A 2024 Guide To Mastering Social Media For Artists

Sharing is caring!

Heads up: This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more.

How To Use Social Media Effectively As An Artist

In the vibrant digital landscape of today, social media has become an indispensable tool for artists, transforming the way they create, connect, and thrive. 

 

In this article, we’ll be delving into the main social media platforms, exploring multiple strategies that artists adopt to showcase their work, engage with audiences and foster meaningful communities. From the visual allure of Instagram and the succinct creativity of Twitter, this guide should provide the foundation needed to take on them all; maximising the artists online reach.

 

 

What social media is best for artists?

The debate over which social media platform is best for artists is constantly evolving and changing. The truth is, every site has a different purpose and boasts varying benefits. Currently, the most popular and growing platform is TikTok, which has provided real success for many artists looking to get their artwork out there.

 

Having said this, Instagram remains a fan favourite when it comes to posting artwork online. Without an Instagram presence, you can sometimes feel left out of the art world circle, hence the importance that some creatives place on it.

 

If you can, it’s probably best to have a combination of social media accounts across the different platforms so that you can reap the rewards from each one.

 

 

Instagram for Artists

Instagram is arguably the biggest player when it comes to social media for artists. In some cases, a few artists opt for having an Instagram page over having a fully functioning artist website. 

 

As a visual platform, it makes it easy for creatives to share what they’re working on with a quick photo or video. It provides a space for artists to nurture their existing audience, whilst finding new ones at the same time; not to mention its in-app selling capabilities. But since Instagrams inception in 2010, the app has undergone a magnitude of developments and alterations, making it difficult to stay updated with the best and latest features.

 

As of recently, there has been a large amount of discourse surrounding Instagram’s algorithm, especially with the rise of video content. Artist’s who were accustomed to posting static images of their work, were noticing Instagram’s preference for Reels. This meant that creators had to adapt what they were producing in order to be seen and receive engagement. 

 

Despite these changes outside of our control – there are a number of ways to increase the success of your art Instagram page and utilise the potential of the app.

 

Optimising your profile

 

First and foremost, artists should make sure that their profile is optimised and accessible. This involves a variety of actions, including:

 

– Switching to a Professional Account.

– Writing a clear bio.

– Linking to your shop, website or external projects through the ‘website’ option.

– Using a relevant, clear profile photo.

– Grouping and organising your Story Highlights.

 

Content Strategy

Your Instagram content strategy is key to your online success. It’s the thing that your followers are going to see and interact with. So, keeping that in mind, here’s some important things to do whilst posting.

 

 

– Post consistently and regularly.

– Use high quality images.

– Write engaging captions that start with a leading sentence.

– Post a variety of content including Reels, Photos, Stories, and Videos.

– Use hashtags and locations.

– Post at the best times, depending on your audience.

 

Building a Community

The ultimate goal with any online business is to build a sense of community. To do this on Instagram, you’ll need to determine your branding and aesthetic. This helps your followers recognise your work and creativity, assigning a certain style or visual imagery with your brand. 

 

When you’re not posting content, it’s important to support the work of others – especially those in a similar field. Try commenting on other work that you enjoy or sharing it on your Stories. In an art world that is highly competitive – it’s important to put time and effort into genuine relationships.

 

Twitter for Artists

Twitter, or rather its ‘X’ rebrand, has been a hot topic of conversation since Elon Musk’s acquisition of the site. Despite a lot of discontent – it still remains a popular social media site in comparison to Meta’s spin-off Threads. 

 

Unlike Instagram, Twitter wasn’t built around images. It focuses on short ‘tweets’ and news worthy content – although videos and photos are a common attribute these days. It’s a great platform for conversation, even if your tweet is limited to 280 characters or less. This aspect makes it a great space for brands, as audiences can leave feedback and ask questions directly. 

 

Given its reliance on text – Twitter isn’t usually a ‘go-to’ platform for a lot of artists, but there are still plenty of ways to use it to its full advantage.

 

Creating an Impactful Profile

Like with all social media platforms, it’s crucial that your profile reflects your business and craft in the best possible light. Choose an impactful profile photo, header and bio. You might want to include your website link here as well, so there’s a clear and simple place for your audience to find more information.

 

Twitter also allows users to Pin relevant content at the top of their account, helping followers find the most useful information. Consider pinning one of your most successful tweets, or one that you feel can drive engagement to your art.

 

 

Twitter Strategies

But what exactly does an artist do on Twitter? Here are some of our ideas:

 

– Users can tweet about anything, but you’ll want to make sure the content you’re discussing is engaging, enticing and relatable. Use a variety of text, images and multimedia content.

 

– Twitter is very fast paced and topics of conversations are constantly developing. Stay up to date with trends and relevant discourse by checking out the ‘For You’ and ‘Trending’ tabs.

 

– Connect with your audience by replying to other artists’ tweets in twitter threads. Retweet and like their work to show your appreciation.

 

– Search for key terms that are relevant to what you’re looking for. For example, searching ‘artist open call’ or ‘artists wanted’ will bring up recent tweets containing those words.

 

TikTok for Artists

The fastest growing social media platform on this list is TikTok – and for good reason. Businesses, content creators and artists alike have found real success on the app, which is predominantly a short-form video sharing platform. 

 

One benefit of the algorithm on TikTok is that it will show videos by users that you don’t already follow. This makes it easy for artists to be discovered by new audiences. If you’re producing creative, artistic content – then that video is going to be pushed out to users who are interested in the same thing, based on what they like, comment on and share.

