As seen with our recent article on ways to get your artwork featured in a magazine, marketing yourself as an artist is very expensive! And it usually doesn’t work unless you are famous or have lots of money.
But there is another way to gain gallery representation for your art! By being well-known online, you can build up a community of followers that connect with you and your artistic style. This will help you promote your art and grow your audience!
Here are some ways to achieve this for artists who aren’t necessarily looking for major galleries but want to increase their social media presence. You may also be an aspiring writer, photographer, or musician – these tips apply to you too!
Getting exposure through the right channels is one of the most important things you can do as an artist. In a time where people feel overwhelmed by the amount of content flooding every platform, having a space to share yours is crucial.
In this article we will go over how you can use Instagram to expand your reach while also growing your follower base. Read on to learn more about creating a successful account!
How to Use Instagram For Artists
Using Instagram effectively as an artist takes time to develop. There are several different types of accounts you can create to showcase your talent, and finding the best fit for you depends on what kind of pictures you like to take and what kind of stories you want to tell with your images.
Build a strong website
As your artist career progresses, you will need to up-sell yourself by creating an online presence that is strong and has a vibrant community of followers. When people visit your site, they want to feel like they are connected with you as an individual and that what you offer them is worthwhile.
They want to believe that you have put in effort to create their art collection or learn more about artwork. Your audience wants to trust you, so ensure that you keep posting quality content on your gallery’s social media pages, website, and through direct messages.
By providing consistent updates, it shows that you care about your field and that you are invested in helping others find success. This resonates with potential patrons who may be looking for inspiration.
Interacting with other artists and giving helpful advice can win new fans and even earn you additional revenue via sponsored posts and advertisements. Starting a chat group or forum focused on artistic topics is a simple way to get going with this.
Connect with artists
One of the most important things you can do as a photographer is connect with other photographers. There are many ways to do this, from blogging about your craft to joining professional organizations to hosting open calls or photo events.
By interacting with like-minded people, you’ll not only gain inspiration for new ideas but also make valuable connections that may lead to more opportunities. And while it sounds cliché, word-of-mouth advertising is one of the best strategies we have as creatives.
When was the last time you heard someone talk highly of an artist they know who no one has ever heard of? If you’re in search of exposure and career growth, this is something you must invest in.
Blogging is a great way to connect with others in the art community. Not only will it bring you additional income, but it’s a low cost way to increase your profile. Many bloggers earn enough to live off their photography alone!
If you’re already having success, why not share it with the world? You’ll be helping yourself at the same time as sharing the knowledge you’ve gathered over the years.
Another way to interact with other creative professionals is by attending local arts festivals and exhibitions. These gatherings are a great chance to meet face-to-face and exchange ideas.
In addition to giving you some much needed self-confidence, meeting people outside your circle can help you find employment or develop collaborations.
Offer your service for a low fee
As we mentioned before, offering your services as a photographer is an expensive way to start out! So, how can you get some gallery representation if you are not comfortable spending money? The solution is to offer your service at a very low cost.
You could use social media to promote yourself as a professional photographer. Create a business account on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube and include a link to your website. Post pictures of your work and describe what kind of photography you do.
Your followers will be able to see that you have taken the time to hone your craft and you will gain new fans.
By creating a strong online presence, other artists will notice your work and may want your help promoting theirs as well. This is one of the best ways to get started as a freelance artist.
Be proactive
As mentioned before, being in the art community is not easy, nor does it come easily. You have to be constantly engaging with others to stay involved. But if you are waiting for people to invite you into their gallery or artist group, then that will not happen.
You need to go after what you want! If you are trying to get into an established group, then start your own by creating content related to the field. Share your work, talk about things you love and whats important to you – you!
If you are looking to expand beyond your area of expertise, create projects outside your genre or medium. Create digital artwork, write poetry, make music- anything that takes your artistic spirit and let it flow!
Running through these suggestions with a sense of urgency will put you in the right place at the right time.
Create an online presence
As we have discussed, being able to display your work is one of the most important ways to promote yourself as an artist! But how do you get exposure for your art? You create an online presence through websites, social media platforms, and other mediums.
There are many ways to develop your artistic talent and share it with the world, so whatever level you want to take your craft seriously, there’s something out there that can help you achieve your goal.
Here are some helpful tips about becoming more well-known in the art community via blogs, YouTube videos, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.
Use social media
As we already mentioned, creating a beautiful gallery set-up is mostly about sourcing great photos and using appropriate software to edit them. But there’s another way to get your work seen by potential buyers — through social media!
Most major art buying websites have an account where you can create a profile. You can add pictures to your profile, include extra information such as notes or prices, and connect it with your own eCommerce site or Etsy seller account so that people can view and purchase what you offer.
Some sites also let you promote your profile for free (with limited features) if you are just starting out.
Know your market
As we mentioned before, being aware of your competition is an important first step in getting gallery representation. Who they work with, how they use social media, what types of events they host – all of these things influence your choice as a photographer.
It’s also worth looking at their portfolios, you can usually find this information through their websites or by contacting them directly. You might be able to access some of theirs if you are a member of a professional organization like IFA (The Institute of Food Artists) or PA (Professional Photographers).
By learning about your competitors, you will know whether or not you should try to work together later on!
Another way to get exposure for your work is to start a group photo project or challenge. By doing this, you bring the pressure onto yourself to create great photos, which may end up getting published and seen by many people.
Have a good website
Having a beautiful looking site is great, but it’s not enough if no one comes back to look at your pictures!
Running a photography business doesn’t just mean taking photos and putting them up on the internet — it also means having a stable source of income, growing your follower base, and promoting your work.
So how do you get more exposure for your work?
The first place to look is by developing relationships with other photographers. They may be willing to feature you in their gallery or even pay you for a set amount of time to have some of your images displayed.
Another way to gain exposure is to create your own “galleries” – groups of themed image sets that people can vote on to win new followers. The winner gets an award and everyone who voted receives special perks, such as free photo packages or coupons for photoshoots!
And don’t forget about using your social media accounts to promote yourself and your work! People are too busy these days to go find all of the hard-to-find content, so use this opportunity to grow your audience.
