by Rebecca Sciullo | Feb 25, 2020 | Artist Blogging 101, Blogging, Learning
It’s time to talk about the what and why of blogging for a visual art business.
What is a blog?
The word blog is short for “web” and “log”. It is simply a website updated with new content regularly. Typically written in an informal or conversational style, a blog is an excellent way to share the story of your work. By doing this, you can build a relationship with an audience of fans and collectors.
Who should start a blog?
Every artist, no matter their medium or stage of career, can benefit from setting up a blog. It is by far one of the easiest ways to get exposure for your work and to build an audience for your work.
Here’s the good news.
You don’t have to be an expert or a professional writer to start a blog. As an artist, images of your work will be the focal point of your blog. You can then communicate with readers and write about your work in an authentic style and voice. In other words, you can be you. Your readers are looking to get to know about you, the artist, and the stories behind the work.
What if I already have a website?
Most web building platforms offer a blogging feature, and it should not be too difficult to activate it. If your website is very outdated or, for some reason, does not offer this feature, I’ll be sharing ways that you can get one up and running over the coming weeks.
How long will it take to build a successful blog?
I’m not going to lie to you, but blogging takes time and can be frustrating. It isn’t enough to set up a blog, write a couple of posts, and think your business will change overnight. And in the beginning, you might be doubtful because you don’t get much traffic. You will probably get a little frustrated at how much time it can take to do a simple task. You may get overwhelmed or lose your motivation. I think many artists quit blogging because they don’t stick with it long enough. If you want to start a blog that drives sales for your art business, you need to work at it consistently for at least 12-18 months.
So, how do you decide what to write about on your blog?
Start with the art. If you have quality images of your artwork, then you already have plenty of content that you can use. Eventually, I will recommend you put together a content strategy. For now, take ten to fifteen minutes a day to get in the habit of writing. Write about the stories behind your work, or show them what you are doing in the studio. Write about whatever it is that you think your readers might want to know. The important thing is to get into motion. You don’t have to spend a ton of time at it, but if you make it a consistent daily practice, it will become effortless.
You can access a list of starter blog posts ideas for artists here on my Resources page.
Assignment:
Take one image of your work every day for the next five days and write something about it. Please write it down in whatever format you prefer. I want you to get into the practice of writing about your work. If you want to share it with me, send it to becky@artisan-advantage.com.
If you want to be sure to receive all of the Artist Blogging 101 posts, please sign up for my email newsletter, and you’ll be sure not to miss a post.
Next Up
I’ll explain how blogging can drive all of your marketing efforts.
by Rebecca Sciullo | Feb 21, 2020 | Artist Blogging 101
As promised, I’m excited to announce the launch of Artist Blogging 101. In this series posts focused on blogging for an art business, I will offer a step-by-step guide to help you set up the perfect blog for your visual art business. You can expect at least one Artist Blogging 101 post a week.
By following along with this series of posts, you can build a blog for your visual art business the right way to be able to grow your business and sell work.
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One last thing before we dive in: this is not your typical “how to start a blog” advice. There are many guides and tools out there to help you with building a business online, but this information is written specifically with you, the visual artist, in mind.
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Who am I to tell you how to start a blog?
I have been blogging for an art business for over ten years. Making many mistakes and learning some things the hard way, I am at a point now where I can share a comprehensive guide to set up your blog efficiently.
Read How Artisan Advantage Got Started for more of my background.
Static outdated artist websites abound on the internet. Even worse, I discover many abandoned sites because the artist did not find success with them.
My mission is to help as many artists and creatives as possible to be successful with their business. And that’s why I’m offering all of this information for free.
But, here’s the deal.
If you want to start a blog that builds your art business, you need to put in a lot of hard work.
Starting a blog might take you less than an hour to set up. But building a successful blog that will grow your business will take more time.
But it is possible to grow your art business making money, and I will show you how.
Let’s Get Started
Application 1:
Get ready to blog! In preparation for Lesson 1, if you haven’t already done so, I’d like you to take the time to ask yourself the following questions about your art and your art business?
Who is my ideal target audience?
What message do I want to share about my work?
What goals do I have for my visual art business?
You will need to have these answers in mind once you start adding content to your blog. Please start thinking about them now.
