Define your social media goals
Determine what you want to achieve through your social media presence. Do you have a business goal in mind, like selling artwork or do you want to give followers access to connect with you. Typical examples include increasing awareness of your art practice, attracting potential collectors or collaborators, driving traffic to your website to make art sales, or establishing yourself as a thought leader in the art world.
Identify the most relevant platforms
Research which social media platforms your ideal collector (target audience) frequents the most. Surprise! I may not be your favorite platform. Consider Linkedin, Pinterest, Behance, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, Reddit and focus your efforts on the ones that align with your collectors’s preferences. Remember to include Google my Business, while not a social platform, its a free listing by google to have your studio be more discoverable and allows you to show your artwork, connect to your website and products. When selecting a platform that best supports your work, understand the life-time of your posts. Instagram has a very short cycle (hours – a day or two) whereas content on Pinterest has a 6+ month life cycle, sending interested eyeballs to your website.
Pro tip: Download our Ideal Art Collector Worksheet
Create a content plan
Write out your content strategy, including 3-5 content pillars and describe the value it provides to your ideal buyer. For most of you, that is an art enthusiasts, gallery owner or curator, not other artists.
Plan a mix of studio reels, carousels and stories with aspirational content related to your art making process, testimonial stories from past collectors and how your artwork could make them feel, or how your art can impact their work or home spaces.
People don’t buy things, they buy feelings. – Seth Godin
Use a combination of text, images and video for reels and stories to keep your content engaging and diverse. Be careful to avoid the content creator trap that just attracts more artists instead of art buyers, art enthusiasts and art world professionals. I recommend you prioritize creating content for your email subscribers and pointing social media followers to connect with you on your own ecosystem – where you’re in complete control of messaging and own the relationship.
Consistency and frequency
There is no hard rule here. As the algorithm changes often enough to be ‘behind the trend.” Determine how often you can commit to posting on 1-2 platforms and create a monthly content calendar. Aim for consistency in posting (3-5 times a week), but also consider the platform’s best practices and audience expectations. It’s better to have regular, quality content rather than posting sporadically.
Follow official company accounts for each platform, to gain insights as they are released. Consider hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA) or Marketing Assistant to help you with these types of tasks, so you can spend more time in the studio creating.
Engage with your audience
Social media is a two-way communication channel. Make time to respond to comments, messages, and inquiries in a timely manner and remember to check message requests from accounts that you don’t follow. Like, comment, and share galleries and other artists’ work to build relationships and show support.
Ask an artist friend to collaborate on a project with you or host a live together (like our friends Vered and Jaclyn)
Hashtags and Topics
Research and incorporate 5 hashtags into your posts. Instagram recently released ‘topics’ as an additional way for browsers to find content. Unfortunately, for artists, there is only one top level topic available at the time of writing this post .’Visual Art’
For my personal art practice, here is what I would use:
- Branded= #andrealavalleurpurvis (yourbusinessname)
- Industry= #sculpture or #visualart
- Target audience= #artlovers or #sculpturefans (define your ideal collector here)
- Community= #visualartists or #fineartists or #studioartists or #femalesculptors
- Content specific= #metalsculpture
- Location = #wacotx
This will increase your visibility, attract a wider audience, and connect with those interested in your art medium.
Showcase your artistic process
Share your artistic journey by posting progress shots, sketches, works-in-progress, and the story that makes your art uniquely yours. This gives followers a glimpse into your creative process and your journey – it helps your audience connect with your art on a deeper level.
When you’re finished with a new piece or are releasing a collection, include professional quality photography of your work. If you primarily sell your art online, having high-quality photography is essential for potential buyers to view your work.
Collaborate with other artists and influencers in your network
Collaborate with fellow artists, art collectives, or influencers in your art community. Think joint projects, cross-promotions, or even hosting Instagram takeovers. Collaborations can help you tap into new audiences, gain exposure, and foster creative connections. People need to see and interact with you and your work for an average of 7 hours, 11 touch points across 4 different docations (email/social/web) for 7 hours before they making a purchasing decision. *
Share your artwork often
Use social media to promote your art exhibitions, gallery shows, studio sales, or any upcoming art fairs. Share all the event details (include times and full address), images, and sneak peeks to generate excitement and encourage attendance. Find ways to build connection in comments and DMs, ask if they want to see a preview of your collection, then email them a link to your online viewing room or collection pdf.
Don’t assume your followers see your content. The algorithms change often enough and your followers may not see all of your posts. Reposting previously successful posts is a common practice, so don’t be shy to re-share something from a few months ago.
Analytics and optimization
Regularly analyze the performance of your social media efforts using platform analytics or third-party tools. Identify the types of content that resonate most with your audience, the optimal posting times, and the engagement levels. Adjust your strategy accordingly to optimize your social media presence. Avoid falling into the trap of looking at the ‘wrong’ metrics. For example, just 1-3% of your audience will make a purchase from you. That’s 1-3 people out of 100. This means you need to plan and make invitations to purchase on a regular basis, if you want to sell your artwork online. Naturally, the more people who see your work both online and in-person, will increase the number of sales over time.
Social media strategies for career artists are not one-size-fits-all. Adapt this plan to fit your unique artist career, business goals and target audience. Consistency, authenticity, and providing value to your art enthusiats should be at the core of your social media strategy, no matter what your art is about.
*Current data from Google’s 7-11-4 rule on the customer’s journey, September 2023
First published in May 2023, with relevant industry updates added in January 2025
