Are you trying to find different ways to build your online presence?
Are you trying to sell art online and finding it challenging to drive traffic to your online art gallery?
In this article, you will discover how to sell art on Instagram and build a more substantial following.
By the end of this post, you will know…
- How to sell art on Instagram best strategies
- Brief history of Instagram
- What separates Instagram from all of the other social media platforms
- Selling art on Instagram
- Optimizing Artist Instagram Bio
- Build brand awareness on Instagram
- Instagram Images
- Instagram hashtags
- How to add hashtags
- Research
- How to sell art on Instagram wit Tailwind’s Smart.bio
How To Sell Art On Instagram Best Strategies
The internet has made it easy for artists to start a business online for little or no money.
I remember the days when I started selling art on eBay.
Back in those days, MySpace was the top social media site, Facebook was just starting, Etsy was making a presence, and blogging was just becoming popular.
There have been many changes in the past ten years, and it looks like we will continue to see many more changes in the future.
Every time you turn on the computer, you hear about something new that will help you to sell more art or a way to grow your audience.
This is an exciting time for artists.
You can now make a nice income selling your handmade crafts, paintings, and drawings online.
You can sell your artwork to people around the world for little or no upfront costs.
You no longer have to rely on galleries or hire someone to promote and sell your art.
You can do it all yourself, thanks to the internet.
All you need is your computer and the will to learn new things.
It is essential always to remember that changes occur overnight on the internet.
For you to stay in the game, you must take advantage of what is hot at the time.
Instagram is the new buzz.
Businesses of all sizes and artists are doing very well building brand awareness with Instagram.
Selling your art on Instagram might be something for you to consider.
Brief History Of Instagram
History of Instagram courtesy of Wikipedia:
“Instagram was created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, and was launched in October 2010 as a free mobile app, exclusively for the iOS mobile platform via the Apple App Store, but was later released for Android devices two years later, on April 3, 2012. Facebook acquired the service in April 2012 for approximately US $1 billion in cash and stock. In 2013, Instagram grew by 23%, while Facebook, as the parent company only grew by 3%.”
The growth of Instagram in one year is astonishing.
This type of growth is something you want to consider when developing a social media marketing plan.
Does this mean that you will be successful in selling art on Instagram?
I can not guarantee that you will become famous on Instagram, but I can say that Instagram is a free tool that will help you to reach a new audience and the more people who see your art, which increases your odds of landing a sale.
What Separates Instagram From Other Social Networking Platforms
Unlike Facebook and Twitter, Instagram focuses primarily on images with little or no text.
The text is useful for describing and telling the story behind art created, but there is something special about just admiring art in its purest form.
Instagram provides a place where people can appreciate art without being overwhelmed with text.
It is like visiting your favorite art gallery in the comfort of your home.
However, because there is little or no text, you will have to be savvy, trying to get your message across.
Your story and call-to-action must be clear and to the point.
Instagram does allow 2,200 characters and 30 hashtags per post, but I am not sure if people read the text or view the images.
Selling Art On Instagram
Before you get started, you will have to create a Facebook business page if you do not already have one.
How to set up an Instagram account for your art business:
- Download the Instagram app
- Create an Instagram account
- Connect your account to Facebook
- Complete the profile setup
Marketing is all about sharing news about your products and business with your audience.
As an artist, you will want to be personable, but not too personable.
Sharing images about you as an artist is fine, however, no one will be interested in seeing you eat a hotdog at the family picnic.
Show your audience who you are as an artist but keep your personal information for your personal account.
Optimize Artist Instagram Bio
Your bio is the only place where you can have a clickable link.
Take advantage of this real estate.
Include a link to your online art gallery or artist blog at the top of your Instagram Page just under your name and description.
Be clear with your description and create a clear call-to-action.
You want people to click on your link and visit the site you are directing them to.
Build Brand Awareness On Instagram
Instagram is a profound way for you to build brand awareness and reach a new audience.
Unlike other social media networks, you must tell your story with images.
This is where your creative mind will give you an upper hand over other businesses.
Take some time to think about how you can tell a story with your art.
Many artists do well with art-in-progress updates.
Every day you can add a new image of your art-in-progress.
Your followers can watch your art come alive right before their eyes.
You might be surprised to find that your art might even be sold before you complete it.
Study other businesses that are doing well on Instagram.
Find out what is working well for them.
Seeing how others are using Instagram to promote their business might create a spark for you.
Think outside of the box and try something no one else is doing.
See how your audience reacts.
If it doesn’t work, try something different.
