Social media is the rage. Artists are hoping on to Social Media thinking that they will instantly get discovered and their artwork will fly out of their studio effortlessly. But the truth is, you probably spend hours curating your SM posts; you get likes but no sales. Does that sound familiar? Meanwhile, you hear some wildly successful stories about artists doing $x amount of sales, making you feel depleted. 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 online conversion for sales is 2.8% that means close to 196 million people are not making sales. That is dramatic, right? So why is your art not selling online? Having social media at our disposal provides such openness and availability to consumers. So why is your art not selling online?
Although you have followers, likes, and comments on your work doesn't mean people can afford it. People with less financial security can like your work but not buy it. But it does tell you that selling art via social media should not be your central focus to making an income. My Experience I sell my art consistently for over 20 years, I have concentrated my energy on my gallery and growing my subscriber list. Only in recent years have I started looking at social media as perhaps an introduction to my work but not as the sole provider for selling art. I am not saying that art doesn't sell on social media. But art sells a lot more in person and via newsletter. So if you are wondering why your art is not selling via social media, you are the majority of the artists with talent that doesn't sell. Please don't be despaired by your result. Here is the reason why your art doesn't sell online. But what is stopping you from selling art via SM if you are a well-experienced artist? Here is a simple fact social media is not a marketplace; people do not go to SM to purchase art. They go there to browse, be entertained, and socialize. For instance, do you go to social media when you want to purchase something? No, of course not because that is not the platform for buying products. So why would you expect to sell art on social media? Yes, sometimes art sells on social media, but that is rare. To sell art on social media, you have to have a large following. Having a large following does not mean they are buyers either. The conversion for online sales is 2.8% via marketplaces and websites, so the rate for social media sales will be less than that. As you see, the conversion rate is shockingly slim. That means you need many followers to make a living off your art. If you hope to depend on only online sales, selling enough art to make a living will take a lot of advertising dollars and effort. How to get a large following? You need to be active online, doing at least 1-4 posts a day, and engage with your followers consistently via responding and private messaging In today's online world, there is so much noise; everyone is trying hard to get attention. To get noticed, you would need to advertise to get discovered faster. Then you need to write the proper posts that will entice people to look further and hopefully make a sale from there. You also need to know how to use SM to your advantage. For example, your content creation has to be intentional, and you need to learn how to sell your art by connecting with your fans. Does it give you results? I don't want to discourage you, but here is a story; I know a couple of artists with over 80,000 followers combined; they attracted many followers via free give-a-ways and active postings; but where are they now? They both quit the social media rat race because, on the surface, they may look successful, but the sales are not lucrative enough for them to stay on. So what are you supposed to do with social media? Well, use social media to introduce your work to create brand awareness. It gives you exposure, and if you don't want to spend $ on advertising, you must work hard at posting regularly to get attention organically. That said, I don't mean to ditch your social media, but I want you to know where your energy is spent and what methods will bring the real moolah. Do not let hype make you feel deterred about your art business. With every sale on social media, there are millions of unsold work. And that is the truth. Just learn the different usage of platforms to give you additional leverage. I believe a business without social media will be hard to operate, not so much to make sales, but it is a platform to attract people to your art. It allows you to share your brand, transmit your messaging, and build a deeper relationship. From there, get them to come into your world by subscribing to your newsletter; once you have them on your subscriber list, cultivate them into buyers. Conclusion Most of my sales come through my gallery, art shows, and subscriber list. I use my social media to attract new customers and build brand awareness. But I don't consider social media my primary income source. Solution If I were you, I would start looking at social media as a place to share your work, get people's interest and get them to subscribe to your newsletter so that you can nurture them to become buyers and collectors. Use social media as one of your brand channels but do not count on it as your primary income provider. The fastest way to make money from your talent is to sell in-person or go through gallery representation. Truth Artist, don't let viral news about one artist's success dampen your spirit and make you feel unworthy. Because within the billions of people using social media as an outlet to sell things, the percentage of sales that stems from social media is not even on the radar. But know this, only 2.8% of online sales converts. And that pretty much summarizes why your art is not selling online. But in-person sales such as art shows and art galleries, the conversion is 20-40%, so tell me, which one makes more sense to spend your energy on? If you like what you are reading and my direct approach, click here to join my private FB group and let's continue the message there. P/S BTW if you are ever wondering about how to become a full-time artist or how to get accepted by a gallery, please check out my Q&A from last week, If you have any questions about the art business, please post here, and I will answer them via Q&A, your names will be kept confidential With Creative Joy, Ting
2 Comments
8/11/2022 07:27:06 am
Hi Ting
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Ting Yuen
8/11/2022 08:31:48 am
Hi Carol, Thank you for your comment. I hope this blog has enlightened you about social media and sales.
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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
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