With Facebook set to hit 500 million members this July, you can’t afford to not be on Facebook at this point. I’ve written about Facebook a lot over the past few months, but I can’t keep away from writing about it more. Picture this little scenario:
Johnny is a 35 year old professional, a young executive-in-training. He’s smart, good looking, and has a little extra money to burn. He has a nice home and he wants to start making it a little more sophisticated by adding some original art. He likes collage art, so he starts doing searches inside of Facebook for collage artists. His initial results give him a couple of artists and he notices that people that he’s friends with already Like those pages.
When he clicks through to the page, he lands on a gallery showing this artist’s work. It’s fresh and inspiring, so he clicks that Like button, and now he’s a fan. He visits the wall, the information page, and goes back to the gallery. He sees a piece that he really likes and notices that there is a little ‘Buy Now’ button next to the collage. He clicks the button and it takes him to a shopping cart. He buys it and then it returns him to the artist’s gallery.
Sell Your Art On Facebook
The scenario that I just described is already happening in very small numbers. It’s also not the only way that Facebook can help you sell your work. In addition to this scenario, you could also make your art appear on people’s pages using Facebook Ads. You can give people the opportunity to share your work with their Facebook friends using the Facebook Like Button. The possibilities, you see, are becoming endless.
There are the basics of selling art on Facebook. You should have a Fan page, be uploading your work to an image gallery, create events based around your new work and showings, favorite other pages, share comments and discuss things with your fans. Those are the ground level things that everyone should already know how to do.
Then there are the advanced techniques. John Kraft went on record to say that Facebook is his favorite method of advertising his art. Here are some ways to get started with some more advanced marketing on Facebook.
Facebook Ads. You know those little ads that appear on the right column on your Facebook page? You know that those ads can be targeted according to people’s interests, biographical data, and user behavior? So, for example, if you were a painter of pets, you could target an ad at people between the ages of 35 – 60, with college degrees, who like dogs and cats. Then, in the ad, show them pictures of your work. What could possibly be more enticing than that? Plus, the ads are cheap. Generally around $.50 – $.80 per click.
The Like Button and Facebook Metadata. Last month I wrote a post about the new Facebook Like button. I said that Facebook was quietly taking over the Internet, and I was right. Now sites like Yelp, CNN, and hundreds of other big websites are leveraging the Like button to share their information with potential cusotmers. The thing about this is that it takes almost zero effort and no cost. If you are running WordPress there are a plethora of plugins that will implement the Like button for you.
If you are smart, you’ll also have your website set up to display your art in a gallery that gives each piece it’s own page. If you’ve done this, then you can turn your artwork into an army of likable objects that do a ton of marketing for you. Example: since installing the Like button on this site, I’ve received an average of 5 – 10 Likes per blog post. Multiply that by the fact that each person has an average of 120 friends, and over the course of two months of three posts per week that’s 1800 – 3600 sets of eyes who saw my stuff without me doing any extra work.
Facebook SEO. Yesterday Justin Kistner wrote a very interesting blog post about the fact that soon Facebook will be giving Google a run for its money in the search game. Just like in the opening story, more and more people will start to search Facebook for the things that they want.
There’s tons of opportunity in Facebook for artists right now. How are you taking advantage? Check out the How to Sell Art Online Facebook page and let me know!
Wow .. thank you so much for this valuable information. A friend of mine — a truly gifted artist who has thus far sold all her artwork faster than she can produce it — has asked me to be her agent. I will be sure to set up her facebook fan page immediately. I will also follow your brilliant suggestion to set up her website to display her work in a gallery format with one work of art per page. The Facebook form of marketing is especially wonderful at this stage of her career where we need watch our spending. You’ve noted that this is an especially cost-effective way to market, and I agree. Thanks so much … I really like your blog.
What is the link to your website which showcases your artwork?
With respect to the pay what you will coaching, what would consider to be a respectable amount? I would not want to insult you?
Hi Vita – thanks for your comment. I’m excited for you and your friend. Don’t worry about the amount for pay what you will. I’ve seen it range everywhere from $15 to $50 for a 30 minute session – but that really doesn’t matter.
Hi. I read this with great interest but there is one problem that is not being addressed here: buying art online can lead to some huge disappointments – Almost any painting/drawing can be made to look much better posted on facebook than when you see it “in person”, plus (many) online artists can puff up who they are and their backgrouns – which entitles them to inflate their prices. Some even play off of dead people, claiming relationships with them knowing no one can prove it! I see online art buying without actually seeing the pieces as riddled with potential problems. Give me a gallery any day.
Besides the fact that you didn’t disclose your real name, Artbuyer, how many people do you know who have had this unfortunate experience? I can see that it could happen, but just like most criminal activity, it happens in the margins. Most artists are good, honest people and collectors needn’t worry about getting ripped off.
Also, name a gallery that doesn’t puff up its artists’ reputations just a little bit. There are just as many dishonest gallery owners as there are artists. The Internet doesn’t hold sole license of stupidity and deception.
I see very very few artists online actually selling anything through facebook, and most at prices that are probably too low.
I actually don’t see galleries selling much either recently, it is just an illusion created by the unregulated and very manipulated elite art market.
Galleries fail more than restaurants, lets keep that in mind…and there is a reason.
I see far worse behaviour in galleries, and astronomically higher prices than to art bought directly only.
This post almost sounds like a troll.
Love the article but very concerned over FB policy wherein they own the rights to the images posted on their site…
“You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings. In addition:
For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (“IP content”), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (“IP License”). This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it.”
That concerns me…
I feel your pain Marg. I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Facebook isn’t likely to go running around selling giclees of your work. You’re far more likely to generate attention for your work than have something negative happen.
Facebook like button is very important for SEO. Because nowadays, Google listed Social signals are also important for SERP. So Facebook likes are one of the best SEO factor.
I’ve really enjoyed reading your different articles. They are so informative and interesting. This post give truly quality information. I’m definitely going to look into it. Really very useful tips are provided here. thank you so much.Keep up the good works.