It's quite common in many companies to have dedicated employees who focus exclusively on optimizing the website for search engines ( SEO ) on a daily basis. Search engine optimization is a crucial aspect of Google marketing and ensures that a website appears as high as possible in Google search results and is easily found by potential customers.
However, there are areas – such as art – where SEO is clearly irrelevant. A missed opportunity.
It is well known that most artists lag far behind the private sector and its employees financially, and this can also be expressed in figures. According to the German Social Security Fund for Artists (KSK) , the average annual income of visual artists only €19,988 (as of January 2023).
Despite the financial pressure, many artists shy away from the commercialization of their art and harbor a deep aversion to capitalism. They want to sell their work, but not actively promote it or market themselves.
The ideal scenario for them would be to exhibit their art somewhere and be discovered and purchased by art-loving collectors. For established artists with good gallery owners, this dream may still come true, but for the vast majority of visual artists, it remains unfulfilled.
Marketing should be understood as an integral part of an artist's existence. Google plays a dominant role in our modern media landscape, as it allows for significant impact, especially with small budgets.
Let's explore together how art and marketing go hand in hand and how Google can help you successfully establish yourself as an artist.
With diverse tools and platforms in the field of Google marketing , such as AdWords, Analytics, Video, Cloud and Data , not only companies but also artists can effectively get to know their potential customers, gain new followers and become more visible online.
Google also offers managers and data analysis tools to help large companies and small artists alike optimize their marketing strategies and target their audience effectively. Whether it's search engine advertising, display ads, or video marketing, Google offers a wide range of options to successfully market your art.
That's reason enough to take a closer look at the various tools and their specific benefits for you as an artist. By the way, most Google marketing tools are completely free (apart from the click costs for Google AdWords ads) and generally easy to learn.
In today's digital world, marketing plays a crucial role for businesses to establish themselves successfully. Google offers an interesting way to combine art and marketing. As one of the leading internet giants, Google provides a wide range of marketing tools to help artists strengthen their presence and attract new buyers, followers, and fans.
The creative process as the core of artistic activity
The creative process is central to all artistic activity, but self-promotion should also receive sufficient attention. Photo by Alice Dietrich @alicegrace, via Unsplash
For artists or art galleries, however, it's probably not the first thing that comes to mind. After all, there are many other aspects that seem more important. The creative process is the core of an artist's existence. But therein lies the danger that many freelance artists underestimate. Sufficient time should be left for marketing alongside the core artistic activity.
The battle for attention is becoming increasingly fierce, as more and more art enthusiasts use the internet to find information or showcase their work. But is simply having your own website enough? Definitely not.
On the necessity of self-promotion for artists
In a world characterized by fast-paced media and constant connectivity, staying in the conversation is becoming increasingly important. Simply appearing on stage or participating in exhibitions is no longer enough. A consistent media presence is a crucial success factor , and direct communication with the target audience has become almost indispensable .
Today, the public is no longer solely interested in artworks or music . Fans are increasingly fascinated by the stories and background behind these works. The person who created the art or music, as well as the creative process itself, are increasingly coming into focus.
Stepping out of anonymity and into the spotlight can open up new possibilities and perspectives. The listener or viewer becomes part of the event and engages with the artworks or musical pieces.
But how can one commercial success without losing artistic freedom?
Communication as the key to success
Besides fulfilling creative dreams, it's also important to keep the economic aspects in mind. This guide will help you market your artistic work online and reach a wider audience.
The focus is on online measures to meet the demands of advancing digitalization.
Essential building blocks for marketing success
The four most important tools for successful self-promotion for artists on the internet are:
a website
Social media channels (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, …)
The artist website is your visual and content-related showcase on the internet. Photo by John Schnobrich @johnschno, via Unsplash
The main goal of an artist's website is to attract customers through both visual design and content. It should include a comprehensive collection of the artist's images, a description of the art on display, and current exhibition information.
An aesthetically pleasing website is your business card and an important first impression for potential customers. Since art is a visual medium, it is particularly important that your website is always up-to-date and aesthetically pleasing.
A website alone is no longer enough! It should be supplemented by social media profiles and Google marketing .
