It's been said repeatedly that artists should be on Instagram. You've already seen the stats. Instagram can be an enormous asset for your art business if done correctly.
It can be frustrating to wait for the notification that you have gained another follower, even if you only have a few hundred.
If all you want to do is post a photo, then it will be a long road ahead. Building your Instagram following takes effort and strategy.
It can be more difficult to create smaller accounts.
There are many tips and tricks on the internet to help you grow your followers. However, most of them are geared towards already large accounts or ignore the fact that not everyone has the same level of followers.
With the right strategy, it is possible to get a thousand followers and much more
Start with the basics
Instagram success is easy if you follow a proven recipe. While different chefs may use different spices, the key ingredients are the same. The recipe won't work without them.
What is Instagram all about? Let's get into it:
Images: Always, always, always upload high-quality images. This includes excellent composition, lighting, cropping and so on. When posting photos of your artwork, use filters sparingly and with care. If your images are not up to standard, people won't stay around.
Username: You can use your business name if it is available, to make sure it matches your other online presence. It will typically be your full name, with a keyword such as "art" attached. It should be easy for people to locate your account.
Bio: Keep your bio short and sweet. It should be clear and concise about the value that people will receive by following you. In the description, use keywords that your audience might search for.
Privacy settings: Your account should not be public if you use it to promote your art company. Social media is a waste of time. These are the things that will make sure people stay on your site.
Get in touch with the right people
You've likely already made connections with your family and friends, but the next step is to find Instagram accounts that are connected to your target audience. These could include galleries, art consultants and fellow artists. The more engaged you're in the industry, the more you'll get noticed.
What is the first step? Follow them. It's great if they follow you back. However, that's not the end of the story.
Step 2: Slowly but steadily, start liking their posts and commenting. Ask questions or be complimentary, but remain insightful. It's not a good idea to let Insta users use you for their own benefit.
It is important to be as social as possible, so that accounts (and those following them) can see your comments and are impressed enough for them to visit you. Not only will you spark curiosity about your page, but also build relationships. These interactions will encourage them to interact with your posts.
Our Own Experience
Everyone starts at 0 followers, this is something all accounts share. Our account started off looking to do one thing only and very well. Share unique, eye catching Contemporary Art with our audience. Focusing on one niche, has allowed us to not only stay on topic but show our audience we're consistent within this subject.
After a few months of continuously sharing everyday almost, engaging with other accounts and posting eye catching content our audience would like to see. We hit our goal of over 1000 Followers on our page @owitycom
Did you notice something when you looked above at our instagram profile?
Yes, the eye catching content. I cannot stress this enough, post photos your audience want to really engage in. The whole point is for someone to go on your page and think they do not want to leave.
Avoid "quick fixes".
You might have heard of the "followback" trick on Instagram. This is where following an account randomly will trigger a notification from your Page. Once they click to see your name, they may be tempted enough to follow your Page.
This can be a good option in certain circumstances, but it is not a great strategy for your entire growth plan.
One, how many random accounts can you find to follow? What are the chances they will follow you back? Three, are they likely to follow you back?
It is important to ensure you are always pursuing your target audience when trying to grow your account. Here are some ways to get followers.
Communication is crucial in every relationship.
Instagram's constantly changing algorithm means that you now see 10% of posts by people you follow. The same applies to your followers!
What's the secret? Engagement.
Actually, the more people interact with your post, it will appear higher in your followers' feeds. People who engage with your posts regularly are more likely to view them in the future.
If you prefer to schedule a post and then be done, here are some ways to do it:
Your posts will be seen more often in search results and feeds if you have more engagement. This means that there is a greater chance of people engaging with your posts and discovering your account. The more you engage, the more people will follow you. The more you get followers, the better!
You get what you put into it. Engage with others to get followers and engagement.
This means that you need to communicate on the posts of others (so that they remember you and eventually visit your account), and also post amazing content that people will love to interact with.
Make sure you post the best content possible
Do you remember the first item on our basic list? Images of high quality.
When you scroll through Instagram, think about the posts that you "like". Because they love you, your friends may be able to forgive blurred photos. If your photos and captions are poor, collectors around the world may not be impressed.
You need to grab their attention with your photos. Engage them. You will leave them amazed at your talents as an artist.
There are many ways artists can post to Instagram Stories and Instagram Progress. There are many options: photos of progress, before-and-after shots, time-lapses, quotes to fuel your practice and voting between works. You can also upload a short video tutorial, testimonials about you work, revelations, or exciting news.
They want to be enticed. They want to hear a story about you, who you are, how you feel, your inspirations, and the challenges you faced. Now you have to paint a picture.
Asking thoughtful questions at the bottom of your posts is a great way to achieve this. Even if they don't reply immediately, they will eventually. Particularly if you reply to other's questions. Ask more questions and engage.
Before you publish anything, consider whether you would be interested in the post. Is it worth sharing? If you answered no or doubt that you would engage with the post then perhaps something needs to change.
Find the voice and posts that appeal to you, then make more!
#Hashtag is the best!
Amazing powers can be found in hashtags. These are the phrases and keywords that make images searchable. This allows your post to be found by those most interested, aka your target audience.
However, to fully harness the targeting power of these hashtags, you must use the right hashtags. It's a good place to start if your mind is racing over keywords. The first rule of hashtagging is to keep it simple.
Although #art is a very popular hashtag (it has been used in more than 350 million posts), it can also be applied to anyone: someone walking through the Met, a box full of pastels or a styled plate with food.
Hubspot , marketing maven , explains that "As a user I'm less likely to find the information I need if it's specific to my search query, and when your company comes up for me specific search requests, I'm likely to be satisfied with what I found."
Consider the keywords that your target audience searches for. Although #abstractart might be more specific than #art for some keywords, #blueabstract may be enough to get you a buyer.
You want hashtags that are popular enough that people search for them but not too popular that they get lost in the crowd.
You can search Instagram for hashtags by typing it into the search bar. It will show you similar hashtags that you could add to your list. You can also look at the hashtags that other artists or influencers have used, and then try them yourself.
You can use up to 30 hashtags on Instagram at once, but different numbers work well for different people. HubSpot reminds us that the magic number can be seven or twenty. It is best to test out the options to determine what works best for your art business.
Keep a doc with different hashtags for different types of posts to speed up your posting. This allows you to pick the most appropriate ones and then copy and paste them.
Stick to your plan.
Regular posting will help you to stay in the minds of your followers. You can also build a relationship with your followers by consistently liking and commenting on your posts.
Consistency is key. If you don't post consistently, you will lose engagement and fall into the algorithm shuffle.
Even if you only post once a week, choose a posting schedule that you are comfortable with. You need to be visible enough to people's radars but not too much that you become exhausted. Time is also needed to create art .
Instagram gives you insights with a free account. This includes information such as who your fans are, what their interests are, how often they viewed your posts, whether they discovered you via hashtags, and when your followers are online. It can make all the difference in how many people engage with your posts. The faster you can get engagement, the better.
You can do it!
It can seem like an endless struggle to get those first thousand followers. These tips will help you to multiply your efforts. It takes time and effort. These elements will make your Instagram account a profitable asset to your art business.
Artwork Archive will allow you to organize everything once you have started making sales. You can track sales data and mark which pieces were sold.