Social Media Strategy for Artists to Grow Your Audience and Showcase Your Art

With billions of users worldwide, social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter offer artists the opportunity to connect with potential fans and buyers from all over the globe.

According to the research paper of the UNIVERSITY OF ARTS IN BELGRADE the Internet is considered the most suitable for marketing by 91% of respondents.

1) TV (Television): TV is considered suitable for marketing by 72% of respondents.

2) Printed Press: A printed press is considered suitable for marketing by 67% of respondents.

3) Radio: Radio is considered suitable for marketing by 33% of respondents.

4) Indoor and Outdoor Advertising: Indoor and outdoor advertising are considered the least suitable, with only 3% of respondents finding them important for marketing.

But is social media enough for artists’ marketing?

Social media is a powerful tool for artists to grow their audience and showcase their work.

Through some social media strategy for artists’ marketing purposes can be fixed.

However, with so many artists competing on social media, it can be difficult to stand out. To be successful, artists need to develop a strategic approach to using social media.

Let’s see how all the strategies work on social media for artists.

What are the Benefits of Social Media Strategy for Artists?

Social media has become an essential tool for artists of all levels, from emerging to established. It offers several benefits, including:

YouTube typically shares 55% of the advertising revenue generated on a video with the content creator while retaining 45% for itself.

It's important to note that YouTube may have updated its policies or revenue-sharing models since then, so I recommend checking the official YouTube Partner Program documentation or contacting YouTube directly for the most recent and accurate information.

• Broad Reach: Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter have billions of users worldwide, giving artists the potential to reach a global audience with their work.
• Cost-Effective Online Presence: Social media accounts are free to create and maintain, making them a cost-effective way for artists to establish a strong online presence. It is cheap to post, schedule, create, and allow people to connect with you.
• Unlimited Inspiration: Social media is a great place to discover new artists and their work. It can also be a source of inspiration for artists' creative processes. This can enhance your unique style and who you are in terms of creativity.
• Community Building: Social media allows artists to connect with other artists and art enthusiasts from all over the world. This social media strategy for artists can lead to new friendships, collaborations, and opportunities.

• Market their artwork: Social media is a powerful platform for artists to market their work. They can use it to share photos and videos of their art, announce upcoming exhibitions and sales, and offer special discounts and promotions to their followers.
• Promote art events and sales: Social media for artists can be used to promote art events and sales, both online and offline. Artists can create and share event pages, post photos and videos from their events, and run social media ads to target their ideal audience.
• Easy networking and collaborating with other artists: This artist's social media strategy makes it easy for artists to network and collaborate with other artists from all over the world. They can connect with each other through direct messages, comments, and groups.
• Using it as a source to gain feedback and recognition: Social media can be used as a source to gain feedback and recognition for their work. Artists can post their work and ask their followers for their thoughts and opinions. They can also use social media to enter art contests and competitions.

This is to note that artists who use social media to promote their work are more likely to sell their work than those who don't.

Best Social Media Platforms for Artists

The buyer and the seller both are on social media creating an environment of business and sales.

As of October 24, 2023, there are 5.30 billion internet users worldwide, according to DataReportal. This represents 65.7% of the global population.

It is confusing yet difficult to stick to a single platform.

Which platform is growth-oriented? Which is your targeted audience? or which one is essential for your art?

Let’s find these answers!

The best social media platforms for artists vary depending on the type of art you create and your target audience. However, some of the most popular and effective platforms for artists include:

According to the Hiscox Online Art Trade Report, influential posts in the art world are predominantly fueled by major art institutions and museums. When it comes to purchasing art from a specific artist, social media posts from these institutions are deemed highly influential.

64% of the survey respondents regarded such posts as very important in shaping their decisions when buying art. This underscores the significant impact that curated content from respected art establishments has on individuals' perceptions and choices in the art market.

1) Instagram for Artist Marketing: Instagram is a powerful platform for artists to market their work and connect with fans. It is a highly visual platform, making it perfect for sharing photos and videos of artwork. Instagram also has a large user base, with over 2 billion active users worldwide.

Instagram is a highly visual platform that is perfect for sharing photos and videos of your artwork. It also has a large user base, which makes it a great place to reach new potential fans.

2) Facebook for Artists Marketing: Facebook's social media strategy for artist marketing is the use of Facebook to promote and sell art to a wider audience. Facebook marketing is a powerful tool for artists because it has over 2.9 billion monthly active users, including a large number of people who are interested in art.

Facebook allows artists to connect with their audience on a personal level. They can respond to comments and questions and participate in relevant conversations. The more artists interact with their audience, the more likely they are to build a loyal following.

3) Behance for Artists Marketing: Behance is an abode-based platform to create amazing creative portfolios. Artists can showcase their works dedicatedly and in a creative manner to their audiences. It has a user base of 40 million.

It's a great place to get feedback on your work from other artists and creative professionals. You can also participate in creative challenges and contests. This gathers a professional artist's social media strategy.

