Monday, February 6, 2012

Sell Your Art Online Free With Facebook

Is it really possible to sell your art online for free? Well, if you’ve been battling away with the other half a million or so artists on Facebook and wondering what all the fuss is about you might just be starting to turn your back on the wonderful world of Web 2.0.

Facebook for Creatives? Well I guess 500 million users can’t be wrong…(can they?)

facebook ceo

As social networking web sites go, Facebook is the granddaddy of them all. What was created in a Harvard dorm room for students to keep in touch just a few years ago, now boasts a membership of over 500 million users worldwide and continues to grow daily. Wow! Imagine if you could mine just .01 percent new business contacts to sell your artwork to, could retirement be far away?

Facebook allows you to keep in touch and interact with family, friends, groups and potential customers through a personal profile. Here you can send messages, photos, videos and more for all-the world to see or just a select few. I think the success of Facebook, is in our desire to have, as Andy Warhol said, in the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes, our 15 minutes of fame.

Facebook is the most used of all the social networks and as such it is a great way to keep in touch. It is quick and easy to create a page, or create a group, even join one, or use this service as a electronic file for business cards and contacts. You can even solicit feedback from fellow group members, comments, suggestions and criticism.  All this and more with just a few clicks of your mouse.

Here is my Top 5 to-do’s if you want to make Facebook work for you and help you sell your art;

  • Profile set up – establish the right look and feel right from the start. People want to “know” you and it’s vital to give your new audience the right first impression. Add a short, sharp bio on the profile page and then more detail within the information page. Add a link to your website if you have one or other social sites such as your Twitter user name.
  • Groups – join groups related to your niche to meet with other artists and share ideas and useful contacts. A gallery or art buyer who is not interested in your style of work may well be open to looking at someone else’s and this works both ways!
  • Pages – set up your own business page to showcase your artwork and use it to engage your audience and discuss your upcoming work. Pages are really powerful and have the ability to go viral if they can attract, entertain and interract with their audience so keep your lively and you’ll reap the rewards.
  • Search – learn how to use Facebook’s search function effectively to find potential buyers and interract with them.
  • Chat – DO NOT USE !! Facebook chat will drag you down and drain you. It’s there for social users and business is not done through it – remember, you’re here to sell your art, so treat facebook like a business meeting and you’ll see a good return on your investment.

facebook facesIf you are like many artists, and your work is done alone at home or in your studio while creating your art, Facebook and other like sites, allow you to reach out to family and friends as well as business prospects and connect with likeminded people to help and support you. As an artist/creator, you will understand the need for the mix of a social/business presence in the community.  One of the tools you can use to achieve this mix in the Global community is Facebook. It becomes your International gallery representing you and your art. It puts your face to a name and that of your clients as well. Like your art, it allows you to express yourself and for others to see the manifestation of that expression in words or in photos/video of your artwork. It then becomes a great sales tool helping you to acquire new business.

Facebook may not be the only place online to sell your art for free but it’s certainly one which you should have a presence on.

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