Why Art Blogging is Important in the Digital Age

These days, it’s no longer good enough to just have an Instagram or YouTube account to promote your artwork.

Competition is tougher than ever because more people are competing for attention in this increasingly digital and online world.

So, how do you stand out from the crowd?

Here’s a simple solution: start art blogging.

In this article, I’ll break down what art blogging is by explaining:

• What art bloggers do to promote their work and earn a living
• How artists can make passive income from multiple income streams
• Why you, as an artist or creative, should consider art blogging in 2021

Curious to learn more?

Then let’s begin!

What Is Art Blogging?

Art blogging is the process of blogging and creating content relating to art-related topics. An art blogger’s goal might be to sell their artwork, build an online business, or work with brands and companies.

Usually, an art blogger focuses on a specific art style, artistic medium, or niche and creates content to appeal to individuals within that niche.

For example, my art blog focuses on teaching my audience how to paint with watercolours. Therefore, my content largely appeals to watercolourists and any individuals who are interested in learning this wonderful art form.

That being said, because I run an art blog, I still address topics that all artists can relate to such as how to overcome art block and dealing with perfectionism as an artist.

In a nutshell, art blogging is a wonderful way to connect with like-minded individuals who share the same passion and enthusiasm for artistic expression.

What Exactly Do Art Bloggers Do?

The word “blogger” is often shrouded in mystery and misunderstanding.

So allow me to clarify a few things.

Art blogging can be used for a multitude of different reasons. Here are a few things an art blogger may do in order to create an online career. As art blogger:

• Uses the blogging platform to grow their online audience and increase their online exposure
• Educates students who want to learn an artistic skill such as drawing, painting, etc.
• Sell physical products such as artwork, or they might sell digital products including e-books and online courses through their blog
• Uses art blogging as a means to build their brand awareness
• Incorporates art blogging as part of their online business strategy

As you can deduce, art blogging is still extremely relevant in 2021 because it gives artists many ways to establish themselves online.

Especially in a world that is rapidly becoming more digital and visual-based.

Note: Since the global pandemic of 2020 started, art has been increasingly used as a coping mechanism for individuals who are struggling with their mental health. In this way, I’ve been able to educate people about watercolour art to help them learn a relaxing skill that is helping them through these difficult times.

How Might an Artist Benefit from Starting a Blog?

I’m glad you asked!

As an art blogger, I have experienced many wonderful benefits from starting my own blog. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is:

In an increasingly digital world that relies heavily on visuals such as images and videos, it’s an amazing time for artists to establish an online art community and leverage their creatives skills.

Since I just recently passed my 6th month anniversary as a blogger, I would like to share with you some of the advantages I have experienced in the art blogging world.

Diversification in the Online Space

This is a big advantage, so pay attention.

Last year, I came to the realization that heavily relying on Instagram for growth and exposure was not a smart strategy.

This became blatantly clear after the infamous algorithm changes of mid-2020 which dramatically minimized reach and exposure as a means to pressure content creators to pay for ads.

What’s more, you don’t own your Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or any other social media account.

This means that your account can be shut down at any moment and for any reason. Why? Because you’re creating content on borrowed online space.

So I came to this very important realization:

Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket

This expression illustrates the dangers of relying too heavily on factors you don’t own or which are out of your control. Therefore, I turned to art blogging because my website is something that I own.

And through it, I can build an email list that is truly a safe space for communication without having to worry about algorithms and ever-changing policies that can negatively affect your account.

As you can see, blogging offers more security than social media platforms.

In addition, it’s incredibly easy to link all your social media accounts on a blog and cross-promote them all at the same time.

Art Blogging Has More Versatility Than Social Media

Understanding how to leverage social media marketing for artists is an important part of brand-building and establishing authority in your niche.

However, relying on social media will only get you so far.

In many ways, blogging about art offers more unique ways to connect with an audience. Here are some of the ways in which you can leverage blogging to build an audience. You can:

• Write informational content to educate your readers
• Promote a library of free downloadable resources for your audience that they can use at their convenience and discretion
• Interact with readers in the comments section as well as through email marketing (once they’ve subscribed to your list)
• Sell a variety of products, courses, and services to help your audience solve a problem
• Use multimedia, including blogs, videos, audio clips, and images to appeal to different types of learners

As you can see, it’s easier to meet the needs of your readers when you can offer such a variety of information and help all in one spot.

