Artist Social Media Strategy

Last Updated on January 7, 2020

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Whether you have been selling art online for years or if you are starting, stepping up your art business is probably your top priority.

Learning how to manage your time, get organized, build your following, and sell more art is a goal all artists share.

An easy way to build a following online is by developing an artist social media strategy that rocks.

Artist Social Media Strategy

By the end of this post, you will know…

The impact of social media
The benefits of marketing your art business on social media
The best social media networks for artists
How many networks you should be using
How to market your art business on social media
Understanding your objectives
How to learn what the best strategies are for you

Social Media Impact On Art

Social media has changed the way artists sell their artwork, both online and offline.

I still remember starting my online art business before Facebook was born.

In the early 2000s, I generated traffic to my site by focusing on SEO and keywords.

SEO is still crucial for any size online business, but a company can also flourish through a social media marketing strategy.

Social Media Benefits For Artists:

Connect with your audience in reel time
Build relationships with your followers
Artists do not have to rely on art galleries
Build a following from people around the world
Network with other artists

Combining a social media marketing strategy, along with an SEO strategy, is essential for you to build your art business.

Best Social Media To Sell Art

A few years back, you might have heard artists say that you have to be on Facebook if you want to sell your art online.

Today you might hear that Instagram is the social network of choice.

I want to make one thing clear. There is no such thing as a “best” social media network for all artists.

The best social network for you will be the platform that your target audience hangs out on.

If your target audience is on Twitter, then Twitter will be the best network for you.

If your fans are on Facebook, then Facebook will be the best network for you to promote your art.

I am telling you this because I have waisted so much time being distracted by new shiny bells and whistles.

Whenever I read about a new social media network that would help me to sell more art, I would jump on the wagon.

Sometimes I would get lucky, but in most cases, I would have been better off putting my energy on different marketing strategies.

Take some time to discover where your target audience is spending their time online.

Do this before you create accounts for all of the different social media networks that are out there.

Below are some of the most popular social media networks to look into:

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Pinterest
DeviantArt
Behance
CGSociety
LinkedIn
YouTube
WhatsApp
Tumblr
Sina Weibo
Reddit
Snapchat
Medium

As you can see, there are many options available. There are not enough hours in the day to market your art on all networks.

Get the most out of your time and research where your audience is before you develop a social marketing strategy.

How Artists Can Use Social Media

Social media is a tool that can help you to grow an audience online.

Artists I talk to are becoming frustrated with social media because of the changes that are occurring with social media.

For example, you might have noticed a decline in people who see your posts on Facebook.

Facebook has made it clear that businesses will not be their top priority.

Related Posts:

How Facebook’s New Goals Affect Artists

How To Keep Up With Facebook’s Changes

Other social media networks are starting to follow Facebook’s changes, as well.

Is it worth spending time on social media if you can not reach all of your fans?

In my opinion, I believe you should take advantage of all the tools that are available to you, and social media is a tool.

You have to use social media for what it has been invented for, and that is socializing.

The reason some artists are becoming frustrated with social media is that they do not see direct sales from social media.

You might not see a direct sale when you promote a new piece of art you just created, but you are building brand awareness.

The more people you see and talk about your art, the more sales you will land in the future.

So how can you use social media to build your art business?

Nia Gyant explains how small business can use social media to build their business in a post she wrote for ThriveHive.

Produce Diversified Content Types
Provide Education
Do More Storytelling and Less Promotion
Try Influencer Marketing
Leverage The Enthusiasm Of Loyal Customers

I want to talk about what Nia is saying about, do more storytelling and less promoting.

Providing more storytelling and less promoting is so essential to follow if you want to have any success on social media.

People go on social media to socialize not to purchase goods.

It is vital to showcase your art on social media but in between those posts provide information about the message behind your creations, what you will be working on next and some helpful tips that will help them solve a problem like how to care for your painting.

It was once said that you should apply the 80/20 rule when it comes to marketing on social media.

The 80/20 rule means to post informative information 80% of the time and only promote products 20% of the time.