Social Media Marketing
Digital platforms that enable interactions between online users are collectively referred to as social media. No other advertising medium is as effective and immediate in disseminating information as social networks.
In the digital age, numerous online platforms are available, enabling every artist to present their work to the world.
A personal website forms the foundation for any self-employed activity. But this alone is far from sufficient: social media channels are of great importance for successful self-promotion.
Regardless of the platform you use, being found online is essential. Ideally, you should be present on multiple channels – such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter,TikTok, Tumblr, SoundCloud, and others – to achieve synergistic effects.
A Facebook page and an Instagram profile offer excellent opportunities for artists to continuously increase the number of fans.
Facebook and similar platforms are excellent social media channels for direct communication with your customers/fans. Photo by Firmbee.com @firmbee, via Unsplash
Even with a tight budget and little effort, marketing for artists can be successful by making targeted investments in selected online tools.
By integrating artistic work into the marketing strategy, you impressively demonstrate your creative abilities to your fans. This is the best way to self-promote.
The range of social media channels is enormous and encompasses numerous platforms. The most important ones are listed here:
Which channels are most promising needs to be examined on a case-by-case basis. A quick check of direct competitors or similar artists will quickly provide clarity.
Content Marketing
Content marketing encompasses the creation and provision of text and visual media for marketing purposes. Photo by Leeloo Thefirst, via Pexels
Content marketing, as the name suggests, revolves around content . Every social media channel and your own website requires content – be it text , graphics , images , videos , or downloads .
The objective of the content is clearly defined: It should offer added value to the target group and thereby attract their attention.
by providing constantly updated and relevant information . For this reason, content marketing forms the cornerstone of online marketing.
Where do you get the content from?
There are primarily two ways to create engaging content. Either you write, photograph, and film yourself , or you use external resources .
But is it really essential that you, as a creative mind, do everything yourself? Not necessarily.
When time and resources are limited, outsourcing be a wonderful option for obtaining informative texts or engaging images. Experienced copywriting or ghostwriting agencies like Textbroker , Greatcontent , or Pagecontent offer tailor-made text content designed to meet the client's specific needs. Billing is based on a per-word rate and is generally considered affordable.
Royalty-free images can be purchased from various image platforms, also known as stock agencies, such as iStock , Shutterstock , Fotolia/Adobe Stock , or Getty Images . The price of an image depends on the desired resolution, file type, and chosen package. Individual images are available starting at just a few euros.
Shutterstock now also offers royalty-free music and video material that can be used as needed. With some limitations in quality and a smaller selection, free royalty-free photos are available from Unsplash and Pexels . Attribution to the photographer is appreciated, but not mandatory for using the images.
There are many options for creating unique content
Blogs are a perfect way to stay up-to-date and think outside the box. YouTube channels offer a platform for video diaries and customer engagement.
Webinars are also a great way to offer customers added value. Blogs, in particular, offer an excellent opportunity to communicate with fans and potential customers. The chronologically sorted, short articles always provide news and added value.
Unlike traditional website posts, blog posts can be commented on, enabling interaction with the target audience. Knowing the target audience precisely is crucial. However, regularly updating blogs requires a significant time investment.
Another way to provide the public with content is through press materials . These include your image-enhancing texts, works, press photos, and press releases.
The purpose of press materials is to make them accessible to a wide audience. This can be done either through a direct request or via a download link on your website. Press materials facilitate and expedite public engagement and ensure consistent communication.
As a general rule: If you are in the public eye and want to market your creative works, you always need up-to-date press material.
When creating and integrating content on your website, you should also pay attention to search engine optimization . You can find more information about this in the following section.
Online marketing with Google & Co.
Online marketing encompasses all marketing activities that take place on the internet. Photo by Dominika Roseclay, via Pexels
Selecting the right channels for online marketing is only a fraction of what it entails. It's advantageous to understand the multifaceted nature of online advertising in order to maximize the effectiveness of marketing efforts.
Those who take the time to thoroughly learn about the most important tools and their implementation have an excellent chance of marketing themselves professionally.
Online marketing offers an excellent opportunity for self-promotion on the internet.
Search engine marketing
There are two sub-areas in the field of search engine marketing : search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine advertising .
