How to Use AI Tools to Boost Your Art Business

In this blog post, we’ll explore various ways to leverage AI tools to enhance your art business. However, we will not be discussing the topic of creating and selling AI art, which is a separate subject altogether. If you’re curious about using AI to boost your art business, spark your creativity, and increase your productivity, then keep reading!

AI has been a hot topic in the art world lately, and for good reason. But it’s not going away anytime soon, so why not embrace it? By using AI as an assistant for your art business, you can supercharge your productivity and take your business to the next level. With a bit of creativity, there are numerous ways you can use AI to your advantage.

What is AI?

Artificial Intelligence, or AI for short, is a branch of computer science that focuses on the development of intelligent machines that can perform tasks which traditionally required human intelligence, such as answering questions, conducting research, and problem-solving.

Recently, AI has become increasingly prevalent in various fields, including the arts, and has opened up new opportunities for creative business owners. Through machine learning and other AI-powered tools, artists can now generate personalized content, analyse data, and conduct market research with greater ease and efficiency. AI can be used in a number of different ways in your art business, from automating simple tasks to helping you out of a creative rut.

How can you use AI in your art business?

There are many ways to use AI to boost your art business. Here are some examples:

Writing a business plan

Creating a business plan is essential to the success of any business, including an art business. By using AI you can create a comprehensive business plan that outlines your goals, objectives, and strategies for success. Feed the AI as much data as you can about your business and ask it to create a business plan for you. You can then tweak and revise it as needed and go from there.

Conducting market research

To grow your art business, you need to understand your target market. AI can help you conduct market research to identify your target audience and their preferences. With AI-powered tools, you can analyse data on your customers’ demographics, interests, and behaviours to gain insights into what they may want. By understanding your target market, you can tailor your artwork and marketing messages to better meet their needs and preferences.

Generating ideas for new artwork

One of the biggest challenges for artists is coming up with new and innovative ideas for artwork. AI can help generate new ideas for artwork that will appeal to your target market. These tools use algorithms to analyse data on your target audience’s preferences and suggest customized artwork that is tailored to their interests. By using AI to generate ideas for new artwork, you can save time while creating pieces that resonate with your audience.

Writing marketing copy

Marketing is crucial for any art business. However, writing effective marketing copy can be challenging. With AI tools, you can create compelling social media posts, blogs, and product descriptions that resonate with your target audience.

When it comes to using AI for your art business, the output is only as good as the input. To learn more about how to use AI properly, and structure your prompts to get the best results possible, I highly recommend this Skillshare class: Chat GPT for Creatives by Peggy Dean

Using AI to improve your own artwork

One of the great things about AI-powered tools like CF Spark is that it can be used to generate new and unique artwork. Consider this: instead of looking at other artist’s work for inspiration, use AI instead! These tools are also great for getting out of a creative rut and help you find inspiration even when you’re feeling stuck. So, don’t be afraid to use AI to explore new ideas and push the boundaries of your own creativity.

AI can also help you with things like art market research and identifying trends. This information can be incredibly valuable for artists who want to create pieces that are more likely to sell, as it can help them understand what their target audience is looking for and what kinds of pieces are likely to be most successful in the current market. By using AI to stay on top of trends and market demands, artists can ensure that their work remains relevant and appealing to buyers, and can maximize their chances of success in the competitive world of art sales.

AI Tools for Your Art Business

Ready to get started using AI for your art business? Below is a list of some awesome AI tools that can help streamline your workflow, gather market insights, and even generate new artwork ideas. Of course, there are plenty of other AI tools out there too – new ones are popping up all the time! But these are a great place to start.

Chat GPT – a language model which can be used for generating ideas, writing content, and answering questions.
CF Spark – generate new and unique artworks to inspire your own work.
Notion AI – to streamline your workflow and help you with writing.
Canva AI – uses AI to suggest design layouts and color schemes for social media and marketing graphics.
Adobe Sensei – Provides AI-powered features in Adobe Creative Cloud

a woman thinking about using AI for her business

Considerations When Using AI for Your Art Business

There’s no one answer for how to incorporate AI into your art business. It’s going to vary depending on what you’re selling, who your audience is, and your art business goals. But, there are some general guidelines you can follow to make sure you’re using AI in a way that aligns with your business and values.

