Blogging for Buyers?

[CSForest]

I know there are lots of threads on blogging with many good tips. Besides blogging about their art it's generally recommended that artists blog about things like art supplies they recommend, good art books they've read, studio tips, how-to paint/draw articles, etc. These are great ideas ... if you want to attract other artists as your followers. No offense but, other artists probably aren't going to become serious collectors of our work, especially if they work in the same genre. So what do you blog about to attract art collectors, whether they are artists themselves or not?

[Davkin]

I have had this discussion about what's appropriate to blog about on other forums as well as the business forum on WC and the consensus seems to be that people want to get to know you as a person but don't go overboard, don't get overly personal. No politics, religion or mundane daily stuff. Talk about you and your experiences regarding art, both in the past and present. It's been kind of a hard concept for me to swallow but you have to market yourself as well as your work. The collector wants to connect with you as well as your art, that's what makes it valuable to them. Also, use your blog to educate your collectors, they want to know what makes art tick too. Beleive it or not there are many artists that do collect as well. Also, within the blogosphere there is an unspoken etiquette that if someone "follows" you then you should "follow" them. I actually have found other artists to follow that interest me by looking at who follows artists I'm already following, I'm sure collectors do the same thing.

David

[RobinZ]

Why do you think other artists are not serious collectors? I just purchased a piece I've had my eye on for a while from an artist who I follow.

[CSForest]

Originally Posted by RobinZ

Why do you think other artists are not serious collectors? I just purchased a piece I've had my eye on for a while from an artist who I follow.

When I say "serious collectors" I mean people who regularly buy $1,000+ artworks. When I was in a gallery years ago the gallery did pretty well and sold my paintings well. Few of their clientele were artists. They were wealthier business people, bank CEOs, doctors, etc, who regularly spent $10,000+/year on artwork. While they were art admirers, they also saw art as in investment. They might be interested in the artist's life, how they learned to paint, where they went to art school, how long it takes them to paint a painting, etc. But they weren't interested in things most artists would be, like the latest W&N paint color, or techniques on how to paint grass. So talking about those things is unlikely to attract those types of buyers.

And before anyone gets their feathers ruffled that I implied there are no wealthy artists, that's not what I meant. Sure there are some. But, let's face facts. There are more wealthy doctors, lawyers, and CEOs than there are fine artists. I don't a lot of artists invests in art in the $thousands+/year range.

[surreal]

Originally Posted by CSForest

I know there are lots of threads on blogging with many good tips. Besides blogging about their art it's generally recommended that artists blog about things like art supplies they recommend, good art books they've read, studio tips, how-to paint/draw articles, etc. These are great ideas ... if you want to attract other artists as your followers. No offense but, other artists probably aren't going to become serious collectors of our work, especially if they work in the same genre. So what do you blog about to attract art collectors, whether they are artists themselves or not?

While it is true that other artists can be serious art collectors, I have never found it to be the case that artists have collected my work as much as non-artists.
Artists have never purchased, quantitatively speaking, as much as non-artists, in my experience.

There have been many threads over the years about the kinds of information to include in blog posts.
Many very financially successful artists believe in the importance of letting people get to "know" you.
Perhaps people are more apt to purchase art from artists whose work they like enormously, as well as "know" and like?

Some artists have gained a following by posting their recipes.

Perhaps you need to search this forum for blogging info. I think it will behoove you.

[painterswife]

Why are you blogging? To educate other artists? To connect with the buying public? To me those are two very different things. Some artists will be buying customers but in reality that number will be very small and not where you should be putting your time unless you are trying to sell classes or books and instructional videos.

I find the spilling of so many personal details too much for me. It works for some and they are welcome to it. As a customer(me) it is the art that is important. Many of my favorite artists have been and are recluses. Their art is what speaks to me not how they produced it.

Yes now that I am an artist's wife, I crave the details of how, why, when and where they produce it. That however is because I am trying to learn more about the business not because it makes me crave their art more.

[CSForest]

Originally Posted by surreal

Perhaps you need to search this forum for blogging info. I think it will behoove you.

Yes, I did search. And, as I said, most suggestions on blogging for artists including talking about art techniques, studio tips, art books, etc. I've done this and most of my blog followers are other artists, particularly other wildlife and animal artists. As you agree, these are probably not the followers who will buy much of my art. They're probably more interested in figuring out how to sell their own art than they are in buying mine.

[artyczar]

I am a serious collector (spend anywhere from $50 all the way up to $4K). And I'd say maybe half my collectors are artists themselves. That goes for the 200-1200 range. Then there are the ones that buy up to $5500 or so - far and few between - and those are more than likely, not visual artists, but often in the arts in some way.

I blog about my personal life (as an artist), emotional quandaries, past traumas, new ideas about how to "self-help" myself and all this is in relation to my actual artwork. I also go to a lot of exhibitions and often write about the art I see or what artist I hung out with that day. I promote other artists quite a lot.

[CSForest]

Originally Posted by painterswife

Why are you blogging? To educate other artists? To connect with the buying public? To me those are two very different things.

Yes, this is why I am trying to switch gears somewhat. I enjoy blogging for other artists about my techniques or studio tips and will continue to do so. But I want to expand to non-artist art buyers as well. So now I need to figure out what other things I can talk about that might attract potential buyers who don't necessarily care about the exciting new filbert rake brush I found while at the same time not turning off my current followers by blogging about too many different things.
Does your husband have a blog?

[Davkin]

If you have sixteen minutes to kill I think this video is worth watching, it to me explains why a collector would want to "know" the artist and/or his process;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPicL1AWrs8

David

[timelady]

I've held open studios since 2000 - and something I discovered is how non-artists thing art supplies and studio organisation, tips, habits are interesting and quirky!

So I do share some tips on my blog and more often than not a non-artist will comment about it being interesting. Or ask more about how such-and-such works. I try to write it more as a "peek" inside the studio than a tip.

However, I did do a recent blog post about how to paint with water. This was entirely intended for artists because a few had asked. The blog comments are from artists. I got more comments on Facebook and just via email from some collectors who found it cool.

Your collectors might like reading about your excitement about your new brush! If you keep it at a level they will appreciate as well as other artists.

Tina.

[Diane Cutter]

Originally Posted by Davkin

If you have sixteen minutes to kill I think this video is worth watching, it to me explains why a collector would want to "know" the artist and/or his process;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPicL1AWrs8

David

Very interesting... I'll be sure to add 'original' to all my listings online.

Diane

[blondheim12]

Originally Posted by painterswife

I find the spilling of so many personal details too much for me. It works for some and they are welcome to it. As a customer(me) it is the art that is important. Many of my favorite artists have been and are recluses. Their art is what speaks to me not how they produced it.

Yes now that I am an artist's wife, I crave the details of how, why, when and where they produce it. That however is because I am trying to learn more about the business not because it makes me crave their art more.

My collectors love the stories I tell about my childhood, my painting adventures and travel, and the stories I learn about them. They very much expect a real relationship with me as a painter. I have learned that it is often the artist not the art alone that they are interested in. Most of my collectors know me, very few collect my work out of the blue. They have little interest in the technique that I use, awards, galleries. They are much more interested in the story about the place where I painted it, the flora and fauna and my conservation work. My collectors are interested in the same things I am. I would not know who or what they are interested in without that kinship. Hiding in my studio would not help me to make a living.