Social media skills for artists
Going viral Savvy online behaviour can take awareness of your art – and potential sales – to the next level. Julia Sagar talks to pro artists to find out how
How savvy social-media tactics can take both awareness of your talents and potential art sales to the next level.
With over two billion active users worldwide, social media offers a powerful channel for artists to connect with audiences, build awareness and increase sales. But the choices are legion: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, GooglePlus, LinkedIn… and that’s before you consider creative communities such as Behance, ArtStation, Tumblr and so on.
Which options are best for getting your work out there, and how can you optimise your social media presence? To help you, we’ve put together the ultimate social media guide for artists.
First, some basics. Successful social media strategy is built on brilliant artwork, so creating the best possible work should be your main focus. Second, it’s impossible to invest time in every platform, so don’t sign up to them all – pick two or three primary channels and become an expert in those spaces. Which ones? Read on as we explore the leading platforms, with tips, tricks and techniques for increasing your social media reach…
Drive traffic with Facebook
Choosing the best platform for your work is a numbers game. Despite reports of millennials moving away from Facebook, it remains the mostused social media site among all ages, with 1.65 billion monthly active users, on average. Baby boomers are driving its current growth. According to a recent report from Pew Research Center, 79 per cent of online Americans use Facebook – with 76 per cent checking in daily – compared to Instagram (32 per cent), Pinterest (31 per cent), LinkedIn (29 per cent) and Twitter (24 per cent). But with everchanging algorithms and Facebook increasingly wanting a slice of sales, how effective is it for artists?
“I’ve built a sizeable following on Facebook,” says Dutch artist and animator Lois van Baarle, aka Loish, whose page has over 1.2 million likes. She recommends building your profile by regularly sharing process videos, short tutorials and tips, as well as new artwork. Via these tactics, she has been able to successfully crowdfund her first artbook, smashing her £20,000 funding target to reach almost £250,000.
“Facebook posts showing my newest artwork particularly generate a lot of interest,” she says. “However, it’s not an ideal social network for sales. When I post a link to my online prints shop or where to buy my book, only about a tenth of my followers end up seeing it because Facebook wants you to pay to boost these posts.”
Facebook posts showing my newest artwork generate a lot of interest. But it’s not an ideal social network for sales