Supplement, don’t replace, human interaction. Your art business is built on human relationships. Whether you’re selling to collectors or working with galleries, you need to be able to build and maintain personal relationships. Use AI to supplement your relationships, not replace them.

Automate tasks, but don’t allow it to make decisions for you. AI can be a great tool for automating tasks like customer follow-up or marketing emails. But it’s important to remember that AI can’t make decisions for you. When it comes to important decisions like pricing or what art to sell, you need to rely on your own judgment.

Use AI to enhance your artwork, not replace it. AI has the potential to be a powerful tool for artists, but it’s important to remember that it should be used to enhance your artwork, not replace it. While AI can help generate new ideas, identify trends, and speed up certain processes, it can’t replicate the unique creativity and vision of a human artist.

Keep an eye on the future. AI is always changing, and new tools and applications are being developed all the time. It’s important to keep an eye on the future and be prepared to adopt new AI tools as they become available. This will help you stay ahead of the competition and make sure you’re using the best AI tools for your business.

Conclusion

AI can be a powerful tool for artists and art businesses, but it is important to use it wisely. With AI, you can manage your marketing, track trends, find inspiration for new artwork, and conduct market research. But you need to be careful not to over automate or you could lose the human touch that makes your business special. The possibilities are endless, and with a bit of creativity, you can take your art business to the next level with AI tools.

What are your thoughts on AI and using it for your art business? Let me know in the comments below!

Cheers,

SEO for Artists: How to help your art get found online

~ Julie ~ 8 Comments

Marketing your art in the digital age requires a diverse set of skills. Artists must not only be well-versed in the creation of their work, but also in digital marketing and SEO.

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of optimizing a piece of content for search engines with the goal of earning higher web traffic and improving visibility. For artists, this can help your art get found more easily online.

There are a few SEO tips that artists should keep in mind when creating and marketing their work online.

Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions for your art. This will help Google index your work and make it more searchable.
Use social media to promote your work and drive traffic to your website.
Add alt text to your images. This will help Google “read” your images and include them in image search results. This also includes the file name!

By following these simple SEO tips, you can make sure that your art can be found online and reach the widest possible audience.

photo of an artist using laptop for graphic designs

How can you help your art get found online?

Some artists are under the impression that all they need to do is to post their art on social media and wait for the likes and comments to roll in. But if you want to reach a wider audience, you’ll need to put a little more thought into your online presence.

Here are a few tips to help your art get found online:

Start by creating a website for your art. This is a great way to showcase your work in a professional manner. Make sure to include high-quality images of your work, and a bio or statement that gives visitors a sense of who you are as an artist.
Use social media to your advantage. While it’s important not to rely too heavily on social media, it can be a great way to promote your work. Post interesting and engaging content, and be sure to use hashtags to increase your visibility.
Get involved in the online art community. There are many forums, websites, and online groups dedicated to promoting and discussing art. Getting involved in these communities can help you reach new audiences and connect with other artists.
Stay active and consistent. One of the best ways to stand out online is to simply be active and consistent. Post new content regularly, interact with other users, and make sure your website and social media channels are up-to-date.

By following these tips, you can create a strong online presence for your art that will help you reach a wider audience.

Optimize your website for search engines

When it comes to SEO for artists, one of the most important things you can do is make sure your website is optimized for search engines. This means making sure your site is easy to find and navigate, and that it contains keyword-rich content that will help it rank high in search results.

There are a few simple things you can do to make sure your website is optimized for search engines.

Make sure your site is easy to find and navigate. Include clear and concise titles and descriptions for each page, and make sure your navigation is easy to understand.
Create keyword-rich content that is relevant to your art. Use keywords and phrases that potential customers are likely to use when searching for art online.
Include links to your site on other websites and in online directories. This will help to build up your site’s reputation and improve its ranking in search results (also known as backlinks).
Create compelling and original content. This means writing blog posts and articles that are interesting and informative, and that will help to promote your art.

