As an artist, you might not enjoy the thought of marketing your art. And yet, in today’s fast paced, digitally connected world, social media marketing is a powerful way to promote your portfolio, get more freelance work or simply foster new relationships with other artists and art lovers.
So how do you get started?
Why artists need to use social media
Even if you use social media regularly in your personal life, you might not be comfortable marketing your creative work on sites like Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook. However, social media marketing allows you to accomplish so much when it comes to building your brand as an artist.
Social media allows you to build an audience for your artwork.
You can have ongoing conversations with other artists, gallery owners, potential clients and fans of what you do. This ongoing conversation can also inspire you with new ideas for both artwork and even more engaging social media content. Furthermore, many social media channels have tools that allow you to track which content your connections enjoy and share the most.
You don’t have to have a big budget
While sites like Facebook provide artists with the opportunity to pay to boost posts or purchase advertising, setting up a page or profile is free. Plus, it costs nothing to post and share content.
What you should share on social media
It’s very easy to feel overwhelmed when you’re looking for ideas of what to share online, especially when it comes to sharing your art.
It’s ok if you’re still feeling stuck. Try the ideas below and test what works for you.
How to display your art for social media content
Now that you have an idea of what types of posts from artists work well on social media, when it comes to creating content that showcases your artwork, all you need is a smartphone and a few simple tools.
Image Layout, Graphic Design, and Video Editing tools
There is a plethora of image editing, image filters and image layout apps, video editing and online graphic design tools artists can use to create engaging images for social media. Many tools have free versions with powerful features. And in-app purchase or premium subscription options are also available if you need more advanced tools.
Real world art display tools
Before you get caught up in how to shoot and edit your posts, you need to come up with creative ways to showcase your creations, so they stand out amongst the sea of social content that show up in your followers’ feeds.
Which Social Media Sites
When it comes to choosing which social media site to market your art, you want to focus on the ones your target audience is on. If you’re an artist whose new to social media marketing, Instagram and Pinterest lend themselves well to image heavy content, and Instagram in particular is very popular for both artists and art enthusiasts.
Facebook and Twitter are two other social media channels where you can build your audience. Plus, Instagram and Facebook offer live video streaming for when you’re ready to include a live feed to your studio or if you want to use live video to promote your work.
Social Media Tools
Now that you know what to post on social media and which sites to focus on, how do you make time to both create art and market it online? The good news is, you don’t have to post daily, and many sites offer tools that allow you to schedule your posts ahead of time. If you need more advanced scheduling and tracking tools, you can also look into subscription solutions like Hootsuite, Sprout Social and others.
Final Thoughts
From the commercial artist trying to grow their list of clients to the fine artist looking for a way to gain the attention of gallery owners and art lovers, social media offers a wealth of opportunities for promoting creative work and sharing it with a large audience.
Start by getting to know your audience and by networking with other artists through your posts. Focus on social media platforms first like Instagram, and as you become more comfortable branch out to include other sites. Before you know it, you’ll have more connections in the art world, more work opportunities and a larger audience for your artwork.
Ray Ko is the Senior Ecommerce Manager at ShopPOPDisplays, located in New Jersey, shopPOPdisplays is a leading retail displays manufacturer of point-of-purchase displays. Combining over 20 years of experience in branding, content, search engine marketing, Ray is an expert in formulating and implementing e-commerce strategies to drive site traffic, improve user engagement, and increase revenue.
