Aspiring visual artists can get their big break and increase their earnings, all through the power of social media. A report by ARTNews shares that more galleries and auction houses are making sales online. For instance, following the pandemic, the Gagosian Gallery found a 50% increase in engagement for their online magazine. Their Instagram account also generated more impressions compared to before lockdown. This exposure helped the gallery make massive sales, closing deals for pieces that cost as much as $5 million. Other artists saw a similar increase in engagement, primarily due to how more people were now using social media. If anything, this only goes to show how integral online platforms are in engaging modern art enthusiasts. So, if you want people to discover your work online, here’s what you can do to catch their attention.
Choose the Right Social Media Platforms
There are lots of social media platforms out there, but not all of them are the best format for artists. Before creating an art account, consider the pros and cons of posting your artwork on each social media platform. Think about each platform’s restrictions and prevalent user demographic. For instance, Instagram is useful for many artists since it is a widely popular social networking site that primarily consists of multimedia content. Many creatives also love posting their digital portfolio on Behance, since it allows them to upload drawings, 3D works, and more. Whichever option you choose, always prioritize showcasing your visual art. You want users to see its value, so cropped frames and low quality uploads won’t do.Artists can get in touch with fellow artists, and even clients, by making the most out of social media. However, this requires choosing the right platform, connecting with the art community, planning content, and optimizing captions to stand out from the crowd.
Join Social Media Art Groups
After creating accounts on various social media platforms, you should get in touch with the art community. Our article on the “6 Marketing Ideas to Help Artists Gain Exposure” points out that it’s important to join these social media groups, since they’re communities of people interested in art. By joining such groups, you can network with art enthusiasts who buy artworks online. It also presents an opportunity for you to connect with other artists, and potentially collaborate with them in livestream shows and online exhibits.
Diversify Your Content
As an art account, it’s necessary to consider the aesthetics of your social media feed, but it’s also crucial to assess the value of each and every post. In fact, this guide on Instagram Marketing emphasizes that you have to consider different kinds of posts and content to drive engagement. Though Instagram photos are optimal for posting visual artworks, video posts can generate a lot of impressions. You can also use shopping posts to your advantage to direct your audience to a website where they can purchase your work. Finally, carousel posts are great for sharing multiple snapshots from your exhibits. You can also utilize them for a before and after post of your current artwork. In short, diversify your posts based on your content strategy so that you can maximize engagement.
Optimize Your Captions
No doubt the visual aspect of your content is important, but don’t overlook the importance of your captions! These captions can increase the value of your posts. Moreover, they can also pique the interest of your audience and spur them to check out the rest of your content. To make attention-grabbing captions, SocialMediaToday suggests that you make a connection with your audience. Share your thoughts and feelings. You can even tell them behind-the-scene stories about your art or share some quick art tips. And alongside a well-written caption, don’t forget to pose a call-to-action and include relevant hashtags.
Artists can get in touch with fellow artists, and even clients, by making the most out of social media. However, this requires choosing the right platform, connecting with the art community, planning content, and optimizing captions to stand out from the crowd.
Holly Simmons is a freelance writer and art enthusiast who dreams of opening up her own café gallery one day. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and traveling.
