Art is one of the most fulfilling pursuits but it can be a frustrating way to earn a livelihood, especially when you are starting out. Unestablished artists have to create their own buzz and promote themselves and their art to a highly distracted public. Here are three relatively affordable strategies that you can use to get your name out there.
Get Active on Social Media
The average person spends approximately 2.5 hours on social media every day. You cannot ignore this when promoting yourself and your art. Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are built for image sharing, and this gives you the opportunity to showcase your pieces. Video-based social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube allow you to share your process and all platforms in general give you the opportunity to engage with your fans and potential clients directly, usually for free.
Social media’s reach is virtually limitless. You can find a fan or a client from the other side of the globe. If you remain active and engage your followers in a positive manner, social media marketing is all you’ll need to promote your brand and sell your art.
Create a Website
While social media sites are vital for self-promotion, they are limited. Most have character limits per post, and guidelines on what you can or cannot post on your page. Also, your post will be competing with countless other related and unrelated posts for your followers’ attention. But with your website, you can craft an online home that is customized to showcase you and your art in the best possible light. You don’t even need technical knowledge, a good website builder can bring your dream website to life in a few hours.
If your art is a bit risque or controversial, you might run afoul of the strict content guidelines on most mainstream social media platforms. This isn’t an issue when you post on your own website though. Your website will also allow you to integrate eCommerce and process payments for the art you sell independently. Even better, you aren’t competing with anyone else on your own website.
Join an Art Community
An art community is an online or offline congregation of art lovers and artists and the perfect promotion platform for unestablished artists. Most art communities have a strong following in their communities and online which presents an opportunity for your art to be seen by community members interested in supporting artists. Most art communities have events specifically tailored to give artists the chance to sell art directly.
More importantly, though, art communities allow artists to network with their colleagues and industry players like gallery owners, art publications, and agents. This sets them up for success outside the platform provided by the art community.
Conclusion
Online digital platforms have created spaces from which new and unestablished artists can promote themselves at little to no cost. To really get the word out there, your promotion should include more than one (ideally all three) of these techniques. Each platform has its pros and cons, so when you use all of them, you should see a tangible boost in reputation within the circles you operate in.
