ESTABLISH YOUR DIGITAL PRESENCE
This can be a website, but doesn’t have to be. Your digital presence could be through social media or both.
Website
There are advantages and disadvantages to a website. They take some effort to set up (although there are many solutions that require little expertise). They do allow you more control and offer a platform that is open to any potential audience member rather than those who are on a particular social media platform.
Once you have established your page, you can add things like blogs and even a storefront so people can pur- chase your art. Also, you don’t have to set up a tradition- al web site. If you are mainly using your digital presence to showcase your art, there are many photo sharing sites that will give you the option of formatting your art into a web-page. (e.g. SmugMug, Flickr, Zenfolio, etc.)
Social Media
The primary advantage for this choice is that it requires little to no set up or expertise for those who are tech- averse. The platform you choose will also offer options for targeting your audience and extending the reach of your posts and content. Social media comes with a built- in way to interact with your audience and get some valu- able feedback. On the downside, an increasing number of people are turning away from social media for various reasons. Be sure that you give yourself the maximum flexibility to attract a wide audience.
When it comes to establishing a solid digital presence, look to photographers, graphic artists/designers and web designers for help. This doesn’t have to be expensive, but can reap huge benefits as all these folks are trained on the best way to present you and your artwork in varying formats.
