Want to connect with Imagekind and stay up to date? You can find us on the following:
Click on the logos and come join us! If you’re an artist, share your unique Imagekind URL so we can enjoy your work.
- Nate
Trolling through Digg today I came across these two awesome lists for graphic designers. We have a ton of amazing graphic design artists on Imagekind and maybe these will help inspire their creativity.
80 Graphic Design Links You Can’t Live Without
…Inspirations From 16 Designer’s Community Website
Great resources. Thought I’d share them.
Where’s colourlovers?
Have another site not listed? Let’s see it.
- Nate
We heard some fantastic news the other day.
Imagekind was recently nominated as one of the most innovative companies in the world by FastCompany.com. Now, we need your help to get us in the top 50!
On July 15, the editors of FastCompany.com will select the 50 most innovative companies worldwide based on participants’ overall feedback and rating.
You can read the submission, vote and comment about why you think Imagekind is innovative at FastCompany.com.
Every year Fast Company magazine highlights the most innovative companies around the world that take business to new creative heights. Imagekind was nominated as one of those companies because of how Imagekind is revolutionizing the way people experience, interact with and enjoy art.
The more comments we get and the higher the votes we receive, the better our chances are of getting into the top 50 most innovative companies worldwide. Read, vote and comment and show why Imagekind is the best community for buying, selling and creating art.
- Nate
Compiled below is a list of the top five networking sites Imagekind artists can utilize to help promote their art prints for sale on Imagekind.
I have broken each of the five sites down by:
If your name is not under one of the sites, it’s probably just because I don’t know you use it. So, feel free to paste your respective site URL in the comment section and I will be happy to check it out.
Every artist who wants to increase their sales should have a few different ways they go about promoting their work. What other sites should be added to this list?
1. Flickr
About Flickr: It’s hard to say anything new about Flickr that most of you don’t already know. So, this is for the few who don’t. Flickr is by far one of the largest photo management and sharing sites online. Flickr members can upload, manage, organize and share their digital images with a worldwide audience. Members range from professional photographers and artists, to amateurs, to casual photo takers sharing personal pictures between select groups of people.
What this means: The Flickr community is one of the largest and most knowledgeable photo communities online. When people look for images online, Flickr is often one of the first sites they check. This provides a great opportunity for artists selling their artwork. Through a strategic partnership, Flickr members can easily upload and sell their Flickr images through Imagekind. With a few simple clicks, visitors to Flickr can click over to Imagekind where they can purchase an Imagekind member’s art prints.
Imagekind artists using Flickr successfully:
Notley Hawkins (on Flickr) | Trey Ratcliff (on Flickr) | Irene L (on Flickr) | Roger Butterfield (on Flickr) | Mr. Vedd (on Flickr)
2. MySpace
About MySpace: To many, MySpace might seem like nothing more than a paradise for socially awkward and confused teenagers. However, MySpace has proved to be one of the best places an artist can use to help promote and sell their work. In short, MySpace claims to be “a place for friends.” In other words, it’s one site, where millions of people congregate to meet and interact with others. Think having the opportunity to network with more people than are in Time Square. You are given a personal page that is almost limitlessly customizable.
What this means: Artists have the opportunity to engage with one of the largest clusters of people ever developed online. The potential is enormous. Artists can connect with new and existing fans of their artwork. Music groups (bands) are almost required these days to setup a page on MySpace to connect with their existing fans, and provide a way for new fans to quickly and easily find their music. This same principle applies to artists. Setup a MySpace profile and start connecting with people who love your art. Include your unique Imagekind URL on your page to connect people directly to your art prints for sale.
Imagekind artists using MySpace successfully:
Rob Dobi (on MySpace) | Natasha Newton (on MySpace) | Porter McKnight (on MySpace) | Metrofader (on MySpace) | Mike Cressy (on MySpace)
3. Facebook
About Facebook: Facebook is like a cleaned up version of MySpace. Not only is it more polished looking, it is also more family friendly. Similar to MySpace, Facebook “connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them.” Facebook is less customizable than MySpace, but provides ways for members to share and interact with each other in ways that MySpace does not. Facebook members can easily create and join groups that inspire them, encourage them, they are passionate about, or just make them laugh.
What this means: Similar to MySpace, artists can use Facebook to connect with people who love their art. Facebook members can setup groups for just about anything to collaborate and share ideas. Artists can create their own personal groups for people to join who love their work, or join other groups for particular styles of art. With Facebook, it is easy to connect and share ideas to help promote your art prints for sale on Imagekind.
Imagekind artists using Facebook successfully:
Scott Anderson (on Facebook) | Rich Collins (on Facebook) | Edward Kinnally (on Facebook)
4. Youtube
About YouTube: YouTube is “…the premier destination to watch and share original videos worldwide…” YouTube allows people to upload and share their personally created videos with an audience around the world. There are videos on YouTube for almost everything.
What this means: Artists use YouTube in several different ways. I have seen everything from artists who create instructional videos on painting, to an artist sharing their unique style when creating art, to artists who create video advertisements of their work. Once you have a video created and ready to upload, add an interesting title and appropriate tags for people to find your videos easily. Imagekind artists can include their unique Imagekind URL directly to the video and also make it a link in the info box on the right hand side. That way, when viewers see an artist’s work on YouTube, they can find out how to buy their art prints for sale easily.
Imagekind artists using YouTube successfully:
Natasha Wescoat (on YouTube) | Hall Groat II (on YouTube)
5. Squidoo
About Squidoo: When trying to understand Squidoo (though we may never understand the name) it’s often best to think of a blog that mated with Wikipedia. With Squidoo, anyone can setup a free, single page of whatever it is they care about most. There are Squidoo pages (lenses ala Squidoo) on nearly everything. Squidoo members can then interact with, discuss, and meet others who care about what they care about. Even Martha Stewart and Jane Goodall have lenses sharing what they’re passionate about.
