After finishing your artwork, there is nothing more important to any artist than selling it. Even if you’re ‘only in it for the glory’, what better accolade can there be than someone handing over their hard-earned money for your art?
There are literally tens of thousands of professional, semi-professional and amateur artists in the UK alone, but you have one thing they don’t: Your personality. My aim in this book is to help you to bring that out as best I can, giving you the edge over everyone else and making sure your voice is heard by potential clients.
First up, if you haven’t already, you’ll need to set up your website and social media presences. These are essential in turning leads into sales and attracting more fans. You’ll find more in-depth info about this in the next few chapters, but let me lay this out in short form here.
Without a good website with PayPal (or Buy Now) buttons, you’re missing out on sales. If you don’t have one of these, the bare minimum you should have is an ArtRehome/Etsy/Artfinder shop. Otherwise all your hard work of directing people to your various resources will be wasted if people can’t actually buy anything of yours when they get there… and believe me, ‘Call/mail me for prices and to purchase items’ is a sure fire way of missing a sale. You need to support that impulse-buyer by using direct sales on your website whilst you have their attention!
Make sure all your images are true. We all have different resolutions and settings on our monitors, phones and pads, but if the images are as true as you can get them before you share them, the more attractive your work will look.
If you over expose them to look better, you’ll have returns from people who’re disappointed. If you under expose them, you’ll have fewer people ‘liking’ them in the first place. I often see images on artists’ websites that are dark, out of focus, or taken in a room full of distractions… believe me, they’re missing out on so much. If you don’t bother, it’s doubtful others will.
Be professional in all you do. Take well-lit, well-positioned images that aren’t cluttered with studio ‘stuff’. Sure, take images of your studios if you like, but do that separately. Your work needs and deserves to star on its own and it doesn’t (or at least shouldn’t) need any props to enhance its magic.
Make sure your photos are taken under white or natural light. Yellowing light from studio or household bulbs tan your work and take away from its glory. Make sure the images are straight on and not skew-whiff. And more than anything make sure they’re sharp and not blurred.
It’s worth spending the time to find the right ‘environment’ for your photos as you’ll be doing more and more of it as your sales increase. Show us you care about your craft and we’re much more likely to honour that effort. There’s little point in spending days/weeks/months over your artwork, then photographing it badly and in a hurry. Go the extra mile here… you’re worth it!
Once your work is ready to be presented, make sure you do it well on all platforms: website/sales page (with an instant buy button!!) Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. If you feel it necessary (more on image copyright later), use a light watermark, but always have a link back to where it’s available to buy.
Believe me, I’ve had enough sales after 11pm to know people go surfing after the pub and will happily click on a buy button if they’re there. As mentioned, give them time to think about it and they will. Catch them right at the moment they’re tempted and they’ll jump. Please, if you do anything, make sure this part of your business is easy for your customers!
If we all improve our presence, it’s my belief we’ll all help the industry rise, too. It’s why I’m writing this book: to help us all soar above our expectations and let people know we’re serious about what we do… in the inimitable words of Alexandre Dumas: All for one and one for all!