As an artist, you probably cringe a little when someone says the word "marketing." It just sounds so sales-y. But even if you think of yourself exclusively as an artist and not a marketer, there's no denying that marketing and selling are interconnected. Thus, if you're desperate for a marketing approach that is not sleazy or shouty, you should consider delving into video marketing. In this article, we'll share some tips to get you started with this strategy and help you get over your fear of marketing. Let's dive in!

What is video marketing, and why do artists need it?

Video marketing is utilizing videos to promote or market a product or service. In the case of artists, you can leverage videos to display your work, connect with fans, and, most importantly, convert them into regular clientele.

People love watching videos on the internet - whether it's for entertainment or educational purposes (or both). Not only does it allow you to share your work with the world, but it also builds a connection with potential fans and customers. So if your goal is to promote your art online in hopes that more people will see it and buy it, then video marketing should be part of your strategy.

Popular video content types of marketing your art

If your opinion about video marketing is complex because it’s challenging to develop content ideas, worry no more! Here are some video content types that you can use:

1. Meet the Artist

Introduce yourself and explain why you love creating art. Let your viewers know you as an artist and learn about your process. You can also share some exciting facts about your life that aren't directly related to art, such as where you grew up and why you started painting in general terms.

2. How-to Create Art

If you have a knack for teaching, this video content fits you. You can create a tutorial on specific art mediums (watercolor, acrylic, oil) or different styles (abstract, realism, etc.) and provide tips on creating a masterpiece.

3. Art Demo video

This video is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your artistic techniques. Film yourself in action and post a time-lapse video for your audience to get a glimpse of how much hard work you put into your pieces.

4. Art history/theory lectures

If you are an art history/theory enthusiast, do a famous artist/movement course. You can introduce your favorite artist and how impactful their influence is to you.

5. Behind the Scenes

Filming behind-the-scenes will give viewers an inside look into your creative process - from inspiration, sketching ideas all through production time until finished work is displayed at galleries/exhibitions, etc.

6. Q&A Session

Allow viewers into a more personal side of you by doing a question and answer session where you talk about anything and everything. You can answer questions about your artwork, hobbies, or anything else that comes to mind.

7. Tools/Art Supplies review

Introducing the art supplies or tools you use can be valuable for artists looking to purchase new materials. Showing how you work with different mediums and tools can influence people in deciding what might work best for them.

8. Documenting exhibitions or events you are participating in

Attending gallery openings and exhibitions is a regular occurrence for many artists, so why not film it and turn it into a video? Doing so gives viewers a virtual experience of what it's like being at one of these events while indulging them with the inside story of the featured art collection.

9. Artist talks/interviews

Get insights from other artists about their creative processes and inspirations. You could talk about how they got started in the industry. If two people are working together (like a collaborative piece), interview each other, and discuss how they combine efforts for the project.

Video creation tips for effective marketing content

1. Choose a topic relevant to your artwork and create content that adds value to your target audience.

2. Make videos that are short and sweet. The attention span of internet users is shorter than ever, so you want to capture their attention within the first few seconds.

3. Include interesting visuals. Don't just rely on talking head videos. Display your artwork, studio, tools, etc., to keep viewers engaged.

4. Include a CTA (call to action). Ask your viewers to do something after watching your video. It can be anything from visiting your website or social media page, subscribing to your channel, or leaving a comment.

5. Be yourself! The way to connect with viewers is to be genuine and authentic in your content. Let them see the real you, and they'll be more likely to stick around for more.

6. Make sure your videos are high quality. It means editing your footage to get smooth and free of glitch videos.

7. Use keywords in your description box when uploading videos to YouTube so that they'll have a better chance of being found by the search engines and people who are looking for content related to those topics.

How to share your videos online?

Once you've made your video, it's time to share it with the world! Here are some tips for promoting your art through social media and other platforms:

1. Facebook

There are a few methods to share your videos on Facebook. You can post a link to the video on your timeline, post it as a status update, or share it in a group or page.

2. Twitter

You can post a link to the video, embed it in a tweet, or post a video tweet. Use relevant hashtags so that your video will show up in searches.

3. YouTube

Uploading your videos on YouTube can get more views since it's the second-largest search engine in the world. Plus, including links to your videos in blog posts and other online content contributes to driving traffic your way.

4. Instagram

To share a video on Instagram, you can post a link to the video, embed the video in a post, or post the video as a story. You can also use relevant hashtags to help people find your videos.

In conclusion, you can use video marketing to share what you're selling online and encourage individuals to appreciate your art (and ultimately buy them). An artwork is an end-product of hard work and talent; thus, it deserves a formidable marketing strategy. And video marketing can be your passage to growth in sales over time instead of just getting some one-time customers.

Roxanne Panibio is a PR Outreach Specialist at VEED.IO. She's an avid reader, mostly found with a book in her hand. When not reading, she enjoys watching crime mystery movies to satisfy her inner detective.

Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery is very proud to announce that it is now featuring their past, present and future online art gallery exhibitions on YouTube. The art gallery has converted all of their past art exhibitions to their own YouTube Channel.

The gallery has reproduced and enhanced all of their online art exhibition posts and converted them into moving slide shows with animations, transitions, fades, all set to music that is in keeping and appropriate with that art show’s theme. Most of the movie art shows run from 5 to 15 minutes in length and provide an alternative for the visitor to viewing the standard online version of the art exhibition.

In addition, it is also hoped that the YouTube shows will provide another outlet for the gallery to promote its art exhibitions, along with the participating gallery artists. The Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery invites all artists and interested people to view and experience these exciting new art exhibition presentations.

Each month Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery conducts themed online art competitions for new and emerging 2D  and 3D artists (including photographers & digital artists) on a worldwide basis. All participating winners of each competition have their artwork exposed and promoted online through the gallery to thousands of guest visitors each month.  

Note: As of July 2018 the LST YouTube videos have had 120,000+ views.