7 Instagram Tips For Visual Artists

It can be challenging for artists to get their work seen by the right people. You might be wondering how to get your art out there and appreciated by more people. Or maybe you’ve been using Instagram for a while but aren’t seeing the results you want. If either of these scenarios sounds familiar, keep reading.

The biggest challenge artists face when using Instagram to market their work is figuring out how to get their photos in front of the right people. It can be challenging to make your account stand out in a sea of other users and even more challenging to get people to buy your art.

Another common challenge is knowing what to post on Instagram. You want to make sure that you’re sharing exciting and engaging content that will make people follow your account and learn more about your work.

But with these seven tips, you’ll be able to overcome these challenges and use Instagram.

How To Start An Art Instagram Account

If you’re serious about using Instagram to market your art, you need to create an Instagram business account. Having a business account gives you access to various features that aren’t available to personal accounts, such as Insights (which provides data on your followers) and the ability to add contact information to your profile.

You can convert your account to a business account by going to your profile, clicking on the three lines in the top left corner, and selecting “Settings.” From there, scroll down to “Account” and click on “Switch to Business Account.”

Username

The username should be consistent with your name on all other platforms you are using to market your art business. Usually, it will be your name with “art” or “fine art” at the end. The name you use should be accessible for people to remember to find your profile.

Bio

Keep the bio short, like your elevator speech. Explain what type of content people will see if they follow you and add keywords to the biography to make it easy for new people to discover you on Instagram.  

Privacy Settings

Make sure that the privacy settings are not set to private. You want people to see your art and discover you. Setting your account to private would be counterproductive. 

Share Your Art Journey

One of the most important things for artists to do on Instagram is to share their stories. Art buyers want to know who you are, what your art means to you, and what goes into making your art.

Sharing your story helps art fans connect with you and your work on a deeper level.

Here are some tips artists are doing on their Instagram accounts

Paintings In Progress

Art lovers and fellow artists enjoy watching art come o life right before their eyes, seeing the creative process and the different stages of development help to form a connection with the viewer and the artwork.

Some artists post paintings every day as they progress, others take pictures of the setup and materials used, and some even film their entire process.

Try different strategies and post regularly to discover your audience’s interest. The goal is to attract the right followers to your art page.

Behind The Scenes

Instagram is different than other social media platforms. Instagram is a visual platform and one reason why it is a perfect platform for an emerging artist.

Telling your art journey probable comes easy because you communicate your message visually. Sharing behind-the-scenes photos will help you get more engagement than just showing art for sale.

People want to see more than just your work when people follow you. They want to get to know you as a person and understand the story behind your art.

Post photos of you working in your studio, traveling to art shows, or even just hanging out with friends. This will help people connect with you and make them more likely to buy your work in the future.

Promote Your Art

Instagram followers enjoy looking at beautiful artwork, and they also appreciate it when artists promote their work. So, be sure to post photos of your newest works, as well as videos of you talking about them. You can even go one step further and create short stories that promote a particular artwork or art show.

To gain more followers and engagement, develop a posting schedule that combines images and videos of your finished art, art in progress, and behind the sense.

Study other people’s posts to get an idea of how they tell their stories on Instagram to gain new fans.

Use Instagram Stories to Give Followers a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Your Work

Instagram story is a feature on the app that lets you share photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. This is a great way to give your followers a behind-the-scenes look at what you’re working on or promote an upcoming art show.

Create an Instagram Story

To create an Instagram story, tap the plus button in the top left corner of your main Instagram feed and select the Stories camera. Then, take a photo or video and add text, stickers, and filters as you usually would.

When you’re finished, tap the arrow in the bottom right corner to share your story. Your followers will be able to watch it for 24 hours, and then it will disappear.

Make Every Photograph Count

When you’re an artist, it’s essential to post high-quality images on Instagram. This is your chance to show the world your best work, and you don’t want to disappoint your followers by posting blurry or out-of-focus pictures.

Here are a few tips for taking great photos to make your Instagram art look its best.

1. Use a good camera. If you have an iPhone, use the “portrait” mode to take your pictures. This will make your images look sharper and more professional.

2. Make sure there is good lighting. Natural light is always best, but try to find a spot near a window if you’re shooting indoors.

3. Use a tripod. If you’re taking a picture of a still object, it’s best to use a tripod to keep the camera still. This will help to avoid any blurriness in your photos.

4. Edit your photos. There are many great photo-editing apps out there, and it’s worth taking the time to edit your photos before posting them on Instagram. This will make them look even better and add your personal touch to the image.

5. Use a good filter. There are many different filters available on Instagram, and it’s worth experimenting with different ones to see which ones give your photos the best results.

6. Pay attention to framing. When taking a picture of your artwork, think about how you can get the best frame in the photograph. This will help to make it look even more appealing to your followers.

Use Hashtags to Get More Exposure

Hashtags are an important way to get your artwork seen by more people on Instagram. When you post a photo of your artwork, be sure to add relevant hashtags to the image. This will help people interested in that topic find your work.

What Art Hashtags and How Do They Work

Hashtags are a way to group posts on social media. For example, if you want to post about your new painting, you might add the hashtag #newpainting. This will allow other people interested in that topic to find your post.

