For online success–and perhaps art success in general–you must choose a niche. That’s the only way you’ll get a good listing at the search engines… and, to be found online, search engine placement is key.
There were over 398 million sites listed under “art” at Google, in April 2005. About a year later, there were over 2.5 billion art-related websites.
If you plan to focus on art in general, you’re competing with the National Gallery of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and hundreds of millions of other sites.
You’ll find greater online success by determining what makes your art–and you as an artist–unique, or relatively unique.
Are you working with unusual materials, techniques, or subjects? Focus your marketing strategies on that.
Is your niche your location? (The latter is ideal if your art appeals to tourists and people who love the area where you live.)
Is there something distinctive about you personally, that will attract people to your art? For example, did you win millions of dollars on Jeopardy and now your art involves doors that open to reveal illustrated questions or clues? That’s your marketing niche.
Decide what makes you and/or your art different from other artists. Even if it’s not a hugely successful field–or perhaps especially if it’s “a little odd”–this is your niche.
For example, Anne Geddes made her unique baby pictures popular when “baby pictures” suggested standing home photos or “studio pictures” taken at Wal-Mart or Sears.
Marketing success comes from choosing a niche, and clearly defining it.
You don’t have to “fine tune” your niche marketing right now. Simply look at what you do and what makes your art unique, and start with that. Plan your keywords based on what makes you unique.
Instead of being one in 398 million artists, you could be one of 50 listed under “art painted tin foil.” If you choose an even narrower niche–such as “painted tin foil masks”–you can be at the top of the Google list, with no competitors.
Choose your niche. Define what makes you and your art unique. When you’re starting out, that’s very important for marketing success.
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