Links included in the article might be affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you!) for purchases made through these links..
How to Start An Art Blog to Sell Your Art
This article will tell you how to start an art blog that will market your art online.
What is a Blog?
A blog is simply a website with a collection of posts or articles written by an author to an audience. Don’t worry, you do not have to be Hemmingway or J.K. Rowling to be able to write blog posts. Most blogs, this one included, are written in an informal, conversational format. I encourage all new bloggers to write the way they talk. You are having a conversation with your audience and you want them to get to know who you are right away.
art blogs
An Art Blog is a specific Niche of blogging. Simply, it is a blog about Art. Since the art world is so vast, your blog can cover any one or many topics surrounding art. but we will talk about that later.
Why Write a Blog?
A blog is the BEST marketing tool for any artist to sell products to their audience. Because a blog is online, it has unlimited reach and can find customers for your art in places you cannot go physically. Plus as your blog grows it gives you a captivated audience that is interested in your work. This means when you have new products to sell, there is already an audience ready and more inclined to buy than if you were to go to a random Art Market and hope your art catches the eye of a passerby.
Now that we know why you should have a blog, keep reading to learn how to start an art blog and boost your art sales.
How to Start a Blog
There are 5 steps you need to start a blog:
- Get a Host for Your Blog
- Choose the Blog’s Niche
- Decide on the Domain Name
- Pick a Theme
- Write Your Blog Posts
Blogging Platforms
Choosing a Blogging Platform or Host can be difficult because of all the choices available. I recommend getting a self-hosted blog where you buy a domain you own. It gives you complete ownership of your blog and you will have the most control over how your audience views your art and you as an artist. Here are the 5 most popular blogging platforms:
BlueHost
The most recommended self-hosting platform is Bluehost. They have a Basic plan which costs $2.95/ month with beginner-friendly instructions on how to set up WordPress and get started blogging within minutes.
Wix
Wix is not a self-hosted platform but will allow you to start blogging for FREE. They has a Free plan that allows you to build and start blogging immediately for FREE, but it is restricted in the features you can use. Yes, they have a drag-and-drop website builder that lets you customize the look of your blog, but once you want to start selling to your audience you will have to pay. Their Light Plan is $17/ month; however, if you want to sell art directly to your audience on your blog their e-commerce plans start at $29/ month.
Squarespace
Like Wix, Squarespace is not self-hosted. Squarespace is actually an online shop builder with a Blogging feature. The main purpose of Squarespace is to sell your art online. But adding a blog is a great marketing engine to bring your customers back to your website to shop all year long. The cheapest plan starts at $16/month.
GoDaddy
Touted as the #1 Web Hosting Provider that helps business grow, GoDaddy is a Pro at web hosting. They are self-hosting services starting at $5.99/month but Godaddy offers so much more than hosting. With its new GoDaddy Airo, they are determined to give you everything you need to establish a presence online and beginning building a business.
Hostinger
Hostinger is the host that I use. Their Premium Plan gives you 4 years of hosting for $3 a month with a free Domain for a year. This plan coupled with their many sales made this the cheapest option for me since I plan to blog for the long term, turning this into a full-fledged business.
All of these platforms are great to use for beginners and as you start blogging, you will easily learn what features you like, don’t like, and need. If anything you can always change your hosts, but choose carefully because the switch is not always easy.
Choose the Topic for Your Art Blog
The next important part of your blog is the Niche. Like I said Art is a vast world, so what part do you want to talk about. I think the best thing about an Art blog is that you get to teach your audience about art and help them see it from your point of view. For example A Digital Artist in Progress is all about Digital Art from a beginner’s perspective. Everything is new to me and therefore my reader gets to discover this world with me.
Just decide what part of the art world you are in and how you want to show that to your reader. That will be your niche. Here are some ideas to help get your brain flowing with ideas.
8 Art Blog Ideas
| Wedding Photography | Ultimate Guide to Pottery |
| Create Amazing Color Palettes | Art News |
| DIY Crafts | Coloring Pages |
| AI Art Gallery | Woodworking |
Art Blog Examples
Cass Art – This blog is all about art supplies. Started back in 2012, this blog categorizes several art products by the artform and user with a section for art supplies suited to children. It aims at offering quality art supplies to artists and creatives at the best prices.
Art Bar – An art blog for kids and families that offers craft ideas you can do at home. But it caters to any group that works with kids, teachers can be inspired to use one of these fun projects in their classrooms for an art lesson.
Hyperallergic – A blog with a contemporary point of view, the authors created a blog that challenges its readers to see art culture in an unorthodox manner. They have interesting interviews and podcasts about not only visual art but also poetry, film, books, and performing arts.
Ready to Start Your Art Blog?
Now that you have your host and know what you what to talk about the only thing left to do is start writing. As you build your audience for your blog, it will soon attract customers for your art. You just need to start.