Tanya Hall explains that this rule might not be as effective anymore in a post she wrote for Inc.

She went on to say, ” Each brand and each company has a different voice, message, goals and an overall different approach to strategy. It’s important to discover YOUR brand’s voice and test the ratio and see what best represents your goals and fits your brand.”

You can read more by visiting The New 80/20 Rule Of Social Media Marketing.

Social Media Plan For Artist

Before you can start a social media marketing strategy, you must know what your objectives are.

Decide on what you would like to achieve on social media.

Would you like:

To build a more extensive fan base
Grow your email list
Drive more traffic to your artist website
Increase commissioned work
Let people know about upcoming events and shows

What is a social media strategy or plan?

Think of a social media strategy like a business plan.

You want to develop strategies that will help you to achieve your goals.

At first, you will be trying to figure out what content your followers will engage with and the best time for publishing posts.

Because every artist is unique, no one strategy fits all.

Over the years, I have tried anything, and everything to see what would stick.

Unfortunately, I did not keep good records of what I was doing.

Over the years, I have learned that working on only 2-3 different strategies at a time was more productive.

I was able to see what was working and what was not working.

After you discover what is working for you, keep at it and put all of your energy into that strategy.

Do not try to reinvent the wheel.

Discard any plan that is not working for you.

Why waste time on a strategy that is not giving you the results you are hoping for?

Social Media To Promote Art

Like I have said earlier, social media is a free tool that will help you to build brand awareness online.

Social media should be used more than promoting your artwork.

Think of social media as a tool to learn more about your audience and a way to connect with them in real-time.

Social media is a tool that will help you to build relationships with your followers and turn them into your tribe.

By this point, you have decided what your goals are, what network you will use and how to discover what strategies are working best for your art business.

From this point on, you will want to continue to learn about marketing on the network you are working with.

If there is one guarantee that I can promise you it is that social media will continue to change.

You should schedule time every month to learn about any changes that might affect your business.

The artists who succeed in social media are the ones who are willing to change.

Don’t get stuck in a plan that no longer works for you.

Be willing to change with the times.

Artist Without Social Media

An artist who is not making a presence on social media is missing out.

It is more difficult for businesses to promote their products and services on social media but does that mean you will no longer see benefits?

I still believe that social media is an essential ingredient in any art marketing strategy.

Are you new to social media marketing?

Below are some online video courses that will help you to build a presence on social media faster.

Grow Your Business with YouTube by Tara Swiger

Pinterest Marketing for Makers & Designers by Megan Auman

Selling On Social: A Complete Guide by Mei Pak

Connect With Your Customers on Social Media by Erin Dollar

Conclusion:

For as long as you are operating an online art business you will be spending time learning how to promote art online.

Craft more joyful moments with unlimited access to 1,300+ classes, projects and more — for less than $4/month!

I remember when I first started selling art online. MySpace was the top social media network. Facebook didn’t even exist.

In a short amount of time, Facebook changed social media to what it is today.

In short, social media is here to stay and it is still a valuable tool for you to use to promote your artwork.

Popular Art Marketing And Sales Tutorials

Are you ready to take your art business to the next level?

Investing in marketing courses and tutorials will maximize your profit and speed up the growth of your business.

Below are some of the most popular art marketing courses that will grow your online art business:

Most Popular – How to Make a Living Selling What You Make by Megan Auman

Most Popular – Build a Successful Creative Blog by April Bowles-Olin

How to Build a Business While Learning Your Craft by Megan Auman

Pinterest Marketing for Makers & Designers by Megan Auman

28 Day Blogging Challenge for Visual Artists

Are you ready to start building an online presence?

Available on Amazon or Download your copy today.

The Productive Artist How to Live Your Dreams

The right mindset and time management skills are essential for any business. These topics are often not talked about but are key elements for your success. You will learn how to have a winning mindset and time management skills necessary for operating a successful art business.

Available at Amazon or Download your copy today.

Get More Done in Less Time The Part-time Artist
Proven strategies that will help you to get more work done in less time so you can sell more art and earn more money.

Available at Amazon or Download your copy today.

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