Whether you are an established artist or an aspiring artist trying to build an art business, you consider developing an online art marketing strategy.
An overwhelming number of online platforms an artist can showcase their artwork, but they can easily find themselves frustrated and discouraged without a plan.
Prioritizing your social media marketing strategy to only a few networks is the best option for starting a business artist. Trying to promote your artwork on too many social media accounts is a recipe for disaster. The best way to get started is by getting new followers on one social media site or two at the most.
But what is the best social media for artists?
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Best Social Media Networks For Visual Arts
Social media networks have provided visual artists and crafters an opportunity to build a successful online business.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter offer opportunities to establish themselves as credible influencers and increase their social influence.
When social media marketing was first introduced, it offered artists and businesses real-time engagement with their potential customers.
But with so many platforms available, what network should you spend your time marketing on?
What network will produce the best results for your art business?
Learning what each network offers is the first step. Discovering what network your target audience is the second step.
Below is a list of the most popular social media platforms to help grow your art business.
Facebook – Although it is more challenging to have your Facebook posts featured in your followers’ newsfeeds, it is still a platform you will want to dedicate some time to marketing your artwork.
Facebook provides an opportunity to build a community of potential customers interested in your artwork. Facebook offers social media advertising that allows you to pay for targeted ads to help reach the right people for your business.
It is essential to create a Facebook page for your business if you plan on promoting your art on Facebook. Facebook frowns on promoting businesses on personal Facebook pages.
Twitter – In our opinion, Twitter is the best platform for networking with other artists and marketers. Twitter is also a great way to keep your followers up-to-date in real-time.
But as a social media marketing tool, Twitter is not as effective as Facebook or Instagram. If you are interested in networking with other artists, Twitter is a platform you will want to be on. However, if you plan to promote your paintings, you might be better off spending your time on different platforms.
Pinterest – Pinterest is a traffic generator. If you want to increase traffic to your artist’s website, you should strongly consider starting a Pinterest business account.
Pinterest drives more traffic to my site than all other social media platforms we use combined because Pinterest is a search engine
which means your pins are searchable for as long as they are active.
When you pin your artwork to Pinterest, you create an opportunity for potential customers to save it on their social board.
We use this social media platform specifically to drive traffic to our website.
Best of all, Tailwind makes it easy to schedule pins for the week so you can focus more on other areas of your art business. Tailwind is a social media marketing software that allows you to schedule social media posts for Pinterest and Instagram.
Instagram – Instagram is a visual social media platform that makes it easy for visual artists to build brand awareness.
People go on Instagram to see beautiful images, so take advantage of this powerful platform and show your artwork.
Use hashtags to help increase your social media exposure.
Hashtags are keywords preceded by the pound sign (#) used to index social media posts for social search.
We utilize hashtags to help get our artwork in front of potential buyers looking for art just like ours.
LinkedIn – LinkedIn is an excellent platform for networking and business marketing.
If you want to connect with industry professionals or potential mentors, this social network might be the social media marketing tool you need.
YouTube – YouTube is becoming more and more popular with artists and crafters. It is an excellent platform for teaching your skills and building brand awareness. If you do not mind being on video, creating a YouTube channel and video content will help you get your art in front of different audiences.
Is There An Alternative To Instagram For Artists?
Yes, you can use Pinterest to market your artwork, just like Instagram.
Pinterest is a social media marketing platform that allows you to increase traffic to your website. It’s visual and easy for people to discover new art they love on social boards across the social network.
The difference between Instagram and Pinterest is that Pinterest is a search engine that allows people to search for pins by keyword.
The other difference is that Pinterest uses verticle images (larger images) for social posts.
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to pin on Pinterest, mainly if you use Tailwind, so you might want to have an Instagram account as well. Social media marketing aims to get your artwork in front of a larger audience without spending too much time on social platforms.
How Do Artists Start Using Social Media?
Signing up for social media is easy.
Most social media channels require businesses to create business accounts. Research if the platform you want to work on requires a business account.
You’ll want to create social media profiles consistent with your website, business cards, and online portfolio.
Once you set up social media profiles, make sure to link them all to your website.
The links allow visitors to go directly to your website if they want to see more of your artwork.
As social media becomes more popular, it’s important to establish social profiles consistent with your artist’s brand and style to make an online presence.
Why Do Artists Fail At Social Media
We all know that social media is a great way to gain exposure and awareness for your brand.
Unfortunately, social media does not guarantee success.
If you decide to use social media as one of your many marketing tools, understand that social media takes time and effort to do it right.
One of the most prominent social media mistakes artists make is not socializing with their customers. They only go on social media to post their new work.
If you want social media to work for your art business, start engaging and interacting with interested followers who fit the customer profile of your ideal clients.
This way, social media might be an excellent opportunity to help you grow your art sales and expand your social circle of artists and creatives.
Social Media Tips For Artists:
Here are some social media marketing tips to help you build a following on social media.
1. Start with a social media marketing strategy.
2. Post new social media content consistently, at least three times a week.
3. Make social media work for your art business by being social and engaging.
4. Use hashtags to help increase social exposure of your artwork on social search engines like Pinterest and Instagram.
5. Get social media tips from social media marketing experts.
6. Learn social etiquette rules to avoid social media mistakes that may cost you followers and sales.
7. Use social tools to help you with social media marketing management.
8. Make social media work for your art business by keeping social profiles consistent with your artist’s brand and style.
9. Learn how social platforms are used in the art world to find new customers, discover art events, showcase artwork, etc.
Social Media’s Impact On Art Businesses
The internet is redefining:
- How people read about world news
- Occupations
- Education
- How people communicate worldwide
- Meeting new people
- How people shop
- How businesses market their products and services
- And the list goes on….
The internet is also redefining how artists are building successful online businesses.
The art market is changing, and social media has become the primary way consumers discover art, according to a study commissioned by Invaluable. The survey found that nearly a quarter (22.7%) of art buyers find new works of art via social media, which edged out museums (20%) and galleries (15.9%) as buyers’ primary source of discovery. Millennials are leading this change, with 44.3% of young millennials (ages 18–24) and 33.8% of older millennials (ages 25–34) saying they discover art on social media. Millennials are also increasingly buying art online, viewing the purchasing of art as both a long-term investment and a unique experience. (Source: Forbes)
What does this mean for you?
The internet provides you with all the tools you need to build and grow an online business.
Artists can:
- Communicate directly with their following
- Market their art to people around the world
- Increase profit margin of sales
- Operate a business with no overhead costs
- Have total control of their art business
You have everything you need to succeed.
It is up to you to take advantage of this opportunity.
Final Thoughts On Social Media For Artists
Building a social media presence takes a lot of effort, but the rewards are worth the time invested.
Before deciding on the best social media platforms for your art business, do some research to see if it is a good fit for your creative work. The objective is to drive more people to your online store, not to spend hours a day on social media. Create engaging content, respond to your fans, and watch your fanbase grow.
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