Knowing how to market your art so you can sell your artwork can often feel like a daunting task. As artists, we pour our hearts and souls into creating pieces that speak to our vision and experience, yet promoting our work sometimes falls outside our comfort zone.
However, sharing your art with the world is essential to finding your audience, building a brand, and, ultimately, making a career from your passion. With the right strategies, you can market your art effectively while staying true to your creative essence. Here are ten tips to help you navigate the world of art marketing.
1. Create Sellable Art by Imagining Your Ideal Buyer
The first step in marketing your art is understanding who you are creating for. Ask yourself: Who is my ideal buyer? What resonates with them? When you have a clear image of your ideal buyer, you can tailor your work and your marketing efforts to meet their tastes and needs.
This doesn’t mean compromising your artistic integrity; rather, it’s about aligning your creative vision with the desires of those who will appreciate it most. By doing so, you can create art that is not only sellable but also meaningful to your audience.
Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash
2. Dive into New Markets
Don’t limit yourself to just one art market—explore new avenues where your work might thrive.
The three art markets are the decorative market, the collectible market, and the conceptual market. Within those markets are many avenues to consider participating in, such as traditional galleries, online platforms, and local art fairs or markets.
Each of these venues offers unique opportunities to reach different segments of potential buyers. By diversifying your presence, you can increase your visibility and find the right audience for your work.
One opportunity you may not have considered is applying for an artist residency. An artist-in-residence program is when an artist is invited to create work, offer their experience, and promote the organization over a set period at a particular location in a community environment.
These agreements often come with a budget, commissions, and housing. A few sites that list opportunities are resartis.org, callforentries.com, artisttrust.org/resources/directory-of-artist-residencies.
Outside your own website, there are many sites where you can list your work. Some of these sites focus on art-inspired lifestyle products, allowing artists to showcase their designs on home decor, tech accessories, and apparel.
Fee structures and features may change, so check the latest information on each platform's website. We suggest getting samples of products first to ensure you are offering high-quality products to your clients.
Etsy is a diverse marketplace that caters to a wide range of artists and crafters. It's known for handmade, vintage, and unique items, including original artwork. Etsy charges a listing fee for each item, a transaction fee when a sale occurs, and payment processing fees. Specific fee percentages may vary.
Etsy is well-known for its community feel, allowing artists to connect with buyers directly. It's also user-friendly and has a large customer base.
Saatchi Art, a platform for buying and selling original art and renowned for its curated selection of fine art pieces, is geared towards contemporary artists. It aims to connect fine artists with collectors and enthusiasts.
Saatchi Art charges a 35% commission on sales, but there are no fees for listing and handling transactions. Artists set their prices for their works. Saatchi Art provides a curated platform featuring new artists alongside established names. They offer services like art advisory and the ability to sell limited edition prints.
Artfinder.com focuses on connecting artists with art buyers globally. It emphasizes discovery and supports emerging artists. Artfinder charges a 33% commission on sales.
Artists can list an unlimited number of artworks for free. Artfinder uses a "taste profile" to help buyers discover art that matches their preferences. The platform also has a strong emphasis on promoting independent artists.
MakerPlace by Michaels allows creatives and crafters to list their work with a free basic account, listing for free with a low 4% commission. One unique advantage of this platform is the ability to offer a class to customers. *Read the fine print, as some artists fear losing rights to their work.
If you're eager to get your artwork into a gallery, it's essential to approach the process strategically.
Avoid cold-calling or walking into galleries uninvited, as these methods rarely work. Instead, focus on preparing yourself and your art by creating a cohesive body of work, taking high-quality photos, and having a professional website.
Research galleries thoroughly, visit them incognito, and learn about their artists and price points. When ready, send a personalized email with images of your work, demonstrating that you've done your homework and believe your art is a good fit.
Building genuine relationships with galleries takes time and effort, but it increases your chances of success in the art world.
If you're serious about advancing your art career, consider further education through a program, like Milan Art Institute's Mastery Program. The Mastery Program is the most effective online art education to become a professional artist in just one year.