By following these tips, you can help to ensure that your art is more visible online, and that you attract more viewers and potential buyers.

Use unique and descriptive keywords for your artwork

By using unique and relevant keywords and phrases in your titles, tags, and descriptions you can ensure that your artwork is more likely to show up in search engine results.

Here are some tips for creating keyword-rich titles and descriptions for your artwork:

Use descriptive keywords. When choosing keywords for your titles, be sure to use words that accurately describe your artwork. This will help potential customers find your work when they search for terms related to what you create. For example, if you paint landscapes, you might use keywords such as “landscape”, “nature”, or “scenery”.
Use keyword-rich phrases. In addition to using individual keywords, you can also use keyword-rich phrases in your titles and descriptions. For example, instead of just “painting”, you could use “original oil painting” or “hand-painted watercolour”. These phrases are more likely to be used by people who are searching for specific types of art, and they can help your work stand out.
Use relevant keywords. It’s also important to use keywords that are relevant to your specific artwork style. For example, if you create abstract art, you might use keywords such as “abstract”, “modern”, or “contemporary”. By using relevant keywords, you can ensure that your artwork is more likely to appear in search results for people interested in that style of art.
Make sure you have unique titles for your artwork. It’s important to have unique titles for each piece of artwork you create. This not only helps potential customers find your work, but it also ensures that your work is more likely to show up in search engine results and won’t be competing with each other for ranking.

photo of an artist working on her laptop and thinking about SEO

Use alt text to describe your artwork

When uploading images to your website, always include alt text to accompany each image. This is an especially important SEO tip for artists. Not only is this good practice for general accessibility purposes, but it also allows search engines to index your images, improving your site’s overall ranking. You can also add alt text to your Instagram posts.

When deciding what alt text to use, be sure to include key phrases that accurately describe the image, as this will help your site come up in relevant image searches.

For example, if you have a painting of a nature scene, some suitable alt text might be “oil painting of a river in the mountains”. This not only tells users what they can expect to see if they click on the image, but also tells search engines what the image is about, making it more likely to appear in results for relevant searches.

Alt text can also used to describe an image to someone who is blind or partially blind, so it can also help with the accessibility of your art and website.

In addition to improving your site’s ranking, using alt text also provides another opportunity to include relevant keywords and phrases on your site, which can further improve it’s visibility in search engine results. So next time you upload an image to your site, don’t forget to include alt text!

describing artwork helps with SEO for artists

Optimize your website’s metatags and meta descriptions

One of the most important aspects of SEO for artists is optimizing your website’s metatags and meta descriptions.

There are many different metatags, but the most important are the title, meta description, and keywords. The title is the main heading of the page or blog post, and it should include your most important keywords. If you’re using WordPress, there are sections for each of these that you can fill out for every piece of content you publish.

The meta description is a brief summary of your website page or blog post, and it should also include your keywords. Keywords are what people will use to search for your website, so it’s important to include them in both the title and meta description.

You can use an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO (which is what I use) that will help you fill out all of the relevant metadata.

Optimizing your website’s metatags is a great way to improve your SEO and get your art noticed online.

instagram on a phone with graphic design pencil and a notebook

Promote your website on social media

It’s no secret that social media is a powerful tool for promoting just about anything – and that includes websites. By promoting your website on social media, you can reach a large audience of potential customers and clients who may not be aware of your site otherwise.

