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Bradford Martin

5 Years Ago

Checklist For Success In Print Sales (version 3)

This list was something I made to consolidate the wisdom I had garnered by experience and through networking here. Many new members as well as more experienced have found it helpful, so I am re-posting with slight revisions and corrections. For best results get all the fields for your image page filled out as completely as possible when you upload! This will make your marketing more effective and get your images in the searches. There are many threads on all these topics for more detail. If you wish to discuss a point in depth go to one of those discussions or start a new discussion.

1. Select your best work to upload and sell prints. Make sure it is of the highest technical quality for printing. It should be scanned or photographed properly, sharp at 100% view and free of cropping errors. Be sure the signature is not cropped off, is not in a plain block print font, and is in proportion to the image. Do not put a business name or website name on your image. Be selective on what you upload, but don’t hold back your unique and special talent. If you are not sure of what technical quality is, then get someone to help. Currently you need 10 images before your work appears in the site search.

2. Use an avatar that is representative of you or your work. Your work will not be in the search if there is no avatar.

3. Post up a bio that describes who you are as an artist and the type of art you make. Avoid mentions of childhood love of art and other statements that are fairly universal. It should mention what is special or unique about you and your art. If this is hard just keep it short and basic.

4. Use titles that are relevant to the work. Descriptive titles are best for searches and people looking for specific things. Poetic titles work well at shows but not so much online. A bit of both in one is best. If you prefer poetic titles, consider using descriptive subtitles or visa versa for better placement in the internet search engines.

5. Make descriptions that include information about the subject and location and style, if they apply to the image. Some buyers need verbal assurance of what the subject is, so don’t assume it is obvious. Remember they are often buying for others. Internet search engines use descriptions for indexing and ranking. The main keywords should be used in a sentence here. Use more than one sentence. Research your subject, but don’t copy directly from Wikis. Be an expert on your subject and location if there is one. Feel free to tell a story here. This section is important to be seen in the Google search and to support the viewers buying decision.

6. In the” keyword” (tag) section, add all words that a searcher might use to find the image. This includes subject, location and style. Include secondary subjects if they are visible and important to the artwork or photo. Don’t add words that are not relevant but don’t eliminate yourself from searches either. Research and use all synonyms. Be both specific and general. For plants and animals use all common names and scientific names that apply. But don’t use ones that don’t apply. Remember that people use different words in other regions. Learn the slang and the jargon! This section is what FAA/Pixels uses for the search.
The search accommodates multiple word searches, so each word can combine with other words to make a new unique search. Each word you add multiplies the amount of multi-word searches you are in!!

7. Organize your art into Galleries aka Collections on your home page at FAA/Pixels. If you have a lot of images, set the default view to Galleries. Keep the image view in order also. Don’t assume viewers will start at the home page and find your Galleries. The default order is in order of upload, and that is ok, but you can rearrange it.

8. Buy your own work and show it off. Know your product. Let people you know see your prints. Display your work in your home. Take prints everywhere. Display some framed work in the community.

9. Use social media to promote yourself and your art. Use more than one but be consistent with at least one. I use Twitter, FB, Pinterest, IG and Youtube. There are many more.

10. Network online with potential customers. Participate in non-art forums, especially where people share the same interests that inspire your art.

11. Develop contact lists and email lists. Stay in touch and let people know when you have something new.

12. Get your own web site and make links to you sales pages on FAA/Pixels or to your Artist Website on FAA.

13. Participate in contests and groups to get more internal links to your pages and to accumulate some likes and comments. It has been said that those help the ranking in the search. Contest posts can lead to sales. Don’t use likes and comments as your main promotion strategy. You need to bring visitors from outside on to your site.

14. Post links to your home page, galleries and images from sites other than FAA. This not only reaches more people but helps with your ranking in internet search engines.