Next up:
Basics: What’s a blog? and other terminology you need to know.
by Rebecca Sciullo | Feb 20, 2020 | Learning
If you have a website or blog for your visual art business, the great news is that anyone in the world can find your work and contact you to purchase it. The bad news is that you open yourself up to online scammers, who like to target artists. Back in February 2018, I posted on how to avoid getting scammed when selling artwork online. Since that time, we continue to receive these types of emails.
The reality of placing your artwork for sale online is that you will attract these characters. You need to know how to identify them to avoid getting scammed.
Even though I can always spot a fake, I typically respond to them. I like to see the response that I receive.
I’ve noticed that the people sending these emails are getting a little smarter, attempting to sound a bit more credible and are more persistent. So, I thought it was time for a friendly reminder to vet email requests to purchase your art carefully. Please read Can You Spot a Fake Buyer? if you haven’t already done so.
Below is the latest one that we received. Notice these “guys” are always looking for an anniversary gift. Also, they often don’t have a specific piece in mind, which is highly unusual compared to the legitimate requests that we receive.
In this case, I politely responded with a link to the full gallery and asked which specific piece would interest him. Below is his response.
It’s funny how his budget has increased suddenly to $3,000.
These “guys” are always moving and ask us to work with a “personal shipping agent”. They also never seem to have their own credit cards.
These scams may take other iterations, but this is the basic pattern that we see.
The good news is, yes, we do get legitimate requests to purchase artwork via email. You will too if you are diligent about building your web presence! You just need to make sure you are carefully vetting your buyers.
Here are our rules for transacting in cases where we do not have a prior relationship with the buyer.
- Insist on only accepting credit card payment via Paypal or Square.
- Insist that we ship the piece via one of our preferred methods.
I kindly explained this to Daniel in my response to him, so I have a feeling that will be the last I hear of him. He will move on to his next target, and I don’t want it to be you!
For more tips related to blogging for your visual art business and selling art online, please subscribe to my newsletter here.
by Rebecca Sciullo | Feb 19, 2020 | Artist Websites, Blogging, Events, Learning
I want to thank the Upper St. Clair League for the Arts for inviting me to present at their member meeting last night.
The topic was Building a Strategic Web Presence, where we talked about how visual artists can use blogging to strategically and systematically promote their work. This was the first talk where I was able to focus solely on the topic of blogging for an art business, which as you’ve probably figured out by now, is my passion.
They are a friendly, attentive group. If you are a visual artist in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, I encourage you to visit this art league.
If you’d like to schedule this presentation for your group, please contact me at becky@artisan-advantage.com.
by Rebecca Sciullo | Feb 13, 2020 | Artisan Advantage Book Club, Learning, Resources
Next up for the Artisan Advantage Book Club is Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
Here is an overview of the book taken from Goodreads.
Many of us insist the main impediment to a full, successful life is the outside world. In fact, the most common enemy lies within: our ego. Early in our careers, it impedes learning and the cultivation of talent. With success, it can blind us to our faults and sow future problems. In failure, it magnifies each blow and makes recovery more difficult. At every stage, ego holds us back.
The Ego is the Enemy draws on a vast array of stories and examples, from literature to philosophy to history. We meet fascinating figures like Howard Hughes, Katharine Graham, Bill Belichick, and Eleanor Roosevelt, all of whom reached the highest levels of power and success by conquering their own egos. Their strategies and tactics can be ours as well.
Who is Ryan Holiday?
Ryan Holiday is a best-selling author and media strategist. I’ve read his book The Obstacle is the Way and follow his blog. I enjoy receiving his Reading List Email, where he encourages his followers to read and provides lists of a wide variety of recommended books. Read more about him here.
Win a Free Copy of the Book
I’ve made some changes to the Artists’ Book Club. Instead of randomly selecting a winner from my email list, I am going to offer a trivia contest. The last book selection will be the source of the question, giving you another reason to follow along with the Club!
The first person to email me at becky@artisan-advantage.com with the correct answer to the trivia question below wins a copy of the book.
What does Lisa Congdon encourage you to learn to navigate in Chapter Four of Find Your Artistic Voice?
Join the Club!
It’s easy. All you have to do is get your copy and start reading! Stay connected to the Artisan Advantage blog for posts about how you might apply principles from the book to your visual art business, as well as for opportunities to share your comments about the book with others.
Click here to read more about the Club.
Sign up for my email newsletter here.
Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.
