by Becky Sciullo | Nov 3, 2021 | Artist Blogging 101, Artist Websites, Blogging
Is your Artist Website Ready for Holiday Sales?
Halloween is over, and thoughts have turned to Thanksgiving and Christmas.
With news of shortages on the rise, holiday shoppers will reportedly get started earlier than usual this year. So make sure your artist website is ready. Here are some things you can do to make the most of the 2021 holiday shopping season smooth rather than chaotic.
First, Get Your Web Pages Ready
Update your How to Purchase page. If you don’t have one, devote a page to holiday shopping providing information such as cutoff dates for sales. Alert your customers trying to receive their order on or before December 24th of important dates for that to happen. Make sure you keep in mind shipping carrier deadlines. December 15th is a pretty good bet if shipping within the US, but make sure you research your particular situation. You could format this page in a Frequently Asked Questions format.
Make sure all of your work is listed on your site and up to date. And, if you are using a shopping cart, make sure the buttons are working.
Consider offering gift cards, which can be done through providers such as Square, or you can create your own.
Then, Prepare Your Blog Posts
Your artist blog is a perfect place to promote your products and services this holiday season. Here are some examples of the kinds of posts you can share to help your readers and maximize holiday sales.
Share new work to stay top-of-mind as people are browsing the internet for gift ideas.
If applicable, highlight different price points that might accommodate different pricing levels.
If there is any way to draw upon seasonal elements, do it. For example, if you create functional pottery, show images in holiday settings. For jewelry artists, highlight your creations paired with festive outfits.
Don’t forget customary campaigns like Black Friday and Cyber Monday and write some blog posts around these themes.
Share pertinent shipping dates in a blog post.
If you have a large local or regional following – consider highlighting local events that your followers may be interested in attending.
Don’t forget a plan for thanks and seasons greetings. At Thanksgiving, post a blog thanking your customers, followers, and fans. You might even want to send cards or offer a small token of appreciation for larger clients, but even a blog post will do. Just do it. You can do the same for Christmas and the New Year.
Get Ready for Art Sales
For all of these ideas, prepare them in advance! You will likely be too busy to focus on them when the time comes for them to post.
Share Your Ideas
Do you have an excellent idea for a holiday blog post? Share it by sending it to becky@artisan-advantage.com.
Photo by Artboard Studio on Unsplash
by Rebecca Sciullo | Oct 14, 2020 | Artist Blogging 101
You did it! You started or added a blog to your artist website. Congratulations!
Now, you may be asking yourself, “What do I post?”
What you post first depends a little bit on your situation. The truth is, first posts don’t matter that much. The good news about this is that not many people will see your blog at first. I advise artists not to share their blogs until they have ten to fifteen posts under their belts. Unless you already have a large email list or large online following, your traffic will probably be light. That’s okay! Take solace in this fact and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. The important part is to start.
Where to begin?
Are you an established artist with a devoted following, or are you new to marketing your work? This may alter your conversation a bit with your readers, but generally speaking, consider the following:
What is interesting to your audience?
If you are an established artist with a following, you will probably want to share new work. You might want to take the opportunity to share the process behind your work. Or, introduce outlets where people can find your work, if not purchasing from you direct.
If you are new to selling your work, you will want to start sharing work that best gives your visitors an idea of who you are as an artist – the work that is most representational of what you do.
If you are a teaching artist, looking to grow your following, you should consider the questions your students commonly ask you. What are the things they get stuck on? These will be great first topics for you.
Tell your story.
You can never go wrong providing the who, what, why, when, and where behind your art.
Who are you an artist?
What kind of work do you create?
Why do you create this work?
When did you get started, and how?
Where direction are you headed in with your work?
Just Start
The most important thing in this process is to start. Blogging is an evolving process. The more you write and post, the easier it becomes. As you grow and work with your plan, post ideas will become more evident.
For more help with your artist blog, sign up for my Create! Sell! Newsletter.
by Rebecca Sciullo | Jan 25, 2020 | Events
I’m looking forward to presenting a talk at the Upper St. Clair League for the Arts on Tuesday, February 18, 2020. Read more about this event below.
