When I wrote the How to get Quick Wins Online post, it was intended to be a short run down of what I consider one of the easiest ways to get started selling art online. Since I wrote that post, I’ve had a number of people email me with their own suggestions, as well as many more people ask me for other free ways to sell art online.
Here’s my list of freebies. It took me about 30 minutes to put this list together and throw the links in there – I’m sure you can come up with a bunch more on your own!
Leave your own ideas in the comments!
Online
A free website any of these companies:
Create a portfolio page on any of these websites:
- FineArtAmerica.com (see our Ultimate Guide to Print on Demand industry)
- Etsy.com
- DeviantArt.com
- Check out another 50+ options at Artist Marketing Resources here
Email marketing
Tools:
- ConvertKit (our preferred email marketing tool now has a free trial)
- Mailchimp
- Vertical Response
Things to do with your email:
- See our guide to email marketing for artists.
- show your audience your process
- do sketches of their online pictures like SeriousCreatures does with Instagram
- offer to consult with clients on what kind of art to put in their homes
Social Media
- Instagram (see our guide on IG marketing)
- TikTok
- Tumblr (yes, it’s back baby)
- Live stream your painting sessions
Offline
- Host a living room show with one of your collectors
- Host a studio visit where people can see your work
- Show your art on the street
- Show your art at a coffee shop, restaurant, or medical office
- Get some free business cards from Vistaprint
- Put on your own solo shows
- Get some “free” business cards from Vistaprint and point people to your free website
- Send press releases to news organizations
- Write about art for a newspaper
- Host a wine and painting party
- Lead a public school project that gets all the kids involved in making art
- Host tours of local public art or street art
- Curate a show of local artists in a free location
- Join your local Chamber of Commerce
- Go to lots of local networking meetings
- Speak at events
- Join trade organizations that your target audience is a part of
- Get all of the local art teachers together for a mastermind group
- Make a t-shirt with your art on it
- Make something more classy than a t-shirt with your art on it
So what else do you have? What other ways have you marketed your art for free? I’ll add some good ones to this list with a link to what you do.
Thank you!!
FYI, Vistaprint does not do free business cards any more – it’s been about a year or more. Still inexpensive, but …
Be very careful with Fine Art America. Their customer service is rubbish, they refuse to help over the phone insisting that you need to contact them via email, but then take over a week to reply even after sending multiple emails. They’re also not too good with paying the artists consistently and on time. I was locked out of my account even though I didn’t change my password, and after ten days of frantically emailing, calling, and requesting a new password to login, I had to contact the Better Business Bureau and an attorney to finally get a hold of their direct number so I could regain access to my account and immediately close it of course. Do a web search on them and you will see that I’m not the only person who experienced this, far from it. I have several artist friends who had problems with them as well. Deal with them with caution!
same bad experience with FAA. even though the product might be good when everything works out smoothly when there are problems there is absolutely NO way to contact them.
Great list! I had to smile at the “get out in the world around you” ideas bc as an introvert, I can’t imagine joining the Chamber of Commerce…
I’d also add that submitting to art competitions as a means of joining the art world both locally and online.
jadescarlettart Everyone’s experience is different. While I don’t doubt you had a negative experience, there are also lots of artists who are doing very well on FAA. Here’s a blog post that includes some stories from artists who are seeing substantial revenue from their FAA activity: https://theabundantartist.com/ultimate-guide-print-on-demand/
mandythompson feel the fear and do it anyway!
Art Competitions are a great idea. Do you know of any lists of free-to-enter competitions (since this is a list of free stuff)?
paintpaintpaint Moo offers free cards. I’ll update accordingly.
ChrisLally you’re welcome Chris!
jadescarlettart everyone’s experience is different. FAA deals with thousands of artists. While I don’t doubt you had a negative experience, there are also stories of artists doing remarkably well. Here’s one: https://theabundantartist.com/ultimate-guide-print-on-demand/
CoryHuff 🙂 Oh riiiiight FREE opportunities! Well, I’ve been watching A Singular Creation lately, since they keep a running schedule for calls to artists. (http://www.asingularcreation.com/calls-to-artists.php) Some of the competitions are free, actually. You just have to read the descriptors.
mandythompson I am an introvert too, and I have started to take some online seminars about building courage because if I truly wish to follow my dreams, I have to get out in the world around me.
JezziJaymes pooh can you tell me more about those seminars? (Cory: Sorry if we are wandering away from the free stuffs…)
mandythompson JezziJaymes This is a link from an artist @coryhuff featured http://www.superherolife.com/e-courses/cultivating-courage/
JezziJaymes Thanks so much!
I do searches for “free art listing” websites at least twice a year. These sites are easy to sign up on and create a profile page. Most will let you add photos of your art and links to your website, facebook, twitter and other social networking sites. A couple of months ago I came across The Palette Pages http://www.thepalettepages.com it’s free to artists. After signing up I was asked to do an interview. For me that was a double bonus. I not only got to link my websites and social media links, I got free advertising through the interview.
jadescarlettart I had a similar experience with them.
Great list, for me personally the offline method I have neglected for a bit too long and I need to print your list and pin it on my wall!
Etsy isn’t free though. It cost me more than it gave me, so I left
Where have you had the best results
How about write a compelling press release. Not just the who, what, when and where… give them a story with pix. It has worked for me.
Also, use your phone and make a compelling informative video…post it on your social networks.
Always remember to ask yourself what is in it for the viewer….
There are plenty of on-line art competitions like “artist of the year” things, e.g. “Portrait Artist of the Year” etc.
Join art societies and other art groups. They usually provide exhibitions for their members once or twice a year and other benefits. Membership is fairly inexpensive.
As a social media marketer and graphic designer, I would suggest investing some time in learning HOW to use social media and other online tools. I joined my local art community and have a resident studio on their campus. Participation in any local art group is a great way to network, meet fellow artists and share your work. I cannot tell you how many retired folks come to me for tech support, build a website, promote their art – photograph, edit & upload for them – design business cards, banners, brochures, etc.. I’m surrounded by painters who have very little computer know-how. My late-life education is paying off at 54!