The holiday season can make or break art sales, and now’s the time to get your portfolio prepped to boost your earnings. Setting it up to sell photography prints will help you get the most out of holiday markets, exhibitions, and other seasonal events.
Plus, it can drive extra sales through digital marketing efforts like SEO, social media, and SMS or email campaigns. Here are some tips to help you optimize your portfolio and increase your photography print sales this holiday season.
Rename Your Galleries Based on Themes
You probably already have a gallery titled “Holiday Prints” or “Seasonal Gifts” with snowy landscapes, decorated trees, and classic holiday scenes. That’s a good starting point, and you can expand from there.
Think about how to help art buyers find the perfect print faster. For instance, if you’re using branded or whimsical titles, consider switching them to something more straightforward and descriptive.
Be specific—create galleries around themes like “Horse Art” or “Reindeer Prints,” or focus on scenes like “Snow-Covered Cabins.” Shoppers are often pressed for time, making it easier for them to find the right gift.
Another idea is to take your “Holiday Art” gallery and break it down into sub-galleries for specific holidays, nature scenes, animals, and other popular categories. You can also organize sub-galleries by who the shopper is buying, like “Gifts for Kids,” “For Friends,” “For Colleagues,” or “For Your Partner.”
Bonus Tip: If you notice certain shots in a gallery sell better than others, move those top sellers to the front so they’re the first thing new customers see.
How To Decide What to Feature First
Start by visiting public art marketplaces and browsing their holiday art sections. Try searching for keywords like “Santa” or “Christmas gifts.”
Then, sort the results by “best sellers” or “most popular.” Since holiday shopping hasn’t started yet, these galleries are probably still optimized based on last year’s top sellers. Note common themes— characters, landscapes, animals, and other popular subjects. If you have similar pieces, consider naming your galleries after them or highlighting those prints at the top.
If you’re focusing on something specific, like a particular dog breed or a landmark, pay attention to the details: How many appear in the top spots? What’s the setting or activity? With landmarks, note things like time of day, season, or whether people are included or it’s just the building, park, or cityscape.
Choosing the Best Language and Key Selling Points
While browsing art marketplaces, check out Amazon and other big brands selling art. Do similar searches and check out the reviews, especially ones where customers post photos of the artwork in their homes.
Read the reviews to see the words genuine buyers use to describe the art and what made them fall in love with it. This will give you insight into why they bought it and how it brings joy to their space.
You can use these exact phrases as selling points to show potential buyers how your art can bring the same warmth and happiness to their homes—or make the perfect gift for someone special this holiday season. You’ll be speaking their language!
Driving Customers To Your Photography Prints Using Promo Codes
A lot of people don’t want to lug around wall art at a market or festival. If your online print shop is set up, you can let them place an order right from a computer or tablet at your booth and never miss out on a sale. They can make the purchase on the spot and have it shipped directly to their home within a few days.
If they’re not quite ready to buy and your store offers discounts or coupon codes, give them a one-time-use coupon that’s valid for 72 hours (or any timeframe you prefer). This will motivate them to visit your site and shop later. Be sure to write the coupon code on your business card along with your website URL while they’re at your booth.
If your business card has space for notes on the back, include the gallery name where the print is located to make it easier for them to find. If your website builder allows for keyword searches, jot down the photo’s title so they can quickly locate it with a simple search.
Create a Versatile Portfolio Site for Selling Photography Prints
You could be the best marketer or a world-class photographer, but if your website isn’t user-friendly, you won’t see much success. That’s why I recommend using SmugMug.
You can try it out for 14 days here. If you start your trial with my link and decide to sign up, you’ll automatically save 15% on your account—just be sure to start through my link.
Here’s why I’m a fan of SmugMug, especially their Pro account:
- Set Your Own Margins: Decide your profit and make as much as you want.
- Flexible E-commerce Options: Customize bundles, offer discounts, and create deals.
- Damage Protection: SmugMug handles shipping issues and customer support so you can focus on your business.
- User-Friendly Interface: No coding skills needed to manage your site.
- Streamlined Workflow: Use their apps to quickly update galleries as you capture new “print-worthy” shots.
- US & EU Print Labs: Customers can order from trusted print labs closer to their location, saving on shipping costs.
Click here to try SmugMug free and save 15% if you upgrade.
The holiday season is a huge opportunity to boost your photography prints sales. By following these tips, you can maximize your earnings this year and beyond!