Instagram Images
Your Instagram marketing strategy will only be as good as your images.
A wonderful way to save time cropping is by using an app like Camera Awesome by SmugMug.
This app takes excellent photos using a grid to help you follow the rule of thirds and is available for Android and iPhone.
Camera Awesome is not your only option.
Many apps are available to help you to take breathtaking photos.
Just be sure to use the square setting when you are taking your photo.
Most digital cameras and smartphones already have this setting available.
This will save you a ton of time editing, and you will be sure to capture exactly what you want to post.
Instagram Hashtags
You might have heard the term hashtags before. Twitter was the social network platform that made using hashtags popular.
A hashtag is a word or phrase consisting of letters or numbers that preceded the pound sign, now know as the hashtag (#).
The hashtag categorizes content like a filing cabinet. When someone clicks on the hashtag, they will be redirected to all the posts that share the same hashtag.
You probably have noticed it is becoming more challenging to reach your audience on Facebook.
As Instagram builds in popularity and more posts are being published, the odds of your image being seen without the use of hashtags are slim.
How To Add A Hashtag
It is easy to add a hashtag to your Instagram posts.
Upload an image and add any filters like you usually would.
Type # followed by text in the caption field. Make sure there is no space between the hashtag symbol and the text.
Research
Hashtags are like keywords. If you do not use the right word or phrase, you will never be found.
Take some time and research your competition to see what hashtags they are using.
Another helpful tool is to use Instagram’s search.
Type in a word that is relevant to your brand and niche into Instagram’s search bar.
Select the Tabs tab.
Instagram will provide you with a list of all the hashtags with that keyword in it.
Don’t Make The Same Mistake
Many new artists think that the more hashtags they use, the better.
This is not the case.
Only use hashtags that are relevant to your post.
You Can Now Sell Your Art On Instagram
I have just recently found out about a new website launch that allows you to sell art right from your Instagram posts.
Spreesy allows you to create posts where people can purchase right on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Within seconds you can have your physical and digital products available for sale in your Spreesy store.
There are no monthly listing fees. You will only be charged a flat 3% transaction fee on a per-sale basis.
You have nothing to lose.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase by clicking on an affiliate link, Nevue Fine Art Marketing may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships include, but are not limited to, Bluehost, Tailwind, Skimlinks, SareASale and StudioPress. To learn more visit Affiliate Link Disclosure Policy
Related Online Courses:
- Hype Your Brand on Instagram by Sue B. Zimmerman
- Growing Your Audience on Instagram by Pei Ketron
How To Sell Art On Instagram With Tailwind Smart.bio
Smart.bio is the most powerful FREE Instagram bio linking tool. Grab yours today!
Tailwind has done it again.
In the past selling paintings on Instagram or selling prints on Instagram was very difficult because the only link that Instagram allowed was on your bio.
You would have to manually change the URL on your bio whenever you were trying to promote a product.
Tailwind has changed the way companies are promoting their products on Instagram.
Tailwind’s Smart.bio’s Features:
- Drives your viewers to your most important content through static links featured prominently at the top
- Automatically updates your page with new post links as soon as they go live on Instagram (when you schedule posts with Tailwind for Instagram)
- Fully customizable, with a custom title, clean page design, and button link colors that can be changed to any color you choose
- Offers customizable calls to action underneath each post image
- Advanced analytics
Let’s say that you want to promote an art sale on Instagram.
In the past you would have to:
- Post an image you were promoting
- Write the criteria of the sale and include a URL (that was not clickable)
- Write instructions for the viewer to visit your bio and click on the URL link to visit the landing page
- Change the URL on your Instagram Bio
This took a lot of time and in most cases unproductive.
With Tailwinds Smart.bio you can schedule your sales and include a clickable post link.
This is a game-changer.
Final Thoughts On How To Sell Art On Instagram
Social media has made it possible for businesses of all sizes to build brand awareness.
You might want to consider joining your fellow painters on Instagram as well as your favorite drawing artists.
Instagram is a unique platform that is continuing to grow both in popularity and functionality. You can now upload videos and have a slideshow of up to 10 images per post.
One thing I would like to mention is that there is no guarantee. You will have to find out if Instagram will work for your niche.
Dedicate a time where you will give it a shot and review the results. If it is working for you, keep going. If you see no results move on to something new.
Now that you know How To Sell Art On Instagram, it is time to take action.
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You Might Also Be Interested In:
- How to Overcome Self-Doubt for Artists (Imposter Syndrome)
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Popular Art Marketing Courses
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
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