These perks, unfortunately, are much more limited on social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube which limit the ways in which you can interact, educate, and sell to your audience.

Monetization Opportunities Are Abundant

This is one of the most exciting aspects of art blogging!

There are so many ways that you can monetize your blog for profit.

If you’ve never been exposed to this concept, allow me to share a few ways in which you can make passive money via your blog. You can:

• Join affiliate marketing networks to promote their products and services in exchange for a commission
• Create e-books and online courses to educate your audience or to help them develop a skill
• Promote ads on your website to earn ad revenue
• Sell physical products including artwork, printables, hand-crafted items, homemade paints, etc.
• Offer a membership service for a monthly/annual fee that gives the customer access to exclusives, resources, services, etc.

There are many other ways to make money through an art blog, but the ones listed here are some of the most common methods.

And the best part?

Most of these monetization strategies earn you passive income!

Passive income means you set up the monetization structure once and then you continue to reap the financial gains over time with no added effort.

There are so many amazing ways to monetize an art blog!

Branding and Story-Telling Opportunities

One of the things I like about art blogging is that it’s easier to build your brand and tell your stories.

Yes, you can tell stories and build your brand on social media platforms. But there’s something about blogging that I find gives art bloggers are edge over artists who simply rely on Instagram or TikTok.

For example, creating an about page is an excellent place to tell your brand story and communicate your brand values to your audience.

As well, each blog post offers many unique brand-building opportunities too, whether that be:

• Within the body text of the blog post
• In the comments section of each blog post
• Communicated through your website’s brand colours and imagery
• In any videos or podcasts linked to the blog post
• In any freebies, products, and courses that are shared

Personally, I find that most social media platforms don’t offer nearly as much opportunity to share your unique stories because those platforms are a lot more limited.

Note: Remember, at the end of the day, people buy from people, not faceless corporations. So brand-building through story-telling is an essential part of the online experience.

Your Art Blog is a Gallery, Portfolio, and Résumé

By now, you’ve noticed that I keep reiterating the importance of leveraging a platform that offers a multitude of ways to serve the needs of your audience.

In this way, art blogging is such a versatile tool because it can offer a few more functions that all exist on one platform. For example, an art blog can:

• Be used as an art gallery to display your artwork and to show the world your unique art style
• Be used as a portfolio to be shown to potential sponsors, galleries, and for art licencing purposes
• Function as an online résumé for sponsorships, partnerships, and guest-posting opportunities

As you have observed, starting an art blog can lead to so many diverse opportunities for artists who are interested in creative entrepreneurship.

And the best part is that you can do all these things from the comfort of your website without having to rely on numerous social media accounts to accomplish the same task.

How to Start an Art Blog

Is an art blog worth it in terms of the time investment and rewards? Absolutely!

But, before we get into the nitty-gritty, I want to make something clear:

Yes, art blogs can make money. How much money you make will ultimately depend on how much time and effort you put into your blog, as well as on the ways in which you choose to monetize your art blog.

So, if by now you’re convinced that starting an art blog would be advantageous for your career as an artist or creative, then here is a bit of advice to get your started.

1. You can start by brainstorming art blog ideas. Then you need to pick a niche and niche down to focus on something specific
2. You need to decide on your blog’s overall objective and goals
3. You need to decide if you want to monetize your blog. If you do, brainstorm various ways that you would like to make passive income. Refer to the previous sections to review many different monetization options
4. Determine important information such as what web-hosting you will choose, what platform you’ll use (I.e. WordPress vs. Squarespace), which plug-ins will you download, etc.
5. Determine how you’re going to promote your art blog. Learning Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is non-negotiable, but will you use social media promotion? Paid ads?

Conclusion

In this article, you’ve learned about all the positive benefits of art blogging.

You understand why blogging about art can be an advantageous decision in an increasingly digital age.

As well, you understand what you can do to diversify, scale, and promote yourself on the blogging platform.

Lastly, I’ve given you some important questions to help to figure out how you’re going to go about planning your art blog.

Now you have all the foundational information that you need. From here on out, the choice is yours to decide what are the next steps to take.

Good luck!

Do you own an art blog? If not, are you interested in starting one? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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