Social media platforms offer artists unique opportunities to showcase their work, connect with audiences, and grow their careers. Here's some of the key platforms and the benefits for artists:
Instagram serves as a dynamic platform for artists to share their creations, engage with a diverse audience, and build a vibrant online community around their work. Through visually compelling posts, artists can showcase their artwork, creative process, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into their lives, allowing followers to connect on a deeper level. Utilizing features like hashtags, stories, and IGTV, artists can expand their reach and attract new followers who share similar interests. Instagram's interactive nature encourages direct communication between artists and their audience, fostering a sense of connection and loyalty. Moreover, the platform's algorithm prioritizes engaging content, potentially amplifying an artist's visibility and attracting attention from potential clients, galleries, or collaborators. By strategically leveraging Instagram, artists can cultivate a devoted fan base, garner feedback, and even monetize their art through commissions, sales, or partnerships.
Instagram is a visually-focused social media platform where users share photos and short videos. It offers features like Stories, Reels, and IGTV for varied content formats.
Visual Showcase: Perfect for displaying artwork through high-quality images and videos.
Reach: Use of hashtags and Explore page helps artists reach a broad audience.
Engagement: Direct interaction with followers via comments, likes, and direct messages.
Growth: Collaboration with other artists and influencers can boost visibility.
Pinterest serves as an invaluable tool for artists looking to gather inspiration, organize their ideas, and share their work with a broader audience. Artists can create boards dedicated to specific themes, projects, or mediums, allowing them to curate collections of images that spark their creativity. By browsing through the vast array of content on Pinterest, artists can discover new techniques, trends, and styles that can inform their own artistic practice. Additionally, artists can use Pinterest to showcase their own creations by pinning their artwork to their boards or sharing them in relevant group boards. This exposure not only helps artists reach a wider audience but also enables them to connect with other creatives and potential collaborators. Moreover, Pinterest's search and recommendation features make it easy for artists to explore content tailored to their interests, fostering a dynamic and inspiring online environment for artistic exploration and discovery.
TikTok
TikTok provides artists with a dynamic platform to showcase their creativity and engage with a diverse global audience. Through short-form videos, artists can share snippets of their creative process, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or finished artwork, captivating viewers with visually compelling content. The platform's algorithmic feed promotes discoverability, potentially exposing artists to a broad audience beyond their existing followers. Hashtags and trends enable artists to connect with niche communities and participate in viral challenges, further expanding their reach. Moreover, TikTok's interactive features like duets and stitches foster collaboration and creativity among artists, allowing them to remix and reinterpret each other's work in innovative ways. By leveraging TikTok's unique format and features, artists can cultivate a dedicated fan base, drive traffic to their other online platforms, and even monetize their content through brand partnerships or merchandise sales.
Facebook provides artists with a multifaceted platform to connect with a diverse audience and promote their work. Through creating a dedicated page or utilizing their personal profile, artists can share their artwork, upcoming exhibitions, and creative processes with followers. Facebook's robust multimedia capabilities allow artists to showcase their work through photos, videos, and live streams, engaging viewers in real-time interactions and discussions. Additionally, artists can leverage Facebook's advertising tools to reach a broader audience and target specific demographics or interests relevant to their art. Groups and communities on Facebook offer spaces for artists to network, collaborate, and share resources, fostering a supportive environment for creativity. By actively engaging with followers, responding to comments, and participating in relevant conversations, artists can cultivate a loyal fan base and expand their reach within the global art community.
Twitter is a dynamic platform that artists can leverage to promote their work, engage with a global audience, and build their personal brand. By sharing images, videos, and links to their projects, artists can reach a broad and diverse audience. Twitter's real-time nature allows artists to participate in trending conversations, art challenges, and collaborations, increasing their visibility and relevance. Artists can use hashtags strategically to target specific communities and interests, making their work discoverable to potential fans, collaborators, and clients. Engaging with followers through comments, retweets, and direct messages helps artists build a loyal fanbase and receive valuable feedback. Additionally, Twitter provides opportunities for artists to connect with industry professionals, join art-related discussions, and stay updated on the latest trends and opportunities in the art world. By maintaining an active and authentic presence, artists can effectively use Twitter to grow their network and advance their careers.