Here are some tips for promoting your website on social media:

Make sure your website is ready before you start promoting your site on social media. Take a look at your site and make sure everything works as it should, looks good, and is something that people will want to share. A well-designed, user-friendly website with interesting and informative content is more likely to be shared than a site that’s difficult to navigate or that doesn’t offer anything new or unique.
Use social media to drive traffic to your website. Once you’ve ensured that your website is ready, it’s time to start using social media to drive traffic to your site. Posts about your website on social media should include a link, if possible, so that people can easily visit it. You can also include a call-to-action in your posts, such as “check out my website for more information (link in bio)” or “visit my website to see more of my art”.
Make it easy for people to share your website by adding share buttons to your site. With social media share buttons on your website, people can easily share your site with just a few clicks.
Monitor your analytics. Monitor your analytics to see how your posts are performing. Look at the engagement metrics for your posts, such as likes, comments, and shares. You can also track how much traffic your website is getting from social media using Google Analytics, and see which social media platforms are sending the most traffic to your site.

By following these tips, you can promote your website on social media and reach a larger audience.

Conclusion of SEO for artists

The most important thing for artists to remember when it comes to SEO is that content is king. Creating high-quality, keyword-rich content is the best way to help your art get found online.

In addition to great content, artists should also focus on building backlinks and creating social media profiles to help promote their work. By following these simple SEO tips, artists can attract more viewers and potential customers to their online portfolio.

Looking for more tips for artists? Check out my Artist Resources page!

Cheers,

25+ Instagram Post Ideas for Artists

~ Julie ~ 3 Comments

Are you an artist struggling to come up with ideas on what to post on Instagram? Whether you use your feed, reels, or stories, there are so many ways to share your art on Instagram!

In this post I’m sharing over 25 Instagram post ideas for artists.

A few things to consider: Create value for your audience. Whether it’s something pretty to look at, sharing information, or a relatable story in the captions. Interact with your audience. Ask a question. Get people excited and engaged with your content!

Instagram Feed Posts Ideas:

1. Finished artwork

2. Works in progress

3. Photos of yourself with or holding your artwork

4. Introduction posts. Share a photo of yourself in your studio with a quick introduction for new followers

5. Close ups of your artwork, either a WIP or tease of a final piece

6. Mockups of your artwork on products (download from your POD stores, make your own, or use a mock up generator service like Place It)

7. Real life photos of your artwork on products

8. Join trending hashtags and art challenges like #artvsartist or #dtiys (draw this in your style)

9. Art supplies – review or showcase the tools you use to create your art

10. Studio shots/ behind the scenes

11. Shareable quotes (created by you, using your own artwork)

12. Celebrate an occasion or holiday with a related artwork or design

Instagram Reels Ideas:

13. Timelapse videos of yourself creating an art piece

14. Tutorials demonstrating your process, how to use a specific tool or product

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Julie Erin Designs | Artist (@julieerindesigns)

15. Trending video memes with an art or art business spin on it

17. “Day in the life” (of an artist)

18. Still images along to the beat of a song

19. Using trending filters on your artwork

20. Animated artwork (can be really simple)

21. “Satisfying” art process

Instagram Story Post Ideas:

Anything goes on stories, they are less formal and go away in 24 hours.

22. Behind the scenes – going for a walk to gather inspiration, your art studio etc.

23. Teasers for new artwork or content (tutorials, blog posts etc)

24. This or that, showing 2 of your artworks and ask your audience which one they like more

25. Announce a sale and use a link sticker to link to your shop(s)

26. Ask your audience a question (poll)

27. Share a new blog post or video on Youtube or another platform (link with sticker)

28. Share a new (or old) post or reel from your feed to your Stories

29. Celebrate an occasion or holiday, sometimes there are stickers for this so you can share with a wider audience

Looking for more Instagram tips for artists? Check out this blog post!

You can also check out my own Instagram feed for even more post inspiration.

I hope you’ve found this list of Instagram post ideas for artists helpful!

Cheers,

How to Sell Your Print on Demand Products on Facebook

~ Julie ~ 2 Comments

sell print on demand products on facebook

Do you want to start selling your print on demand products through social media? In this post I’m going to explain how you can sell your print on demand products, from multiple stores, on your Facebook page.

You can include products from multiple print on demand sites like Redbubble, Society6, Zazzle and more!

If you’re looking for how to sell your print on demand products specifically on Instagram, I have written a more detailed post on that. But this is the first step to that process.

