In the Art Marketing Minute Podcast, you’ll learn how to sell your art, how to market your paintings, and everything else you need to know in order to have a successful art career. Each episode answers questions from artists by host Eric Rhoads, author of “Make More Money Selling Your Art,” publisher of several art magazines and newsletters, and author of ArtMarketing.com.

In this Art Marketing Minute, you’ll learn keys to selling art on Facebook on Instagram and how to get exposure through your local media outlets.

Art Marketing Minute Podcast: Episode 3

Submit Your Art Marketing Question:

What questions do you have about selling your art? Email Eric today at [email protected] (include your name and where you’re from) to hear your question answered on an upcoming Art Marketing Minute Podcast.

FULL TRANSCRIPT of the Art Marketing Minute:
DISCLAIMER: The following is the output of a transcription from an audio recording of the Art Marketing Minute. Although the transcription is mostly correct, in some cases it is slightly inaccurate due to the recording and/or software transcription.

Announcer: 0:02
This is the art marketing minute with Eric Rhoads, author of the Amazon best selling book make more money selling your art. In the marketing minute we answer your questions to help your art career brought to you by art marketing. com, the place to go to learn more about marketing. Now, here’s your host, arts magazine publisher, Eric Rhoads.

Eric Rhoads 0:23
Thank you, Jim kipping. And thank you for joining us today. I am here. My goal is to eliminate the idea of the starving artists. So let’s get right to today’s questions. So here’s a question from Cindy P. of Phoenix, Arizona. Cindy says, What’s the key to selling artwork on Instagram? or Facebook?

Well, that’s a big one. Well, first, I think it’s important to understand that we all think that we have an instant market if we have a big number of followers, let’s say got 5000 followers, and we think that every time we do a post, everybody’s gonna see everything we do. It’s not true Facebook owns Instagram, Instagram and Facebook are the same company. And they’re trying to force people to buy ads for exposure. So the algorithm that they use is only pushing out 2% of what you push out to your followers. That means very small number of your followers ever see what you post and it seems to be the same ones over and over and over again, the ones that interact with you the most, don’t assume people are seeing it. Secondly, though, we hear all these great stories about selling paintings. As we examine some of these stories, some are true. Others have other linkage to other things that have gone on that just happened to be kind of implemented through Instagram or Facebook, though there are people who are selling on Facebook, Instagram, the ones who sell well tend to have huge numbers, hundred 200,000 followers. There are exceptions to that but yet large numbers that increase your odds. I’ll be doing a lot on Instagram and Facebook at the Art marketing bootcamp sessions with the planner convention but a couple of things to think about First off, don’t try to sell to turn off people are there For content, so for every time you ask for something, you need 10 times you’re not doing any asking, you’re just doing content, so 10 to one ratio. So positive post lots and lots of content, spread it out. Not all at the same time I was on Instagram or Facebook or something the other day and it’s like 10 things in a row from the same guy. It’s like I defended him, I just didn’t want to see all that. So spread it out. Spread it out throughout the day, different people look at different times. And so you want to make sure that you spread it out. Secondly, repeat content. Just because it’s been out there one time doesn’t mean you can’t repeat it. You can look for a different way to say it. But the same people aren’t always seeing it so it’s good time to repeat things. Secondly, comment often commenting and interacting with people builds your feed exposure, look for ways to comment on other people’s posts. If you look smart people will wonder who you are and they’ll visit your page. And if they find good content, they will friend you and stays good way to build but also the interactive is really good for your algorithm. So they’re looking for people who are interactive. If somebody’s commenting a lot, now you have to be careful about click bait. Gotta be careful about saying, you know, click here if you think this or whatever, because they’re looking for people who do that and you will get penalized. Next, keep in mind that birds of a feather tend to flock together. Most artists follow other artists, it’s probably rare for a collector to follow you. It does happen, of course, but we’re learning that artists are buying lots of art, so that’s okay, too. So when you put it out there look for subtle ways of saying it’s available, like, you know, thinking of sending this to my gallery, if it doesn’t sell here, the next 24 hours, they’re going to get the drift. You don’t have to say, if you’re interested by here, you want to be creative about this stuff.

Here’s another question from Larry K. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He says I’m constantly seeing stories about other artists and local media. How do I get some of that action? Well, Larry’s squeaky wheel gets the grease, most of those people that get stories didn’t just have happened to randomly get discovered. They made phone calls, they put out press releases, they were talking to people. You want to assume that frequency is important at all marketing. One time doesn’t get you anything one time advertising one time on of Instagram posts one time on anything doesn’t help. You want frequency repetition, repetition, repetition. So call editors, meet them over the phone, tell them your story. Send pre written stories because editors get into binds Oh no, they’ve got a story they got to put in tomorrow in the end, the thing fell through, send them lots of photographs and things that are going to get their interest.

So pre written stories can help because if they’re in a bind, you can hire a PR firm, but that’s expensive, but that’s just what they do. They just call people. They get to know people and they know them and they call them and say here’s a tip. I’ve got this thing about this artist. You could do that but it’s going to cost you a lot of money and that’s okay. That’s what they do and they’re good at it sometimes and sometimes Not, but it’s really just about getting to know people. Now the other thing is, don’t tell us this I have, I can’t tell you how many times I get this into such a frustrating thing. They’ll send them a note and they’ll say, you know, here’s I’d like you to do a story on me. And by the way, I was just featured in this magazine, this magazine, this magazine. Well, the last thing I want to do is put something in that everybody else has done, I try to be unique. I don’t want to be putting things in that everybody else has done. So when you tell me that, I don’t want to hear it. So if it has happened, first off, if you’ve just been in five other magazines, I do a story about you and I find out about it. It’s not going to make me happy, but I’m going to feel burned. But if you’ve got something unique, you know, pick out somebody and say hey, I want you to do a story on this. I’d like you to consider this be nice about it and say you know you’ve got the exclusive on this. I’m not going to give it to anybody else. If you pick it up and then that gives you an opportunity to go up here. Here’s something unique and interesting.

Well, this has been the Art marketing minute with me Eric Rhoads. My goal in life is to eliminate the idea of the starving artist and to help your dreams actually come true. So if you want to submit questions, simply email Eric@art marketing.com. And to learn more about marketing ideas, you can visit Artmarketing.com Thanks for listening.

Remember to Submit Your Question: What questions do you have about selling your art? Email Eric today at [email protected] (include your name and where you’re from) to hear your question answered on an upcoming Art Marketing Minute Podcast.