Found that stacking my portfolio with a story per piece doubled my commission rate

So for like a year I was just posting finished art with a caption like "here's a portrait I did." Got almost no engagement outside a few friends. Then last month a client told me she picked me over 3 other artists because I wrote a short paragraph about why I chose the color palette and what the piece meant to me. She said it made the work feel personal. I tried it on my next 5 uploads and 2 of those turned into paid commissions. Is this a normal thing for the rest of you or did I just get lucky with that specific niche?

2 comments

2 Comments

kevinw9418d ago

Ha, that dating profile comparison is painfully accurate! I feel you, man. I used to do the exact same thing, just slapping a title and calling it done. It's wild how a few sentences can completely change how people see your work. Honestly, it sounds like you hit on the same thing I did, it's not luck, it's just giving people a reason to care. Once I started talking about the story behind a piece, even just a couple of lines, the comments and DMs changed completely. Keep doing it, it really does make a difference.

thomas.river18d ago

Guess I've been selling my art like a dating profile with no bio, just a blurry mirror selfie. Maybe I should try writing a paragraph about my color choices instead of a caption that's just "here.