Monday, November 3

Formula for Success - Part 1 "Don't be Scared to Subscribe"

When I started pursuing art as a career, I was completely lost. How is it done? I didn't know. I new I could paint and make the work, but had no idea how to promote it. So I researched online and found a formula for success!

First
I subscribed to blogs that I new would teach me what I needed to know. Experts such as, Alyson B. Stanfield http://www.artbizcoach.com/ and Clint Watson http://www.fineartviews.com/ have so much real life knowledge to share, I knew I could trust them to guide me. They have been VERY informative, discussing topics such as marketing online, ethics, and professionalism. They are all about the business of selling art, not to be confused with how to make it... that's up to you!

Next
I needed to be informed about the arts community so I searched for listserves and messages boards to join. For artists particularly in Nashville, Art Talk Nashville Google group is great for keeping up with all the events around town. If you’re an artist in Nashville and haven’t joined, do so right now!! When I wanted to expand my reach I posted to the East Nashville listserve, it has 2,737 members! By joining and posting on these message boards I've made great connections with other artists and am reaching many more people with my work.

Then
after learning what everyone else was doing, it was my turn to make it happen! With $0 dollars I started this blog on Blogger and a portfolio on Flickr. I posted ads on Craigslist to direct traffic to my blog, and it worked!! For the first time, people besides my friends and family were able to view my work! So now that the “If you build it they will come” philosophy came true, I needed to be able to track my progress. By using Google Analytics, I can see how many people visit per day and how long they stay. I had opened a can of worms and for months I had plenty to do.

Since March I have been desperately trying to learn how this all works and have only scratched the surface. But what I hope for is to share how I did it and to inspire others to try. It's possible!! For all the artists out there that don't know how to get started, you CAN make money doing what you love. If you ever have questions, please ask me! If you have advice, I’d love it! Email me at binglishart@gmail.com

To receive Part 2 “It Pays to Post” subscribe to the emails or follow this blog.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the mention, Beth. I'm glad you're tracking your progress and I look forward to hearing more about how it's working.

clintavo said...

Good luck Beth, it sounds like you're off to a good start!