Have you ever wondered how to sell art online?  You have a website, you're on social media, and you've got the new collection ready to sell, but where do you start?  Whether you're new to the game or are already a seasoned pro, here are 5 keys that will unleash your online art sales this year and give you more understanding of how to be a successful artist.  
 
Key #1 – Artist, Know Thy Customer  
 
First things first.  Start by discovering your ideal client.  Who is the person most likely, out of everybody in the world, to buy your work and put it in their home or commercial space?  As artists, we'd like to think that the whole world is a potential client, but that's just not the case.
 
In my Created to Thrive Artist Mentoring Program, I teach artists how to create a client avatar, or what some call a buyer persona. This is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal client based on what you know about your existing customers and the research you do in your local and regional art marketplace.
 
Listen To What I Said On My Podcast About This:

Creating a client avatar (buyer persona) is easier than it sounds, and you're probably already doing it to some degree and don't realize it. It's just the process of paying attention to the interactions and conversations you're having with customers every time you sell a piece of art and collecting that data. Even if you've only ever sold one piece of art, you know something about the person who bought your art.
 
This is a process that really never ends because every piece you sell is another chance to interact with people from a client perspective, from a strategic partner perspective, from a gallery perspective, and a referral perspective. As you do this over time, you'll start to get a great picture of who these people are, what motivates them, what they're looking for, and where and with whom they hang out, which brings me to the second key. 
 
Key #2 – Go Where the Clients Are  
 
In a recent article about how to sell art if you live in a rural area, I said, "If you want to catch fish, you have to go to where the fish are." Makes sense, right? The same holds true with finding customers.  Once you understand who your ideal client is and what they are into, it's time to develop what I call intersection points. The goal here is simple, regularly getting in front of your ideal client using a variety of strategies.
 
Now that you are starting to understand who your ideal customer is, you want to be found by them. In the real world, you can do this through a variety of ways like exhibiting at the kind of art shows they frequent, volunteering for the non-profits they support, and speaking at social clubs they've joined. 
 
But don't let social distancing or physical separation keep you from being found. Advertise in the types of magazines they read, start collaborating with the interior designers they are using, and follow common social media interests. Again your goal is to cross paths with your ideal clients in as many natural non-salesy ways as you can so that they can find you. And this leads us to the next key.
  
Key#3 - Connect (Like Your Art Sales Depend Upon It)
 
The point of the first two keys is to get you talking with your ideal client. If you don't remember anything else I share, remember this:

No Connection, No Sale.

People buy from people that they know, like, and trust. Think about that for a second. As an artist, you have to build a connection with your client so that they feel connected to you, your aesthetic, and the work you're producing.  If you don't build those connections, you won't have many opportunities to make a sale.
 
So, again, these connections are built up over time, and they're developed along with those naturally occurring intersections points you're beginning to seek out intentionally. As the relationship grows with your ideal client, so will their interest in owning one of your pieces, which brings me to the next key.
 
Key #4 – Make the Offer Clear
 
The confused mind rarely buys. Now that you've got a potential client interested make it easy for them to shop.  In simple terms, let your clients know precisely what they get from you when they invest in one of your creations.  You should include details like:
 

• The name of the piece
• A good description  
• The dimensions of the piece
• The mediums and media used
• If delivery is available and included
• If framing is available and included
• Available payment options
• The price

 
Whatever it is that you're offering, make sure those details are available to a client browsing your website.  This holds true whether you're selling finished pieces, prints, or commissioned originals.

Create a clear, compelling offer

This brings me to the final key.
 
Key#5 – Keep Your Checkout Process Simple
 
Make it easy for people to give you money. I recently had an experience with a local merchant that drove this point home for me. Instead of a quick swipe, signature, and press of the yes key, I received a 10-minute lesson in loving my technologically challenged neighbor. 
 
It's so easy to accept credit cards, checks, wire transfers, and even cryptocurrencies online, over the phone, and in-person in today's world. There's really no excuse for making it hard for a customer to do business with you.
 
Don't know where to start?  Check out Square. They are great. I use them for accepting credit and debit cards both online and in person.
 
So, there you have it, my top 5 tips selling your art, online and otherwise. Remember the keys:
 

• Create Your Client Avatar
• Develop Those Intersection Points
• Cultivate Authentic Connections
• Create Clear Compelling Offers
• Keep the Checkout Process Simple

 
Got Questions? I'd Love to Answer Them
 
I sure hope this has been helpful. If you have a question for me, I'd love to answer it here in my blog and on a future episode of 5-Minute Mentoring.  Just stop by my podcast page and leave me a voicemail. Thanks for reading.

In our social media-driven world, should you be working to collect an email address from your website visitors and clients? Absolutely! There has never been a better time to commit to an effective email mailing plan as a part of your overall art marketing strategy.
 
