by guest blogger Samantha Ward
These days, everyone is expected to have some sort of web presence, whether it’s an online shop, a website, or simply an updated Instagram account. The more content that an artist is creating and publishing, the more likely they are to drive traffic to their site, and ultimately develop a fanbase and customer base.
Inbound marketing has grown exponentially over the past few years, as social media has become a more and more profitable marketing tool. Inbound marketing refers to marketing activities that bring visitors in, rather than marketers having to go out to get prospects’ attention.
In the art world, artists can use these techniques to draw customers to their websites by producing interesting content.
It can all begin with a blog. Creating a blog that links to your website is one of the best ways to begin driving more traffic to your site and online store. Write posts about things that you find interesting, stories about how your work is created, or useful tips that other artists can use. Many artists use WordPress or Tumblr to find their audience. Look up tips for optimizing your SEO, or “Search Engine Optimization” on these posts so that people who are searching for your content can find it! Try teaming up with an established blogger to create a guest post or collaborate on a post so that their followers can find your site.
Social Publishing will take you far. Once you begin creating content, you want to find ways to share that valuable information on the social web to engage with future followers and customers. This is a great way to put a personalized touch to your work. Be sure to interact with the networks where you think your customers are. Instagram is a great social outlet for artists to start with because of its visual nature.
Once you’ve got them, keep them. Once you begin driving traffic to your blog and social media outlets, make sure that there is a way for you to keep in touch with these visitors. Adding a simple email subscription form on blog posts can go a long way towards crafting a network. Consider placing Calls-to-Action within your blog posts. These are buttons or links that encourage your visitors to take action, like “Get 40% off today!” These CTAs will lead visitors to a Landing Page, where they receive their offer by giving you some information about themselves, like an email that you can use for sales in the future.
Nurture your community. Once you have built up a community of visitors and existing customers, make sure to pay attention to them! Provide them with interesting email newsletters, special deals, and attention on social media. Keep track of the social conversations that matter to you. Listen to questions, comments and concerns from customers, and make sure you respond to relevant comments in a timely matter!
Inbound marketing is an excellent, cost-efficient tool for any artist looking to grow their following and online presence. Of course, if blogging and social media isn’t something you particularly enjoy, there is also always the option of joining a site or community of artists who will employ these techniques for you. Before you know it, your site will be driving more traffic than ever!
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