Building a Strategic Web Presence for Your Visual Art Business
Upper St. Clair League for the Arts
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
7:00 pm
Upper St. Clair Municipal Building
1821 McLaughlin Run Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15241
Learn how a simple blog-based website can serve as the marketing hub for a visual art business. The goal of this talk is to show artists how to use this type site to present and promote their work effectively online. And it’s not as hard as it looks!
Some things that we will talk about include the following:
– How and why the blog works as a presentation and promotional tool for any artist, no matter the medium they are working in or the state of their art career.
– Misconceptions about blogging and websites.
– Different options for building your blog and website.
– Examples of information you can share on a blog.
-How to cultivate an audience through blogging.
-Examples of artist blogs.
There will be time for Q&A at the end.
I look forward to presenting and hope to see you there!
by Rebecca Sciullo | Feb 12, 2018 | Artist Websites
Don’t be the victim of an artwork purchasing scam.
It’s an unfortunate reality that not all inquiries you receive about purchasing art are legitimate. It’s exciting to get an email from a prospective buyer, but please be aware that scammers frequently use this method to try to con artists.
What typically happens is an artist receives what seems to be a legitimate email inquiry about the purchase of work. An email conversation ensues between the artist and the supposed buyer. If the sale proceeds, the artist is sent more money than agreed upon for the sale. The artist is then asked to cash the check payment and send the balance back via a money order. During this time period, the initial check sent by the “buyer” bounces due to insufficient funds and the artist is out the amount that they “refunded” back to them. Another twist is that the buyer will ask the artist, to pre-pay shipping because of a special arrangement with their “shipping agent”, with a promise of reimbursement. After doing so, the buyer disappears and the artist is out of the funds.
Sample Scam Email
Below is an email received by an artist that I work with. This email was quickly identified as a scam, using an email response that I offer for your use later in this post.
I am so excited that I came across of your work on internet search,I am interested in purchasing these creative artworks from you…………………
Snow Bowl “Jupiter Light”
“Scattered Frost” “Honeycomb Falls”
Let me know their various price and how much discounts are you going to give? I will be happy to have these selected artworks hung in our new home in Miami. As well,I want you to take out the shipping cost.I have been in touch with a shipping firm that will be shipping other house decoratives.
We are traveling from our Seattle home to our new apartment as soon as possible. On Paying for the artworks,I will be glad to pay you with a Money Order or Cashier`s check in US funds that can be easily cashed at your local bank,please let me know on how to proceed for the payment of the creative artworks.
I will await your advise on how to proceed.Have a wonderful day.
Take care, Kathryn Edwards
Tips to avoid a scam.
If you sell online, here are some warning signs to look for in a prospective buyer’s email.
The grammar that does not sound quite right…”I am so excited that I am across of your work on internet search”…
Any mention of shipping costs or that they will make the shipping arrangements. Legitimate buyers inquire about shipping if you don’t list it on your site, but don’t typically make their own shipping arrangements. Do you ever make your own arrangements for shipping an online purchase? Never ever pay a “shipping agent” for the buyer.
A story that involves them needing to have work shipped to a different location other than where they are currently located.
Proactively telling you how they will pay, especially when it does not involve a credit card.
A story that involves them not having a credit card to use because they are purchasing the work as a “secret” gift for a spouse, partner, etc...For long distance or email transactions, I recommend only accepting credit card or payment through a service such as PayPal, Square or Stripe.
Here’s how to respond to an inquiry.
Here is a sample response to use in order to determine whether or not you are dealing with an authentic buyer.
Thank you for your interest in my work. I ship via the U.S. Postal Service, Federal Express or UPS. Depending on your purchase and location, I will determine which service will work best for your purchase and give you a quote prior to shipping. I accept credit cards only via Pay Pal or Square. Please send me your shipping address and I will provide you with a shipping quote.
If you send this email and you don’t get a response, chances are the inquiry was a scam.
I hope that all of your buyers are legitimate, but make sure you vet your inquiries. Better safe than sorry!
Have you had an experience with a scam that you think would be helpful to share with other artists? Are there other tips that clue you into a scam? Please comment below or send your story or tips to becky@artisan-advantage.com.
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Photo by Raúl Nájera on Unsplash
