by Rebecca Sciullo | Sep 8, 2022 | Events
Art Marketing Roundtables
Pre-pandemic, I coordinated a series of Art Marketing Roundtables that were in-person gatherings here in the Pittsburgh area where I live. The Roundtables were informal get-togethers where visual artists gathered around a topic specific to marketing and selling art. These no-cost events were an excellent way for artists to come together, get to know each other, and learn from each other.
Roundtables Now in Virtual Format
Meeting in person was great, but it limits people due to schedules and location. So, starting in October, the Roundtables will restart in a virtual format.
A Short Survey
Whether you’ve attended one in the past or you’d like to in the future, please answer this short survey. It will help to determine potential dates, times, and topics for these events.
Past topics included Writing an Effective Artist Statement, Pricing Your Art, Selling Strategies, and Social Media. We can certainly revisit some of these but would also like to cover new topics.
You can access the survey here.
Join my mailing list to be notified when Roundtables are scheduled.
by Rebecca Sciullo | May 3, 2022 | Artist Websites, Your Hub
If you are looking to earn a substantial income from original art sales, you are likely looking to build a collector base. A collector base means that you have a group of people serious about following you and making repeat purchases of your work. But, how do you do this? How do you turn the random purchase here or there into a thriving collector base?
First Start with Your Website
Many artists tell me they want to “sell” their work, but I can’t find it when I look for their work online. In the past, it was possible to make sales without having a place where people could view your work online. However, that is no longer the case for most visual artists looking to sell work.
Use your Web Presence to Build Credibility
When thinking about building a presence online, creatives consider many factors, but one that may not seem so obvious is credibility. Dictionary.com defines credibility as the quality of being believable or worthy of trust. It helps to have credibility if you want to build a collector base.
Credibility as an artist can mean a lot of things to people thinking about purchasing your work, such as the following:
Will I get what I paid for?
Is it worth it?
Will this work increase in value?
Has this artist been recognized?
Will I be happy with the quality of my purchase?
While you probably are a credible person, there is no way for a stranger who finds you online to know this unless you give them reasons.
Here are some ways that you can show your credibility through your web presence:
- Share press releases and media coverage about your work.
- Post testimonials from happy customers.
- Provide images of your work in situ in your clients’ homes and businesses.
- Share awards and honors won.
- Outline special commissions or projects.
- Show images of you at work.
- Offer information about events where you are showing your artwork.
- Share information about the galleries that show your work.
One of the best ways to share this information is by sharing it first through your blog. Then send it out through your social media channels. As people view the progress you make and read about the activity, they will naturally begin to understand that you are a credible artist, and they will be more inclined to purchase your work.
A detailed blog that follows what you are doing ends up being a powerful living resume to which you can refer people when they want to learn more about what you’ve been up to over time. At this point, you’re not just telling them – you’re showing them what you do.
Where do you start?
If you’re not already in the practice of using a blog-based website and social media to make sure people are aware of what you are doing – thus bringing credibility to your work and business – start now. Most web-building platforms, such as WordPress.com, will allow you to create a blog page easily. Then, with a knowledge base or tutorial, you should have your blog up and running in no time. For more information on blogging, read my Artist Blogging 101 Series. For news and updates, please subscribe to my newsletter here.
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
Please note, there are affiliate links in this list for some of the products and services that I recommend.
by Rebecca Sciullo | Apr 20, 2022 | Events, Learning
Foundations in Marketing Strategies for Artists
Over the next three months, I’ll be presenting Foundations, a three-part virtual art marketing workshop for The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes as part of their Business of Art series. This series is virtual and open to all artists, with members of The ARTS Council getting a discounted rate. Three sessions will be spread out over three months, starting on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Artists can register for one, two, or all three sessions.
What is Foundations?
This program guides artists through setting up a manageable system that becomes a focused hub for a thriving art business. While the system is web-based, it supports all artist marketing activities, including in-person events such as exhibits, studio tours, and festivals.
Register Here
Session One: Tuesday, April 26, 6-8 pm
Set up your art marketing system.
The first session will include building a dynamic web presence, overcoming challenges, and building a marketing system that works for your visual art business. Using a simple three-part marketing system, artists will learn to consistently share work with an audience across various marketing channels, such as social media and email marketing.
Session Two: Tuesday, May 24, 6-8 pm
Reaching an audience.
Session two builds on the first by diving into finding and growing a unique audience of collectors and fans.
The presentation also explains how to maintain strong relationships with a collector and fan base, including strategies and tools to help in this process.
Session Three: Tuesday, June 21, 6-8 pm
Manage Your Art Marketing Channels
This session works to help artists focus on the best art marketing channels for their work and business model. In the first half of the session, we will review traditional and non-traditional marketing channels for visual artists and how to determine which ones are best for your work.
Then, we will cover how to manage the channels consistently without feeling like you are short on time. This includes an outline of simple strategies and daily activities for your daily routines. We will also discuss how to deliver a steady stream of content for fans and followers and tricks and hacks for using some more popular platforms for visual artists, such as Facebook and Instagram.
If you’ve attended Build a Dynamic Web Presence in the past, these workshops will expand upon topics in that presentation.
Sign up for one or all three at this link.
by Rebecca Sciullo | Mar 11, 2022 | Events, Learning
On Saturday, March 19th, I’ll be presenting Build a Dynamic Web presence for the Oregon Society of Artists. This workshop is a virtual presentation and is open to non-members. Learn more about the Oregon Society of Artists here.
Build a Dynamic Web Presence – with New Content!
If you’ve never attended Build a Dynamic Web Presence and would like to learn my system for managing your art marketing through a dynamic web presence, you can register here. Build a Dynamic Web presence has been updated with a lot of information, non only on how to structure your web presence but also on setting yourself to stand apart with your visual art. So, if you’ve attended in the past, you may be interested in the new content.
Program Details
The program runs from 1:00 – 3:00 pm Pacific Standard Time over Zoom.
Register here.
by Becky Sciullo | Jan 19, 2022 | Artist Blogging 101, Your Hub
Consider the Appearance of Your Blog-Based Website
Before you get too far down the road with your artist blog, it’s essential to take time to consider the overall appearance of your blog.
The best approach is to keep it simple and allow your work to be the focal point. Sometimes artists add unnecessary elements that distract or cause people to bounce away. Examples of this would be a busy patterned background, music, adobe flash – anything that is distracting or makes your site hard to load are not beneficial to building a thriving home base.
Most blogging platforms will allow you to select a theme for your blog. This theme will set your site’s overall look, feel, and style.
Some platforms include these elements in a template. Most themes and templates allow for some customization, but you want to make sure you choose one that lends itself to your work and goals.
A suitable theme will have built-in elements that make it easier and quicker for you to do certain things. For example, some themes lend themselves to displaying work in a portfolio or gallery format, as one example of how you might choose a theme.
Choosing a theme can be overwhelming as you will typically have many from which to choose. Consider some of the following as you hone in on a theme or template for your site.
Here are some things to consider for your artist blog appearance.
Does it allow your work to be the focus?
Can you use a custom header that features your work front and center?
What kind of customization does it allow?
Do you like the layout?
Would you like your blog to have a sidebar?
Do you like the color schemes and fonts available?
Each blogging platform works a little bit differently. Below are links about themes and templates for some commonly used platforms.
WordPress.com – all about themes.
Understanding Squarespace Templates
Weebly Support – Themes
Wix Help – Themes
Get Help!
Would you like help getting started with an artist blog? Join my email newsletter for tips and programs on this topic.
Photo by Hal Gatewood on Unsplash