 

 

To use TikTok as an artist, you’ll need to do the following:

– Understand TikTok’s Format:

The whole app is dedicated to short-form video content, with the most popular videos involving trending sounds and music. If you want to convert views to followers, make sure to portray your strong brand identity.

 

– Create Viral Art Videos:

Not all videos can go viral, and whilst there is an element of luck – you can also set your video up for success by being creative and authentic. Try showcasing your making process in a visually appealing manner, adding your own artistic spin to an existing trend. 

 

– Engage with the art community on TikTok:

TikTok is a particularly collaborative and interactive social platform. Its features allow users to Duet with other accounts, comment on videos or directly respond with a video itself. If you’re naturally liking and engaging with art content, then the algorithm will provide you with similar content. Follow related accounts and comment words of praise and encouragement. This is good for brand visibility, but it also builds an invaluable community that will support you for years to come. 

 

– Grow Your Following:

Consistency is key to TikTok success. The algorithm is not going to favour your content if your posts are sporadic and intermittent. To grow your following, try to post regularly. 

 

Artists can also promote their TikTok content on other social media platforms. Sharing your recent uploads on your Instagram Stories for example, will send followers over to TikTok and vice versa.

 

LinkedIn For Artists

LinkedIn is the most professional social media app of them all. Used by workers across the world, its format and layout resembles that of Meta giant Facebook.

 

You can do a multitude of things on LinkedIn, from posting about a new job position, seeking out opportunities to congratulating friends on their employment achievements. The site can be quite confusing to use at first, so we’ve got some artist relevant tips to help as you get started.

 

Tips for using LinkedIn as an artist

 

– Be patient when building your account. Bulking out a LinkedIn profile can be hard work. There’s a lot of different sections to fill in – and doing it all at once can be quite overwhelming. Make sure you have details of your past experiences; this includes education, internships, placements and employment. All of this information is necessary to make yourself appear experienced, professional and employable. 

 

– Connect with people you actually know. It can be tempting to accept connection invitations from every single random person in the pursuit of building a large network. However, it will actually be a lot more beneficial to add people who you know in real life. Consider your friends from school, co-workers at your job, lecturers from University and artists you’ve met at a gallery opening. Having a large number of connections will come with time and career development; you don’t need to have loads at the beginning.

 

– Don’t be afraid to post your work. On LinkedIn, you want to make yourself as visible as possible. Share photos and captions of your latest projects, achievements and exhibitions. Make sure to tag people who were involved and add them as a connection.

 

– Have a good look at who works where and how they got there. One of the most interesting things about LinkedIn is being able to see everyone’s work timeline. If you wanted – you could discover exactly how a Gallery Director started out. This can provide inspiration for your own career and you may even discover job titles that you never knew existed.

 

Best Practices For Artists On Social Media

 

No matter what app you’re using, there are some essential practices to keep up if you’re looking to grow your following.

Take high-quality photos

Even when using less image oriented platforms like Twitter, the quality of the images you use are still important. People are much more likely to engage with good quality images over blurry, pixelated photos of work – so make sure you’re doing the following:

 

– Keep the set up clear, clean and simple. You don’t want the background of your photo to distract from the actual art.

– Make sure your art is in good condition before taking a photo. You’ll want to safely remove any dust or dirt from the surface.

– Arguably the most important factor when it comes to your photo is the lighting. Natural cloudy daylight is best, avoiding direct sunlight or tinted artificial lights.

– Understand your camera’s settings to achieve the best possible outcome.

– Perform some light photo editing afterwards for a polished and professional effect.

 

If you’ve been posting low quality photos up until now – you should see a noticeable difference when you upgrade the quality of your content.

 

Use interesting content ideas

Other than photos of finished work, what can artists post on social media? It’s common to run out of ideas, especially when the demand for content is never-ending. It’s important that creatives keep their posts exciting, fresh and interesting. To do so, try implementing a couple ideas into your content strategy that you might not have done so before. 

 

Examples of social media content ideas for artists:

– WIP (work in progress)

– Studio photos or tours

– Current inspiration

– Photo of you with your work

– Sketchbook tour

– Packaging/shipping process

– Tease an upcoming project

 

There are a lot of artists posting their work in the same online space – so you need to think of ideas and strategies that set you apart. The main point to keep in mind is that audiences want to see more behind the scenes content, rather than a bunch of finished, polished and perfect artworks.

 

 

Summarising social media for artists

Social media is one of those things that requires an element of trial and error. There’s also a significant amount of luck involved. Unfortunately, not every single artwork can go viral. Despite its challenges, there are a number of methods that we’ve explored above that can help you build your social media accounts. By following the tips and doing your own market research – you should be well on your way to formulating a network and artistic community.

 

DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS WHEN IT COMES TO SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ARTISTS? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. 

 

Don’t forget you can always share your art with us! Submit your work or tag us on Instagram @darkyellowdot.

Thank you for reading and if you found this article useful, share it around, that makes us happy. To receive updates and more posts like this just join our mailing list, everyone is welcome.

 

NEED MORE ADVICE?

ARTICLES TO HELP:

TikTok For Artists: 5 Ways To Maximise Your Reach And Potential In 2023

How To Start Selling On Instagram Successfully (Tips For 2023)

How To Use Twitter For Artists: Simple Yet Effective Ways Of Being Online

SITES TO HELP:

Instagram

Twitter

LinkedIn

COURSES TO HELP:

Healthy Social Media Strategies For Artists: Creating Your Rhythm Map

Powerful Social Media Marketing For Beginners

Social Media For Creatives: 5 Exercises To Power Your Freelance Career