If you want to be a successful art writer online-- be it writing for a website or you own blog-- there are key steps that you can take toward that goal. Most are fairly straight forward-- unfortunately, many art writers-- specifically those working on solo endeavors-- fail to explore basic strategies that would help them to gain credibility and increase traffic to their content. Thus, I want to detail a few steps that I think are very helpful for art writers online-- especially for those starting their own art blog.
The first key step is to decide what kind of art blog you want to have. Is an art blog to you a way to gain exposure for your art? Or is it a way to give insight to your thoughts on art market trends and art news? True, you can mesh both directions with an art blog-- however, it helps to have a solid direction. Especially if you want to lure repeat visitors. My advice is geared more toward writers who want to add their voice to art criticism and dialogue of art as a whole online.
Step 1: Blog Presentation / Direction
It does not really matter if you have a personalized art blog or use a free service such as Blogger or Wordpress. Content is always King. If you have great content people will come regardless. However, when they do visit you don’t want to turn them off with a confusing mess of ads, links, and interests. Be careful not to distract blog visitors from the great content that you offer. In other words, avoid blog bling-- banner after banner, random links, or your mother‘s best recipe for fried chicken splashed on the side-- and try to stay focused on art in general. Don’t allow the presentation of your art blog to dictate how serious blog visitors take your writing.
