In today’s digital world, the trope of the starving artist is no longer a reality. With ever more places to share and sell your artworks, artists are hustling like never before. Drop-shipping or print on demand (PoD) is one of the leading models for artists, illustrators and designers. With little to no upfront costs, no inventory, and virtually no risk, drop shipping art is a fantastic opportunity to make real money.
The key to making money drop ship your art is making sure you have a reliable fulfilment partner, an eCommerce store, a well-thought-out marketing strategy, and killer artworks to sell. Make sure to have a selection of high-quality artworks ready to upload to as many platforms as possible. The more channels you sell and market to, the more chances you have for successful purchases, meaning revenue.
Like anything in life, you get what you put in. Drop ship printing may take some initial resources in the form of time, strategy, and perseverance, but once you get going, there is an opportunity to make some real money. So keep reading as we dig into the basics of how to make money as an artist using drop shipping services.
How Much Money Can You Actually Earn Drop Shipping?
The sky’s the limit when it comes to your earning potential. Some people start drop-shipping their artwork as a hobby or a way to earn a few extra quid. Other sellers earn significant incomes with their drop-shipping business. You have unlimited potential to earn depending on you, your artwork, and your desire to put in the work.
One thing that really separates the significant earners from hobbyists and side hustle earners is that they take their drop-shipping business seriously. To top earners, they’re not just artists, but business people! While marketing experience, artistic skill, and social media following may vary from person to person, the one thing they have in common is they treat their drop ship business as a real job.
Drop-shipping your artwork is often seen as a “passive” income, but this isn’t really the best description. You still have to lay the groundwork before you can lay back and let the sales roll in. Take, for example, your website. You’ll need to make sure you have an eCommerce website like Shopify that can link with your dropship printer. You’ll also want to drive people to your website, so you’ll need some sort of marketing strategy. Setting up all these things takes time and needs to be sustained.
What You Need to Know to be a Successful Drop Ship Artist
Drop Shipping in all of its forms is a numbers game. The more eyes that see your product, the more people will actually want to buy it. So you’ll need to be a savvy marketer as well as a brilliant artist to start making the big bucks. One of the best ways to get people to your website is through SEO. A basic understanding of SEO or search engine optimization will allow you to start more successfully apart from the sea of other artists.
Another arsenal in your marketing belt should be social media. Today social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest can all be leveraged to help you sell more artworks. Not should your social accounts act as a virtual gallery of your work; but they should create opportunities to plug specific items, announce promotions, and, most importantly, link back to your eCommerce store. Social media can also be used to help boost your sales with paid advertising. While it may seem scary, you can see a significant return with social advertising campaigns with a bit of research and AB testing.
Getting Started with a Drop Ship Printer like Beyond Print
Beyond Print is a fine art printer and drop shipping fulfilment company. While there are other drop-ship printing companies on the market, Beyond Print is a fine art specialist who has partnered with leading artists, galleries and institutions, like the British Journal of Photography. Beyond Print is the drop ship printer of choice if you want to ensure the highest quality prints fit for the museum wall.
All you need to get started is a Shopify website and Beyond Print’s dropshipping app. The app will alert Beyond Print when you get an order on your website. Then Beyond Print fulfils the order, printing the artwork and shipping directly to your customers. Order complete!
