Whether you’re a new or veteran artist, selling CG assets or opening an online shop can be a tough venture to kickstart. You may have a full client list built up, or absolutely nothing— either way, successfully promoting an online store requires a solid marketing strategy.

Beyond paid advertising, here are a few simple but effective methods you can use to get noticed:

1. Offer Freebies

We know this sounds counterproductive, but hear us out. As a seller, it can be hard to get customers to trust you. Offering a freebie is a great way to introduce them to your products without any risk to them or their money. 

Using Cubebrush’s freebie option immediately puts your product on the homepage and it will be included in an email sent to nearly 1 million subscribers. The products are chosen at random so as long as you keep one selected, you have a chance of being featured. 

How to Do It

On Cubebrush’s homepage, customers can browse through a host of free content in a section titled ‘Weekly Freebies’, which are sent to newsletter subscribers every week. To make it in this section as a seller, you can submit any of your products, either free and paid, to be considered for the group of weekly freebies. To do so, follow the steps below:

1. Mouse over any uploaded product
2. Click ‘Submit as freebie’
3. If you would want to remove it later down the line, simply click ‘remove from freebie’

2. Leverage Social Media

The benefits of posting on social media can be tenfold when it comes to marketing art. Whether you want to showcase your artwork, search for similar artists, or find the right audience, social media can be the perfect testing grounds for all types of goals.

How to Do It

While social media allows you the flexibility to get creative, other times, it isn’t the most forgiving environment. That’s why it’s important to know the do’s and don’ts of social media for art:

• Do post consistently: One of the most fundamental rules is consistency. Without it, your audience will quickly lose interest. If you want to gain a steady following, be sure to find that sweet spot between posting a sustainable amount and doesn’t appear like spam.
• Don’t feel the need to constantly produce new content: There’s nothing wrong with recycling your favorites from time to time. As long as the same content is spaced out, you can use these as opportunities to talk about different details of the same project.
• Do share your process: Fellow artists, especially those you inspire, will want to see more than just the finished product. Exposing some of the processes, whether it’s moments of frustration at the start, or an image of your dirty coffee mug collection in the studio lets the audience in on the life behind the other side of the screen.
• Don’t forget to tag: Tagging some heavy hitter artist accounts, like Cubebrush, can increase your visibility and the chance that your content will get reposted.

Get Featured by Cubebrush

A feature on Cubebrush’s social media means your shop’s exposure to hundreds of thousands of followers. Here’s how to do just that:

• Make sure you upload multiple high-resolution product images with no text
• Clearly describe your product to peak potential customers’ interest
• Add your social media platforms to your Cubebrush profile
• Tag Cubebrush when you post on social media
• Upload new products frequently to catch both customers’ and scouts’ attention on the ‘Recent Product Page’
• Submit a ‘Guest Blog Post’, which means an automatic share on Cubebrush’s social media platforms

3. Participate in Community Forums

There are a plethora of reasons to participate in artist forums. Regardless of the industry, community forums are a great place to meet a diverse crowd, build your network, learn from others, and polish your brand. And Cubebrush’s forum is no different. In fact, with some tact, participating in their forums can also help boost your online store.

How to Do It

The world of online forums can be intimidating, especially as a newbie with no established network. Here are some top tips to help you get acquainted:

• Use mentions and likes to engage directly with other users: Find a fellow artist with a similar style? Don’t be afraid to comment on what inspires you, and ask questions too.
• Ask for feedback: Once you’ve engaged with others and their art, you may feel more comfortable venturing out on your own. Make a new post and consider tagging your forum friends to ask for honest feedback.
• Build your brand: After you’ve dipped your toe in with a few posts, it’s time to start branding your online shop. Whether it’s the way you story tell or the mediums you use, try to find a unique brand that people can identify with right away. Use this consistently across all your social media platforms, not just within forums.

Partner With the Right Platform

Cubebrush makes it easy to host a store and get recognized. In fact, that’s our ultimate aim— to help artists sell their work. Take full advantage of the tools Cubebrush offers for artists wanting to make a living from their work. Whether it’s getting featured in a newsletter or an Instagram post, or even making a name for yourself in the buzzing community forums, rely on Cubebrush to fulfill all of your needs with your very own store.