How to Sell Digital Art as a Newbie
We’ve discussed selling art as a CG artist. But what if you’re brand new to digital art or just starting to think about selling your work? It’s a lot! Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Here are a few tips to consider when trying to sell digital art as a newbie:
Clean Up Your Social Media
With online businesses, the overall look of your social media profiles will make a huge difference in how your business is perceived by potential customers. For years business experts and jobs sites have been imploring freelancers of all kinds to either create a professional and personal page or maintain a clean page that includes both business and personal content.
“Clean” suggests having a method to posting. For example, rather than an Instagram account full of random images, make it mostly about art you’re creating and personal pics. Just like no one would want to buy something from a store full of chaos and mess— similarly, nobody wants to see a cluttered Instagram full of random images.
View your social media accounts as an opportunity to create a brand and a style to market yourself to your potential customers. Avoid any bad behavior or rudeness, and remember that as a business, you need to keep up certain standards that you may not adhere to on your private social media pages (i.e. maybe save the partying pics for a different account).
Join Community Forums
There are many reasons why joining community art forums is a good idea for any artist beginning to sell their work including:
- Expands your network: As you’re just getting started in the industry, your network will be a key area of growth that you will need to develop, and community forums are one of the best ways to achieve this goal–you’ll get connected with both potential customers and mentors that can help connect you with other industry professionals.
- Builds your personal brand: By getting involved in community forums, like those on Cubebrush, you also develop relationships with others that will in turn help them connect more with your personal brand and by extension, your artwork.
- An opportunity to learn: Forums are full of experts, and if used effectively, can be great places to learn and develop your skills. You can also enter competitions, which can be a powerful way to take your abilities to the next level regardless of whether or not you win. And if you do win, it can be one of the most effective paths to gaining recognition and strengthening your portfolio.
Consistently Post Your Art
You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again: consistency is key. And for new artists, it’s even more important that you share your art often and regularly. Being consistent gives your brand an identity, not only helping reel in followers but more importantly, getting them to stay.
Whether it’s through posts of your artwork or casual stories giving people a sneak peek of your latest piece, the only way to ensure you make the most out of your social media marketing efforts is by posting consistently. The same is true for community forums. Is a blog offered? Then do it. Anything that allows you to network and get your artwork into the world more frequently is a win.
Don’t Forget to Engage
Posting quality content, often is important–but engaging with your audience is almost more so. When someone comments, likes, shares your work REPLY. Show them that you appreciate that they’ve noticed you.
Remember, when it comes to social media or community forums, people aren’t just looking for a one-way experience— they want to form a genuine connection with the brands they support. In fact, 66% of people view a business more favorably if they respond. If you want engagement, you have to give a little too.
Choose a Badass Platform
So you’ve ticked all of the necessary prerequisites to selling your art: tidying up your social media, participating in forums, and posting consistently. It’s time to set up an online marketplace, where people can easily find and purchase your products.
Selling digital art requires a great platform that can house all the assets you’ve got. Here are some things to consider when searching for the one:
- The revenue split: As your virtual salesperson, freelancing websites will require a small percentage of your income. Of course, the higher the ratio, the better for you, but as a general rule of thumb, you’ll find a 70/30 split is the industry standard.
- Reputation: Building a solid reputation requires using a website that has one too. Choosing a platform that is credible and has high numbers of traffic will help you lighten the load and help you make the most out of the service.
- Community: Remember, when you’re joining an existing platform, you’re joining a community—look for engagement opportunities like forums and blogs.
- Ease-of-use: The last thing you want is to open a shop neither you nor your customers can navigate. That’s why choosing an intuitive and user-friendly platform is the key to securing business on both ends.
- Customer service: In order for your shop to operate flawlessly, the platform you use will have to as well, which means having a dedicated support team to ensure just that. It’s crucial that the website is responsive to issues and questions that might pop up, especially when you’re just opening your shop.
Make the Easy Choice
Cubebrush offers the ability for new artists to not only sell their assets but also join a community of other sellers who help one another, making it the ideal place for beginner CG artists to get their foot in the door.
With opportunities for a 95/5 revenue split by selling directly from your shop, Cubebrush gives artists the recognition and credit they deserve. And with excellent customer service, they will ensure you get your shop up and running in minutes. Don’t let other platforms make you feel like the newbie–take control with Cubebrush.