I know it sounds a bit like circular logic, but it tends to be true. People take their cues from others as to what is popular. If they see a lot of people paying attention to something, they too will want to see what all the fuss is about. This is a concept known as social proof.
When it comes to selling art online, there are a few ways that I’ve found to apply the concept of social proof.
Likes, Favorites, +1’s
One of the ubiquitous features of social network sites is the ability to the somehow indicate that you like someone’s post. On Facebook, its “liking” while on Twitter it’s called “favoriting”. Don’t forget: it’s not just those sites that are social networks, MANY sites are built on the social network architecture and will have a similar feature. For instance, FineArtAmerica.com has both a favorite and a like feature.
So how does this apply to social proof? Well, let’s say you’ve posted one of your works to a social media site. If visitors see that it has a lot of likes, they are likely to give it a closer look. In fact, Facebook, actually relies on the number of likes a post has received to determine whether or not to place your post in more of your friends/followers streams. They’ve actually institutionalized social proof in their system!
So how do you get likes on your posts? If you have a good following, you will naturally just get a few from your biggest fans, but if you want more, you’re going to have to be…well…social on social networks. Find other artists and like/comment on their works that you find appealing. Some of those artists will reciprocate.
Also, on some sites, you might want to send a personalized thank you message to anyone who likes your post. It will increase the chance that they will like more of your work.
Comments
Sometimes I see artists disable the comments on their posts. I think they’re crazy. This is a great opportunity to gain social proof.
Think of it this way: say you are looking to buy a book on Amazon and you’ve narrowed it down to two books. Otherwise equal, one has dozens of reviews, the other has none. Which one are you going to tend to pick?
You get comments on your posts the same way you get likes. Comment on other artists works that you like, thank people who comment on your work, and build a following.
If visitors see a lot of good comments about a work, they are going to be more likely to buy. That being said, delete all negative comments. Negative comments might put doubts in a potential buyer’s mind. And don’t leave negative comments on other artists posts either. It’s bad form all around.
Sales
One last way to have social proof of your art is to let everyone know when you make a sale. Sure, it may seem a bit like bragging, but you really should be proud of a sale anyway. After all, you just beat out the competition for someone’s wall space, and, when it comes to art, there is some pretty stiff competition.
So whenever you make a sale, post it on Facebook, tweet it out, mention it on Google+…let everyone know. A few people are inevitably going to come see what was so special about your art that someone actually paid for it.
Some sites may make this easier for you. For instance, FineArtAmerica.com has a nice feature that automatically generates an announcement page for any of your sales with buttons right on it to send it out on social sites.
One more thing you can do with this is also take the opportunity to publicly thank the buyer. Perhaps this will turn them into a returning customer.
So, after you’ve published a work online, put some work in to get it some social proof. When people see a lot of activity around your works, they’re much more likely to give it a closer look.
Regards,
Daniel
P.S. If you liked this article, please consider signing up for my newsletter. I send it out every Wednesday and it includes links to my latest artworks, articles, and videos, as well as discounts, deals, and freebies!