5 Reasons 2012 is the Year to Take Your Art Online
…Even if you’re a Gallery Loyalist
1. The Numbers Don’t Lie – 3 out of 4 people in the US will be internet users in 2012. That’s a whopping 75% of the US population, not to mention increased usage around the world. The Internet has become an undeniable force in our daily lives and the role it plays in commerce is key. No other medium reaches that many people a day. If you don’t currently have an online marketing plan for your art, 2012 is the year to get one in place.
2. The “On Demand” Lifestyle – “AirBnb finds you a gorgeous apartment. Uber brings you an elegant ride at the touch of a button. TaskRabbit will fetch you a cup of coffee. We’re entering the era of the on-demand lifestyle, and 2012 will be the year that a host of new at-will lifestyle options pop up… Startups are realizing the value of bringing at-will luxury experiences to a broader population, and the demand for these types of services is only going to grow.” -Kathryn Minshew, The Daily Muse
We’re a culture of instant gratification. Ideas pop in our head and we want to execute them immediately. And this desire to have what we want right away applies at any price point. Whether it’s a song on iTunes or that $5,000 painting we saw online that would look perfect in our newly redesigned living room, our pre-purchase decision time has become virtually non-existent. 2012 is only going to give us more ways to get what we want in a flash. Make sure your audience can feed their “on demand” appetite with your art!
3. Maximizing Mobile – 2012 will see 113.9 million mobile internet users in the US alone, and making sure your content is mobile-friendly should be a top priority for anyone marketing their art. Smartphones have enabled us to multi-task while we’re in line at the bank, picking up our kids from school, waiting at the dentist’s office, or if you’re like me, too lazy to get off the couch and grab your laptop (a shameful admission). The analytics firm Flurry estimates that people spend an average of 94 minutes a day on a mobile application, which means your clients are often checking your blog, Facebook page, and reading your monthly newsletter… on their phones! If you don’t have a presence on these platforms, then guess what, they’re checking in with someone who does.
4. We Need It All – “My prediction is that 2012 is the year of commerce. I believe social, mobile, in-store and online commerce will all converge into a unified, transparent and personalize shopping experience. Online shopping will evolve from interactive catalogs to simulated in-store experiences with virtual fittings, social interactions and personalized concierge recommendations. I believe a larger percentage of sales will happen online and stores will start evolving into showrooms rather than true retail venues.” -Veronika Sonsev, inSparq.com
For the first time, I did all of my holiday shopping online because I finally felt comfortable purchasing gifts without holding them in my own two hands. Between reviews, improved methods for viewing products, and things I’d seen in retail stores over the year, I felt confident I knew what I was getting. The modern buyer relies on several resources when purchasing. A text from a friend alerts us to a cool piece of handmade jewelry at a local boutique, we go try it on and post our picture in it to Facebook, after receiving compliments from friends and finding through online research that we share a love of collecting sea-glass with the artist, we go to the artist’s website and purchase the piece. A collective effort of mobile, retail, and social media led us to an online purchase. In 2012 we’ll see the synergy of these elements working together in commerce.
5. They’re Researching You Whether You’re Online or Not – According to Business2community.com, “83.9% of Internet users will browse or research products online in 2012.” Those 3 out of 4 internet users mentioned above are researching who you are and how others feel about your art. So, even if you strongly believe in only selling your art through brick and mortar galleries, you still need to control your presence online. This is your chance to tell your buyers what you want them to know about you. It may be a long list of accolades or it may be the adventures of your unruly pet cat. Whatever the case may be, it’s your story to tell.
So, what are your waiting for? 2012 is your year to actively engage in the worldwide marketplace that is the Internet!
Sources:
Tolle Perry, Dreama. “The Artist’s Toolbox”. (Nov 2011). http://dreamatolleperry.com/page/418/other-goodies.
Wessley, Tami. “5 Reasons Manufacturers Should Be Marketing Online in 2012”. Business2Community.com. (Jan 13, 2012). http://www.business2community.com/online-marketing/5-reasons-manufacturers-should-be-marketing-online-in-2012-0116205
“Creepy Facebook, No More Wallets, and NYC Tech Rising: Predictions for the Internet in 2012”. BetaBeat. (Dec 30, 2011). http://www.betabeat.com/2011/12/30/creepy-facebook-no-more-wallets-and-nyc-tech-rising-predictions-for-the-internet-in-2012/
"This is one artist's approach (namely...me) on getting serious about the marketing of art. It is written with those artists in mind who have been wanting to get started-- thinking of websites, blogs and more--- but were at a loss as to where to begin. I have pared down the vast array of information out there to what I have found to be the most direct, simple way to get started. I have included my favorite resources to draw upon as you move forward with getting your business side of art up and running. "
~Dreama
The Artist's Toolbox --Digital Version $19.95
Comes as a PDF that can be read on your computer, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
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