Promises, Promises: The Artist Brand

Overall, consumer buying behavior is the same for fine art as it is for a luxury vehicle. The purchase process can be greatly simplified with the AIDA marketing model: Attention, interest, desire, action. You can also add "Satisfaction" at the end to imply returning customers.

Let's assume we've accomplished "attention" and our buyers are aware of our art. What now? As artists we need to create interest, desire, and action (purchase). How do we do this? One way is to strengthen the value our art brand.

As an artist, you (and your creations) are a brand. Like Cher or Oprah. While you may not have their marketing budgets, you do have the ability to manage, cultivate, promote, and ultimately benefit from your brand just like these savvy marketers do each day.

Keep in mind that your art brand is much more than a logo or your signature (which I'll discuss in more detail in another post). So what is a brand? You'll find hundreds of definitions branding online, but one that rings true to me as an artist is this: Your brand is simply your promise.

Let's consider Oprah's brand. If you choose to watch her show, whether you think about it or not, you likely have some strong expectations about what you'll get in the next hour. For example, we may expect Ms. Winfrey to chat with some interesting guests, give helpful life tips, have a strong opinion, be topical, be an active listener, be entertaining, etc. Why? Because that's Oprah's brand promise her loyal viewers. Notice consistency is a a key component of your brand promise. If we miss the show today, but watch tomorrow, our expectations are the same.

Before you consider your own brand promise, let's say you were given $50,000 to buy art with. What artist "brands" would you select and why? The "why" is the key to a brand promise.

When you define your own brand promise think about what you "give"consistently as an artists to your viewers, your customers, students, friends, collectors, etc. Notice here you have to consider your audience.

If you have time this week, define and write down your current brand promise (this may evolve over time). Does your next painting match your promise? Why? Why not? By keeping true to your promise, you'll be on your way to creating a more desirable, valuable art brand! Good luck and happy painting.

Looking for more art blog traffic?

One way to generate more traffic for your art blog is by joining group blogs. There are a wide variety of daily painting blogs (just Google daily painting blogs) online.

And what's really helpful for your art marketing is that now there are enough that you can probably find a good fit for the type of art you do. For example, I belong to Daily Painters Abstract Gallery. I get a good percent of traffic to my blog through this channel.

I've seen daily art blogs for landscapes, food, state art groups, animals, and by media type such as watercolor. Be aware that some of these blogs may have a small monthly fee or require that you be juried or submit regularly, so be sure you understand the rules before you join a group or daily art blog gallery.

Also be sure to submit your art blog to blog directory sites like Blogged, Blog Catalog, etc. where your blog listing can be seen by an even larger audience. If you have any other questions about art blogging, feel free to drop me a note at ScarletOwl@hotmail.com.

The Joy of Art Business Forms

Ahh...Art paperwork. And I don't mean enjoyable origami or collage. Over the years, when I've interviewed young job candidates for "glamorous" marketing positions, I remind them that a high percentage of marketing includes keeping impeccable records, negotiating detailed contracts, etc.

Given that, you'd think I'd be better at my own art business admin, but over the years I've probably been a bit lax in my own art contracts, agreements, etc.

Thankfully the Society of North American Goldsmiths (who doesn't like shiny things?) has been thoughtful enough to share a variety of art business documents. I haven't had a chance to look through them all, but it looks SNAG (?) covers quite a few art business bases from model contracts to consignments to auctions. Plus, unlike many art business forms online, they are Free downloads--so thanks SNAG!

Tweeting Away in the Studio

I've been Tweeting updates (using Twitter) for a while for social marketing via my marketing consulting account, but I've just recently started to Tweet as ScarletArtist in my art studio account. Please feel free to follow me!

Since art tweeting is rather new to me as well I thought I'd research and share some artist Twitter tips I found this week. When I've Tweeted some more (I just love that verb), I'll be back with some of my own tips. In the meantime, here's a variety of art twittering links I found that you may find interesting and helpful as well:

How to Play the Star Artist using Twitter
An Artist's Guide to Twitter
10 Twitter Tips for Artists
Twitter Tips for Success from Art Calendar
Art Biz Blog: Promoting Yourself on Twitter
Why Twitter is the Best Place to Do Biz from Empty Easel

Speaking of art and Twitter, I thought it only fair to give some credit to the British artist and illustrator Simon Oxley who created the iconic Twitter bird logo, here's a Washington Post interview with him.

Finally, in honor of Tweeting, I'm posting a recent bird oil painting. For more information about my art, please visit My Daily Painting Blog: Colorful Connections. Happy Art Tweeting!

Places to Sell Your Art Online

Since my post yesterday was about eBay artists, I wanted to remind everyone that while eBay likely has the most traffic, there are hundreds of online "virtual art gallery" websites where you can sell your work and/or prints of your work other than eBay.

Fine Art America
To date, I've personally only tried Fine Art America (a fellow artist was familiar with it) and because they'll produce and ship affordable prints of your work directly to customers. It's also free to post your work and if you want to be part of the print service, I think I paid about a $30 annual fee.

At first, I was happy with FAA. My traffic (views of my art) was very high (it still is actually). Several of my pieces (such a my lucky rabbits above) have been viewed by well over 1,000 visitors, but those have yet to translate into sales.

However, shortly after I joined the site, I started to have trouble with FAA. Often it's slow, or it won't load at all (and yes I do have a very high speed cable connection and have cleared my cache :)). So, I can't help but wonder if other visitors and artists have similar troubles with the site.

