If you are unhappy with the amount of traffic to your art website and the amount of sales that you have been making, there is something that an artist can do about it and that is to start an art blog. A blog is a vehicle by which an artist can help to gain more exposure on the internet, help market their art and help in developing their brand. There are numerous other benefits to an artist for having an art blog, but to me, the following are the top 3 reasons why an artist needs an art blog:

1.   Traffic to Your Art Website – Many artists have successfully started and maintained art blogs in order to create and generate more interest in their art. And it is through their art blog that they are ultimately able to direct those visitors and readers to their art website.

Successful art blogs will contain art related articles and posts, have guest art bloggers provide art related content, have experts contribute articles about specialties in the art field, allow and encourage comments from visitors and have art related links and websites that may be interesting to their blog readers.

A good and effective art blog will be a destination and a source to many, that will answer art questions, provide related news about art and be able to inform and teach a reader with new and timely information on art related subjects.

If an art blog is not providing the kind of information described above, then the art blog will probably not generate much traffic and will become an exercise in wasting time for the artist/blogger. Just as a press release is not a commercial but rather it is “news”, a blog should be a source of information to its readers, not a “look at me, buy my art” type publication.

2.   Marketing Your Art – Through an effective and well-written art blog, artists are able to create an atmosphere, whereby their readers feel like they are “insiders” and that they are receiving exclusive information, just for them! To create this tone, an artist can show how their art is created, demonstrate how they conceptualize their subject matter, display technical methods when creating their art etc. Overall, the artist, through their art blog can demonstrate their expertise and mastery in their profession. This can be shown through posts, articles, videos, and podcasts all presented or embedded within the blog.

An art blog is a subtle and low-key way of pointing your visitors to your art website for further information on your art! Artists should encourage visitors to subscribe to their email list and RSS Feed for use in the future for additional announcements, event notices and information too.

3.   Branding Yourself as an Expert – Through an art blog, over a period of time, you are able to show and demonstrate who you are as an artist and as a person. Through the art blog, you are setting forth and demonstrating that you are an expert, that you are well connected professionally and that you are a successful artist.

One of the more successful artist/bloggers in the business is Lori McNee, an artist from Idaho. Lori started her art blog “Fine Art Tips” 3 years ago as a way to give back to the art community. As Lori explains, “as a working artist, blogging was the perfect opportunity for me to share my artistic knowledge, and my art. Little did I know how many wonderful opportunities I would quickly gain from blogging. Lori continues with her thoughts on blogging, “I have discovered the benefits of social media, and how to use this free marketing medium to drive traffic back to my website and blog. From my blog and social networking, I have made many real connections, like my friendship with John R. Math, and many others. I have overcome my fear of public speaking, and I now even get paid to give webinars and keynote addresses. Blogging has been a relatively free branding and marketing tool for me. My paintings have steadily sold during this challenging economy, and I have expanded my gallery representation too.”

Through her blog, she has been published in the Artist’s Magazine, Southwest Art, and Plein Air Magazine. Also, Lori was featured in the Huffington Post, which named her a "Twitter Powerhouse". Lori states, “because of my blogging, I now write for books including Zero to 100,000: Social Media Tips and Tricks for Small Businesses, the 2012 and 2013 Artist’s & Graphic Designer’s Market, and the Photographer’s Market – all because of blogging!”

Finally, Lori says, “I mention all of this not to be boastful, but rather to be inspirational. As the art market continues to grow more competitive, it is important for artists to take charge of their art careers. Blogging is the perfect opportunity to bring the world to your art – without a blog, you are invisible. Yes, you might have a Facebook account. But, it is risky business to solely rely on third-party social networks for your exposure. The benefits of blogging cannot be ignored.”

Lori McNee demonstrates the power and benefits of blogging, as it has provided her with more exposure, opportunities and of course, more sales of her art. Her blog website is http://www.finearttips.com

An art blog is not a commercial “to sell your art” but rather an art blog is a way in which an artist can draw attention and interest to their art. Artists who are unhappy with their marketing efforts should consider starting an art blog to take their art marketing to the next level. As Lori McNee has shown, the benefits to an artist are great, when an artist, commits to starting and maintaining an art blog.  

Another fantastic reference for artists who are planning on launching or upgrading their art blog is the website https://firstsiteguide.com. They can help an artist to establish a successful art blog without wasting time researching, experimenting and implementing blogging strategies.  Here is an infographic created by them with a comparison chart detailing the Top 10 Blogging Platforms. 

An additional source of information and a great help to an artist for setting up an art blog is the article by Robert Mening titled "How to Create a Blog".  Robert is the Web Developer & Designer behind WebsiteSetup.org.  He offers clear and simple instructions on how anyone can set-up a blog.  Robert has helped more than 25,000 people to set up their own blog or website.