With all of the social media platforms available to us today, I get this question all the time from folks like Misty, one of my podcast listeners, "Matt, do I really need an email list, and if so, why?"  It's too easy to fall into the trap of thinking, "All I need is Facebook.  All I need is Instagram. All I need is YouTube." And as much as I would love for this to be true, today's art entrepreneurs need to use a variety of tools if they want to create meaningful and profitable connections with their social media followers.
 
Don't Keep All Your Marketing Eggs In One Basket
 
I have been in the art marketing game long enough to realize that technology platforms, specifically social media, make significant changes without warning, often at a moment's notice.
 
Companies routinely change their algorithms, what THEY think is important, which impacts what their users and your followers see in their social feeds. And when this happens, all of the organic connection you've worked so hard to build could disappear in an instant.
 
Next to your website, your email list may be the most crucial marketing tool YOU OWN. And I say, "you own," because unlike the following you've built up on social media, you have complete control over the connections you cultivate with and content you deliver to the social followers and customers who have opted-in to your email list.
 
If the unthinkable happened and your social media accounts stopped being useful, you would still be able to use email to stay connected, create interest, inspire people, and bring them to an event, class, or sale.
 
Want to Hear More on This Topic, Then Listen To:

Building Your Email List

It all starts with building your list, giving your social followers a chance to become a bigger part of what you are doing. One of my favorite tips that I share with my Created to Thrive Artist Mentoring Program is to offer their casual followers a free resource. 
 
I use an offer similar to this on my website, podcasts, and in my blog. The embedded link takes visitors to a landing page where they are asked to share their first name and their email address so that I can send them this free resource. Feel free to click the picture to see what I mean, plus you'll get a great free resource.
 
Your Invitation to Cultivate the Connection
 
The other thing I love about building an email list is this: When a person gives you their email address, they are telling you they are interested in what you do, but more importantly, they are inviting you into their world.
 
Think about it in these terms. If you owned a gallery on the main street in your town, you'd showcase your most impressive pieces in the front window of your shop as a way to capture the attention of folks passing by.
 
But thriving art businesses aren't built upon the passers-by but by the folks who come into your studio. Once someone has come in through your door, they are looking to learn more, giving you a chance to build a connection and potentially gain a client.
 
In some ways, social media is the online equivalent to an attractive window display. It's great when you get those likes, comments, and shares, but once a social follower opts-in to your email list, you then have the opportunity to connect personally. They effectively permit you to push that send button so that you can connect with them directly in their inbox.
 
Once you start building that list, be faithful to cultivating that connection through weekly or biweekly emails and monthly updates. Use email campaigns to reinforce what you are doing on social media and introduce them to new concepts you're working on, collections you've completed, or classes you're planning to teach.  
 
Got Questions? I'd Love to Answer Them
 
I sure hope this has been helpful. If you have a question for me, I'd love to answer it here in my blog and on a future episode of 5-Minute Mentoring.  Just stop by my podcast page and leave me a voicemail. Thanks for reading.

Have you ever wanted to unleash yourself artistically and create free from the confines of always using reference materials when you embark upon an artistic adventure? Are you looking for a key to unlock and tap into a limitless supply of imagination and creativity that informs and inspires your creative process? 
 
Lots of artists are looking for this, and recently one of my podcast listeners reached out for some strategies on how he could begin doing this. Nigel wants to break free from relying on photographs as his source materials into creating paintings birthed out of his imagination, but he's finding it challenging to make the transition.
 
If this feels familiar, I get it, and I want you to know you're not alone. I spent many years using reference materials, photographs, other works of art, and even general inspiration, to inform, inspire, and shape my woven sculptures. But as I began to understand the nature of creativity in the Kingdom of God and the role that divine inspiration plays in the artistic process, my whole world began to change.
 
As I pressed into my calling as an artist in the Kingdom of God, I began to discover the keys, Biblical truths, to unlocking the inner creative well* of inspiration that the Father has placed inside each of us.  But before I dive into the "how-to," let's back up and take a look at how a healthy Holy Spirit-led imagination is supposed to function.
 
Creative Imagination is a Beautiful Engine
 
I believe that creative imagination is a beautiful creative engine that God has given us. It's full of emotion and fully capable of sensing both the natural world we see and spiritual realities we can only perceive. In a sense, it's a kind of divine alternate reality we can explore with the guidance of the Holy Spirit where we see, hear, feel, touch, and even taste things that are not YET tangible.  And it's not just what I believe; it's an idea birth in scripture:
 
It is by faith we understand that the whole world was made by God's command. This means that what we see was made by something that cannot be seen. Hebrews 11:3
 
Or this classic verse talking about Abraham's faith:
 
God who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. Romans 4:17
 
Your God-given, Holy Spirit-inspired imagination is how you get to see those things that are not as though they were.  And as you begin to embrace the reality of what the Holy Spirit reveals, you have an opportunity to co-labor with the Father to bring those things to life through your creative expression.
 
