How is selling art different from selling other products online?

Art requires romance and relationship-building over time, unlike many other products. You won’t see artist Instagram accounts that look like celebrity or sports brand accounts with jets, fancy cars, product bags, and luxury vacations—because building a successful art business isn’t that simple or quick. Art buyers don’t typically see a single ad and purchase immediately in one session. The buying journey is much longer and requires multiple touchpoints. A buyer might see your ad, follow you, watch your live videos over weeks, join your email list, then disappear for months as life happens (job changes, moving, etc.), and only make a purchase when they finally have the need and remember you. This fundamental difference is why standard product marketing tactics like flash-sale ads to cold audiences rarely work for art. The sales cycle is longer and relationship-driven.

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Asked by artists comparing art sales to other products · Answered by Patrick Shanahan and Nick · art-marketing-podcast · 2020-08-13