Even a great website is useless if potential customers or fans can't find it online. To attract the attention of your target audience to your online presence, you first need to know about it. Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial here and can be very helpful.
SEO measures help you optimize your artist website according to search engine requirements. This will allow you to appear higher in search results from potential customers. Photo from Pixabay
SEO encompasses methods designed to improve your website's ranking in the organic search results pages of search engines like Google. There are no additional costs involved. With a little patience, you can effectively promote your site and even save money.
Brief explanations of terms:
Organic search results are the results displayed without payment when a user enters a search query into a search engine. The ranking of these results can be influenced through SEO measures. In contrast, paid search results (AdWords) presented as separate advertisements within the search results.
Keywords are terms or keywords that are frequently searched by your target audience. Your content is based on these keywords.
Title tags : appear as the first line in search results (max. 56 characters). Description: provides search engines with a summary (of 156 characters) of a page's content.
Anchor text : This refers to the clickable words for an external or internal link.
Alt text : is the alternative text that appears when a requested image cannot be displayed for any reason.
Effective SEO measures that you can implement directly
During the creation of the text:
Offer high-quality, unique content.
Make sure it's up-to-date.
Include the most important search terms (keywords) of your target group in the text.
Structure your texts with headings and subheadings; use the most important keywords here as well.
The text should be easy and fluid for your readers to read; therefore, don't include too many keywords. Added value is more important than search engine optimization.
On the respective website / subpage:
Get yourself a meaningful internet address (domain) that is easy to remember.
Use meaningful and unique title tags for each individual page.
Write a unique description for each page that briefly summarizes the content of that page.
Link your pages to each other if it is thematically appropriate.
Use appropriate anchor text for both internal and external links.
Highlight text links visibly.
Use common file formats such as .jpg or .png for images.
Give your images meaningful file names.
Use the alternative text to briefly describe your images.
Practical for the entire website:
Keep your website navigation simple: Think of the homepage as a hallway from which all other rooms branch off.
Use text links instead of images or icons for the navigation items.
Other useful Google tools for artists
The use of tools such as Google Ads, Analytics, Maps, YouTube and others enables artists, photographers and musicians to improve their marketing strategies and effectively target their audience.
Google Ads allows businesses to place advertisements online and reach potential customers across various platforms. Targeted advertising enables ads to be individually tailored to users' interests and needs.
Google Analytics, on the other hand, offers you the opportunity to collect and analyze valuable data about your website visitors.
This data will help you optimize your marketing strategies and further improve your online presence. By understanding the needs and preferences of your target audience, you can better tailor your content and offers, thus building long-term customer loyalty.
In addition, Google offers tools such as the Google Cloud Platform and DoubleClick for Publishers to help artists manage and publish video and display ads. These tools enable businesses to effectively plan and control their marketing campaigns.
Google Maps and, last but not least, YouTube, which is part of the Google group, are also powerful tools for artists to increase their popularity.
Overall, it is evident that Google offers diverse opportunities to combine art and marketing in an innovative and effective way and to successfully establish oneself as an artist in the digital age.
Owner and Managing Director of Kunstplaza. Journalist, editor, and passionate blogger in the field of art, design, and creativity since 2011. Successful completion of a degree in web design as part of a university study (2008). Further development of creativity techniques through courses in free drawing, expressive painting, and theatre/acting. Profound knowledge of the art market through years of journalistic research and numerous collaborations with actors/institutions from art and culture.
A fundamental need for every artistically creative person is likely to be the ability to live off their art.
In order to secure your own existence, it is essential to make money with art . In fact, contrary to the majority perception, many artists can live well from their creative work these days. Nevertheless, a vast majority of all freelance artists are dependent on further sources of income (e.g. giving courses, order work, part -time jobs, etc.).
Recognition as an artist often does not bring immediate financial security. Therefore, artists are often also life artists.
The opportunities to make a living from one's own art have, however, grown significantly due to the internet and social media. As an artist, however, you must be versatile and flexible to succeed. A certain degree of perseverance is also essential.
Customer care and self -marketing are also important pillars for success as an artist .
In this section, we compile numerous articles, information, tips, and advice to help you make a living from your art.
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Relief canvas print "Pour Madeleine", minimalist wall decoration in white
109,00 €
