When you aspire to be a professional artist, you might envision the stereotypical "starving artist." Unfortunately, many talented artists fall short when it comes to marketing, making it difficult to legitimize themselves as a professional. Learning effective marketing can help you starve less and feast more.

Start With A Website

The likelihood of being a successful artist through showcasing in galleries is low. Although showing your work in galleries is an excellent way to improve local visibility and engage with prospective buyers, it does nothing to put your work in front of an unlimited number of people. If you can only afford to purchase a domain name and not hosting, start with the basics. Some free web hosting plans will allow you to point your domain to their platform. As soon as you are able, transfer your website to a paid host. You want your website to be the central hub where you post pictures of your work, information about yourself, and offer your audience a chance to make a purchase or commission unique pieces.

Keep Your Website Simple

One of the first things people should see when they visit your website is pictures of your artwork. You may want to take your best artwork and make them scroll across the front page. This is not the time to ramble on about your accomplishments or information about yourself. Save this information for a special "About" section. Visitors should be able to easily navigate your website and find a full gallery or portfolio of your work, items available for sale, and a contact page. It is best to have visible social media icons in one of the top corners so visitors know they can follow you on other platforms.

Think About Residual Income

Many artists take commissions, and this is the bulk of their income. Much like other creative professionals, there will be spans of time when work is slow, or you may simply have creative blocks. Your overall strategy to keep a consistent income as an artist should include residual income sources. One method artists uses is to take high-resolution photographs of their work and have them made into prints.

Offering prints affords you the opportunity to keep the original for yourself or have it ready for buyers who are interested in the original artwork. Furthermore, you are not neglecting a segment of your audience who cannot afford original artwork, but want to support you. For small, simple pieces, it may be worth the investment to make prints yourself by using a photo printer and specialty paper. Otherwise, you can use print-on-demand services, which prevents you from having to make an upfront investment in prints that may not sell.

With many resources available, you have unlimited tools available to improve your business. Although being a professional artist is not always easy, no matter how talented you are, learning to effectively market yourself is a start. Contact a company that specializes in online marketing to learn more.