YouTube
YouTube serves as an invaluable platform for artists to showcase their talents, build a following, and connect with a global audience. By creating a channel, artists can upload videos that highlight their creative processes, finished works, tutorials, and behind-the-scenes content. This visual medium allows artists to demonstrate techniques, share insights, and engage viewers in a way that static images cannot. Additionally, YouTube's search and recommendation algorithms help artists reach a wider audience, potentially attracting new fans and clients. Artists can also monetize their channels through ad revenue, memberships, and sponsored content, providing an additional income stream. Interaction through comments and live streams fosters a sense of community, enabling artists to receive feedback, collaborate, and build relationships with other creatives and fans. Overall, YouTube offers artists a dynamic and interactive way to promote their work and grow their brand.
LinkedIn can be an invaluable tool for artists seeking to build a professional network, showcase their portfolios, and discover new career opportunities. Artists can create comprehensive profiles highlighting their skills, experiences, and accomplishments, complete with visual content such as project images, videos, and links to external portfolios. By connecting with other professionals in the industry, artists can stay informed about the latest trends, participate in relevant discussions, and join specialized groups that cater to their specific artistic disciplines. LinkedIn's job search feature allows artists to find and apply for roles that match their expertise, while recommendations and endorsements from colleagues can enhance their credibility. Furthermore, sharing updates and engaging with content on LinkedIn helps artists maintain visibility, attract potential clients, and grow their professional presence in the art community.
DeviantArt
DeviantArt is a dynamic platform where artists can exhibit their creations, engage with a vast community of art enthusiasts, and gain valuable feedback. By setting up a profile and uploading their artwork, artists can create a comprehensive portfolio that is accessible to a global audience. DeviantArt supports a wide range of art forms, including digital art, traditional media, photography, and literature, allowing artists to display their versatility. The platform's social features enable artists to follow each other, comment on works, join groups, and participate in contests, fostering a sense of community and collaboration. Additionally, DeviantArt provides opportunities for artists to sell their artwork through print-on-demand services and commission requests. By leveraging DeviantArt, artists can increase their visibility, connect with potential buyers, and continuously develop their skills through community interaction and feedback.
Behance
Behance is a powerful platform for artists to showcase their work, connect with other creatives, and gain exposure to potential clients and employers. By creating a profile and uploading their projects, artists can display their portfolios in a visually appealing and organized manner. Behance offers various tools for artists to categorize and tag their work, making it easier for others to discover their projects. Additionally, the platform features a community aspect where artists can follow each other, give and receive feedback, and join groups centered around specific interests or disciplines. Behance also integrates with other Adobe products, streamlining the workflow for artists who use Creative Cloud applications. By actively participating on Behance, artists can enhance their online presence, network with industry professionals, and potentially secure freelance work or job opportunities.
Fiverr
Fiverr can be an incredibly useful platform for artists looking to market their skills and connect with a global clientele. It allows artists to create detailed profiles and showcase their portfolios, which can attract clients seeking specific art services. By offering various gig packages, artists can cater to different budgets and project requirements, making their services accessible to a wide range of clients. The platform's built-in promotional tools, such as gig advertisements and the Fiverr Pro program, can enhance visibility and credibility, helping artists stand out in a competitive market. Moreover, Fiverr's user-friendly interface and robust communication features facilitate smooth transactions and client interactions, enabling artists to efficiently manage orders and build a positive reputation through client reviews. Overall, Fiverr provides a versatile and effective avenue for artists to monetize their talents and grow their freelance careers.
Upwork
Upwork is a valuable platform for artists aiming to market their talents and secure freelance opportunities. It enables artists to create comprehensive profiles showcasing their skills, experience, and portfolios, which helps attract potential clients. By actively searching for relevant job postings and submitting tailored proposals, artists can find projects that match their expertise. Upwork’s robust communication tools facilitate effective client interactions, ensuring clear project guidelines and feedback. The platform's reputation system, driven by client reviews and ratings, allows artists to build credibility and attract more clients over time. Additionally, Upwork offers various features like skill tests, the availability badge, and the ability to create fixed-price projects, which can enhance an artist's visibility and marketability. Overall, Upwork provides a structured and professional environment for artists to expand their freelance business and reach a broader audience.