The first step to being able to sell print on demand products on Facebook is to have a Facebook Page set up for your business. You’ll also need to have it set as a Business or Creator account.

If you don’t have a Facebook page for your business yet, you can also set it up at the same time as you are creating your shop.

Your page will have to meet their eligibility requirements including location and other criteria. It also helps if you have your own website domain to use as a primary domain (it does not have to be set up as a store, and you can still direct people to your print on demand links).

Here you can read more about making your page eligible for shopping on both Facebook and Instagram.

If you’re selling Print on Demand products through your own website using Shopify (or a similar service) you can use their partner connect option. This is more simple, but today I’m discussing how to add third party print on demand products from websites you don’t own, such as Redbubble or Society6.

How to set up a Facebook Store

Apply for shopping through the Commerce Manager (connected to your Business or Creator Facebook account)

Once you’ve applied and been approved for Shopping (this may take a few days for them to review your eligibility), head back over to the Commerce Manager. Now you can start adding products!

For this to work you will have to add products manually (Under Catalog > Items, then Add Items > Add Multiple Items). This will give you a sort of spreadsheet which you can fill out with an image of your products, link, description, title etc. Fill out as much as you can here, but you don’t have to fill out everything.

Just add a couple of products to get started.

Now obviously this will take time since you may have hundreds or more products across multiple retailers. So I recommend starting by adding a few best sellers from each of your stores. This will drive people to those stores where they can browse the rest of your offerings from there.

After you’ve submitted your products it may take about 30 minutes to an hour for them to process before showing up in your Facebook store.

Tips for Selling Print on Demand Products on Facebook

Be patient, each step in the process takes time.
Familiarize yourself with the Commerce Manager and how it works.
Create “sets” to organize your products by product type.
You can also create collections to showcase on your storefront.
You can only use ONE currency in your store (ex. list everything in USD or your local currency).
Add a few of your best selling designs and products from your different stores.
Add a few products per week, or per month, or whatever you have time for. This can help drive traffic to your shop since they will show up on some people’s feeds.
Don’t add too many products at one time or it will spam people’s feeds and they may unfollow or miss the new items you’ve added.
You can’t tag these products in your photos unfortunately. This only works for products from a domain you own (such as a Shopify store).
Check the Insights section for analytics to see how many people are clicking on your products and visiting your stores!

I hope you’ve found this blog post useful! Make sure to follow my blog for more art business content in the future.

Cheers,

How to Make Short Videos of Your Art for Social Media: Reels, Tiktok, Shorts, Pinterest and more

how to make short videos of art for social media

~ Julie ~ 1 Comment

how to make short videos of your art for tiktok instagram reels

Do you want to learn how to make short videos of your art for social media like Instagram Reels and Tiktok? Then this class is for you!

Join me as I teach you how to make 2 quick and easy videos of your art and post them to several social media sites to help you expand your audience and reach!

And no – you won’t have to dance, lip sync, or even talk. The videos we will create in this class are perfect for shy artist types who aren’t quite comfortable showing their face on camera.

Watch the intro below:

In this class, I will guide you through the following steps:

Putting together your set.
Filming 2 short videos of your art.
Editing the videos using free apps.
Posting your videos to a variety of social media platforms including Instagram Reels, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube Shorts and Facebook.

This class is great for beginners, or already established artists who are looking to expand their marketing to include short video!

For the class project, you can share a link to the short video you created from this class, and/or include a screenshot from your video or a photo of your filming set up.

You will need:

At least one finished piece of artwork.
A background texture and some props (optional).
Your smartphone and some free apps.

Oh and the class is only 20 minutes long, so you can jump right in! Does that sound interesting to you?

Watch How to Make Short Videos of Your Art for Social Media for free with a 1 month trial membership of Skillshare!

How to Sell Your Art Online – The Definitive Guide

how to sell you art online definitive guide

~ Julie ~ 10 Comments

how to sell your art online - definitive guide

Are you an artist wanting to learn how to sell your art online? You’ve come to the right place! I’ve been selling art online for over 6 years now and have written many blog posts on the topic, sharing what I’ve learned along the way.