Photo by Dwayne Hills on Unsplash
3. Reimagine Your Art’s Potential
Your art doesn’t have to be confined to a canvas. Reimagine how your work can live in the world by expanding into new product markets. The print market, for example, allows you to reach a broader audience with more affordable versions of your originals.
Other possibilities include creating products like home decor, apparel, or even fabric designs featuring your artwork. Diversifying your offerings can open up new streams of income while introducing your art to different audiences.
Applying strategies like piggyback marketing can make the process easier. Piggyback marketing involves leveraging the popularity of another brand or business to boost your own.
For artists, this can mean collaborating with authors to design book covers, working with fashion designers to create unique patterns, or sharing a booth at art fairs or ComicCon with another artist.
These partnerships allow you to tap into new audiences and expand your reach. By treating your art-making efforts like a business and exploring creative collaborations, you can increase your visibility and grow your art career.
To become an influential artist, you have to get creative with your marketing. It can even be worth the time and effort to expand into new products that lead people to your art. Such products as bags, stickers, and coloring books. The adult coloring market has become an established genre on sites like Amazon and has sparked a marketing swag revolution.
- Test the market of these products with your audience but also try not to overwhelm yourself with too much overhead. When printing or purchasing products, invest in products that will uplevel your brand to match the lifestyle of your ideal client. The worst thing you could do is purchase products that will sit on a shelf and never sell.
4. Create a Trusted Brand That Can’t Be Forgotten
Consistency is key to building a brand that people can trust. Your brand is a reflection of your unique artistic voice, so it’s important to develop a signature style that’s recognizable and consistent across all your work.
This could be through specific techniques, symbols, color palettes, or themes that you return to time and again. When people see your art, they should immediately know it’s yours—this recognition is what builds trust and loyalty among your audience.
Photo by Frankie Cordoba on Unsplash
5. Uplevel Your Professionalism
In the art world, professionalism can set you apart from the crowd. Start by creating high-quality assets that represent your brand. This includes a professional website.
A professional website or online portfolio is essential to sell art online. Your website is a reflection of your brand and a powerful tool for engaging with your audience and selling your artwork.
Your portfolio website is the foundation of your online platform and should include the following elements:
- Unique branding
- Your artist statement
- A diverse range of work
- High-quality images
- Your CV (education, awards, exhibitions, and other achievements)
- Engaging descriptions of each piece
- Contact details or a contact form
- A seamless way to purchase
Build a strong presence on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, and Threads. Choose platforms where your ideal buyer is most active. Pinterest, TikTok, X (formally Twitter), BlueSky, Threads, and Reddit are considered fringe social media platforms to some.
Although some of the fringe social media platforms can be controversial and may have an expiration date, they are a great place to find a niche market. Platforms like Reddit can be a great source of information but can also allow you to build a community of fans.
Some of these sites might not be a part of your target market so they could be a waste of your time. Ensure your profiles are polished with high-quality photos of your work. Good lighting, high-quality photos, and presentation can make all the difference in how your art is perceived online.
- For all social media platforms, make sure you are using hashtags and tagging to increase visibility. Example: for TikTok use #arttok
Other assets to consider are your artist statement, Artist bio, CV (fancy name for an art-related resume), business cards, a printed portfolio catalog, and stickers to giveaway.
You can print professional business cards with printed miniature samples of your paintings at moo.com and design a professional card at canva.com (include a QR code that will lead collectors back to your site).
6. Plan Out Your Promotional Calendar
Planning is crucial for effective marketing. Create a one-year promotional calendar that outlines key dates and campaigns to support the release of new paintings, collections, or products.
By mapping out your marketing efforts in advance, you can ensure a steady stream of engagement with your audience, keeping them excited about what’s coming next.
Photo by Daniele Salutari on Unsplash
7. Seek Out Public Art Commissions
Public art commissions offer a unique opportunity to showcase your work to a broader audience and build credibility as an artist. These commissions can often lead to increased visibility and future opportunities.
Look for calls for artists in your community or collaborate with local organizations to create something impactful that speaks to a wide audience.
Public art commission websites are a great place to start looking for active projects. Entire sites are dedicated to listing these opportunities. You can find sites for individual cities, states, or countries. Search through government websites or use sites like www.publicartist.org, www.artistcan.org, or www.artrepreneur.com.