Response:
I have had Instagram for several years already, and I find its hard to get started but once you have quite a few followers it gets easier. You need to regularly post content and comment on posts from your niche to get anywhere and be found by people. Obviously you get seen a lot easier when you pay for adverts, which I have done in the past. I like that it is a very visual platform, I love researching things for inspiration and saving them to folders. I find it useful having hashtags to find what you are looking for, or for people to find me.
I do plan to start an Behance, Upwork and Fiverr account when I have the time to dedicate to it. I have a LinkedIn account but I have not used it much yet. I do also have a Pinterest account that I use to Pin inspiration and research, and I plan to use it to market myself at some point as well.
I don't feel the need to start a Twitter account, I don't think it would be beneficial to my business. TikTok is huge now so I should start a business account on there really in the near future.
I also have an Illustration portfolio website (Emily Collings (myportfolio.com) and an ecommerce shop (Emiliesdesignstudio.com), shown below. The shop sells my artwork on products that are printed by Printify and shipped directly to the customer.
Social Media Task:
Find 5 websites of designers, illustrators, or artists that you like that is similar to what you’d like to achieve.
These are all illustrators which I follow and admire regularly.
Find 5 examples of any social media that you find effective
Social Media Notes from Presentation:
Websites
A general online presence to tell people about you, your work or your business.
May be a sharing or informative approach, a promotional and reputation building approach, or a sales and customer focused approach.
Blogs
A more narrative, storytelling and informative approach.
Tells people more about you and your brand or business.
Sells the lifestyle.
Can be engaging for an audience.
Can be a part of a website.
Online Shop
Originally largely a selling and sales management function
Many people are now using these platforms as the basis their main websites.
Web Designer, Host platform or DIY?
A web designer may be best placed to design your site – Cost money
Ongoing updates – cost money
SEO – Search Engine Optimisation to get your website found
DIY website hosts are now so good and give you flexibility in updating.
Some of these are; Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, Shopify.
Instagram is a social networking app made for sharing photos and videos from a smartphone. Similar to Facebook or Twitter, everyone who creates an Instagram account has a profile and a news feed.
Instagram is all about visual sharing, so everybody's main intention is to share and find only the best photos and videos.
It is primarily concerned with visuals, promotion, raising exposure and marketing.
Selling the lifestyle is a huge factor.
Based on your followers unless you pay to promote.
Instagram things to consider
Your profile, name and bio
The Grid
Your stories
Hashtags
Tagging others
Weblink
Shop and other functions
Colours, branding, logos, text and fonts
Facebook business pages;
This can be a powerful way to communicate with customers and potential customers, allowing them to see your product or service without having to visit your premises.
Based on your followers unless you pay to promote.
Links to other social media and online. Pinterest
Visual mood boards.
Wide variety of interests.
Great linking back to websites.
More people now linking their Insta to Pinterest and uploading their own sales products, services etc.
Fast, instant, but very fast scrolling feed.
Needs constant updating.
Images and Videos embedded but largely text based.
LinkedIn is a social networking site designed specifically for the business community. The goal of the site is to allow registered members to establish and document networks of people they know and trust professionally.
Establishes links with common or like-minded businesses.
Used for recruitment, job seeking and promotion.
Used for connections, networking and professional links.
Other Online Presence
interviews/ news articles
reviews
mentions on others Online presence.
Only way to increase any of these is to be active in the industry.
Tips from Print Nineteen
Use a business Instagram or FB
Consider using Pinterest more
Canva App – logo, branding and colour
Put together a press release ready to go and send out often
Consider Shopify as a web host if you are selling
Check your name, trademarks, usernames etc
Online Safety
Be aware of personal identity protection, potential abuse and identity fraud.
Be fully literate with privacy settings and reporting.
Be aware of locations and dates.
Be aware of details of your home.
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