Today I’ve created this definitive guide to round up many of those posts in a new, and hopefully helpful way.

If you want to get a crash course on how to sell your art online, don’t miss my Skillshare class: From Design to Product: Sell Your Art Online Through Print on Demand

Otherwise, read on to learn more about how to sell your art online.

Getting Started

To get started selling your art online you’ll need to have a collection of designs to start off with, decide on a platform for selling your art, and optimize your artwork for the web.

Then, you’ll need to upload your art or list your products on the platform you’ve chosen. Finally, you’ll need to market those products to your customers.

To dive deeper into some of these topics, check out the following posts:

Where to Sell Your Art Online

The website you choose to sell your art online will depend on factors like your artistic medium, and what you want to sell. If you want to sell original paintings or screen printed t-shirts you could try Etsy.

On the other hand, if you don’t want to carry an inventory or ship physical goods yourself, then a Print on Demand marketplace like Society6 might be better for you.

If you want to sell your art through your own website (best if you already have a large following), then you might consider Printful, which integrates with e-commerce platforms on your own site.

There are a lot of different options which I’ve discussed in depth in other posts on this site, which are listed below.

How to Market Your Art Online

Marketing your art can mean handing out business cards to your network, sharing on social media or even blogging. You can try all of these, or just focus on a few like sharing on Instagram and Pinterest.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Julie Erin Designs (@julieerindesigns) on May 18, 2020 at 10:50am PDT

One thing I recommend is having consistent branding across all of your stores and social media channels. This includes having the same or similar headers, logo and profile photo. These can be changed and improved over time so just start with something simple and go from there.

I have several in depth posts about the different marketing platforms I’ve experimented with. You should do your own experimenting, or take some marketing courses (many are free!) if it is not your strong suit.

Running an Art Business

If you want to make money from your art then you need to think about it as your business.

You may already have a career or full time job, but that doesn’t mean you can’t also be an artist or business owner. Thinking about it this way can really help you reach your goals in the long run.

As with any business there are risks and responsibilities, like paying taxes! It’s best practice to keep a log sheet in Google Sheets or Excel to track your business expenses and income. This will help you determine where your money is going, and where it is coming from.

Most large businesses have an accountant, a marketing person, a CEO, and other roles. As a small business owner, you are all of these. As a result, there is a lot to learn, but you should strive to continue learning and filling in your knowledge gaps.

Below are some posts I’ve written on topics related to the business side of things:

Resources

Now that you have a handle on how to sell your art online, you may be wondering what the quality of the products are like. And how to optimize your shops to increase sales.

Below are some posts including product reviews, conducting keyword research, and other things you can do to improve your stores and reach.

Find even more resources in the Artist Resources section of my website!

My Print on Demand Stores

Below are links to my different print on demand storefronts. I’ve also got a shop on my own website you can take a look at for inspiration.

I hope this guide will be useful for all of you artists out there who are trying to make some extra money by selling your art online through Print on Demand websites.

Be sure to subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss any new posts, and bookmark this guide so you can come back to it whenever new information is added.

If you want a more in depth crash course, don’t miss my Skillshare class: From Design to Product: Sell Your Art Online Through Print on Demand.

You can watch the intro below:

Let’s do this!

Cheers,

Mandalatober Week 4 Mandalas and Final Thoughts

~ Julie ~ 7 Comments

These are the final #mandalatober2019 mandala drawings. I made it to the end you guys! Thanks to everyone who participated, I’m so proud of you! And also thanks to everyone who supported us with likes, comments, dms etc.

It has been a long journey with ups and downs along the way, some days I felt like I wouldn’t finish and other days it felt so easy. But I’m glad I stuck it out and have this amazing body of work to draw from for future designs!

This was not my first time trying a month long challenge, but it is my first time finishing one!

Also, there were 17 other people who participated, for either some of the days or even the whole thing, which is amazing! I will be creating another blog post to show off some of my favourites by the other participants, so stay tuned for that ?.

