by Rebecca Sciullo | Apr 4, 2020 | Artist Blogging 101, Learning
How to Choose a Platform For Your Artist Blog
Before you can start blogging, you need to decide which platform you will use. Read through this guide on how to to make a good choice.
Do you already have a website?
If you have a website for your art business, it may already have a blog function built-in. Many artist build sites on blog platforms but don’t use the blogging feature. If this describes your website, then it isn’t too difficult to start blogging. Some common platforms that have blogging features include Squarespace, Wix, and Weebly. If you are using another platform to build your blog, that is fine. You should still find Artist Blogging 101 helpful as you move through the process of developing your blog.
By using the Help or Knowledgebase of your current website platform, you should be able to find detailed instructions on how to use your blog feature.
Do you need a new website?
If, however, you have an outdated website that does not offer a blogging feature, or you are starting from scratch, you need to decide on which platform to build your blog.
My Recommendation is Self-Hosted WordPress
My top choice for both websites and blogs is to use self-hosted WordPress.org. WordPress.org is the most popular platform in the world. It offers the most flexibility for design, and it is what I use for Artisan Advantage. It does take a little longer to master than some other platforms, but if you stick with it, it becomes easy to use. I tried many different platforms, including Typepad, Blogger, Squarespace, and WordPress.com, before deciding that self-hosted WordPress.org is my favorite.
What does it mean to be self-hosted?
A website being self-hosted means all the files for the site are stored on a computer connected to the internet. A web hosting company gives your website a permanent location on their server. I recommend using Bluehost, but there are plenty of other web hosts out there. To get the best deal, you typically have to pay for a year of hosting upfront.
A Recommended Alternative to Self-Hosted WordPress
If you are interested in trying out blogging for your art business but are not sure that you want to invest the time learning to use WordPress, then I recommend setting up a site on WordPress.com. To set up a blog on WordPress.com, go here. The WordPress.com system will walk you step by step through the set-up
Are You Still Confused about WordPress.com vs.Self-hosted WordPress.org?
Check out this video from Christina Hills at Website Creation Workshop. She does a great job of explaining the differences.
Would You Like Some Help?
I can offer the following solutions if you would like assistance in developing your blog:
This free guide will walk you through the set-up of a self-hosted WordPress blog.
Christina Hills offers a Website Creation Workshop a couple of times a year, where you can learn how to build a self-hosted WordPress website from scratch. I highly recommend this workshop and will be sharing some information later this week about her next session. I used her course to build Artisan Advantage. She is still my go-to resource for all things WordPress. Christina’s program ensures that you will be completely self-reliant in managing your WordPress site once you finish her course.
My Artist Blogging Services help artists who already have a blog or website and would like some assistance with blog development and growth.
Just Do It!
Your blog will never be perfect. You will always be changing and improving. In my years of blogging, one thing I learned is that sometimes you just have to start.
If starting a blog for your visual art business is something that you’ve wanted to do, I encourage you to get started today using one of the resources above or following allowing with Artist Blogging 101.
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.
by Rebecca Sciullo | Mar 27, 2020 | Artist Blogging 101, Learning
Artist Blogging 101: Outline Your Goals
Now that we’ve outlined the role that your blog plays in your marketing system, it’s time to get ready to build it.
Before you invest time in building a blog for your art business, you should take some time to consider what the purpose of your blog is? What goals do you want to accomplish for your business through blogging?
Your primary intent is likely to communicate with people interested in learning more about you and your work. However, If you have a vision for your art business (and you should!), then your blog’s primary purpose should be moving you closer to that vision.
If you’re not sure what the primary purpose of your blog should be, ask yourself these questions.
What made you want to create an artist blog in the first place? What was your first thought as to why it could benefit your business?
How do you want your blog to impact you as an artist?
How do you think a blog could improve your art business? What are you hoping it does for you?
What does your art business look like five years from now? What success would you have with your business between now and then?
How do you want your blog to affect your followers?
How do you want your income to change because of your blog?
Is there a specific project that you want to share with this blog?
Is there a niche that you would like to establish yourself in with this blog?
These questions should help you outline what goals you would like to accomplish with your artist blog. As you begin to set up your blog, keep these goals in mind. They may determine how you set up your blog, the kinds of pages that it includes, and the content that you share with your audience.
Assignment: Outline three goals that your artist blog could help you to accomplish. Send me an email at becky@artisan-advantage.com and let me know what your goals are.
Photo by S O C I A L . C U T on Unsplash
by Rebecca Sciullo | Mar 5, 2020 | Artist Blogging 101, Blogging, Learning
It’s time to expand on last week’s post The What and Why of Blogging for your art business. I often compare this system of using a blog in your art marketing efforts to a wheel.
Think of your art marketing system as a wheel.
Your blog is the hub of the wheel – the central location for your art marketing and promotion. It contains all of the content about your art business. Every message that you want to share about your work is documented and stored on your blog. This content can include everything from the story behind a piece of art, information about your process, or details for an upcoming event. There is no limit to what you can share on your blog. You control the message, and this is the best place to craft and present all of your content. This is your home base.
The outside of the wheel, or rim, is your audience. These are all of the people that you want to reach with your message about your art.
The spokes are all of the different channels you use to get your message to the world. These channels are not limited to but can include things like social media, press releases, and direct mail. You write your message first on your blog, and then send it out to your audience through the spokes or channels.
These channels, in turn, direct people back to the your blog.
This back and forth activity gets the wheel into motion and moves your business forward.
Why this strategy?
But why worry about a blog, why not just pick some channels and post your work? Here are three good reasons why.
First, every spoke has its limits. You can only post so much text on Facebook before people tune out. You can send a press release out to your media contacts, but there is no guarantee that they will print or share the entire message. In both of these instances, you can share a link to your blog. On Facebook, you control the link. For a press release, most outlets will share our When people are interested, they will follow the link. Then, you have your opportunity to share the whole story. Every channel has a limit. Your blog is limitless. You can put any message you want there.
Second, you will be more organized.
Do you ever feel scattered when it comes to marketing your work? Where should you post what? I know I did until I implemented this system. Use your blog as your home base for your messages. Then, you can then systematically share information with your audience through whichever channels you want. Implementing this system for your art marketing efforts should reduce that overwhelmed feeling.
Last, but not least – Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a topic that warrants more discussion, but let’s start with the basics. SEO means that you optimize a website so that more people find it through organic or unpaid traffic when they use search engines such as Google. There are many things that you can do to optimize SEO. One thing that helps is to have a site with higher quality and frequently updated information. We will delve more into SEO later, but for now understand that If you are posting regularly on a blog, then you will naturally achieve this first benefit of providing high quality and fresh content
How do I get my wheel in motion?
Hopefully, you’re starting to see the importance of placing your blog based website at the center of your marketing efforts. Next up, we’ll cover some things to consider as you prepare to set up your blog.
Want to get into motion quickly? Consider my Artist Blogging Services.
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.
