One of the questions I often get from artists is wanting to sell their art online. Unfortunately, the misconception of online business is severely misunderstood because most artists think that online equals social media. Because of this misconception, artists are hopping on to Social Media, thinking they will instantly get discovered and their artwork will fly out of their studio effortlessly. Hoping that all they have to do is make art and create posts, and their business will work like clockwork. Unfortunately, that is not the case, or else we should all stay home and do just that. In this newsletter, I want to educate you on:
How social media works.
First, don’t believe every sale you hear on social media is through the platform. Most likely, the sales transactions were in art shows, e-marketing, or galleries. And the artists are just celebrating their wins on their business pages. Okay, now, let’s look at statistics so that you understand the facts. Here is a statistics from K6 Agency that says, “It is said that most pages reach around 6% of their total fans (even less on some occasions). Facebook reach is the number of unique individuals who see your posts on Facebook. It’s a metric that affects your engagement, likes, clicks, etc.” And to be specific, that is 6% of your fans on your platform the day you posted it. So let's say, if you have 100 followers but on the day you posted, only 50 were on the platform and 6 % of those people saw your post, that means your content reached three people. Shocking right? That being said, social media is a number game, and that is why new businesses relying on social media to make it are in for a rude awakening and reality check. You must also realize that Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are businesses; they are not here to promote your businesses freely and gleefully. You are there to entertain their users and help them grow their user base. Why it is not a reliable way to do business Here is another statistic that will confirm the truth about social media. The conversion rate of sales happens on social media is 1-1.8%. But do you know how many deals are not happening online on every sale you hear? Close to hundreds of millions. Think about it: Meta (Instagram and Facebook) has over 200 million business profiles. How many people are selling there? If Social Media sales conversion is 1.8%, means 196,400,000 million people need to make sales. That is dramatic, right? Having social media at our disposal provides such openness and availability to consumers. So why is your art not selling online? The truth is Meta and TikTok are social platforms; therefore, most people are on there to be entertained and socialize. Think about your actions every day towards these platforms. You are on there scrolling to waste time. Sometimes, you see something that inspires you, and you save it, but at times, there is nothing genuinely intriguing, so you are just scrolling endlessly, watching puppies doing cute stuff. I get it because I am entirely guilty of animal reels, too. Now, I would like you to reflect when was the last time you purchased something through Meta or TikTok? Most likely, you have not done that because, unlike Amazon, you don’t think of that platform as a market place. That is why, although you have followers, likes, and comments on your art, it doesn’t mean people are in the market to purchase it. People may like your work and comment with no intention to buy. Although we appreciate compliments, they rarely translates to sales. A 1.8% conversion rate is exceptionally slim. Additionally, if something happens to these giant platforms, all the fans you have built through your hard work will also disappear because they do not belong to you. Your fans belong to the Platforms. In what ways can your business benefit from social media? Okay, now you are thinking, why do I even bother? Those words have crossed my mind, too. Yes, why are we using these platforms for our business? The answer is to get free organic exposure. No matter how minute it can be, Free is Free, so let’s take advantage of that because our business needs all the help we can get. So, I want to touch on Free Exposure and Paid Reach. FREE Exposure: Free is excellent. To grow your fan base on SM also means you have to be there four times a day with educating and entertaining posts to gain attention and fans daily. So, instead of painting, you are on the couch marketing on social media, which is necessary. Still, there are better ways to market your art without the unsurmountable work with little results, which can be frustrating. Here is what social media is suitable for: announcing your promotions, sharing your creations, process, and mission, brand awareness, and most importantly getting subscribers to sign up for your newsletter. It’s also a way to converse with your fans to gain trust so that you might make a sale when you have something to sell. In today’s world, social media is one of the staples for your business, just like your website. It shows social proof and legitimacy. PAID Reach: Social media is an excellent tool for promoting your business through advertising. With over 4.8 billion users globally, advertising on these platforms is the most effective way to get your enterprise noticed amidst the online clutter. By advertising on these platforms, companies can increase subscribers and boost sales. I personally use social media advertising to promote my art and coaching business, because relying solely on organic reach to generate revenue can be time-consuming and require significant effort. And that is the main reason why the algorithm only shows your posts to 6% of your fans or less. These social media giants want us to advertise with them because that is their primary source of revenue in their business model. You are sadly misled if you are an artist and believe that social media is the key to achieving organic online business. The most significant factor in online business is e-marketing, which entails advertising to attract potential customers to your subscriber list and nurturing them to become buyers. As someone in business for over 23 years, I can attest that my revenue is independent of social media to sell art. Instead, I rely on my gallery, art shows, and e-marketing. To grow your business online, prioritize e-marketing over social media as it's crucial for new businesses to work strategically. Relying solely on growing your social media followers may lead to failure. If you found this blog post beneficial, leave me a comment, I would like to hear from you and I answer to every comment and emails. With Joy, Ting
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Ting YuenI am an artist and art marketing strategist that is passionate about creating meaningful art and courses that inspire your life, business and home. Archives
February 2025
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