What this means: Artists can use Squidoo to create lenses about their passions and interests: namely, their artwork. It’s quite simple for an artist to setup a lens and start connecting with others who love their art. They can easily add images and videos on their Squidoo lens to showcase their work. It is easy to direct people who find your artwork on Squidoo over to your artwork for sale on Imagekind.
Imagekind artists using Squidoo successfully:
Anne Vis (on Squidoo) | Andrew Gibson (on Squidoo)
Remember these are only five of the sites artists can use to help promote their art prints for sale on Imagekind. I am sure there are several more. How do you use these sites in different ways? What other sites have you found successful for promoting your art prints?
- Nate
“Squidoo is the world’s most popular site for building free, single pages about your passions.”
If you haven’t heard of Squidoo yet, listen up because it could help you increase your art print sales. One of the best ways to understand Squidoo is as DailyCandy advises: “Think Friendster meets Wikipedia.” It is essentially a network of pages (lenses, ala Squidoo) about specific topics that users who love those topics create.
So, how can using Squidoo help you sell? Well, what is it you’re passionate about? Several Imagekind artists have already tapped into this excellent resource. Check these out to get some ideas on how you can utilize Squidoo:
Edition Handruck (on Squdioo)
Andrew Gibson (on Squidoo)
Natasha Wescoat (on Squidoo)
If you have yet to create a lens about your artwork, I would encourage you to check it out and start one. If you have started one, I’d love to see it. Throw a link in the comment section and I’d be happy to take a look.
If you have any questions or further ideas on how to use Squidoo more effectively, share them.
Nate
Joe Barrouk, the founder of A Singular Creation, shares his insights into why he does, what he does. He is passionate about art and providing tools, resources and a community to share those with others. A Singular Creation includes a place for “art contests and competitions, call for entries, juried art exhibitions, art events, art workshops and classes, art shows, fairs and festivals and other opportunities for artists and photographers. We also have several options for artists, galleries and art businesses to submit an art related announcement of any kind.” Continue reading to see what drives Joe and A Singular Creation to keep going.
Image: Dawn of the Trees by Carmen Cordelia
http://ccordelia.imagekind.com
Why do you do this? Because I love art. That is the reason. Many people ask why I do what I do – why I spend so much time building a free site for artists with no plans of ever charging any fees. I tell them I do it because I can. I do it because someone should, because it needs to be done. Some other art sites out there ask me: Well how do you make money? My answer is: I don’t. This site is not about making money. It’s about building a community where artists can collaborate with other artists, get advice, learn, show their art, find opportunities, have fun and get to know other artists. That’s it. No strings. Don’t you wish everything could be that simple?
Have you seen Imagekind now has a facebook page? Check it out and if you have a facebook account (which all artists should) become a fan! Facebook is one of the most popular social networking sites and provides a great way to stay in touch with friends, family and even fans of your work!
Image: Ascension by Chris Darroch Biggs
http://chrisbiggs.imagekind.com
If you haven’t setup an account, it is quick and easy. Upload a profile picture, tell a little bit about yourself, and always make sure to let people know where they can find high quality prints of your artwork!
Once your a fan of Imagekind on facebook, upload some of your work and it might just get entered into the rotation of our weekly profile picture! On the page, you can write reviews, add comments, upload your own art to the page and connect with other artists and fans alike. It really is a great way to add more exposure to your work by connecting you to millions of people around the world.
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Click here to check out the Imagekind page on facebook.com!
Does Brian Auer ever sleep? He seems to always have something new going on!
It is really amazing to see how some of our innovative member artists come up with new ways to show and sell their work. Brian Auer has collected seven fine art photographers to help contribute with his endeavor to increase the world’s collection of breathtaking photography. As Brian explains in the Fine Art Photo Blog Press Release,
…seven internationally acclaimed fine art photographers work together, publishing a work of fine art photography daily; every day another photographer, each photographer once per week. The works will be up for purchase in two variants…as high-quality but unsigned prints… [and] …as definitive and collectible signed prints.
Image: Colors of the Canyon by Brian Auer
You can also find it at the Fine Art Photo Blog
We at Imagekind are amazed at the level of quality and artistic ability each of these seven photographers exhibit and posses. Each of the artist has the choice where their print orders are fulfilled and we are thrilled and honored at many of the artist’s choice to select Imagekind for this function.
We are proud that our quality is superior enough for such amazing photographers to choose that their spectacular images be printed with us! It is truly amazing how artists are utilizing Imagekind’s print-on-demand service to build their own art businesses.
Take a look, www.fineartphotoblog.com.
Take a minute to analyze the graph below, it might just help you in your endeavor to increase sales.
This information is pulled from a service offered by Google called Trends. Google Trends displays aggregated graphs of information mapping the amount of a specific word or terms searched using Google. Simply, it lets you see what people are searching for, and to what degree of interest searchers have in specific words or terms. What this provides practically is a way to help determine what is on the market’s mind.
Image: FIFA Altitude Ban Sports Day by Andrew Gibson
Every now and then, we catch wind of some great stuff Imagekind members are doing around the web and, since we get pretty excited around here, we thought we should share. We can’t possibly keep track of everyone, so if you know something you think we should, let us know! Post a comment below or shoot us an email. We are always looking for great ideas and want to know what interests our members. Who knows, if it interests us, we might just be able to help you broadcast it to the world.
Keep reading to learn some great tips to help you sell art online.
