Hi friends! If you’ve landed here, you may be an artist. You also may be considering starting a blog. I am here to tell you 5 reasons why every artist should start a blog.
There are more reasons than 5, of course, but these are the main ones that come to my mind and what made me, as an artist, start a blog.
Sure, keeping up with a blog is A LOT of work, and success doesn’t and won’t happen overnight, but it’s the same deal in the art field.
Blogging takes practice and time, as does learning and creating art.
Being a successful artist takes a lot of work in this world, and it’s not easy to make a living. You may be looking for other avenues to help grow your art business and other sources of income. Blogging can help!
Why Every Artist Should Blog
1. Make Extra Money
Blogging can make you money, and LOTS of money if you put in the work (I follow some bloggers who make hundreds of thousands a year). Let me repeat: blogging can make you money!
So…. what can artists blog about? Well, literally anything. A couple of points further down on this list explain what you can use your blog for.
In this first section, I explain how you can make money blogging as an artist.
Okay, so you can make money by having a blog. How? The biggest source of income I have received so far in my short blogging career is through affiliate marketing.
Following that are display ads and then sales from my website that I’ve promoted here. I follow other successful bloggers, and it seems that affiliate marketing tends to be the highest paycheck for them per month.
So, how do you start affiliate marketing, and how does this benefit you as an artist?
If other artists follow you, they are probably curious to know what tools and supplies you are using for your artwork. On your blog, you can have a supplies list and then link to products in your individual posts. If they purchase through your affiliate link, you will make a small commission.
My favorite affiliate marketing program as an artist is the Amazon Associates program.
This is the easiest and fastest way to start earning commissions. It’s quite easy to sign up and you can start linking to products right away. I use so many tools as a mixed media artist, and many of my social media followers reach out to see what I use for my work, especially my wood burning artwork. This is a great program to make some extra cash with!
When you start a blog you can also display Google ads on your site. This is an easy and effective way to monetize your blog so you make money while you sleep. Once the ads are implemented, you don’t have to touch them again. Easy!
Check out my full list of tools I use & recommend here!
2. Sell More Art By Marketing Yourself on Your Blog
This is simple, but if you talk about your art, you are more likely to sell it. I link back to a lot of my artwork and products here on my blog so this also helps with SEO for my shop website.
If you write posts about certain things you’ve created and you are using the correct keywords, you have a chance to rank on Google. Your work will more likely be found by someone looking to buy if you are showing up on Google.
For example, if you are writing a post about a firefly forest painting you did that you made into a greeting card, if someone searches firefly forest greeting card on Google, your page could come up!
People also love to hear artists’ stories. Share stories about yourself, and explain how you’ve gotten to today in your artist journey or what makes you different. It’s amazing what some words can do and it might land you some sales and commissions.
Support Small Business: Check out my online shop here!
3. A Space To Explain What You Create & Why
Another great reason why you should have an art blog is for you to explain your work and why you created it. Sometimes a mystery is fun, but I always love to learn about an artist’s process and the inspiration behind their work. A blog is an excellent place to do this!
My blog here is not just about art, so your whole blog does not have to revolve around just your work. When I started my business many moons ago, I chose a name I knew would grow with me and capture all my interests and talents.
Maybe you’re an avid gardener or have another interest you want to share with the world, you can incorporate this on your blog as well! At the end of the day, a blog you create is for you, make it whatever you want.
Many blogging professionals say just to choose one niche and go with it since that is the only way you can be successful. I disagree with this; you can be successful and be all over the board. Write and create what you love, and if you put the work into it, success will follow!
4. A Journal To See Your Progress
Blogging is basically a journal. I think every artist should journal about their work and work-in-progress pieces to see improvements, ideas, and notes when they look back (sorry my inner teacher came out there for a second!).
Even if you start a blog to use it just as a journal, trust me, do it. It may seem like a lot to keep up with at first, but I assure you that 10 years from now you will be thankful you did.
A blog doesn’t have to be a money-making thing; it can be purely for yourself. Do what speaks to you.
5. Make Connections
Blogging can bring you so many connections. Whether you connect with other artists, people interested in your work, or so on, it’s a great space to connect with others!
A blog is another great space to link back to all your social networks, your other websites, and classes, for others to get in touch with you and learn more about what you do.
Are you going to start a blog?
I started my blog at the very end of 2021, after basically a decade of wanting to start one. Each month, I put a few posts out. It’s a lot of work, and I wish I could write more, but I am still doing it regardless.
Good things take time, so I’m glad I started my blog when I did. If you’re an artist and you want to start a blog, whether that be an art blog, a lifestyle blog, or whatever else you’re thinking about, I encourage you to go for it!
I hope all of this has made sense, and if you want to chat further about it, leave a comment below!
Till next time,
Amanda The Green Artist
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