4) YouTube for Artists Marketing: YouTube is a great social media platform for artists to market their work. It is the second-most popular website in the world, and it has over 2 billion active users. This means that there is a large audience of potential fans and customers on YouTube.

YouTube provides a wholesome opportunity for artists to showcase their art, establish expertise, and attract potential buyers. You can create videos that showcase your work, such as music videos, art tutorials, and behind-the-scenes videos. This is a great way to give people a taste of your work and to encourage them to learn more about you.

5) Pinterest for Artists Marketing: Pinterest marketing is a great social media strategy for artists to promote their work and reach a wider audience. Pinterest is a visual search engine, which means that users are searching for images and videos that they find inspiring and interesting. This makes Pinterest a perfect platform for artists to share their work and get it seen by potential fans and customers.

Pinterest has over 400 million monthly active users, including a large number of people who are interested in art. By creating a Pinterest account and sharing high-quality content, artists can reach a wider audience than they would be able to on their own.

6) DeviantArt for Artists Marketing: DeviantArt is a social media platform for artists to share their work, connect with other artists, and find new opportunities. It is a great platform for artists to market their work because it has a large and engaged community of art lovers.

DeviantArt has over 61 million active users, including a large number of people who are interested in art. By creating a DeviantArt profile and sharing high- quality content, artists can reach a wider audience than they would be able to on their own, allowing artists to share photos, videos, and even entire projects. Artists can also use DeviantArt to sell their work directly to fans.

7) TikTok for Artists for Marketing: TikTok is a great platform for artists to market their work and reach a wider audience. It is a short-form video-sharing platform with over 1 billion active users, including a large number of people who are interested in art.

You can use TikTok to share videos of your work, as well as behind-the-scenes videos and videos of your creative process. This is a great way to give people a taste of your work and to encourage them to learn more about you. It’s a large and engaged audience, and your videos can be seen by people from all over the world.

8) Tumblr for Artists: Tumblr is a microblogging and social networking website where users can post text, images, videos, links, and quotes to their "tumblelog." It is a popular platform for artists of all kinds, as it allows them to share their work with a wide audience and connect with other artists and art lovers.

Tumblr has over 800 million registered users, including a large number of people who are interested in art. By creating a Tumblr blog and sharing high- quality content, artists can reach a wider audience than they would be able to on their own.

How do you choose the right platform?

Artists are not typically business savvy, but their representatives should be, especially when they take a commission as high as 50% of the sale price.

Choosing the right social media platform for artists’ social media marketing is a crucial step to take for further practice.

First, you must ask yourself some questions regarding. Like, What type of audience do you have as a ‘target audience’?

Are you creating that content/art that will resonate with your young crowd? Do your art pieces relate to a more mature and sophisticated art-loving community?

Understanding your audience will help to solve these questions in your mindset. To choose the right platform for your social media strategy for artists, you need to consider the following factors: -

• Your target audience: Where does your target audience spend their time online? What social media platforms do they use? Once you know where your audience is, you can focus your efforts on those platforms.
  
• Your type of art: Some social media platforms are better suited for certain types of art than others. For example, Instagram is a great platform for sharing visual art, such as paintings, sculptures, and photographs. Twitter is a good platform for sharing short-form text and images, such as sketches and comics. TikTok is a great platform for sharing short-form videos of your creative process.
  
• Your goals: What do you want to achieve with your social media marketing? Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive sales? Once you know your goals, you can choose the platforms that will help you achieve them.

5 Strategies for Social Media for Artists

Social media is an essential tool for artists in today's digital world. It provides a platform to share their work with a global audience, connect with other artists and art lovers, and promote their upcoming exhibitions and events.

These are some social media strategies for artists:

i) The advantage of Email Marketing

Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to reach your audience and promote your work. Email marketing campaigns have an average open rate of 20.33% and an average click-through rate of 2.15%. This means that for every 100 emails you send, you can expect 20 people to open them and 2 people to click on a link.

To get started with email marketing, you'll need to collect email addresses from your website visitors and social media followers. You can do this by offering a gift or incentive, such as a discount on your artwork or a behind-the-scenes look at your creative process.

Once you have a list of email subscribers, you can start sending them regular updates about your work, upcoming events, and special offers. Be sure to personalize your emails and make them relevant to your subscribers' interests.

ii) Build and nurture an online community

Social media is a great way strategy to connect with other artists and art lovers. By building and nurturing an online community, you can create a space where people can come to learn about your work, share their work, and support each other.

One way to build an online community is to host regular live streams or Q&A sessions. This artist's social media strategy interacts with your followers and build relationships with them. You can also use social media to promote other artists' work and encourage your followers to support each other.

According to research, 73% of consumers say that social media has made it easier for them to connect with brands. Additionally, 67% of consumers say that they are more likely to purchase from a brand that they are connected with on social media.

iii) Grow your audience across social media

S.M.A.R.T Goals to build your audience as an artist on social media

To grow your audience across social media, you need to be active on all of the major platforms. This means posting regularly, interacting with your followers, and using relevant hashtags.

You can also use social media advertising to reach a wider audience. Social media advertising platforms like Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads allow you to target your ads to people who are interested in your type of art.

