has to be said that “Abstract Painting #47” is not contributing much to such a goal. There is an example of a headline that may attract people: ‘’Sunset Over Brooklyn Bridge Mixed Media”.
Amazingly, it’s not, though it is, of course, vital for accessibility purposes. It also helps them understand your art as well since they work based on coded algorithms and logic only with a hint of feelings. Write it in a manner that you would speak to the person on the telephone about your assignment.
Community Over Competition
It is amusing how the art world will insist on playing the scarcity card, well, here is another helpful idea: purchase and promote other artists! As you may remember @painterly when @brushstrokes’ workshop was promoted Both their follower counts grew. Water surface, boats, elevation, well, I am sure that you have seen it all.
The Reality Check
Look, how to promote your art online isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula. It is significant to note that what perhaps could be effective with the abstract painters could be disastrous with the sculptors vice versa. Thus, the crucial factor is to experiment with no hopes or expectations. Try everything. Keep what works. Ditch what doesn’t.
The harsh truth? It is clear that not all pieces that one prepares will be a hit. Not every post will go viral. But maintaining consistency proves better than aiming for perfection to the highest degree. Show up. Create. Share. Repeat.
Remember @doodlesbydani? For two years she posted a sketch a day and only after such she sold her first big contract. Today she is illustrating children books for the renowned publishers. Overnight success? How the Badger Nation celebrates 730 appearances and life on the road with the success of the Wisconsin football team.
The trendiness of such artwork can also be equated to the notion of overpopulation; of course the online space is riddled with too much artwork. But there is always room for the real opinions. Your weird is what is special, your perception is special, the way you create your mess, that’s special. Thus, do not think too much, start promoting, and your art will find its audience.
After that, build something and then contribute it. The internet’s waiting.