Mandalas from Week 4 of #Mandalatober2019

Day 22: Cat Mandala

Day 23: Spider Mandala

Day 24: Nature Mandala

nature mandala seashell mandalatober2019

Day 25: 1/2 Mandala 1/2 Something Else

Day 26: Space or Galaxy Mandala

Day 27: Bee Mandala

Day 28: Ice Mandala

Day 29: Sky Mandala

Day 30: Mushroom Mandala

Day 31: Halloween Mandala

I hope you guys have enjoyed following along on this journey with me, thanks for sticking around! Let me know which mandala was your favourite in the comments below.

Next on my agenda is getting all of my print on demand shops ready for the Holiday season, and scanning some of these mandala drawings to my computer.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Cheers,

Check out the rest of my Mandalatober drawings below!

How to Grow Your Instagram Art Account

~ Julie ~ 16 Comments

Hey guys! Today I’d like to share with you some tips for growing your art account on Instagram.

If you’re an artist and not using Instagram, get on it! I find it’s better than Facebook or Twitter for artists because it’s more visual based.

In fact, many artists today use Instagram as their art portfolio instead of having a website. While I don’t recommend that, as having your own space on the internet is always best practice, it can be a great place to connect with fans and other artists.

Keep in mind that no one really knows how the algorithm works except the folks who work at Instagram. People will tell you to do this or that or don’t do this or that, but they really don’t know either, so take it with a grain of salt.

These tips are just things that have worked for me personally, and are not guaranteed to work for you. Don’t focus too much on your follower count. Being authentic, focusing on creating quality content, and engaging meaningfully with your fans and followers should be your main focus.

Tips for growing your Instagram art account

Find your niche: what kind of art do you want to share with the world? Whether it’s painting, sketches, or digital art, make sure your content is focused and consistent.
Post high-quality photos. Make sure your photos are clear and of high quality. People are more likely to follow an account that posts beautiful photos.
Post daily, if not to your feed at least to stories.
Create fun and interactive stories using polls, stickers etc.
Respond to comments on your posts.
Respond to other people‘s stories.
Use relevant hashtags when you post. Use a mix of broad and smaller hashtags with less than 1 million posts. For example, use #art and #artistsoninstagram, but also use smaller hashtags that are relevant to your specific style of art or the subject of your post.
Switch up hashtags from post to post, don’t use the same ones every time.
Experiment with posting at different times of the day.
Experiment with Reels.
Add a location to your posts. It could be the location you actually are, or a different location depending on the post subject or target audience.
Create content that isn’t pushing people to buy anything, but simply showing your work or offering something of value to your followers.

brunette girl selfie pink mandala design — Selfies with or wearing your designs get a lot of engagement.

Post selfies. Even as an artist, selfies get high engagement on Instagram. Take photos of yourself holding your art or wearing and using your products if you sell through print on demand.
Engage daily by liking and commenting on posts in your home feed.
Follow hashtags that are relevant to your niche or art style and they will show up on your home feed.
Check out the top posts and use them for inspiration, but don’t copy.
Every day, if you can, go through a few hashtags relevant to your work or style and like/comment/follow accounts using that hashtag.
Add Alt Text to your posts.
Tell a story. Your captions should be more than just a description of the photo. Tell a story about your art, or share your creative process with your followers.

That’s it! I hope you’ve found some helpful tips here. If you have more to add feel free to leave them in the comments below. You can also check out my artist resources page for even more tips!

Oh and make sure you follow me on Instagram!

Cheers,

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Social Media Marketing Tips For Artists

~ Julie ~ 8 Comments

Are you an artist trying to figure out how to market yourself on social media? I was too, just a few years ago! In this post I’m sharing some of my top social media tips for artists.

Please note: I’m not an expert on this matter, but I have managed to triple my stats on a few key social networks over the past year, and slowly but surely grown my online presence since creating the Julie Erin Designs brand.

As you may also do, I work a full time job and have many other life commitments outside of my art business, so I can only dedicate a few hours per week to creating and marketing my designs on social media.

