Rosa Lemel. Allied Academies International Conference. Academy of Marketing Studies. Proceedings. Cullowhee: 2010. Volume 15.
Introduction
The traditional method of selling art has been so engrained in the art community that it took some time before artists, and the galleries representing them, were willing to use the Internet as a marketing tool. Artists are not typically business savvy, but their representatives should be, especially when they take a commission as high as 50% of the sale price. Selling is time consuming and takes time away from creating works of art, therefore many artists opt to hire representatives to sell for them in spite of the high commission they take. Furthermore, most artists have never taken a course in marketing or business and would not know how to market or brand themselves and their work.
Historically there were three main outlets for selling art. Organizational buyers made up a large part of the buying (Clarke & Flaherty, 2001). Companies such as Ford or Pepsico lined their corporate walls with artwork as a public show of support for the arts as well as for investment and décor. The next traditional outlet for selling art was interior decorators who were hired by wealthy clients to match the décor for their homes. Finally, we have the art collector who buys artwork as a long term investment and as a commitment to a particular artist or genre.
In the past few years the Internet has exploded with new possibilities for artists to sell their works. One of the newest innovations in the use of web technologies is the creation of social networking sites to allow for social interaction and the creation of virtual communities. These sites allow the artist to show their works to a larger authence while helping them to establish an image and target specific customer segments.
Overview of Social Networking
Social networking allows for users to interact with other users and to create their own content on the Internet to further the social interaction. In 2008 Fred Gavazza published a diagram showing the social media landscape (http://www.fredcavazza.net). His diagram, groups the various social tools and services available on the Internet. The categories include publication tools, sharing tools, discussion tools, social networks, micro publication tools, social aggregation tools, platforms for liavecast hosting, virtual worlds, social gaming platforms, and MMO/MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games.)
Not all of the social media tools available are useful to the fine artist, but many are. This diagram shows an array of tools available to connect to the online community. The most useful tools for fine artists are blogs, online art communities, and general social networking sites such as Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook. Since this diagram was created in 2008 there has been a blurring of boundaries to such an extent that it makes it almost impossible to classify sites into discrete categories. These sites are continuously evolving and allowing for more overlap at many levels.
Marketing Fine Are Using Social Networking Tools
One of the most popular social networking sites in the United States is Facebook with over 500 million users as of July 2010 (Wortham, 2010). Facebook, founded in February 2004, claims its members spend around 700 billion minutes each month on its site, with more than 30 billiion photographs, links to websites, and articles uploaded or shared through this site. MySpace, founded in August 2003, currently has 130 milliion registered users (Stelter & Arango, 2009). The demographic profile for MySpace is younger and less affluent than Facebook (Stelter & Arango, 2009). Twitter, founded in July 2006, has roughly 75 million registered users (Gaudin, 2010) although a study by Robert J. Moore, founder of RJMetrics (Gaudin, 2010) concluded that many of these accounts are inactive.
Art buyers and collectors today are younger and more educated (Falkenstien, 2004). Some fine artists today use more than one social networking site to market their art, but given the time it takes to maintain a site and keep an updated profile, the artist might want to use only one site. Websites are in a constant state of flux, but currently Facebook offers the most number of users and unique visitors of the three major general sites.
There are also social networking sites that cater specifically to the needs of the fine artists and art collectors. The top ten are (artmarketblog.com) MyArtSpace.com, artreview.com, artmesh.org, artslant.com, artlog.com, independent-collectors.com, artselector.com, rhizome.org, labforculture.org, and artbistro.com.
With no shortage of social networking sites, the trick is to use the time spent online wisely. Social networking is used to keep connected with people you already know, and to form relationships with people who have similar interests. For artists, it is vital to maintain ongoing relationships with former buyers and collectors as well as to form new relationships with potential customers. Social networking is used in much the same way direct mail and catalogs are used to announce exhibitions or promote a gallery or specific artist. The difference with social networking is the ability to globally reach more people with richer current information any time of the day.
A social networking site such as Facebook allows the artist to showcase his/her artwork and to discuss the inspiration and techniques used to create the work. In this way the artist can cultivate an interested following. Collectors can “friend” the artist. This gives them immediate notification of status updates such as works for sale, exhibitions, or newly posted blogs. Works in progress can also be uploaded and periodically updated with new images as the work nears completion. Instructional demonstrations can also garner a following. With Twitter the artist can send out text-based “tweets” to other users to keep them informed about new works, exhibitions, or other inspirational thoughts. Facebook and MySpace allow for the inclusion of various photos, and status updates to keep followers aware of new developments. These sites also allow the artist to post blogs. These can be used to teach or give information about the painting process and new works. Blogs can also be used to share ideas and opinions with other artists or collectors. Blogging can be used to keep connected with followers. Many bloggers have a loyal following eager to read the latest posting.
No discussion about social networking is complete without mentioning social networking video sites such as You-Tube. Similar to other social networking sites, user created content is uploaded in video format. Many artists use the site to promote their artwork by simply creating a video montage of their artwork. Others have uploaded videos of their painting process, including speed painting videos showing the creative process in hyperspeed. Hours of painting can be compressed into a 10 minute video clip. Followers can subscribe to the artists channel and keep informed of new video uploads. They can also post and read comments by others who follow this artists work. This allows buyers to directly communicate with the artist, adding a personal touch.
Using Synergy in Social Networking
Using as many social media tools as possible, all linked in some way, will produce a synergistic effect that cannot be achieved with any other traditional form of marketing. For this reason, fine artists should consider social networking to market their creations. One way of doing this is by using YouTube to showcase artwork and then posting the YouTube link on a Facebook page. As users see the video, they will send the link to other users, or post it on their own Facebook pages. Before long, if it is deemed worthy, the link will be embedded in many other sites. If it catches on, it is called “viral marketing.” Blogging is another avenue open to the artist. Simply creating a page on Facebook will expand the artist’s visibility and reach. Embedding links to their website, their current auctions, blogs, and videos, will create this synergy.
Conclusion
This article explores the various ways social networking can be used to market fine art. Traditional forms of selling art are still viable for well known established artists, however the Internet offers a wide world of opportunity for obscure and remote artists who are not represented by galleries. Artists are just beginning to understand the implications of using social networking for marketing artwork. Further study is warranted to determine actual sales made using social networking and whether art specific sites work better than general social sites that reach a much wider authence. Other Internet tools should be used in conjunction with social networks. These include an artist website, e-tail art galleries, and auction sites to promote and sell artwork.