Society6 Review
In this post, I’ll be sharing my honest society6 review as a digital artist, the pros and cons of print on demand, as well as how to sell art online and make money.
What is Society6?
Society6 is a print on demand platform that allows artists to create their own shops and apply their work to prints, home decor, apparel, and stationary. The artist creates the art and Society6 handles production, customer service, and shipping. Selling on Society6 is a great form of passive income for artists.
Selling on Society6
Creating your shop is free and easy. The best part is Society6 handles all the heavy lifting, leaving you more time to create. All you have to do is sign up, connect a Paypal account, and start uploading your work.
As easy as that sounds, passive income requires time and consistency. The best artists on Society6 have a cohesive brand, a recognizable aesthetic, and a marketing strategy in place.
I started my shop out of curiosity and didn’t start taking it seriously until after the pandemic. My goal was to cultivate an art practice, develop a brand language, and spend more time doing what I love which is traveling and creating art. Learn more about my print on demand journey.
Society6 Earnings
I started my shop on Society6 in 2019. I made my first $1000 in 2021. As of August 2022, I’m proud to say I made almost $5000 in one month. My earnings fluctuate throughout the year, but after three years, I’ve made $14,213 with 162 designs.
Society6 is one of my streams of income. If you’re looking to make a full-time income from print on demand, I would suggest posting at least 2-3 designs per day and have a strong marketing strategy to ensure consistent sales.
Society6 Review
So, I know most of you are wondering…is selling on society6 worth it? Is Society6 good for artists?
Honestly, I think Society6 is great for beginners and professional artists. Its a great way to build a portfolio, test the market, and earn money while you sleep.
Artist earnings are paid via Paypal between the first and third business day of each month. Originally, artists only had control over the markup of art prints and other products you made a 10% commission. Society6 has recently updated their pricing and now artists can set their prices on all products.
The society6 platform is fast and easy to use, the quality of products is top notch, and most importantly, it can be a stepping stone to larger art licensing gigs.
I’ve had art directors find me on Society6 and now my work is in Target, Nordstrom, Tilly’s, and TJ Maxx.
How to be successful on Society6
Your sales and success on Society6 are going to be dependent on the time and effort you put in. The market is saturated and the best way to compete is through marketing and a strong brand.
If there’s anything I’ve learned in the last three years, its you don’t have to be the best artist, you just have to be authentic, consistent, and have a way of being found.
1. Develop an Artistic Style
This is probably the most time consuming task, but your artistic style develops over time. Your style is made up of the colors you use, the line weight of your drawings, use of negative space, and/or materials. I think the best way to create your own aesthetic is to experiment with different mediums and techniques, analyze the art that your drawn to, and then begin to create constraints. Try sticking to a color scheme or a particular theme so your audience will start to recognize your work.
2. Drive Traffic to Your Shop
Try to choose a social media platform that you can incorporate into your workflow. Use social media as a tool; don’t let it consume your process.
When I was first starting out, Instagram took over my entire workflow because I was trying to capture my process perfectly. I ended up wasting so much time. Now, I drive traffic to my shop through SEO, my blog, and Pinterest. The best way to be found on Society6 is through keywords/tags and titles. Be sure to use keywords your audience would search for.
3. Research the Market
Research stores you want to see your artwork in. What’s trending? What colors, mediums, or textures are being used?
If you want to create art that sells, you must create work that your audience wants. Try to have a balance between your artistic vision and current themes/trends to create winning designs.
Pros + Cons of Print on Demand
Print on Demand sites like Society6 are a great source of passive income for artists.
Pros
Free and Easy Setup – Most print on demand sites do not require any monetary investment
No Inventory or Shipping – You don’t have to purchase or ship products. POD platforms handle all production, shipping, and customer service
Test the Market – You can easily upload new designs and see how your audience reacts without spending a dime.
Build a portfolio – Committing to a POD platform will help you build a portfolio
Passive Income – You can make a decent passive income from your art with a proper marketing strategy in place.
Getting Discovered – Uploading to popular sites like Society6 or Redbubble may open up doors to brand collaborations. Many art directors look on these sites to find artists for design projects
Cons
Earn small percentage – POD sites handle all shipping and production so artists make a small percentage of each sale
No Access to Customers – When your customers make a sale, you do not get access to their email (I recommend creating your own website to capture leads and repeat clients)
Quality Control – If you’re a control freak and love personalizing packaging or worry about the quality of your products, POD might not be for you.
Marketing – You will have to generate traffic to your shop to make consistent sales. Getting featured on the homepage or on social media has helped me in the past.
No analytics – On some POD sites, you can not view how a customer found your work or see statistics on your sales.
For more tips and tricks on Society6, listen to my interview on Startist Society
Brittney Lewis
tRAVELING Artist + Outdoor Enthusiast
ByBrijé is where I share weekend travel guides, trip inspiration and my creative endeavors. I’m currently wandering along the west coast painting colorful landscapes. Come along as I share the magic of the outdoors.
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My Print on Demand Journey: How long it took me to make $5K in passive income on Society6
