Once upon a time, artists relied on word of mouth and galleries to create buzz around their art. These days, one of the best avenues for getting their work out there is through social media for artists.
The digital world was already thriving in early 2020. But when everything closed because of the pandemic, much of the world was forced online. And although we’ve experienced re-entry, folks have gotten pretty comfy online.
It doesn’t look like that’s going to change.
Why Does Social Media Matter for Artists?
Artists are increasingly seeing the value of establishing their brands and businesses on social media in order to stay ahead of the competition. And given that the world is obsessed with visual content these days, artists and other creative types are uniquely positioned to benefit from having an online presence.
Social media allows artists opportunities to market their work and, indeed, their skills. They can use it to sell their artwork, brand themselves, attract clients and commissions, teach their craft to aspiring artists, and inspire other artists to create. Plus, social media has unbelievable reach across many different platforms worldwide – 24/7.
You can’t say that about a gallery.
The Best Social Media for Artists
There is no single platform that’s the best for artists across the board.
For example, Pinterest has a ton of popular art-related niches viewers visit to find inspiration, make purchases, or learn new skills. Content can go viral and artists needn’t pay for ads to get organic reach. It’s one of the few platforms where this is the case.
Meanwhile, the art community is alive and well on Instagram. This platform is open to any art niche and it’s great for building social engagement. Instagram makes it easy for artists to meet fellow creators and communicate with followers.
What makes TikTok unique is how easily content can go viral. This allows artists to quickly grow an organic community. Plus, because TikTok is relatively new, the organic reach hasn’t yet become as controlled as other platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
Speaking of Twitter and Facebook, Twitter is a powerful platform for artists to start conversations and connect with others in their niche. With Facebook, they can focus on finding clients, offering services, sharing new content, and selling products.
Finally, YouTube is all about video marketing. Since people love consuming video content, many artists choose to branch out onto YouTube to educate and entertain viewers and get themselves known.
Strategizing for Social Media
Younger artists fresh out of an arts academy high school certainly know the value of social media for artists. After all, they’re digital natives so they’re comfortable in that realm.
Even so, they don’t always know how to strategize using social media to their greatest benefit. Here are four of the most common mistakes artists make when approaching social media as an avenue for marketing:
1. Not Creating a Blog
Social media channels are obviously an effective way for artists to establish an online presence. But they have more leverage when accompanied by a blog.
What some forget is that social media sites are owned by other people who monitor everything that’s posted. That means artists have to play by their rules or potentially get shut down. Meanwhile, having a blog allows artists to control their content.
A blog works in tandem with social media. It’s a place where artists can link to their social media channels. And vice versa, you can send traffic to their blog through social media.
2. Focusing on Followers Rather Than Engagement
Although digital natives know how to navigate the online landscape, many have grown up feeling the repeated dopamine rush for getting likes and followers. It can become a form of validation. But when artists view these same actions as affirmations for their work, they could be heading down a self-destructive path.
The reality is, having a large group of followers rarely equates to actual influence. Artists utilizing social media do better paying attention to exactly who is following them and then finding ways to stay connected and engaged with them.
3. Ignoring the Power of Video
As mentioned above, this is a world obsessed with video. Even Facebook posts rank higher when they have video content. Plus, video can break up the heaviness of monotony.
Furthermore, artists can embed videos into their blog posts. Or they can turn blog posts into videos. The possibilities with video are endless.
4. Presenting a False Version of Themselves
Once again, when social media has been utilized to gain popularity and get followers, it’s often through a lack of honesty or even buying likes! Artists who want to effectively take advantage of social media need to share their personalities and aspects of their lives in order to build their brand.
Some artists will post on Instagram or Pinterest what they’re working on in their studios. Or they may share images on Facebook or Twitter from their days, a work in progress, or ways their friends and family may fold into their art pieces. Once they determine why they’re using social media, they can more easily strategize what they’ll share and what they won’t.
When artists are able to not take themselves too seriously and give their audience an honest look into their lives on social media, they’ll find it’s one of the best ways to truly connect.
Is Your Artistic Child Ready for the Digital World?
Understanding how to use social media for artists is just one of the many components required to make it as a successful artist in today’s world.
So if your child is interested in pursuing a career in the arts, then it’s time to look at the benefits of sending him/her/them to an arts academy middle/high school.
Contact us today to set up a tour of our school. And prepare for possibility.