Art Blog - ArtId

Email Contacts - What's Real? Occasionally on ArtId, we get a person or company that contacts a number of our members through the contact page in their ArtId galleries offering artists anything from representation to licensing deals. Sometimes these offers are legitimate and, unfortunately, sometimes they are not. Because your contact page is open for anyone to use, these emails cannot be dealt with as spam. An email received through your ArtId contact does not mean that we have endorsed the company or person. So, we'd like to give you some tips on how to discriminate between truly interested business people and those whose real goal is to get you to pay them a lot of money for nothing. How to Compare… Continue reading… 2 comments

It's easy to get caught up measuring "hits" to your website when you are selling artwork online, and then wondering, "Why so many hits and no sales?" Remember, hits are people, too. Not just faceless numbers on a statistic sheet. January is a great time to go back to your ArtId gallery and look at it from a buyer's perspective. Ask yourself some questions and see how you might improve your gallery according to your answers… Continue reading… 13 comments

I know dozens of artists who simply will not: have an online gallery, a blog, join any online groups, or use the Internet to their advantage in any way. Period. Statistics don't sway them, other Internet artists making sales while they aren't, doesn't prove anything to them. Well the facts are in, artists who use their website and social media to their advantage, sell. Period. The marketplace has changed and the way we do business has changed. "I don't have time, I don't like computers, it's too hard to learn, I don't have anything to blog about, it costs too much". If this sounds like you or someone you know, read on.… Continue reading… 17 comments

For ourselves as business persons we try to keep up with "what's going on" especially in the areas that are of interest to us, like art marketing. For you, as artists selling your work on the internet, we follow blogs that help us keep up with "what's going on" in Art Opportunities, Art Marketing and Social Media. There is so much information out there to digest and some of it not all that worthy. In addition to our own ArtId Blog We have compiled a list of six blogs that we have found, among the millions, to be great for artists in the business of selling art. … Continue reading… 0 comments

Email Signature as a Marketing Tool This is such a simple but powerful way to get the word out about your art. Put your ArtId gallery link at the end of all your emails. Every time you send an email will be an opportunity to remind people that you are an artist. You'll be amazed at how many people will check out your gallery. How Do I Add a Signature to my Email? Go to the "Settings" tab in your email server and type your ArtId www address into the "Signature" space under your name. Go! Go do it now! … Continue reading… 3 comments

It almost goes without saying that people love stories _ we root for the athlete with the story that affects us the most, we watch the same news report over and over because the story compels us, we even eat at a certain restaurant more often if we appreciate the chef's personal story. The same is true with art buyers. Imagine you are at an art fair and you are selling your landscapes. There are 5 other artists selling landscapes at the same fair. If a buyer is out there looking for a landscape painting, chances are that buyer will buy a painting from the artist whom he/she feels a sense of camaraderie with personally. How do you create camaraderie? Tell your buyers your story… Continue reading… 3 comments

In the last Art Marketing Minute, Maria gave us some very persuasive statistics and reasons to get out there and blog. The comment I get the most is "I have nothing to blog about." followed directly with "I don't have time to blog." The actual keyboard time involved in blogging is minimal, it's the subject matter we blank out on. Imagine...you are exhibiting in a gallery or Art Show, what are the most FAQ from viewers? Inquiring minds really do what to know. It makes them feel like they know you or have an inside track on you and your work. Buyers are much more likely to purchase original art if it has a story attached to it. Every time you upload a new piece on your artid site, there is a button that says "blog about this art". Here are 10 "Starter" tips to get any artist blogging.… Continue reading… 1 comment

Did you know that artists who write in their ArtId blogs enjoy more popularity on the site than those who don't? It's true. Every time you post a blog entry from your gallery, it not only appears in your ArtId pages and the Artists Blog homepage where visitors can read your blog and then click in to your gallery, but it also is indexed by the search engines, posted on the ArtId Facebook page (where we currently have over 400 fans) and shared with anyone on Digg, Stumbleupon and the many other content sharing networks available using the "Share" button. So it just makes sense to get yourself out there and blog to get more people to see your art. … Continue reading… 1 comment

Describing art for the internet requires artists to shift gears and think much differently about the word "description". Internet Speak In gallery speak, a "description" is "watercolor painting of my grandmothers garden where I loved to play as a child." In internet speak the same painting has to read "original watercolor painting, of garden in summer with purple and yellow flowers and a white chair." Then, you add "painting of my grandmothers garden where I loved to play as a child." … Continue reading… 0 comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Elizabeth Davison, President Company: ArtId Phone: 413-739-1494 Email: betsy@artid.com Website: www.artid.com Video Contest for Artists Targets the Moving Picture as a Marketing Tool MARCH, 2009 -- ArtId.com , the Internet's fastest growing social and business website for artists is hosting an Art Video Contest for artists who want to gain more exposure for themselves and their artwork. The video contest is free and open to visual artists of all mediums and career levels. Because the videos will be hosted on our website, all participants must open a free ArtId account to upload their videos for the contest. … Continue reading… 2 comments

