We’ve collected several fantastic pieces of advice and insight from working artists to help your art business thrive, despite what’s going on in the world right now.

Take a look at this checklist, and give some of it a try!

1. Explore new ways of presenting artworks online

Invite collectors to enjoy a fulfilling art-viewing experience in a 3D online exhibition. ArtPlacer is a great tool to easily design virtual exhibitions in beautiful, high-quality galleries. You can even curate your own interactive art show and host it on your website to attract new collectors and nourish recurring ones. Currently, there’s a 7-day free trial and a 20% discount to the Empty Easel community using ArtPlacer promo code, EMPTYEASEL.

2. Take the time to learn

Read about the art market, art industry, and artworks that you love. Get to know your own taste and muse on that. You can even take an art course! MoMA offers a wide variety of extremely rich, free online courses. You can enroll at any time and take the courses at your own pace.

3. Sign up for art industry newsletters

Even if you often don’t read them, one day when you are idly browsing your emails you’ll come across something which is a great next step for you.

4. Don’t be distracted by fear

Slow down, paint what you are inspired to paint, and send out your message. People are still looking to authentically connect through art, perhaps now more than ever. Don’t get caught up in what’s going wrong in the world; instead, create something you believe in right now and see how it resonates!

5. Embrace the online marketplace AND physical galleries

Brick and mortar galleries will always be there, even if things are slow now, so it’s important to respect both. Think of new strategies to improve your online presence in a way that still makes you approachable to galleries in the future.

Is your website clear and attractive? Empty Easel’s simple artists websites have stunning templates and are super easy to set up.

Do your social media profiles transmit the spirit of your art?

Besides having beautiful aesthetics, your Instagram should provide clear links to your website, online shows, or other social media profiles. You can even optimize your Instagram traffic through that single link on your Instagram bio: Linktree is a great free tool to achieve this.

6. Reach out to people directly

Take time to research and then contact individuals who might be interested in purchasing your work. Send visuals that speak for themselves along with a brief introduction. If someone decides to respond, try to reply quickly, and engage proactively to set up a call or meeting at their convenience.

It’s imperative to also include a link to your website! If your database of art lovers is getting bigger and bigger, you can use email marketing services such as Sendinblue and Mailchimp to stay in touch.

7. Give yourself permission to be creative and take risks!

Try something new! For example, connect with people around the world via Zoom or WhatsApp to show them your studio. There are now so many tools available to connect people at a distance, that it doesn’t even matter which one you use. . . pick one and put your art out there with it!

8. Dig into SEO to increase traffic to your website

Having a presence on the first page of Google can be a game changer. You can try SemRush or Ahrefs for tools to grow your search engine traffic. And of course, make sure to install Google Analytics to track your website’s performance.

9. Embrace change

Be flexible, be visible, and be ready to participate in what’s happening. Artist Emmeline Craig said it best: “We are going to adapt. We are going to continue making and selling art because people need art in their life. We need to change the paradigm and there is nothing better than art to do that.”

Big thanks to artists Caroline Boff, Emmeline Craig, Suzanne Kaltbaum, and Lloyd Dobson for sharing their insight and to ArtPlacer for creating this post! To learn more about ArtPlacer’s marketing app, visit ArtPlacer.com.