We all know that web sites and blogs live and die because of traffic. This puts Google, as the Internet's de facto start page, front and center in most artists minds as a traffic-driving strategy. However, Google should not be the only.....nor even the main focus of your online marketing efforts. We've written about this subject before in our articles "What if Google Went Away?" and "Google Alone is Not Marketing."  This series will explore specific ideas to drive traffic to your web site....some will work synergistically with search engines like Google....while others will not be depended upon search engines at all. All of these strategies will work with or without search engines.

Today's strategy is probably the simplest to get start with.  It is to Cross Link with other artists.

As an artist, you most likely know many other artists.  What if you could get each one of those artists to provide an inbound link to your web site?  For example, if you know 20 other artists and each one of them linked to your web site, and each link provided one referrals a day, you would add 20 visitors a day to your web traffic.....without even considering search engine benefits.

Here's how you do it:

1.  Indentify other artists you know
Make a list of artists you know....and even some you don't know.  Try to think about other artists who will appeal to the same clients as your artwork....but don't limit yourself to only "similar" artists.

2.  Contact the other artists and offer a link
Start by offering to link TO the other artist.  Tell her that you are trying to support artists and generate an attitude of mutual respect and help.  Tell her you want to link to her site from your web site on your links page.

3.  Ask the other artists for a link in return
After you've "given" a link to the other artist, ask her to create a link on her website to your website.  To make it easy, offer to provide the html code yourself...this makes it easier for the other artist, but, more importantly, lets you format the link how YOU would like.

4.  Make this "cross-link" building strategy a habit
Don't stop after you've garnered a few links.  Make offering and asking for links a habit.  You will meet new artists in workshops, at shows, perhaps in classes that you teach.  The more inbound links you have the more traffic you'll likely garner....it helps with search engines too!

Sincerely,

Clint Watson
Software Craftsman and Art Fanatic

PS:  To take this strategy to the "next level" write a review of the other artist as we discussed in our previous article, "Review the Work of Another Artist."

PPS:  FineArtStudioOnline clients automatically start with three inbound links - one from the FineArtStudioOnline site, one from this blog, and one from our newsletter site, FineArtViews.


Related Articles:

What if Google Went Away?

Google Alone is Not Marketing

Review the Work of Another Artist

A Look at Links