This document provides information on how artists can make their art more financially successful by using content marketing strategies. It discusses that the starving artist myth is not true and artists can make a good living by selling their art. Various case studies are presented of artists who have significantly increased their art sales and income by creating online content that builds emotional connections with potential buyers and establishes their expertise. The document advocates setting up an effective artist website and using social media to tell stories about your art and build an engaged audience. It promotes the Content Marketing for Artists course by The Abundant Artist that teaches these strategies.

1. How to Make Your Art
Worth More

2. The Starving Artist is a Myth
you can sell your art and make a
great living doing it

3. Henri Murger
3

4. “Bohemia is a stage in artistic
life; it is the preface of the
Academy, the Hotel Dieu, or the
Morgue.”
4

5. 1904 – cook
book sells Jell-O
1982 comic book
revolutionizes toy sales

6. 2006 - Will It Blend – 600% increase
in sales

7. Content Marketing is publishing
content that is interesting and letting
people come to you

8. The Unfair Advantage
“…what people are looking for online is
original and remarkable media content…the
less your content looks like advertising, the
more effective it will be at advertising.” –
Mark McGuinness

9. People buy art because of the
emotional connection
9

10. Open up the artistic process –
Gwenn Seemel

11. What does it take to make that
emotional connection?
• Mindset
• Context
• Connection
11

12. Arts Sales =
$111.52
Billion in 2013
12

13. 13

14. Taylor Nichczynski - finding her
right people
• They care about her subject
• She makes an emotional connection
• Partnership with Safe Haven Rescue Zoo
• Filtering
14

15. The art style doesn’t matter
15

16. How art is actually sold online
16

17. Business Models for Artists
• Galleries
• Direct to fan/collector
• Products & prints
• Commissions
17

18. Ecommerce: Xanadu Gallery’s
$8,500 sale
18

19. Angela Lyon’s direct sculpture
sales to collectors
19

20. Mike Savad’s POD products
20

21. AnnRea.com’s Commissions
21

22. The ladder of value
22
Prints
Small
originals
Large originals
Custom
pieces
image by fdecomite

23. How to raise your prices & grow
your audience
23

24. the foundations of emotional
connection with art
• sign it
• title it
• date it
• number it
• document it
• explain & give context
24

25. document it
25

26. Show your work
26

27. ask for input
27

28. social media is social
be social - share really interesting stuff (in
progress art, stuff from your past), ask
interesting/controversial questions

29. Experiment and try things
29

30. Brady Black
30

31. #scdrawthis
31

32. 32
Digital Sharecropping:
Users create content for free but site
owners (typically free sites) reap the
financial rewards, set all terms and
conditions and own all content.

33. Make your website the center
of your world
Your
Website &
Portfolio
Shows &
Events

34. explain & give context with stories
34

35. But my art doesn’t have a story
35

36. Effective artist websites
36

37. The #1 reason artist websites fail
Your website is a sales tool, not a work of art.
Your website is a sales tool, not a work of art.
Your website is a sales tool, not a work of art.
Your website is a sales tool, not a work of art.
Your website is a sales tool, not a work of art.
Your website is a sales tool, not a work of art.
37

38. Want to sell? KISS
38

39. Home page
39

40. ecommerce single page
40

41. Search Engine Optimization
41

42. Mobile responsiveness
• Roughly 30% - 40% of all website traffic is
on mobile phones and tablets
• More than 50% of email is read on mobile
devices
• Look for mobile-
responsive themes
42

43. Self Hosted or Artist Website
Companies?
43
or

44. case studies
44

45. TAA’s Flagship Course:
Content Marketing for Artists
• Learn to tell stories
• Learn to stand out
• Create buzz and sales
• Have fun
• Be authentic
45
TheAbundantArtist.com/content

46. Case Study:
Angela Treat Lyon
“… the biggest challenge was getting myself
out there in the world more.”
• 4x the number of Facebook Likes
• doubled print sales
• “several requests for the use of one-time
licensing”
• a small email list of collectors who love her
work
• incidental sales of her books on sculpture
46

47. Angela Treat Lyon:
$12,000 in new sales
I’m way more confident
about simply being an
artist…Being with other
artists in a live setting
used to make me almost
sick to my
stomach…talking about
my work to non-artists
is now – tadaaaa –
exciting!
47

48. Details about the Course
• 20 short video modules, covering:
• Learning to talk about your art effectively
• Identifying your target collectors
• Effective Artist Websites
• How to Build an Email List
• How to Sell Using Social Media instead of
Wasting Time
• Alternate between lessons &
implementation
48
TheAbundantArtist.com/content

49. Details about the course
49

50. How Adam Hall increased his
income by 60% in one year
“When someone
decides to buy a
painting it is their
decision and I
wondered if I could
really influence that
decision. I think the
answer is yes.”
50

51. How Adam Hall increased his
income by 60% in one year
“I was scared that the class might just be
another dead end and that I would have
to take a part time job that I would be
lousy at and that I would hate.”
• Became a confident writer
• Learned to open up and connect with his
audience
• Learned to work effectively in a series
51

52. Content Marketing – The Checklist
TheAbundantArtist.com/content

53. The Facebook Group
“…the best group I belong to, bar none.”
- Angela Lyon
53

54. This course is for you if:
• You feel comfortable adding attachments to
email and have basic writing skills
• You are willing to do the work without excuses
• You have a sense of humor, exploration, and fun
54
TheAbundantArtist.com/content

55. TheAbundantArtist.com/content