Intentionally Jumpstarts Your Creative Imagination
 
Pulling inspiration from your imagination isn't something that's going to happen on its own. Just as you've gathered reference materials specifically and intentionally over the years, you're going to have to start cultivating and using your imagination intentionally as well.  But believe it or not, you're already off to a good start.
 
Your divinely inspired creative well won't spring forth from a vacuum. As a Kingdom artist, you are called to create from not only Holy Spirit inspiration but also from the fruit of everything you've cultivated in your heart and mind over the years.  That means that all of the inspiration you've gathered, the music you've listened to, books and poems you've read, and beautiful things you've been a part of are already in your well.
 
With this already in place, the next step is to partner with the Creator of the universe. Start by asking the Holy Spirit, "Holy Spirit, would You blow over me and awaken inspiration that is in my heart from years past?  From things that I don't even realize?  Would You begin to activate those things in me so that I can begin to pull on those in my creative process under Your inspiration?"
 
Visualization Fuels Your Creative Engine
 
Now, the other thing is that I am a big believer in visualization, allowing the Holy Spirit to take your imagination on a journey that fills your creative well with inspiration.  I believe that when you visualize in your creative imagination with the Holy Spirit, that your faith is activated as you come into agreement with:

• Who God says you are
• What God says about your art
• Where God has called you to take your art
• How God has already provided for your art

 
It's how you begin to see those things that are not as though they are. It's also how you begin to co-create your artwork with the Lord.  If this is feeling a bit new to you, don't worry. Let me walk you through your first adventure with the Holy Spirit.  To begin, you'll need a few things:
 
Your sketchbook or art journal & a pen (Need tips on journaling? Read This)

• A comfy place to sit
• Some worshipful instrumental music
• 30 or more minutes of uninterrupted time

 
So, begin by putting on the music, sitting down in your chair, and closing your eyes. Take time to connect with the Father and to let the cares of the world and the day wash off. Then once you feel ready, just say, "Holy Spirit, take me on a journey and open up my imagination."
 
Now don't be surprised if you find yourself drawn to some of the source photos or reference materials you've collected over the years. This is normal. But as the Holy Spirit begins to focus you on one idea or location, maybe an old Cathedral you've visited or a landscape you photographed years ago, invite Him into that place and into your imagination. Then begin to watch, look, and listen with the eyes of your heart.

• What are you seeing?
• What are you hearing?
• What are you smelling?
• What colors are you drawn to?
• What is the atmosphere like? 
• What is the landscape like? 
• What else do you see?

 
Stay in that place, exploring with the Holy Spirit, until you feel a release. It may take 5 or 10 minutes, maybe longer. Then once you're ready, open your eyes, pull out your journal and begin to capture in words or sketches what you just saw, sensed, and felt.  But it doesn't have to end there.
 
Over the next few days, go back and revisit this with the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to highlight and reveal more details, insights, and nuances. Again, finish by capturing what you saw in your journal, sketching in additional details to better capture the essence of what you're seeing. The goal is to use your God-given creative skills to capture the beautiful things you're seeing and experiencing with your Holy-Spirit-inspired imagination.
 
Another Creative Tool for Your Belt
 
Over the years, these Holy-Spirit-led journeys have become vital to the ongoing practice of filling my creative well. I still use reference materials, gather inspiration from my walks in the woods, music I listen to, books I read, the art I admire. But now I allow the Holy Spirit to fuse these together in my creative imagination.
 
One time, I had a basket that I wanted to create. I'd never woven a basket like this before. I was stuck on how to connect the inside to the outside. That night before going to sleep, I simply asked, "Lord, would you show me how to do that?"
 
That night I had a dream, now this doesn't happen every time, but that night it did. I woke up the next morning, jotted some notes in my journal to capture what the Lord had shown me, and then I went to the studio and did what I saw in my dream. WOW! And why not? If you could ask the Holy Spirit to lead your spiritual life, why can't you ask Him for the same in your art life?  That is the normal way that the Kingdom works. 

I hope you'll give this a try. Start going on some Holy-Spirit-led journeys in your imagination. As you do, you'll begin to create unique works of art from your creative imagination that reveal the Glory of God.
 
Got Questions? I'd Love to Answer Them
 
If you have a question for me, I'd love to answer it here in my blog and on a future episode of 5-Minute Mentoring.  Just stop by my podcast page and leave me a voicemail. Thanks for reading.

