Quick Take-Away
I got inspired to write this piece after encountering several truly gifted artist expressing doubts about how to sell their wonderful art works.
So, this article features efforts of a real life artist to use social media to promote his works, as well as a list of 9 MUST READ Resource Articles On How to Earn Passive Income Selling Your Artwork.
It should however be noted that the ideas advocated can be successfully adapted for use in selling ANY other products, or indeed services.
It Pays to “Buy” Your Own Space On the Web – and Use It as a Launch Pad for Your Marketing
Over the past decade of using the web for business, I’ve learned that it’s smarter to have your own space, that you control, from which you then routinely publish and propagate your content on to any other promotional platforms.
Typically that means having – at least – a website.
I say this because time has shown that third party platforms, no matter how successful can always change how they work (or even fail) in a way that could disrupt the income earning system you setup on them.
If you have your own flagship website (e.g www.yourname.com), it becomes quite easy to modify references and URL on it to reflect such changes, with minimal disruption to your visibility or leads generation.
However, experience has also taught me that a website is not enough.
You see, to achieve optimal long term/sustainable leads generating marketing exposure, you need to harness a combination of web based resources in conjunction with your website.
[NB: I call it having a Web Marketing System (WMS). View a one page mind-map that I used to illustrate what I mean by a WMS here. Also click here to request access to my video explanation of the 9 key components of a WMS: I’ll email it to you]
But all that cannot be done overnight.
Indeed for most people who are good at what they do, but are not so tech or web savvy, doing it all – and doing it right – can be overwhelming!
I know this to be so from years of supporting gifted experts to implement WMS towards achieving improved name/brand recognition for quality sales leads generation.
That’s why I sometimes encourage such persons to start from a social media platform like Facebook e.g with a business promotion page.
For instance, if you are a painter/artist looking to make money, you can begin by setting up and featuring your artworks on your Facebook business page, with description, prices etc.
From there, you can link to a website(s) where your full gallery is on display.
Regarding use of free Facebook business page marketing here’s an example of what I have in mind(click this link): https://facebook.com/kolaartlinks
It’s a page setup some months ago by a young artiste based in Lagos.
I’d been seeing his paintings of famous personalities arranged on a church building’s wall along a major road for years, and knew he would get better marketing exposure if he leveraged the web the way I did/do.
NB: I earn over 80% of my income -passively – by selling PDF information products, custom Excel-VB software, audio podcasts and video tutorials, as well as my writing/web marketing services online).
So, one day when I came in from Cotonou, and ran into him at the neighborhood cafe, I told him what I had in mind, and got the needed information and graphics to kick-start the page.
The guy has not looked back since – and has been adding all sorts of enhancements.
His natural Facebook likes indicate he’s getting noticed.
But I notice he’s yet to begin doing the “connecting” with page members that I’ve challenged him to do. By this I mean writing new content to post, beyond sharing photos of products he wishes to sell. This is the key to attracting potential buyers to reach out to you.
Like I told him, all he needs is focused dedication to making creative updates to the page’s contents.
By sharing – for instance – the true story behind each product he showcases, and case studies of different client conversations he’s had, and sales he’s made (like I do on this blog), it’ll only be a matter of time before the inquiries begin to come in via the Facebook page.
The same applies to ANYONE else who diligently and intelligently makes use of the ideas offered in this piece.
You see, before people will buy from you with any degree of readiness, they first of all have to notice, like, and then trust you.
That process rarely happens instantly or overnight. And depending on what you’re selling, and who you’re trying to sell to, it can take a lot of time and work.
That’s why it’s best to do things that help to move as many of your potential clients as possible, towards TRUSTING you.
My success in getting total strangers send payment to me from in and out of Africa, at zero cost, is proof that using the content marketing strategy I advocate here, works.
PS: Like I said at the start, I wrote this article with artists in mind. So, if you’re looking for ideas about how to sell your artworks, here’s a list of potentially useful resource articles/pages you may wish to explore. I dug them up via a quick Google search
1.Sell Art Online – A list of the best sites to sell or promote your art
2. [UPDATED] 17 Ways to Sell Your Art Online
http://theabundantartist.com/15-ways-to-sell-your-art-online/
3. 2 Best Places to Buy and Sell Art Online
https://blog.dashburst.com/best-sites-to-buy-sell-art/
4. 250+ Places Artists Can Sell Online
http://www.artsyshark.com/125-places-to-sell/
5. Websites and Social Networking for Artists: Use Your Online Profile to Sell More Art
http://www.artbusiness.com/webworks.html
6. SPI 096: How to Make a Living Selling Your Artwork Online with Cory Huff from The Abundant Artist
SPI 096: How to Make a Living Selling Your Artwork Online with Cory Huff from The Abundant Artist
7. 10 Ways To Sell Your Art Online
http://www.moma.co.uk/10-ways-to-sell-art-online/
8. Selling Art Online: Information on Where (and How) to Sell Art on the Internet
http://emptyeasel.com/art-business-advice/selling-art-online/
9. Sell My ART! | Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/SellMyArt/
ART Marketing for ARTISTS! … Sell My ART!, Dublin, Ireland. … Etsy is not known as a site for selling paintings but some artists do and make money doing so , here ….. Updated for 2016 with our top picks of the best websites to sell your artwork. …. Anyone interested in buying my art Please contact me Here is a sample Mara.
Hope you find them useful – and goodluck
Related Resources
- PII 018: Using a Web Marketing System Does Not Require Attaining Perfection [Hint: But There Are Ground Rules You Need to Follow]
- It Takes Proven Know-How to Achieve Repeatable Web Marketing Success [True Story: How My 9 Year Old Domain Got Poached In May 2014, and I Used My Web Marketing System On a NEW Domain, to Build My Online Brand/Sales to a Higher Level Within 6 Months]
- Back Good Quality Website Content With Delivery of Value Promised, to Achieve Web Marketing Success (Special Offer: Buy My Ration Formulator Software, and get my Poultry Farm Manager Software FREE)
- Apart from Boosting Your Credibility, Using a Web Marketing System Can Help Your Target Audience Make Smarter Decisions and Avoid Exploitation
- Smart Marketing Systems Move Prospects Closer to Buying, Long After You’re Gone [Hint: Why It’s Better to Let People Convince Themselves to Buy from You, Instead of “Pushing” or “Chasing” Them!]
- VIDEO Presentation based on Tayo Solagbade’s Mind Map for Steve Roller’s “Reap What You Sow: 12 Ideas to Increase Your Harvest of New Clients In 3 to 6 Months”
- HIRE ME! [Response Generating Writing & Web Marketing Solutions]