According to a study, 49% of social media users say that they have discovered a new product or service through social media ads. Additionally, 55% of social media users say that they have made a purchase based on a social media ad.

Determine the best time to post:

The best time to post on social media depends on your platform and your audience. However, there are some general guidelines that you can follow. For example, the best time to post on Facebook is typically during the week between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The best time to post on Instagram is typically during the week between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and on the weekends between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

You can use social media analytics tools to determine the best time to post for your specific audience. These tools will show you when your followers are most active online.

According to a study by Sprout Social, the best time to post on social media varies depending on the platform. For example, the best time to post on Facebook is typically on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. EST. The best time to post on Instagram is typically on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 2 p.m. EST.

Best Posting Time on Social Media Platforms for an effective social media strategy for artists.

Collaborate with other artists

Collaborating with other artists is a great way for artists' social media strategy to cross-promote their work and reach a new audience. You can collaborate with other artists on projects such as joint exhibitions, art shows, or even just creative posts.

To find other artists to collaborate with, you can network online or in person at art events. You can also search for artists on social media and reach out to them directly.

According to a study by Sprout Social, 86% of consumers say that they are more likely to purchase from a brand that they perceive as authentic. Collaborating with other artists is a great way to show your followers that you are part of a community and that you support other artists.

Here an artist showcased his work by collaborations with other artists.

This allows the audience to visit the other artist’s profile and art. Collaboration is a friendly yet crucial part of social media strategy for artists for effective growth and relationship building.

3 Tips on how to succeed in social media strategy for artists?

Artists fail with social media for a variety of reasons, but three of the most common are:

1) Not having a clear strategy

What do you want to achieve with social media? Do you want to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, or sell more art? Once you know your goals, you can start to develop a strategy for achieving them.

2) Not being consistent

It's important to post regularly on social media to keep your audience engaged. Aim to post at least once a day, and preferably more often. If you can't post yourself, several scheduling tools can help you out.

3) Not creating engaging content:

Your social media posts should be interesting, informative, and visually appealing. Share a mix of content, such as behind-the-scenes photos and videos, insights into your creative process, and new artwork. Be sure to interact with your followers by responding to comments and questions.

Case Studies- How many artists rapidly grow social media marketing strategies?

There is no definitive answer to how many artists rapidly grow their social media marketing strategies for artists, as there is no single definition of "rapid growth." However, a number of case studies demonstrate how artists have used social media to achieve significant growth in a relatively short period.

The singer Billie Eilish went from being a relatively unknown artist to a global star in just a few years. Eilish's music videos first started gaining popularity on YouTube in 2015, and she quickly became one of the most streamed artists on the platform. By 2019, Eilish had won five Grammy Awards and was one of the best-selling artists in the world.

Billie Eilish with 48.7 million subscribers on YouTube

Digital Art and NFTs on the basis of Social Media for Artists

Digital Art and NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) has emerged as a revolutionary development in the art world, significantly impacting artists' social media marketing strategies.

Let’s observe some connections between digital art, NFTs, and social media marketing for artists:-

Creation and Promotion of Digital Art

• Artists are increasingly creating digital art, which can be easily shared and promoted on social media platforms. Digital art is well-suited for visually engaging platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
• Instagram reported over 1 billion monthly active users, and Twitter had approximately 330 million monthly active users, making them significant platforms for digital art promotion.

NFTs as a Revenue Stream

• NFTs are unique digital assets representing ownership of a specific piece of digital content, such as art. Artists can sell their digital art as NFTs on blockchain-based marketplaces, offering ownership and authenticity to buyers.
• In 2021, NFT art sales were valued at around $2.5 billion, according to data from NonFungible.com. This explosive growth in the NFT market offers artists new avenues for monetization through social media marketing.

Case Studies and Artist Success Stories

• CryptoPunks and Bored Ape Yacht Club: These NFT art collections gained popularity through social media marketing, emphasizing the power of digital communities in driving sales and recognition.
  

CryptoPunks

How does an Artist's Social Media Strategy Plan his/her Posts?

An artist on social media is doing much already so consistency for posts and appearance maintenance could be a sum-up job.

Here, through this recommended plan/schedule let’s make it easier:-

Conclusion on Social Media Strategy for Artists

A well-thought-out social media strategy can be a game-changer for artists looking to gain exposure and connect with a wider audience.

Artists can now rock!

By defining your brand, choosing the right platforms, and consistently creating engaging content, you can turn your social media presence into a powerful tool for artistic success.

Remember that the key is to stay true to your art and engage authentically with your followers. With dedication and a smart strategy, you can turn your passion into a thriving online presence.

Further Readings on Social Media Strategy for Artists

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FAQs for Artists Social Media Marketing

1) Can I promote myself on social media for free as an artist?

Yes, you can it is simple and easy in steps.

2) What are the best platforms for artists' social media strategies?

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

3) How can social media posts be scheduled on a timely basis?

Posting regularly is important. This can be done through Cache, you can easily schedule your posts on social media platforms.