​5 Tips for Marketing and Selling Your Art on Instagram Like a Pro

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Why is Instagram such a great online platform for artists? What are some essential tips for working artists starting on Instagram? Why is it important to build up a following if we're intending to make a consistent income from our work and how does one even go about starting to grow one from scratch?


I sincerely believe that there's never been a better time to be an artist. 

With the Internet and so many online platforms/tools available to us, it's easy to both connect with other artists and start getting our work known by possible collectors all over the world. 

We can literally set up our own website or online shop in a matter of minutes and start making our work or services available for visitors.

This said, something I quickly came to realize after having left my last 'normal' full-time position and starting my own online business is that, it's one thing to have and use all of these amazing tools and it's quite another to actually make them work for your career as a professional artist. 

As I shared in this past blog post, there's a lot to learn and start implementing in your online efforts. There's a strategy involved, and it's not just about mindlessly posting your work. 

While we're building up our artistic skills and finding our voice, we need to be learning about marketing and actually putting to use these strategies we learn about. 

It's only through actually experimenting for ourselves over a certain period of time, that we can conclude whether strategies are working for our specific artistic goals or not.

For most of us, it can not only take time to see sales coming in, but the process can be frustrating and quite overwhelming, as there's so much to learn about and so many options. 

This is especially the case when we're just getting started. 

Over at my YouTube channel, I've shared videos in which I'm very honest about what it has taken for me to get to the point I'm at, and have provided lots of practical advice for aspiring artists.

With my innermost group over on Patreon, I'm even more candid about my life as an artist and share the inside tips that have worked for me as I continue building my income online. 

As I've mentioned in past blog posts and videos, as artists we are creative entrepreneurs. We're business owners.

It's important to understand that we're looking to sell products. Meaningful, unique products. But products nonetheless.

And just like any other business out there, it's essential to build up our brand and work on a message that is meaningful and unique to us. 

To succeed as an artist, we must build up an audience (whether it's online, offline or both is completely up to you and your goals). We want to create connections with people who resonate with our work, our story and our message. 

You may be able to sell a piece or two here and there out of luck, but it's these people who resonate with us deeply, who'll be not only cheering us on, but will also be coming back for more when we release new artwork.

I really believe that, the sooner we ease into marketing and sales, and actually see them as a fun, creative part of our work, the more successful we'll be. 


Katherine Belle, who works as special contributor for Enjoy Canvas, will be sharing several essential tips that will help us make our Instagram account a success. 

Katherine is obsessed with interior design, and is a pro at creating and sharing content online that is valuable for readers. 

Let's get into her article!
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​5 Tips for Marketing and Selling Your Art on Instagram Like a Pro

by Katherine Bell


Instagram has completely changed the way people buy and sell products (and services). 

Literally, anyone can start selling via the Internet now-a-days. This is awesome because this means we don't have to sit through endless days wondering how we can grow our art business and sell more work. 

It's all about how you market yourself and your art, which requires you actually interact with people and grow an engaged online community (your audience). 

As long as you focus on sharing valuable (inspiring, educational, entertaining) content for your audience, stay consistent, and apply a few key tips, your account will grow. 

And though this may take time, the opportunities that can come from your efforts are definitely worth it. 

Instagram is one of the best social media platforms for artists due to its highly visual nature and it's ability to display a curated portfolio of your work to your visitors. ​

Over the years, it has become the ideal social media platform for artists, right next to Pinterest.


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Transforming Your Instagram Feed into a Source of Revenue

You worked hard on it. You poured your heart and soul into your artwork, and now it's time to reap the benefits that you deserve.

When it comes to marketing on Instagram to sell your brand and your artwork, it all boils down to growing an engaged fanbase and consistently networking within the art community (your followers, other artists and brands, etc.).

Remember the social aspect of social media and don't just post or try to sell and leave, but focus on asking questions, leaving valuable comments and creating connections. 

​You can pick up many more tricks of the trade along the way. But for starters, consider these crucial tips to apply once you have your Instagram account up and running.

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1. Develop Your Brand

Branding has taken on so many meanings and contexts over time. 

For artists looking to build their brand on Instagram, it's all about posting meaningful and inspiring content, while staying consistent both in terms of posting frequency, as well as the kind of content that's been shared. 

Basically, you need to think of a theme that'll unify your posts, which can be related to your artistic style, the message that you want to share with the world, or other aspects pertaining to your artistic life. 

It's a given that people's attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, and there's lots of competition online. This is why its essential to start developing a unique brand that transmits who you are as an artist.

Try browsing across Instagram through notable people in the art community. Study each of their feeds and their brand's look and feel. Take notes.

Pay attention to how they construct their bio, make their contact information available for possible costumers, and to the quality of content they share. 

Notice how most of them make it a point to share content that their fanbase will find valuable in some shape, way or form. And how it's always related to what they're passionate about and are offering to the world. 