15. Set goals for both creating and marketing. And keep a positive outlook. Results don't always come fast.

16. Look for other opinions, help and advice. Artists are an independent bunch, but sometimes another opinion can help. Especially when going in new directions in art or marketing. If you are new to showing and selling, it is a good idea have your work critiqued by those more experienced, before it is even uploaded. Search the discussion forums for answers to basic questions. There are excellent discussions on each of the above topics with more detail. Or start a new discussion for a critique or to get answers and opinions.



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Bradford Martin

5 Years Ago

This update reflects some changes in the site as well as the fact G+ does not exist and also corrects some grammar. I am no longer recommending putting your name in the keyword section to be found in a search with your name and another keyword as there is a dropdown box in the search for that now.

 

Rich Franco

5 Years Ago

Bradford,

As far as the name as a keyword, please explain why not to include in the keywords. Just because it's redundant or is there some negative reason not to include your name as a keyword? Are you saying Google doesn't use or NEED the name as a keyword?

Rich

 

Archa Malhotra

5 Years Ago

Thank you for posting this!

 

Bradford Martin

5 Years Ago

Rich. I don't think Google looks at the tags so much. For images they look to the titles and descriptions. Also they see our name on the page in another field. I eliminated the recommendation for putting names in the keywords because it is not needed as much now with that dropdown box in place and because the moderator specifically said not to do that. I don't want to get into the reason here as it is gets off topic.

 

Angela Whitehouse

5 Years Ago


lots of great advice,

many many thanks I appreciate it greatly.

 

Rich Franco

5 Years Ago

Brad,

" I don't want to get into the reason here as it is gets off topic." then just email privately....bigrichpho@aol.com

Rich

 

Just signed up, thanks for the advice and tips.

 

Liz Albro

5 Years Ago

This is very helpful. Thanks!

 

Paulette B Wright

5 Years Ago

A great place to find keywords (one of my worst things to do): http://www.mykeyworder.com/

 

Hyacinth Paul

5 Years Ago

Very helpful! Thank you! I am brand new to the site so any advice is valuable.

 

Deborah League

5 Years Ago

Question: if I go to one of my listings, and then prints, and then use FAA to mock up the print with mat and frame to show how it could look on someone's wall, is it clear to a buyer that this is just an example of what they can choose, and that the mat and frame are not included in the price of the print?

 

Bradford Martin

5 Years Ago

Deborah, all the options that you add are shown in the mock up and also are shown in the shopping cart with the price , so they know what they are buying. I think if you use one of those mock ups to market it will not be misleading because they can choose the same mat and frame.

 

Deborah League

5 Years Ago

Ok, thank you Bradford.

 

Fred Hood

5 Years Ago

Number 7 is good. I have collections but I did not know I could set the default view to collections. I will check right now to see if I can figure out how to do this.

EDIT - Well that was easier than I thought. I just did it and should have done it when I created the collections months ago.

 

Rob Prince

5 Years Ago

Thanks, Bradford. Very useful stuff, particularly re setting the default page to galleries if you have a lot of images. I have a commercial gallery on FAA. Would recommend Galleries or Shop as default in that scenario?

 

Bradford Martin

5 Years Ago

Rob thanks for bringing that up. I didn't even realize the shop view was an option for our regular page. I have no experience with it. It looks good and the collections are right up front as well as the product options. I am going to set mine to shop for a while.

 

Krisztina Toth

5 Years Ago

THANK YOU Martin !!!
This is so funny... I mean I worked a whole night to try to figure this out...-LOL- and around 3 am, I was just thinking, ig I figure this out, I would help to others too and its has to be written a checklist, on how the heck we can do this...-lol-..and I open up the activity , and here first come YOUR ABSOLUTE AWESOME HELP!!! Thank you so very much!!!!

 

Val Arie

5 Years Ago

Bradford thank you so much for taking the time to post this!

 

Chelo Leyria

5 Years Ago

Muchas gracias Bradford por los consejos. Muchas veces no encuentro mis imágenes cuando las busco mediante las palabras clave. Intentaré aplicar algunas de tus sugerencias. Saludos !

