Issuu for Artists
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“This world is but a canvas to our imagination.”
– Henry David Thoreau
Sharing Your Art with the World
When we think of art, our mind immediately goes to tangible things like paintings or sculptures, but the concept extends so much further. Art is the ultimate expression of feelings, experiences, and what can’t always be summed up. It takes careful commitment and has the ability to travel beyond time and open worlds we might not explore otherwise.
Today’s digital landscape has created an online ecosystem for artists, collectors, and appreciators to share experiences and achieve their goals, whether that’s to sell their work, add to their collection, or simply find inspiration with a few clicks of a button. Digital spaces have become just as essential as physical ones, and artists and galleries alike need to adapt with the times.
While art is priceless, having a place in the market can be competitive, especially in today’s creator economy, where there is so much content to navigate, even in the art world. However, creating a space for art in the digital world can be just as much an extension of the artwork created. Building an engaging online marketing strategy can be part of the creative process, expanding your reach while maintaining the inviting nature of your work.
Let’s take a look at how to build out your content marketing materials in a way that matches the effort put into your creations and displays them just as intentionally. But first, we need to consider how the industry looks today.
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The number of online-only auctions has increased dramatically in recent years. With the pandemic driving most auctions online in 2020 and 2021, operations have changed for auction houses worldwide. This pivot has created new possibilities within our digital spaces, and the hybrid model continues into 2023, with large houses leading the way. Some online auctions have shown smaller collections while larger auction houses, including Christie’s and Sotheby’s, are continuing to set the tone on how this model could continue to shape consumer behavior. Only time will tell if the hybrid model goes from a trend birthed out of necessity into a longstanding tradition, but if art fairs are any indication of where things are headed, there’s a good chance that online auctions are here to stay.
2. Art Fairs
Art Basel and UBS conducted a survey in 2022 to get a pulse on how art collecting has shifted in recent years. They found that art fairs are growing in popularity, and what’s most notable is that, like auction houses, a hybrid model of showing and selling work is becoming the standard. 65% of those who’d purchased art from a fair in 2022 did so in person, while 59% bought through an online viewing room. This means there’s overlap in the participants, with a noteworthy percentage of patrons having purchased both in-person and online.
This could be due to an abundance of caution from patrons since the events of 2020, but it’s just as likely due to the
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The Art World
(According to the Numbers)
convenience it affords. Buyers who might otherwise need to travel to attend can now enjoy purchasing artwork remotely through online viewings. This helps save time and cut costs associated with in-person attendance, giving entry-level patrons better access to art. For those with a goal to make their event more accessible, this could be a significant step in the right direction.
In the same UBS survey, 95% of high-net-worth collectors also indicated that they had made purchases in 2022 without viewing them in person. 51% of said group does this regularly, meaning setting up your work online is a worthwhile and long-term investment. We can see that making artwork available online is a sure way to make them accessible to larger audiences and convenient for those in the position to collect regularly.
3. Social Media
From home decor shopping to gathering inspiration for the next collection piece, social media has completely changed the way we engage with the world around us, and this most certainly includes art.
buyer's attention for a gallery or someone looking to add a piece to their home collection, the number of eyes you can attract in a single day on social media is nothing to ignore. With that in mind, social media isn’t always the preferred platform for art to be seen and appreciated online. Some find it takes away from the allures of the art world, especially galleries that have carefully curated collections meant to be seen and experienced in person. For some, Instagram isn’t a place to show whole collections, which is why timeless resources like catalogs are just as necessary today as ever.
Social media sites like Instagram and Facebook have become must-have tools for artists with an entrepreneurial spirit who want to get the word out about their work and even monetize it. And this makes sense because it’s where their audiences are. Statistic found in a 2020 study that 87% of art buyers use Instagram to discover artists. Whether you’re looking to get A
Today
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How Digital Content Helps Artists
Issuu enables artists and galleries alike to create high-quality digital flipbook versions of their catalogs, so they need not fear being left behind in this expanding digital landscape. With Issuu’s platform, artists can publish and share their portfolios, auction catalogs, curated collections, and more in customizable fullscreen sharing mode so viewers can experience detailed, high-quality imagery on any device. Here are some of the ways publishing digital content on Issuu can make your work stand out to new and passionate audiences.
Share Meaningful Social Content
While social media might not be the place to debut every piece in a collection, when combined with a digital publishing platform like Issuu, the intended experience can be preserved while also giving audiences a helpful glimpse at what they can expect from each collection. This opens up new capabilities that can be used in combination with other digital strategies like art auctioning. Issuu’s built-in Social Posts feature makes it easy to create eye-catching posts that everyone will love in a drag-and-drop environment that anyone can use.
Create a Hybrid Art Fair Experience
Whether your goal is to create a more inclusive purchasing experience or spread the word about an upcoming event, a digital publication opens a world of possibilities. An online buying option offers convenience to patrons who can’t attend the year’s events in person and is just one more way to create a world-class art fair experience.
Expand Your Reach and Increase Sales
A distribution strategy is a must for those who want their work to be seen by the masses. Our Links feature lets you sell artwork directly from your Issuu catalogs with web and shopping links. Whether you want to show the pieces ahead of an auction or create a space to sell items in a virtual Buy Now section, a digital catalog on Issuu gives you complete control over how pieces are sold and distributed.
"Issuu has been an amazing marketing tool for us for the past five years. We use it to produce digital catalogs for our fairs, with links directly to our exhibitors' websites and emails. The publications look beautiful on the platform, and more importantly, are interactive and engaging."
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– Sanford L. Smith + Associates
You pour your heart and soul into your work. It’s worth bringing that to an audience who can be just as passionate about it as the artists themselves. Whether you’re an artist looking to distribute and sell your work online, a curator wanting to improve accessibility for your audience, or a distributor needing to display your collections to ease negotiations, the Issuu platform supports artists of all kinds.
Create a distribution strategy that is a continuation of the artwork you’ve created, not a compromise. With page-flipping digital publications, your online content becomes a world of its own. Building a digital space for the arts to be displayed, shared, and appreciated is an important step in bringing art to life.
Ready to share your artwork online? Try Issuu today.
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