If you’ve ever tried to purchase advertising in an art magazine or done co-operative advertising with other artists, you’ll know that print advertising can be rather expensive. One advantage of the Internet is that you can experiment with advertising for your art and not break the bank…if you know what you’re doing. Here are some of the basics of getting started with advertising your art online.
1. Know your advertising options- there are a number of options when it comes to advertising online. Here are a couple that are most common
- Text ads
- Banner ads
- Sponsorships (text or banner)
2. Know your pricing options- most online advertising is based on either impressions or clicks:
- Pay Per Click (PPC)…this means that you’re charged according to how many people actually click on your ad
- CPM (Cost Per Mille)- this is based on how many people will see your ad. “Per mille” means per thousand impressions, or loads of an advertisement (e.g. If a website gets about $5,000 impressions per month, they may charge $20 x 5 CPM or $100 per month
3. Figure out where to advertise- First figure out who your target market is then make a list of likely places to advertise
- Google Ads
- Facebook Ads
- Niche sites- these are specific websites and blogs where your target market is likely to see your ads
4. Research the ad requirements- every website and service has different requirements when it comes to the ad format and design. Familiarize yourself with requirements such as:
- Format- .jpg, .gif, .png, animated vs not animated
- Word count
- File size
- Image size
5. Figure out your budget- Don’t go into advertising without a budget in mind. A lot of business base their ad buys on 10% of their monthly or yearly income. So if you make $1,000 per month online, then figure about $100 per month
6. Know what are you advertising for- Have a specific goal for your advertising or various advertising campaigns. Are you trying to brand yourself?Promote a specific event? Get more traffic for your website?
7. Spend a good deal of time designing your ad- Art is a visual medium. Make sure that your ad is visually pleasing. Experiment with different sizes, animation, colors, photos, etc. If you’re doing a text ad, don’t neglect your copy! A couple of words can make the difference. Plus, remember to point your ad to a specific page on your website instead of dumping people on your homepage. This will make your ad more effective and easier to track.
8. Know that advertising as a long-term strategy- Advertising takes some time to be effective. Don’t run a couple of ads and decide to quit. Most people need to see your ad at least 7 times before they recognize you or decide to click. If you’re going to do advertising, commit yourself to a plan of at least 3 to 6 months and stick to it.
