You can be the most talented artist in the world, but if you are not able to effectively market yourself or your work then you will never get paid. We now live in a time where we can reach people all over the world with the touch of a button. Artists don't have to create all by their lonesome and take their art to the streets for it to be seen anymore.
SOCIAL MEDIA HAS MADE THE WORLD OUR OYSTER.
And it is begging for us to use it.
When I unknowingly began my business almost 2 years ago - I was simply sharing paintings that friends asked me to do. Word of mouth spread and then I took to social media to broaden that grapevine. I decided to pursue a minor of Social Media Marketing in college to see if I could use that to my advantage and WOW I would recommend it changed everything for me.
I want to use this blog post to give some helpful tips on how to grow your reach exponentially without selling yourself out posting stupid content. (A lot of influencers and bloggers who are just starting out feel like they have to do some outrageous things to be seen, but I promise if you stay true to your brand and yours goals then you will succeed).
Larger audience = more potential buyers.
Start simple - GOOD PHOTOS. You need to take attractive photos and find edits that you enjoy looking at AND that flatters your art. Your iPhone camera can be your bestfriend if you work it right. (VSCO is my favorite editing app hands down)
USE THE RIGHT HASHTAGS - And by "right" I mean UNIQUE. Many people think they can put down as many annoying hashtags as they can think of, but work on using meaningful hashtags that are actually relevant to your content (people following certain hashtags will flag photos/videos that do not make sense with the given hashtag).
Use yourself to brand your art! Take photos and videos of yourself with your art. At the beginning, people will like and interact more with photos that they see humans in (duh). Eventually they will stick around just to see your art.
SHARE your story. Humans crave interaction - we want to know that we are connected and if you can make connections then you will have lifelong customers. (Talk on your Instagram stories, write long captions on some posts, and give life updates when they are necessary).
Don't be afraid to use your friends and family. They want you to succeed!! When you need more interaction on your posts and stories - text your friends and family and ask them to like and comment! Instagram's algorithm will HIDE YOUR CONTENT if it is not interacted with so GET THAT ENGAGEMENT.
And last of all - find a brand for yourself that speaks to who you are. I am quirky and known for my personal Instagram name (natnatcoop) so Custom Art by Nat Coop seemed like a quirky way to make people see that, hey, it's me, Nat Coop, and I paint Custom Art.
Like I said, don't be afraid - social media is your oyster so squeeze some lemon, add cocktail sauce and GET FED.
- Nat Nat