This leads me into my first tip which is:

Dedicate just 5-10 minutes a day to social media

Start by taking on just one task per day on one of your social accounts.
Some examples include: Tweet an image of your latest work (don’t forget to include relevant hashtags). Like and/or follow some new users on Instagram.
Don’t get overwhelmed. You should be able to do this during your coffee or lunch break, on the way home from work on the bus, after dinner, or whenever you have an idle moment.

Focus on a few key social media platforms

Try out different platforms but then hone it down to just a few, and then focus on content and growing your followers there. My top 3 at the moment are Tiktok, Instagram and Facebook. I dabble on others but I get the most engagement for my time on those 3.

Set up a social media calendar

Don’t overwhelm yourself with an over-loaded calendar. Start with just one task per day that can be completed within a few minutes.
Create a visual calendar using your computer, a planner, or you can find lots of downloadable worksheets online. I also have a Notion template with a social media calendar included.
Do what works for you and your schedule.
Learn the etiquette for your chosen social media app. On Twitter you can share multiple times per day, but on Facebook you may only want to share something every few days.

Posting schedule example: Example: Monday: Tweet about your latest design, tweet 2 sold items. Tuesday: Share a new design on Instagram. Wednesday: Blog post about new design, and post to Facebook page. Friday: Tweet new blog post

Start a blog

Use it to showcase your art work, items for sale, share art tips, supplies you use, your sketchbook, whatever you can think of. You can even sell your art directly through your website.
Connect with other art bloggers. Follow/like/comment on their posts.
Pro tip: Don’t forget to link to your blog from your social media profiles.

Use apps to make your life easier

Scheduling apps: Buffer or Hootsuite. Use one of these apps (or something similar) to schedule a few posts to your social media accounts for the day. This could even be your one task of the day, if that’s all you have time for.
Follower tracking apps: Crowdfire or similar apps which help you track followers and unfollowers. You can also search for people who follow similar accounts and then like/follow them.
Photo editing apps such as Canva and Photogrid. There are several out there, so find one that you like. Use it to create and edit images of your designs and products right on your phone. While you could also just make these images in Photoshop on your PC, being able to make promo images on the go makes it so much easier to get it done when you have a spare moment.

social media tips for artists — Instagram post example created with the Photogrid app.

Keep a list of content ideas

Keep a list on your phone or somewhere else, so you never run out of ideas for fresh content!
Examples: Sold items, new designs, WIP’s and sketchbook shots.
Check out my list of over 25 Instagram post ideas for artists.

Make use of hashtags and SEO (search engine optimization)

Use relevant hashtags so that people can find your work.
Don’t overdo it. Figure out what works on which platforms.
Monitor those hashtags and like/follow others who are posting to that hashtag.
Add key words in your description and add alt tags to your posts when possible.

Make use of tagging

Sometimes, when appropriate, you may want to actually tag another user (such as Zazzle or Redbubble for example) on Twitter or Instagram, if you are showcasing their product. You may get lucky and they might even re-tweet or feature your product!
Go through their tagged feeds to find similar users to like and follow.

Engage with similar users

Connect with other bloggers, and other artists on your chosen social media platforms.

I sell my art work on POD websites such as Zazzle, Redbubble and Society6, so I try to engage with others who sell on those sites as well. I do this by either liking their work directly on those sites, on social media, through forums or Facebook groups.

To learn more about selling your art through print on demand websites, check out my Skillshare class!

Post to shopping websites

If this is appropriate to your style of art work, you may consider posting your products on shopping websites such as Pinterest and Wanelo.

Additional Resources

If you have the opportunity to do so, it can be really helpful to take a social media marketing course at your local college or university. Or even online. I took a short course which was very informative and turned me on to some new apps and strategies. Think of it as an investment in your business.

Also check out the Artist Resources section of my website and blog for even more social media tips for artists.

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I hope you have found some useful information here about social media for artists!

Feel free to share some of your own social media marketing tips below.

Cheers,