Can You See Me Now?

Is your artwork mostly seen by other artists?  This is a dilemma - you want your work seen, but preferably by an audience beyond your fellow artists.

Often times we join cooperatives and arts councils for the opportunity to exhibit our work.  For the most part though, the audience at those facilities are other artists.  I'm not saying you won't have sales, because artists buy art too. But unless you are represented by a gallery, paying a commission for them to do your sales for you, you most likely need to find buyers yourself.  Bottom line - to expand your buying audience you need to think outside the box. 

I kept thinking since I paint mostly still life with fruits and vegetables I needed to find a cooking blog or organic food website which would be willing to place an ad for me. You know like the ever-so popular Cooking Magazine.  Not that I have given up on that -  what I found in the meantime, through the Blog and Sponsor Connection Team, was a couple of really wonderful "lifestyle" blogs that were looking for advertisers.  They also refer to it as "sponsoring their blog." 

In June, I worked with April Starr, The Flourishing Abode, to place an ad on her blog.  I was pleased with the results.  For June the fee of $35 was half-price, and April designed four "clickable" buttons to my Etsy shop for $5.  When I checked my Etsy Stats for the month of June, The Flourishing Abode was number three on my sources of traffic right after Etsy and Direct Traffic.  It far out-numbered hits from my blogs, or the daily painting sites I belong to.  I don't think I can directly attribute any sales to the ad as yet, but fresh eyes looking at my work is a good thing in the long run.  I'm rerunning my ad for July at full price of $35.  My ad is on the right side bar.

I decided to try a second "lifestyle" blog, My So-Called Chaos for July.  Here are the particulars for advertising.  I'll report in the end of the month on how this one fares.  However, for right now my browser is having trouble with showing my ad.  I've had her check it, and it seems to be working just fine.  If you don't see my add in the upper right corner (big yellow pepper painting) hit refresh.

These kinds of exposure sites are all new to me and I'm not suggesting that this is a route you need to take. Just sharin'.  At some point I may try this approach (sponsorship) for this blog.


Today's Nitty-Gritty Nugget:

     Think outside the box for exposure sites - sites that provide backlinks to your gallery.

Ad for My So-Called Chaos

Ad for The Flourishing Abode

So Not Practical and Other Traits

Practical Traits?

Last night as I was playing my final round of internet MahJong waiting to get sleepy, I had a thought hit me like a blue bolt out of the heavens.  OMG!  I used the word "practical" in the tag line for my new blog. What part of my history has ever been described as practical?  Yesterday's tag line was "Practical Advice for Online Selling".  Yet, my post was all about having a unique product.  "Practical" is like "nice"...boring!  As you will notice we now have a new tag line "The Nitty-Gritty Nuggets of Selling Art Online".  I'm not sure that is the final tag line, but I couldn't sleep with the word "practical" hovering in my dreams. Watch for future updates.

I'm the kind of "practical" that makes a first trip to the Oregon coast for a weekend, and before the weekend is up has talked my husband into signing on a contract to purchase an expensive ocean-view condo.  (We had no down payment mind you!)  It did fall through after about six months of trying to make it work, but now before we travel anywhere my husband makes me pinky-promise we are not buying property on the first weekend.

Now that we have established practical is not one of my strengths, let me say I am "inquisitive, passionate, a show-off, risk-taker and dreamer".  For selling your artwork online you need to have at least one of these traits, if not all five-that's in addition to creative and artistic.

You need the "what happens if I do this?" or the "can't wait to show what I just painted" mindset, and a little bit of gambler's blood coursing through your veins. Selling your art online is a way of life.

"Back Alley Girls" 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord
Sold

Where I Show Off (we'll talk about social media another time.)


I have two types of sites, "exposure sites" and "selling sites".  I use the exposure sites to drive all my traffic to my selling sites.

My selling sites:

Littleton Studio on Etsy - I've had my shop since September of 2008.  It has evolved over the last four years as I've learned what products sell, and what my marketing strategy is. Etsy is where I sell my smaller and daily paintings.  I sell both oils and pastels in my shop currrently. Etsy charges when you list and sell products, which you pay once a month. This cost varies, but usually runs about $8-10.  I've tried other online markets, some had real promise like 1000 Markets (which later sold to Bonanzle...ugh!), Lollishops (went under), and too many to remember or check to see if they are still functioning.  Etsy has name recognition...like Xerox or Kleenex.  They promote their site, and you promote your shop.  Works for me.

Cynthia Haase Fine Art - This is my official website which I have through Fine Art Studio Online.  It costs me $28 a month for the Gold Plan. This price includes a free entry into their monthly Bold Brush competition (a $14 value).  My website comes with some cool functionality: blog, email newsletter, statistics, and a killer support staff.  The paintings I offer at my website are my larger, more expensive pastels.  I've not sold anything from the website. (I don't know about you but I would have a hard time buying a $1200 painting online, but they are for sale on the website, nonetheless.)  I don't post all of my smaller and daily paintings on the website, just enough to keep a good portfolio, and those that I do post all have links back to my Etsy shop.

I could sell directly from my blog, Cynthia Haase Fine Art, but after four years I have quite a following on Etsy and there are opportunities for others to promote your work there through "Favorites", "Circles", "Teams" and "Treasuries". Etsy also has seller functions that I would have to reinvent on my blog like shipping notifications, feedback, and tracking.

My exposure sites:

Because I identify my product with the daily painting process, I chose exposure sites with other daily painters.  I tried a few but am most happy with the first two. Carol and David Marine are the brainchilds (or is it brainchildren?) behind Daily Paintworks.  It's a happening place.  Although I have sold about 4 paintings through their auction function as an experiment, I'm not a big fan of the auction process in general. Some obviously have figured it out, but alas, I have not. I've also tried E-Bay, again too much work for not enough return.

Since I paint fruits and vegetable alot in my smaller sizes, I'm thinking of trying to find some exposure on cooking, gardening or organic sites.  I'll report on any findings here in the blog.

Daily Paintworks  $12.95 a month
Daily Painter Originals $7.00 a month

Christine Sharp, is the owner of this online gallery, and she is a big promoter of the arts. She has a Facebook presence and I appreciate her efforts, so I stay with her.  It's one of those "maybe a good opportunity will come of this" places.
 
Sharp Art Gallery  $10.00 a month

What Next?

1.  What strengths do you have to make selling your art online part of your life? Be honest.
2.  Decide on your main selling site(s) .  (Don't have more than two..it's too much work.)
3.  What exposure sites are right for your product? Be creative. What's your budget for exposure sites?