* I was first introduced to this concept by Julia Cameron in her book, The Artist's Way, where she says "In order to create, we draw from our inner well. This inner well, an artistic reservoir, is ideally like a well-stocked trout pond. We’ve got big fish, little fish, fat fish, skinny fish – an abundance of artistic fish to fry. As artists, we must realize that we have to maintain this artistic ecosystem..."  As I have explored it more over the years, the Holy Spirit began to bring me more revelation about how inspiration works - how it's discovered, held and nurtured within us. Central to my understanding is that the Holy Spirit moves over all the inspiration we sow into our heart and mind, allowing us to co-labor with Him in the creative process.  

One of the secrets to art business success that I teach artists is that “Connection is Key.”  Your ability to thrive creatively is directly affected by your willingness and ability to connect with clients, strategic partners, mentors, and other creatives.
 
But what do you do if you live, work, and create in the middle of nowhere, or out in the boondocks, as we say down south?  Is thriving while geographically isolated even possible? Well, the short answer is yes, and here are a few nuggets of wisdom that will help you thrive where you’ve been planted.
 
Create Community
No matter where you live in the world, the internet is your gateway to connection.  Even if you only have a cell phone and a mobile data plan, you can still:

• Connect with clients for art sales and art class sales.
• Find strategic partners for referrals and gallery opportunities.
• Join creative communities where you can be encouraged, inspired, and mentored.  

 
So, where do you begin?  Well, obviously, in today’s world, social media may be the best way to start building a connection with people online. Connecting with clients and strategic partners online is something you can do from anywhere. From regularly posting on a Facebook page or an Instagram account to posting your art process and how-to videos on YouTube, you’re only limited by your own imagination and a couple of tech tools like a phone, some basic lighting and internet connection.  
 
But the benefits of social media for creatives don’t end there. One of the worst things about remote living can be a crushing sense of isolation, and it makes sense. We weren’t created to live alone. To combat isolation, consider starting your own Facebook group of fellow artists, joining an existing group or program (like my Created to Thrive Artist Mentoring Program), and even starting a simple group chat or text among creative friends!  It doesn’t have to be fancy, just get started.  
 
Fine Tune Your Website
Online art sales exploded last year with close to $5 Billion worth of sales. For many artists that I know, 2020 was their best year ever. Now they did have to pivot to prosper during a global pandemic. Still, the fundamentals of what they did on their websites will help any artist succeed.
 
Your website should pique curiosity, showcase your talents, inspire and inform your visitor, all while providing a clear, simple pathway for them to connect to you and the art you create. A great website is a mobile-friendly hub where you display, describe, and inspire people through your art. It tells the story of who you are, building that initial connection with your visitor. Then it presents them with an opportunity to purchase right on your website or through a link to a third-party site like Etsy, Fine Art America, or Saatchi Art.
 
Go to Where the Fish Are
So down south, it’s said, “If you want to catch fish, you have to go to where the fish are.” Make sense, right?  The same holds for selling art. If art is not selling in your local area, you sometimes have to be willing to travel to where people are buying art. At this point, you might be wondering, “But Matt, isn’t online sales enough?”
 
Well, yes, but mostly no. I’m a big believer in something I teach in the Mentoring Program called The Parthenon Plan ™ .  I encourage artists to create a multi-pronged, multi-strategy approach to building their art businesses. This concept helps creatives build healthy businesses with multiple income streams through the variety of methods they use to connect with their clients.
 
In a nutshell, don’t have all your “eggs” in one basket. Over the years, I grew my art business both only online and in person. I learned early on that I had to be willing to travel.  From Atlanta to Philadelphia, from Atlanta to Chicago, or from Asheville to New Orleans. I sought out the shows and opportunities where I knew that my best clients would be.
 
“But Matt, I don’t know where to go. What do I do?” First of all, don’t let not knowing something paralyze you. Begin with a little research:

•  Get on Google and start looking
• Talk to other artists
• Visit the shows you’re interested in being in
• Read trade magazines and find out what’s going on in your niche

 
As we begin to return to a sense of normality post-covid, in-person shows and sales will come back. We’ll see old shows return and new shows and opportunities to connect and sell in-person springing up for those willing to do a little “road work.”
 
Be Intentional
The last thing that I would say is be intentional.  Be intentional about going to where your best clients are. Be intentional about creating community online. Be intentional about developing strategic partnerships.  Don’t be afraid to be deliberate and step out.  Be prepared.  You have got to build a net, if you will, to be able to catch all the “fish” that God is bringing into your art business.
 
I hope this has been an encouragement. Thanks for reading.

PS: Combating isolation is one of the reasons why I started the Created To Thrive Artist Mentoring Program.  Created To Thrive is a world-wide community of artists that have banded together to be encouraged, inspired, mentored, and challenged. They are embracing their calling as Kingdom artists while living life together online. Sure, we host a couple of live events a year, but we connect on Facebook, post on Instagram, and chat regularly on Zoom for the rest of the year.  For many of our geographically isolated members, this online community has allowed them to find “their people.”  Created to Thrive is truly a band of brothers and sisters who encourage and inspire each other along the way.  ​