 

Rob Prince

5 Years Ago

Thanks, Bradford.I have set my page to Shop as well, but no noticeable difference sales-wise so far. In fact, I've made no sales at all over the past week. Very odd. Strange how sales peak and trough the way they do on FAA for no obvious reason. For example, I tend do well in July and August, which seems counter-intuitive given this is a time of year when you'd think people would not be focused so much on interior decor! And this year dozens of sales after Easter, but not before, which again seems to defy logic. Anyone with thoughts or insight on this, please share!

 

Bradford, a great informative and revision post for many, thanks!

 

Basia Cord

5 Years Ago

Very informative post. I am listening! Thanks. Basia

 

Dan Podsobinski

5 Years Ago

Bradford, thank you for compiling --great information (!) and questions/answers from other artists.

Two additional questions:

- is there any additional feedback on the 'shop' option now that it's been a few months? I'm thinking that's the way to go...

- does the acutal file name help with SEO on FAA? From a series of social media marketing classes I took, there was one instructor who stressed the importance of the actual file name being descriptive - such as: Bimini_Beach_Distant_Seascape_with_Yellow_Umbrella_Island_Hoppers_by_Dan_and_Tracey

Thanks again for your checklist!!

Dan

 

Kim Bemis

5 Years Ago

Great checklist. Thank you.

 

Michalakis Ppalis

5 Years Ago

Very helpful and informative check list. Thank you for sharing it

 

Equus Artisan

5 Years Ago

Thank you for the post. I'm a newbie and this will help.

 

Terri Jones

5 Years Ago

"- does the acutal file name help with SEO on FAA? From a series of social media marketing classes I took, there was one instructor who stressed the importance of the actual file name being descriptive - such as: Bimini_Beach_Distant_Seascape_with_Yellow_Umbrella_Island_Hoppers_by_Dan_and_Tracey "

I'm also wondering the same thing as Dan, if anyone knows...?

 

Rose Wark

5 Years Ago

This is really helpful, Bradford. Thank you for your time in posting all this useful information.

 

Bradford Martin

5 Years Ago

In answer to Dan and Terri asking if file names matter for the internet search engines.

AFAIK, the search engines do not see the file name that you use. That file is offline. They see the file name based on the title that FAA assigns. So see suggestion number 4.

 

Freda Nichols

5 Years Ago

Thank you for doing this. It is greatly appreciated.

 

Joanne Beecham

5 Years Ago

Yes thanks! Unfortionately, between working full time and housework, cooking cleaning ect....it’s hard to do everything we need to do!

 

Julz Giblin

5 Years Ago

Hi could you please help as I am struggling with what I am trying to Do. My photos are not of the standard as some of the professionals on here, so what I aimed to do was promote individual items like pillows/phone cases etc with my designs on my Twitter account. I went on one of my designs on a pillow, went to the share button next to it, but when I looked on Twitter it was just a link showing and no photo of the pillow which I know will not interest people flicking through. Hope someone can help me please

 

Bradford Martin

5 Years Ago

Julie start a new discussion with the subject Twiter help and get some ideas on how to make your own tweets with your own hashtags and/or custom photos you upload.

 

Cynthia Sheffield

5 Years Ago

I can attest to the fact that Contests result in sales. I entered a local contest for Asheville, NC for a hospital and I was picked out of 500 contestants! They purchased 3 of my prints on Fine Art America to hang in the hospital.

I am a beginner when it comes to marketing. I find Fine Art America a true blessing!

I spend most of my time producing my art and very little time left over for marketing so any advice that I read on here is such a blessing!

 

Jill Love

5 Years Ago

Thanks, Bradford Martin! Very helpful. Following.

 

Pamela Feist

5 Years Ago

HIi Bradford Martin, I'm new to this and you said something about a avatar. I'm not understanding , are you talking about profile picture ? And where would I put it? You're advice is very helpful. Thank you

 

Joanne Beecham

5 Years Ago

Bradford,

"I use Twitter, FB, Pinterest, IG and YouTube"….. I understand how you can use everything But YouTube. Can you elaborate?

 

This discussion is closed.