Social media platforms can be one of the very best tools for both new and more established artists seeking to develop a greater following, promote their work and ultimately generate more sales of their creations. There’s a lot of varied advice available about building and maintaining a presence on social media, but very little of the advice you read looks at this from the perspective of the artist. Here at Art2Arts we’ve created this quick go-to guide to help you getting started with building your own successful social media presence…used well they can be the key to a whole host of other opportunities for you as an artist
Focus on the Major Platforms
Instead of spreading yourself too thin at the outset, focus instead on getting to grips with promoting yourself on the top four social networking websites: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Art is by necessity a visual medium, and Instagram thrives on this as a platform. Facebook and Twitter will help you to connect and engage directly with your audience and in turn help build your brand and following. LinkedIn is the go-to professional networking site, ideal for staying on top of new developments in the art world and finding out about networking events and exhibitions amongst your peers. Once you’ve worked out how these platforms really work, you can then branch out if you feel the need to other sites like Pinterest and YouTube. If you are confused, remember that many of these sites have their own in-built tutorials designed to make using them much easier.
Establish a Website or Blog
This is a big part of your social brand-building, and gives you somewhere to redirect fans and potential customers who connect with your social channels and want to know more about you or your work. Starting a website or maintaining a blog allows you to tell the world about your work with your own online showcase. If you’re not interested in building your own site through one of the many channels available such as WordPress, then consider handing the reigns to an affordable web designer who can clue you in on the best website available out there to really suit your specific needs.
Engage with your Followers
Be sure not to spend all your time on social media simply pursuing the hard sell. This is an easy mistake to make but the savvy reader will want to read engaging content and not feel like it’s purely a veiled advert. A large part of social media is about building relationships. Interact with people who say they love your work – it’ll help add a human edge which is often lost in digital communications. Let them know a bit more about you as a person with that you share online.
Network as you would in Person
More and more networking activity is conducted over the web. Instead of shying away from this, join in the conversation! You never know what opportunities lie across the web sphere waiting for your artistic talents – but with a little social media savvy, you soon will.