You can create free accounts, search listings, and apply for opportunities. Some sites offer monthly upgraded subscriptions where you can store your high-quality photos, resume, and artist statement.
Read all requirements before applying, and adhere to art commission rules to increase your chance of being chosen when applying and to avoid art commission scams.
Confidence is crucial when entering this market. The initial step for many art commission projects involves filling out an application. You will need to submit sample work or a portfolio. Develop a cohesive portfolio highlighting your distinct style and artistic voice. This clarity makes your work understandable to potential decision-makers.
High-quality photographs of your artwork are crucial for promotional purposes and social media engagement. While photographing art might seem intimidating, today's smartphones enable you to capture professional-grade images.
The process of filling out an application can be overwhelming, but having a strong brand, a professional website, and excellent photos of your work are fundamental steps for expanding into this new market.
Make it easy to visualize how your art will serve their goals by having an online portfolio with pictures showcasing your art in public settings. Become trustworthy by creating high-quality work using high-quality materials, finish edges, frame your work, and include hanging mechanisms.
If you are already selling your art locally, tap into that network. Consider joining local Facebook groups like business groups, the Center for Economic Growth, local organization profiles, and attend industry events you find listed online.
Go as far as messaging creative-bent businesses to see if they have any upcoming art installation opportunities, and send them your portfolio. See if your area has an online listing of local artists.
Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash
8. Let Them See Your Face
Connecting with your audience in real-time face-to-face can create meaningful interactions that deepen their connection to your work. Consider hosting live events on platforms like Zoom, Facebook, or Instagram Live.
You can also teach a class in your community or offer virtual workshops. These events allow you to share your process, answer questions, and build a loyal following who feel personally connected to your art.
9. Support Your Favorite Cause
Aligning your art with a cause you care about can expand your audience while also making a positive impact.
Choose a cause that resonates with you and your work, and consider donating a portion of your proceeds or creating art specifically for charity events. Being known for your altruism can open you up to new markets of potential clients who share your values.
Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash
10. Create an Email List
Building and maintaining an email list is one of the most effective ways to keep in touch with your audience.
Consistently email your followers with updates, new releases, and value-added offers. Whether it’s a behind-the-scenes look at your process or exclusive discounts, providing something valuable to your subscribers will keep them engaged and interested in what you have to offer.
Blogging is another way to help your website pop up more often in searches on the internet. As a matter of fact, this is a double win because blogs are also a way to connect and share with your audience. You do not have to be talking about selling your art in order to actually sell your art via blogging.
A blog is just another way we can share our thoughts, connect with our audience on a different level, and share events and helpful tips we think our particular audience would enjoy. Strive to build your relationship with your collectors, past, present, and future.
Conclusion
Marketing your art is an ongoing journey, but with these strategies, you can build a strong foundation for success.
You can successfully sell and share your art with your community through persistence, networking, and leveraging both physical and digital spaces. It all begins with having sellable art. You can’t achieve success unless you have sellable art first.
If you want to learn how to create art that you love and others love, start with developing your skills. To help you become the brilliant artist that you know you can be, we have created a one-year program that empowers you achieve your artistic goals.
Sign up for Milan Art Institute’s Mastery Program. You can join the waitlist with no obligation. Joining the Mastery Program waitlist gives you access to exclusive introductory materials. Join the waitlist here.
Don’t let your fear of rejection prevent you from getting out there to sell your art. Just try something unprecedented. If it doesn’t work, pivot and try something else.
Fear can lead to creative paralysis. Artists often fear failure (which sometimes presents itself as perfectionism). We also fear what others think. Fear of success, rejection, lack, abandonment, and fear of responsibility are common fears for those actively pursuing their destiny.
Fear can powerfully influence productivity by stopping us from taking risks and embracing imperfection. Fear is a gargoyle at the gate of your destiny, and it will do anything to stop you from elevating your life and fulfilling your purpose.
Learn more about overcoming resistance in this inspiring conversation on the Milan Art Podcast: How to Overcome Resistance as an Artist.
The possibilities are limitless. Get around people and make art. If a door is closed in your face, there is another one waiting for you. Just pivot and move forward!
COMMENTS