By Julie Ehrmantraut | Owner of Julie Erin Designs

The world of social media is constantly changing, but it’s a great place to promote your art and build a community of fans as well as like-minded peers. Here are some of my top tips to help you get started promoting your art on social media.

Set up a profile solely for your art

Sure, some people might be interested in your baking or cute pets, but if you want to be taken seriously as an artist you should present yourself professionally on social media. Consider your profile an extension of your art portfolio, or even your actual art portfolio online.

Consider this: If an art collector or licensor is looking at your social media profile, what do you want them to see? Most likely, a professional looking page with nice looking samples of your current artwork.

You can still share those candid moments with your audience, but consider doing so in a less permanent fashion by using Stories for example (this is a great way to connect with your followers in a more personal way).

Dedicate just 5-10 minutes a day to maintaining your social media presence

I recommend picking one main social media platform, ideally one you already use, and interacting with it daily. You don’t have to post daily, but bonus points if you do!

5-10 minutes per day is totally doable on your lunch break, on the bus, or even while you are watching TV. If you have more time to dedicate, that’s great! 

A word of warning: don’t get lost in the rabbit hole of social media scrolling. You want to be interacting with your followers, people you follow, hashtags related to your work and similar content, not getting lost in political posts or memes (save this for your personal account ideally).

Create content on the fly, while you are in the studio

Creating content for social media can be overwhelming, so I recommend making a habit of taking photos and short videos of the work you are currently working on. 

Then, you will have a body of content to draw from when you’re ready to develop static image posts or short videos (think Reels and Tiktoks) for social media. 

Video content can be more experimental, but make sure to add a nice looking cover image or otherwise hide it from your main profile (on Instagram this is possible). You want to keep your main profile looking professional with high quality images that are in focus. Present your artwork in the best light possible (pun intended)!

Share photos of yourself occasionally (if you feel comfortable doing so). Your followers love seeing you and connecting with you as a person. But keep it within the context of your art business (not just a random selfie), such as you standing next to your latest artwork, working in your studio, or attending an art show. 

Pro Tip: If you have the means, consider having a professional photographer (or photographer friend!) get some shots of you working on a piece of art, in your studio etc. and then sprinkle those on to social media throughout the following months or year.

Set up a social media calendar (if you’re the organized type)

Consider setting up a social media calendar so you know which days you are posting content and then you can plan ahead. You can also use apps like Later or Buffer to queue up posts in advance. Not all artistic or creative minds work this way however, so give it a try and see if it works for you.

Think about where you want to send people outside of social media

You can only have one link in your bio on most social media platforms so consider where you want people to go and what you want them to do when they get there!

I highly recommend having your own website, an ecommerce store or an art portfolio outside of social media where people can follow you or join your email list. You can also create a simple landing page on your website, or use a service like Link in Bio to create a page with links to multiple offerings or services you offer.

Final Tips

It’s not all about likes and follower counts, especially if you’re not a full time content creator, so don’t worry about that too much. Experiment and just have fun sharing your art in different ways. 

Use search tools and hashtags (where applicable) on your chosen platform to connect with others in your field, gather inspiration for your art and posts, and find potential customers.

Make sure to keep it professional but don’t neglect your followers. Respond to comments and DM’s and make those personal connections because that is what social media is really meant to be about –  being social!

If you enjoyed this content you might also like to check out my website for more social media tips and business tips for artists and creatives.

Bio section: 

Julie is an artist and business owner with nearly a decade of experience with sharing her work on social media and selling art online through various channels. Alongside her art business she also teaches other artists how to make an income from their art online through her website and classes on Skillshare.

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