The content offered on an art gallery website is what draws potential visitors and collectors to consider a purchase from you, and perhaps to pay you a visit or two.
Why art galleries need a content strategy too
The vast majority of art galleries and museums, whether they are commercial, privately owned and funded, or partly supported by the state, may need to make sense of their investments, show a specific yearly return and be burdened by financial pressure.
Not surprisingky though, visits from the general public represent the most conspicuous part of that return, and like many other business categories, these conversions are often the result of good quality offer, a pleasant experience for the visitors, and an excellent branding and promotion.
With the advent of the internet, more and more people rely on search engines to find activities and entertainment in specific areas, let alone to buy rare pieces of art that tend to be found at the higher end of the of the commodities price-point spectrum. And it’s not to be forgotten that technically we have just exited (and sme areas in the world are following behind) some 30 month long pandemic times, where most art lovers had to find solace in virtual resources and have hit museums and galleries hard, leaving many gallery owners scrambling to keep in touch with patrons.
Museums and commercial art galleries alike, in essence, are mostly being researched and found online.
Search engines work by serving the users typing in the research with search results (website and web pages) that are very closely related or exactly matching that search, time and time again.
It is not necessary to spend heavy bucks in digital advertising, if this is what you’re asking. However, as an art business owner you’ll want to spend some time creating good quality content, that will stand chances of being found by those art aficionados that can represent your next clients.
With a few key pieces of digital marketing knowledge on your side, you can increase visitors to your exhibits and strengthen your gallery’s long-term outlook. Try these creative, do-it-yourself art gallery marketing strategies to grow your network of supporters and keep your gallery thriving for years to come.
How digital marketing can help your art gallery
It’s a common misconception digital marketing revolves around heavy promotion and hard sell.
Unlike businesses that aim to sell products and services, you’re offering guests an experience — something that can’t be captured with price tags and product pages. Digital marketing, and content specifically, is different from other forms of advertising in that it lets you create an interactive journey for potential patrons that offers a taste of what it’s like to explore your gallery. Using this to your advantage can make a significant difference when it comes to potential visitors and their purchase choices.
By creating vibrant, engaging content, you can draw new visitors in while amplifying your name in the longer run.
The basics of art gallery marketing
Pairing strategies like email marketing, social media, and content creation with the techniques you already use to engage your community will increase your visibility and bring more people to your gallery.
I can’t stress this enough - marketing an art gallery successfully doesn’t require investing in huge campaigns: There are plenty of simple, low-cost tools that can get you started or help you progress/
Here are a few basic ideas that really work.
Use email to inform and inspire
Email marketing is essential of any strong digital marketing strategy.
Start by collecting emails from in-person visitors or offering exclusive content to people who sign up for your newsletter online.
Stay in touch with your email list by offering exciting glimpses at what your gallery has in store and behind-the-scenes details about artists, enticing people to click through and learn more.
Email nurturing is not only to announce your next show, but to let your carefully segmented list when something that is of their interest just arrived to your gallery. Don’t forget to let them know!
Showcase your collections on social media
Get to know each social media platform and how it can benefit your art gallery marketing.
Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest are all great for showing off visual content, like popular exhibitions and new artwork.
Facebook is ideal for advertising events and offering more information about new artists and collections. Start by choosing one or two channels that best fit your needs and updating those profiles regularly.
Try not to put too much on your plate, at least when starting out. You might realise that one single channel can return all the efforts alone.
The Whitechapel Gallery in East London does a great job of using Instagram to show off its collections, and combines those strong eye catcher with glimpses of work-in-progress and behind the scenes.
By choosing the most visually striking artwork in the gallery, the museum draws in new visitors and reminds returning patrons of their favourite pieces.
Make sure visitors can find you
A big part of art gallery marketing is getting people in the door. However, art collectors will most likely research you online before knocking at your door, so make sure you keep an updated catalogue and encourage prospects to request confidential artwork specifications.
Search engine marketing can help you reach people in your area who are looking for exactly what you offer, and might be interested in [aying you a visit.
Target keywords that appeal to your gallery’s unique demographic for successful museum branding. These should be common enough that potential patrons will search for them, but not so broad that you’ll get drowned out by your competition.
If you’re targeting the keyword “art collecting,” for example, you’ll be competing with every other gallery in the world to become a top result.
A more specific keyword, like “Banksy print to buy” or “new contemporary artworks in London,” will have less competition and be more likely to connect you with people interested in what you have to offer.
Create engaging resource content
Once called blogging, including a content or resource section is a great way to capture web traffic through search engines.
Writing specifically targeted articles to help people find you online is called search engine optimisation, or SEO.
It’s one of the more cost-effective options for finding new leads because you don’t have to pay to be found, like pay-per-click advertising. Instead, you write posts about your industry that readers are interested in. Create posts that use your target keywords and that cover topics related to your gallery.
By regularly posting high-quality content to your website, Google will rank you higher on the results page and search engine users will be more likely to find your site.
Next level art gallery marketing strategies
Once you’ve mastered the essentials of art gallery marketing, you can up your game with some more advanced strategies.
Partner with your artists
Finding supporters and art lovers who want to visit your gallery can be as simple as using your artists’ platforms.
Popular artists tend to have dedicated followings on social media. Use this to your advantage by tagging their personal pages, or cross-promoting with an artist who exhibits at your gallery.
This means that your gallery posts about their artwork to your online following, and they, in turn, share your content on their social media pages. Instagram has recently introduced a Collaboration feature, where you tag the artist and add them as a collaborator: once they’ll accept your request, the post will be visible to both your and their audience.
It’s a simple, organic way to expand your online reach and connect to people who are already fans of the work you have on display.
The Hayward Gallery occasionally posts highlights and interviews from artists they represent, offering a more intimate connection with the works they represent.
By tagging visually engaging content with the artist’s personal page, the gallery connects to existing fans and generates interest in the new show.
Speak out on relevant topics
Securing guest articles in outside publications can help your gallery gain broader attention. Keep an eye out for art and lifestyle magazines that accept article proposals, or websites looking for guest bloggers. By using your expertise to weigh in on major topics in the art world, you can spark interest in your gallery and give readers a sense of what they might learn from visiting.
Offer giveaways to generate community interest
By now you should have at least one social media page for your gallery. Try building up momentum on your social media pages by hosting a giveaway.
This type of marketing campaign can be done in partnership with local restaurants or wine bars to offer a free dinner and date night at the gallery to the winner. To enter, ask participants to sign up for your email list. That way, you can stay connected with the participants even after you close out the contest.
Giveaways like this generate excitement in the community while helping bolster all your digital marketing channels.
Get creative with your marketing
When it comes to marketing for your art gallery, take it one step at a time. Come up with a single, tangible goal, like growing your social media following or increasing your email list. Then, offer things like admission discounts and vouchers for people who follow you online or sign up for your email newsletter — whatever makes the most sense for your gallery and your marketing goals.
Feel free to mix and match these marketing ideas, or make adjustments based on your audience and your niche. No matter what strategies you choose, you’ll be well on your way to growing your patron pool and bringing in more visitors to your gallery.
Comentarios