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In the same way that sound isn’t music, traffic isn’t audience. - Jason Fried [source]

I read this in my Twitter timeline a few days ago and, thought, "that's true", dutifully hit "Like" and moved on.

However, I haven't been able to stop thinking about this concept.  For anyone trying to accomplish anything online, from eCommerce to affecting political change, this is a deeply important concept that you must internalize and understand.  Of course, this general idea is something I've been asking artists to understand for a long time. 

But I've never expressed this idea as clearly and succinctly as Jason's Tweet ... and, I've learned, that if you want someone to truly internalize an idea, being able to express it simply, clearly, and succinctly is the key.

Here's an example:  When I was younger, like many, I hated flossing my teeth.  So I often kinda went through the motions half-hardheartedly.  One day I went to a new dentist.  He asked me, "Do you floss your teeth?"  I said, "Most of the time, I always get the ones in front, but sometimes skip a few in the back."

His one sentence reply instantly changed my thinking, and my behavior.  And I've flossed carefully and completely, every single day, ever since.

He said, "That's OK, you only have to floss the ones you want to keep."

As the leading provider of professional artist websites, the most common question we are asked at FASO is "How do I drive traffic to my website?" 

I understand why people ask this question, but it's misguided.  What they really want to know is "How do I use my website to sell art?"  Which requires something rather different than "driving traffic."  And now we have the words to cut to the heart of the matter and explain this concept more clearly.

From now on my response will be something like:

You don't sell art by driving traffic.  You sell art by building an audience.  And in the same way that noise isn't music, driving traffic is not building an audience.

Hopefully, that response will cut deeply through commonly held misconceptions and, like my experience with the dentist, change artists' thinking...and their behavior. 

We want artists to let go of this notion of "driving traffic" and begin the real work of building an audience.  Then, and only then, will they actually sell art.

Sincerely,

Clint Watson

BoldBrush/FASO Founder & Art Fanatic