This is a sample reel that features www.artid.com members, Robert Hicks and Loretta Petraitis , and will appear on the Independent Coffee Network. The ICN is an Out of Home Network that will be in coffee shops throughout the United States… Continue reading… 11 comments

Very soon you will be seeing Free Memberships on artists web sites disappearing. Actually, all manner of web sites. In order for a site to generate revenue, they must do one of two things, host paid advertisements or charge a membership fee. Advertising support is shrinking for a number of reasons leaving all websites looking for alternate revenue streams. Before too long you will be paying a subscription for online news as the newspapers scale back their print runs. Magazines are dropping their printed material and going completely online. Even with all their heavy-duty advertising, the printed magazines and newspapers weren't free and their sites won't be either.… Continue reading… 2 comments

You may have noticed that there isn't any advertising on ArtId. Since it's beginnings in 2000, ArtId has never accepted advertising. We felt very strongly that the site should keep a clean look and not get cluttered with ads. Your membership fees have been our only source of revenue.… Continue reading… 0 comments

I know it's hard enough to find the time to make your art, let alone become a video producer, but the power of video is something you can't ignore. Buying art involves a very personal kind of decision-making process, one that includes an emotional response not only to the art but also to the artist. Because of the intimate nature of video, artists have the opportunity to present themselves and their art in a way that further inspires a positive emotional response in interested buyers. If that response is strong enough, likely a sale will be made. There is something different that happens when instead of reading about the artist, we hear the artist's voice, or see his/her studio as a painting is being made… Continue reading… 3 comments

Chances are if you've been on the Internet at all lately, you've heard of Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter and probably a handful of other social media sites. You may be an active participant, a casual observer, or someone who is dead set against spending your time making "friends". Whatever category you fall into, it's important to understand that as an artist looking to market your art, using social media is a must. Luckily, using social media is actually fun and the variety of social media sites out there allows you to tailor your strategy to meet your specific needs and entertainment preferences. Below is some advice to help you as an ArtId member make the most out of social media. 1. Join three or more of your favorite social media sites… Continue reading… 0 comments

ArtId and the Independent Coffee Network have formed a content partnership. Images provided by ArtID Silver and Gold members will be uploaded to ICN and used in programming for independent coffee houses. Coffee houses will be outfitted with HG flat screen TV's and the 24/7 programming will be fed through the network. Programming will consist of original art and music obtained through independent resources. For more information about ICN you can visit their site, www.worldwidearts.com Below are some FAQ 's about this project. Or watch the video: Continue reading… 7 comments

We've just enhanced the artists' blogs so you can add your Favorite Links to your blog pages. This is a great way to recommend websites to your readers and to exchange links with other people on the Internet. Look for "My Favorite Links" as a new feature listed inside your studio in the member menu under the category "Blog". Having links to your blog and ArtId gallery from other websites also helps raise the amount of hits to your ArtId, and exchanging links with other websites you admire helps you create a network of like-minded art partners. Login… Continue reading… 0 comments

Thanks for watching ArtId's first YouTube video! It may be goofy, but there is a method to our madness. ArtId now has a YouTube account… Continue reading… 2 comments

ArtId now has Calls For Art opportunities for our artist members! Posted by professional art consultants, businesses, and private collectors looking for artwork for specific projects, the new Calls For Art feature on ArtId allows artist members to submit their ArtId studios directly to the contact person for that project. This is a service provided to you by ArtId. However, as always, we do not take any commission on the sale of your work. Good luck! Post an Art Project Know anyone who's looking for art? Let them know they can post an art project or commission on ArtId for free… Continue reading… 0 comments

Writing a proper eBay title for artwork is an art in itself. Here are some tips to help artists write a proper eBay title for their art. 1) An eBay Title is really a description - Forget what the name of the piece is! An eBay title is more like a sentence you would use to specifically describe to someone what it is you are selling. 2) They won't buy it if they can't find it! - It's the laws of the Internet at play here. People search for things online using words. If your words don't match their words, they never find you. 2) Be the buyer! - What words would you use to find art like the one you are selling? 3) Be specific! - It may seem laborious, but the more specific you are in title the better… Continue reading… 0 comments