Art collections and compilations
Collections are an inexpensive source for internet advertising. Compilations like the New Masters of Fantasy project are an inexpensive way to get your name and artwork in front of the very audience you are trying to reach.
Advertising
Think of your portfolio site as an internet-based business, and like any business, it requires internet advertising to generate revenue. Internet advertising options include:
Banner ads – Consider buying banner ads on websites related to your art. Large community sites like Epilogue may offer its members a discount on banner ads. Banners ads are usually CPM-based (Cost Per iMpression). An Impression is 1,000 views of the banner. So, if a banner ad costs $3.00 CPM, it means you pay $3.00 per 1,000 views.
Text links – Text links are a great form of internet advertising, and they usually produce very good results. Text links are usually rented for a certain period of time, generally on a monthly basis.
Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns – Internet advertising companies like Google and Yahoo! offer pay-per-click services that allow you to bid on certain keywords, that when searched for, will display your ad next to the search results. PPC advertising systems can have a bit of a learning curve, so do plenty of research before you dive in.
Many talented artists completely ignore internet advertising, which is a shame. With a little extra effort and a small budget, internet advertising can greatly increase the number of visitors and potential clients you get to your site every day. Give yourself a marketing budget and use it! Start small and experiment. What works well for one person may not work as well for someone else. Banner ads and text links start as low as $10-15 a month and can go as high as several hundred dollars, depending of the site. PPC campaigns can cost anywhere from $.05 per click, on up to several dollars per click, depending on how competitive the keywords are that you are bidding for.
