Having trouble getting your paintings, prints, or sculpture sold? Even with the internet, does it seem like it’s difficult to earn money doing what you love?
Look, the truth of the matter is that it takes talent for art to sell. What is artistic “talent” exactly, in a world of such varying interpretations of art? That depends, but buyers know it when they see it, as do critics (or so they say.) The bottom line is that without artistic skills, selling art is never going to be easy, global market or not.
If you’ve got the talent but still no sales despite an online presence, then it’s probably time to expand your market. Do so by reaching out on a global scale. It doesn’t require some kind of ad campaign or controversy, just a series of simple steps.
Those steps are as follows:
Expand payment possibilities
The first step in connecting to a global market is making sure online shoppers can make a purchase regardless of their local currency. Utilize a service like Checkout to get access to potential customers in China, Latin America, and many other markets otherwise inaccessible. It may turn out there are thousands of folks currently willing to buy your art, just without the means to make the purchase happen.
Make shipping simple
Shipping internationally is not as complicated as most people think. Getting your ducks in a row with international shipping paperwork and guidelines allows for peace of mind in the legal department. Then it’s just a matter of figuring out accurate shipping estimates for all inhabitable coordinates on the planet. Relax, there are easy to use tools for that, to streamline the shipping process for all parties involved.
Use social media
Many artists are hesitant to use social media to reach out to potential buyers. They’re worried about pestering strangers and alienating them, but using social media to sell art is key to expanding sales in the modern age. The trick to using social media to help sell your art to customers around the world is to make the content visually oriented. For artists, this won’t be very difficult.
Learn more about the world
It pays to know about the world around you, in more ways than one. It will certainly help improve your art, but it will also give you a better sense of the cultural trends in countries on other continents. This will, in turn, make you a better salesperson in these markets. We artists aren’t often naturals when it comes to making sales, so don’t worry about being a little clumsy, especially with a language barrier.
With over seven billion people on Earth, there is plenty of market for artists to sell their work. Getting attention on such a crowded planet, even with true artistic talents, is easier said than done, no question. However, thanks to the internet, the ability for artists to sell their work has never been better. Take the right steps, and tapping the global art market is an achievable goal for anybody.