Research Hashtags

As an artist, it’s crucial to research hashtags before you post. That way, you’ll be sure to reach the right audience. If you’re unsure where to start, try using a tool like Instagram Hashtag Finder or All Hashtag. These tools will help you find relevant and popular hashtags for your Instagram posts.

Study Other Artists Hashtags

When you’re looking for inspiration, it’s helpful to see what other artists are doing on Instagram. By studying the hashtags they use, you can better understand which hashtags might work well for your posts.

Related Hashtags

When using hashtags to promote your artwork, only using related hashtags is essential. That way, you’ll be sure to reach the right audience.

The objective of using hashtags is to reach more people interested in your art style. These are the people who will comment on your posts and purchase your art.

Captions Count

It’s not just the photos that count on Instagram–the captions are important, too! A good caption can make or break a post, and it’s worth taking the time to write something clever and interesting.

Here are a few tips for writing great Instagram captions:

1. Keep them short. Captions should be short and sweet, no more than a few sentences long.

2. Be funny or clever. If you can make your followers laugh or think, they’ll be more likely to like and share your posts.

3. Use hashtags. As mentioned before, hashtags are a great way to get your artwork seen by more people.

4. Tell a story. If you can tell a story in your caption, it will make it even more engaging for your followers.

5. Be personal. Captions are an excellent opportunity to share personal thoughts or stories with your followers.

6. Promote your art. If you have an upcoming show or sale, be sure to mention it in your caption.

By following these tips, you’ll be able to use Instagram to promote your artwork and reach a wider audience. So get creative and have some fun with it.

Instagram Algorithm

The Instagram algorithm is critical to understand because it determines how posts appear in users’ feeds. If you want your posts to be seen by as many people as possible, you need to understand how the algorithm works and optimize your content for it.

How Does Instagram Work?

The algorithm takes into account several factors, including:

• Relationship with the person posting (are you following them, have you liked or commented on their posts before?)
• Posts liked or commented on by the people you follow
• Time of day the post is published
• The type of post (photo, video, carousel)
• A post’s engagement (likes, comments, shares)

These factors are essential to get your posts seen by as many people as possible.

So how can you make sure your posts are optimized for the algorithm?

Here are a few tips:

1. Make sure your posts are timely and relevant. If you’re an artist, make sure to post about your latest work or events that you’ll be attending.

2. Pay attention to what posts your followers are engaging with the most and try to create more of those types of posts.

3. Use relevant hashtags in your posts. This will help other users find your content, and Instagram’s algorithm will consider it when determining how high your post appears in people’s feeds.

4. Try using carousel posts to tell a story or showcase multiple pieces of your work.

5. Post videos as well as photos. Videos have become increasingly important on Instagram, and the algorithm now favors them over photos.

6. Tag other accounts in your posts – especially accounts with a high following – to increase the chances of those accounts sharing your content.

By following these tips, you’ll be able to create content optimized for the algorithm and reach as many people as possible.

Mistakes To Avoid

The best way to learn is by making a mistake or learning from other people’s mistakes.

Here is a list of common mistakes you will want to avoid using in your Instagram strategy.

• Not being consistent with your posting schedule. Posting sporadically is a great way to have your followers forget about you.
• Using poor-quality images. Instagram is all about telling a visual story. Take pride in your photos and only publish the best.
• Too much text. A caption is a great way to hook someone in, but you could easily lose your audience’s attention if you are not careful.
• No artist website or artist blog URL in the Instagram profile.
• Not engaging with your followers. Social media sites are all about being social. If you want to be successful on any social media channel, you need to engage with your audience. Take a few minutes to respond to all comments left on your posts. It only takes a few seconds to respond, and the time you put in will show you great results.
• Not having a profile picture that relates to your art business.

Scheduling Tools

Instagram scheduling tools are essential because they allow artists to plan and publish their posts ahead of time. This is a great way to ensure that your posts go out on schedule, and it also frees up time to focus on other tasks.

A popular Instagram scheduling tool is Tailwind for Instagram.

With Tailwind, you can schedule a huge number of posts every week and focus on creating more art.

Tailwind not only schedules your pins, but it also will tell what type of content you should be publishing and the best times to post on Instagram.

Create A Shoppable Instagram Page

Shoppable Instagram pages are becoming increasingly popular, as they provide a way for artists to sell their work directly to their followers. By setting up a shoppable Instagram page, you can make it easy for your followers to purchase your artwork with just a few clicks.

Conclusion

Instagram is a powerful social media tool for artists. With over 700 million active users, it’s essential to learn how to use the platform to your advantage. These seven tips will help you get started!

FAQ

What kind of content should I post on Instagram?

Showcase your artwork, creative process videos, sketches, art studio, and more. As long as it’s exciting and relevant to your business and followers, they’ll love it.

What’s the best way to grow my following on Instagram?

You can reach a larger audience by using hashtags effectively and tagging others in your posts. Additionally, make sure to engage with other users by liking and commenting on their posts.

How often should I upload on Instagram?

There’s no set answer – it depends on what works best for you. Some artists prefer to post multiple times a day, while others post less frequently. Experiment to see what gets the best results.

What’s the best way to use Instagram for my art business?

Promote your artwork, offer discounts and specials, run contests, and more. You can use Instagram to reach a larger audience and grow your art business with a bit of creativity.

Can I use Instagram for free?

Yes! Instagram is a free platform.

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