Because of that, about a week ago I did a quick search for other potential online galleries. I've not had a chance to look at any of these sites carefully yet, so am not endorsing them here, but here's a list of places to sell artwork online I've found so far:

• Artful Home
• ImageKind
• Red Bubble
• Art for Conservation
• Yessy
• Etsy
• Boundless Gallery
• Art Quiver

If you have a positive experience with any of these, please feel free to send your comments. I'd love to hear of a website that's working well for you and your art.

Tips for Selling Your Art on eBay

Whew I probably can't tackle this topic all in one post today. So let me at least start a discussion about it. First, let me answer the question, can you as a self-representing artist really sell art on eBay?

Yes, I personally have done so (I sold the abstract show here) and you can find a number of artists online who claim to have been quite successful. Did I make a fortune?

No, not exactly. But I did get commission work from selling smaller affordable (let's say under $50) pieces. And I was not working it at it full-time as you will often hear successful eBay artists do. So I think you do have to be committed to making it a success.

What did I sell? I sold mostly small original signed acrylic or oil paintings (but also representational like figure studies) for typically under $50 category. Here is one of the largest paintings I sold, it's 24 x 24 in the $100 range.

Now you may say, I want more for my paintings and I understand. But as a marketer, I look at eBay first and foremost as a "virtual gallery" with a very large international audience to help you gain exposure and build your brand.

Given that here are some quick tips that I think will help you sell more effectively on eBay:

1) Take a good clear picture of your art unframed and unmatted.
2) Offer Free Shipping and build that into your starting price. Be sure you know how much shipping will cost. Large pieces can quickly get expensive to ship. I kept my pieces to 9 x 12 or smaller.
3) You may have to sell lower than you would like to at first--as you build a buyer base, you can slowly raise your prices
4) Include links to your blog, website, etc. to help you build your personal art brand--you may have collectors contacting you directly as a result
5) Take some time to carefully research what type of original art is actually selling--you may need to tailor your art accordingly (smaller, more abstract, etc.) For example, I often see "Daily Painting" type small landscapes. still lifes, and figures (done skillfully) appear to be good sellers.
6) To help avoid fraud and payment problems, I only take PayPal and while I take do returns, offer only exchanges/credit.

I'll post more on selling art on eBay soon, in the meantime give eBay a try and good luck!

5 Creative Ideas for What to Paint Today

Ahh, the age old question as we artists approach the blank canvas...The whiteness looms before us. If you're like me, some days it comes easy. I wake up and know exactly what I want to paint.
Other days it's not that simple. From time to time we all need extra inspiration.

Here are 5 quick ideas to help get your creative juices flowing on your next painting. It may just be your favorite piece to date. Even better you might just sell it. Most importantly, have fun!

1) Take a favorite photo, perhaps from a recent trip or even an old black and white one from the family archives (you know that box your parents or relatives have?). Turn the photo upside down and abstract it. Can you break it down into only 10 value parts? How about 5?

2) What's your favorite color? (Mine's green for example.) Paint an "Ode to Your Favorite Color." This could be a large abstract that's more about color relationships than shapes. Or use your favorite color in interesting and surprising ways. An all green figure for example. Or a all red landscape.

3) Play "art forger" for the day. Just for fun and legally, of course. Make your own version of a Van Gogh, Manet, Gaugin, Pollock, Hopper, etc. Here's an example of one of mine, it's a "copy" of Mattise's portrait of Derain. I just loved playing with the bold brushstrokes and pure color.

4) Keep a visual idea file folder or album (I have both). It doesn't have to be anything formal--a box or envelope will do. Everytime you see something that you like such as color combination in a magazine, postcard, logo, newspaper photo, gallery show brochure, etc. grab it and file it for later. You might also end up taking some of the bits and pieces and creating a mixed-media collage.

5)Attend a live figure or model drawing, sketching, or painting class. Where can you find those? Check out your local Craigslist (under Community Artist link), local community colleges or universities (night classes), TeachStreet, local art store boards, etc.

Even if you don't normally paint the figure. I like the "non teacher" figure classes where you can be free to just practice if you are a bit rusty. There's something about painting "live" that stimulates my art making right brain. It's also great for training your eye. I try to go to a live figure class at least once a month--it takes some discipline and I don't always make it, but I'm always happy when I do make the time.

Good luck! I'll be posting more ideas in the weeks to come, in the meantime, happy art creating and thanks for stopping by!

Welcome to Art Smarts!

As a long time professional painter and artist (over 25 years now!), I've decided to supplement My Daily Painting Blog which is primarily for my collectors, friends, and art students with this blog dedicated to marketing your art as an artist.

Let me start by saying that in addition to being a professional artist, I also hold a Master's Degree in Marketing and have worked in marketing and branding for my entire "non-art" career. Over the years, I've sold over 100 paintings through festivals, online, and through word of mouth.

Yes, the economy is tough right now and that may not translate into fantastic art sales, but I strongly believe that there are art collectors out there looking to buy great art.

My first art marketing tip is to start a daily art blog if you haven't already done so. Just set aside a few hours and do it. Having an art blog is fun, it's motivating, and it helps to put you in the mind of your consumer.

The second is to track your visitors. I use StatCounter (it's a simple code you copy into your blog) and so far, I've been very happy with them. Almost immediately, you'll be able to see how your visitors are finding you, where they come from, etc. I''m pleased to report that my own blog traffic has tripled in just a matter of months with some simple marketing tips I'll share with you in upcoming posts.

Looking for more art marketing tips? Check out EmptyEasel.

In the meantime, be a smarter artist and start blogging!