Navigating the Shifting Landscape of Print-on-Demand: A Call for Independent Choices
In a rapidly changing print-on-demand (POD) industry, artists face significant challenges, especially when partnering with venture-backed companies that prioritize profits over fair compensation.
In a recent article by the founder of Fine Art America, Sean Broihier, examines the current state of the industry, emphasizing the importance of independent platforms and the need for artists to take control of their sales channels. This post builds on a previous post I published about online marketplaces for art.
Boost Your Art Exhibition’s Success with This 3-Month Promotion Planning Roadmap
Congratulations on your upcoming exhibition! If you're pondering the best way to navigate the intricate world of event communications and promotion without delving into paid advertising, you're in the right place. This blog post unveils a 3-month timeline, essentially your roadmap, to guide you through the intricacies of planning communication and promotion for your exhibition.
Step-by-Step Tutorial: How to Create a Custom "Link in Bio" Page for Instagram on Squarespace
In the ever-evolving world of social media, it's helpful to create a custom links page on your Squarespace website. A custom links page allows you to showcase multiple links in one place, making it easier for your followers to explore your artwork, content, products, or services. In this step-by-step guide, we'll walk you through the process of creating a custom links page for your Instagram profile on Squarespace.
Enhancing Your Artist Portfolio Website: Unleashing the Power of Creative Pop-Ups
As artists, it's essential to capture the attention of our audience and cultivate a loyal following. In this post we're going to explore a powerful yet often overlooked resource for building your email list: promotional pop-ups. Prepare to discover a variety of pop-up ideas that will encourage site visitors to join your artistic community. It's time to embrace this underutilized resource and watch your list-building efforts thrive!
How to Set Up a Pop-Up in Squarespace 7.1: Step-by-Step Guide
Pop-ups are a powerful tool for capturing visitor attention, promoting special offers, and growing your email list. If you're using Squarespace 7.1, you're in luck! Squarespace makes it easy to set up pop-ups without any coding knowledge. In this step-by-step tutorial, we'll guide you through the process of creating a pop-up within your Squarespace website.
From Ordinary to Extraordinary: Elevating Your Portfolio Website with Expert Insights
Are you eager to make your portfolio website the best it can be? I've got some valuable insights to share with you. In this blog post, we're going to focus on the key areas that will make your portfolio website shine and leave a lasting impression on your visitors. From design elements to content strategies, we'll explore essential aspects, in the form of tips, that can help transform your website from ordinary to extraordinary.
Connecting with Your Audience: Visual Artists Who Lead with Authenticity
As a visual artist, the process of creating something meaningful and beautiful is what drives you. But when it comes to promoting your work, finding the right balance between self-promotion and being genuine can be a challenge. You don't want to feel like a pushy salesperson or risk turning off potential customers. So, how can you market your work to your audience in an authentic way? In this post, we'll explore inspiring examples of artists that lead with authenticity.
10 Leading Online Marketplaces for Artists: A Comparison
In this post, I provide a brief comparison of 10 leading art marketplaces, including popular platforms like Etsy, RedBubble, Saatchi Art, Artfinder, and more. We'll examine the benefits and drawbacks of each platform, as well as the associated costs and fees, to help you make an informed decision and find the best platform for your art.
The Power of Chat GPT for Fine Artists Seeking Gallery Representation
In this blog post, I explore how the power of AI, and specifically Chat GPT, can be used to gather important information about ideal customers. To put the tool to the test, I used a simple ‘role play’ prompt and a ‘conversation’ between an artist and the head of a leading art gallery in New York or LA, to try to bring some clarity to what this ideal client might be searching for when it comes to adding an artist to the gallery roster.
Leaving Mailchimp, and Ready to Step-Up Your Email Marketing Game?
Email marketing is, hands down, one of the most powerful tools you can use in your creative business. A well-maintained email list can drive traffic to your website, help attract potential new fans and customers to your work, and boost your overall revenue. However, as you may have heard, Mailchimp recently announced a major change to its pricing plans that may make it more difficult for small business owners to fully take advantage of the power of email marketing.
How to Customize a Free Lead Magnet Template for Visual Artists, in Canva: Step-by-Step Instructions.
As a creative business owner, I know, from first-hand experience one of the things we all struggle with at one time or another is building an email list. And, because I work with a lot of artists, I know that coming up with a lead magnet (or opt-in freebie) that is right for their particular audience can be challenging. I got to work, and created a lead magnet specifically for visual artists that is better aligned with what you do, and also addresses an audience ‘pain point’ or FAQ. In this post, I provide step-by-step instructions on how to customize the shared template inside Canva.
Are You Using These Email Marketing Features to Powerfully Level-Up Your Newsletter?
You’re probably already using an email marketing service in your business as a way to share your new works and launch special promotions with your subscribers. However, you may not be taking advantage of some of the lesser known and newer features that are available to make your newsletter the best it can be — both in presentation and in performance. In this post, I provide three email marketing features that will help you power up your newsletter.
Four Inspiring Visual Artist Videos, from Delightful Intros to Engaging Studio Visits
In January of 2021, Contently, an industry authority on content marketing, surveyed their community to find out what they thought their most important content format would be, based on what best aligns with consumer preferences. Survey said (in my best game show host voice): “blog posts,” followed closely by “videos.”
How to Optimize Images for your Portfolio Website
Did you know? One of the most important things you can do to set up your website for up for success is to optimize your website images for better SEO. In this post, I’ll cover a few things you can do to prepare your images before and after you upload them to your website.
10 Common Artist Website Mistakes, And What To Do Instead
An artist’s portfolio site is so much more than a collection of artworks. It is also a business and marketing tool that is capable of attracting new business, and generating profitable, sustainable growth over time. Whether you are thinking about creating your first site, or if you've had a site for years, here are a few things to avoid, and a few things you can implement instead.
Round Up: Three Inspiring Artist/Activist Portfolio Website Examples
If you’re an artist who is interested in building momentum around a particular social, cultural, environmental or political issue that is meaningful to you, and you’ve been struggling with how to present your work on your website, this post is for you.
Wix Versus Squarespace: Which is Better for Creative Businesses and Brands?
Squarespace and Wix are both great website builder platforms, but they also stack up very differently based on where you currently are in your business, and where you might want to take it in the future. In this infographic post, I’m going to share a snapshot comparison of both website builders, so you can identify some of the features that are important to you at a glance.
Why I Only Build Squarespace Sites for My Clients
I used to build client sites on other platforms, and now I only build sites using this design-driven, user-friendly, performance-focused solution. Here are the reasons I recommend Squarespace as a preferred solution for creative entrepreneurs who operate in visual-first industries.
Free Customizable Lead Magnet for Visual Artists: Framing Guide
Build your email list with this pre-written, beautifully designed 14-page editable Canva template. Give your fans and art collectors a framing guide, with expert recommendations and resources. Customize as much or as little as you want.
Drag and drop images of your own work into the document;
Modify the color palette with your brand colors;
Edit the text as desired.
Or, simply personalize the guide by adding your name and contact information. It’s all ready to go, so it really is THAT easy!
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Welcome! I’m Dr. Elizabeth MacLean.
I’m a media and communications consultant, art director/designer and educator who helps visual artists and creatives launch and grow their online presence through custom Squarespace services, training and writing. I built my consulting business by helping my creative entrepreneur clients shine online - without the overwhelm.
When I’m I'm not working, I’m dedicated to my own creative projects, and to being a dog-mom to my 10-year old rescue pup. I live in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and Austin, USA, and am originally from Venezuela.
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