You don't always have to share finished pieces! Share inspirational quotes from famous artists, pictures of your work in progress or your working area, sneak peeks of your drawings or paintings, your favorite supplies...

The possibilities are endless!


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Check out my FREE Patreon-exclusive tutorial and class samples here!


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2. Put a Bit of Soul Into Your Captions

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For the most part, your followers already know that you're on Instagram to sell your art, apart from sharing it with the world. But you must remember that simply posting a picture of your work with its name and price, and expecting people to buy isn't going to get you anywhere. 

It's not creative. There's no hook.

You're not giving people a good reason to purchase your artwork. There's no story or connection with you, the creator of the piece. 

And though, you might get lucky at some point and sell a piece to a customer just because he/she thinks it's beautiful, your true collectors (those who'll want to buy your work time-and-time-again), buy because they connect with you and your personal story. 

Don't like writing or feel that you don't write well? You don't need to write a long novella to transmit a story. A few sentences and your own heartfelt feelings are more than enough.

Let people know about your process, your inspiration. Tell them the story of how this particular piece came to be.

People connect to emotions, and by getting good at sharing your story and message from the heart, you'll start attracting the right people. 

Yes, you need to transmit that your work is up for sale, but never forget to bring your creativity into it and actually transmit your passion for what you do. 


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Click on image to visit original source over at pexels.com.

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3. Use Hashtags Strategically

In digital marketing, hashtags double as maps and street directions. 

Hashtags are what make it possible for others to find your posts. They make the content you upload discoverable, which is an absolute must in an already saturated platform.

By using hashtags strategically and implementing best practices, you'll keep growing your audience consistently. Never forget them in your posts!

You'll want to stay up-to-date with tips and recommendations from Instagram specialists like Alex Tooby and Vanessa Lau, as algorithms change as months go by, but here are a few key tips to get you started:

- Use the Instagram search bar to find hashtags that are related to the type of art you share. 
-Try to be specific. Instead of doing #watercolor, add #watercolorlandscape or #watercolorportrait, depending on what you're sharing.
- Find other artists who have large followings and take note of how they use their hashtags. How many do they use? Where do they place them within their post? Do you see any hashtags that are used repeatedly?
- Create a list of the best hashtags you find over time, but don't always use the  same group of hashtags in all your posts. Switch them around, add or subtract to them, depending on what it is you're sharing. 
- Only use hashtags that are actually relevant to your post.
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And lastly, create your own brand-specific hashtag! Make sure to use it frequently and encourage your loyal followers to do so as well whenever they're talking about your brand on Instagram.

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4. Think of Ways to Make Your Feed Engaging and Dynamic

Though all social media platforms are different and the things that work well in one might not work well in the other, there's one thing that is essential in all of them in order to make your account a success.

And this is engagement. 

Constantly give thought to ways that you can use the tools Instagram provides, such as Story features (stickers, questions, polls, etc.), Instagram TV, and create engaging content in regular posts so that your audience can participate.

Think outside of the box and make it easy for them to relate and be able to respond.

Ever tried doing art challenges such as sharing a new piece every day?

What about sticking to a particular style or subject for a month or a whole year and consistently bring people into your process and artistic progress? 

Let people into your artistic journey!

Whatever you do, don't forget to keep things positive, fresh and fun.

People are looking for positivity and are more likely to want to see more from you if you keep things inspiring for them. 

Give them a reason to keep coming back.

Never underestimate the power of creative content, whether that's on your IG feed or on Instagram Stories. 


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5. Track and Monitor Your Progress

Because you'll be using your Instagram account to promote your artwork and grow your art business, it's important to switch to a business account. 

Don't worry! Switching from a normal to business account on Instagram is easy (and can also be easily reverted). 

By switching to this type of account, you'll be able to have special insights into your analytics.

This means you'll be able to learn about the demographics of the people who are following you (age, location, gender, etc.), how your interactions are growing over time, the amount of clickthroughs to your website or shop, what times and days your audience is most active on the platform, and more!

This will allow you to objectively implement new strategies and shift away from what's not working, which will lead to faster growth. 

​Remember, your art business on Instagram is as much a display of your passion as it is a way to make a living. And because of this, it's important to make strategic efforts and continuously assess whether what you're currently doing is working.

Before posting anything, ask yourself if you'd find that content valuable. Also, always consider if your efforts contribute to your end-goal of growing your audience and making a living from your work. 




On a final note...

Instagram can do wonders for launching your artistic career and getting rid of the need for galleries or big-name critics to tell you whether you can succeed or not.
But most of all, it's helping artists develop meaningful connections with possible customers and other people of their profession as well.

Instagram is, indeed, a beneficial tool and can be an incredibly effective marketing weapon. All it needs is knowledge on how to wield it.

​Now it's your time to build your brand and become the successful artist you were always meant to be.

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I'd like to send out a huge thank you to Katherine for so generously providing all of this helpful information for us and inspiring us to get our work out there!
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Visit enjoycanvas.com for tons of ideas on interior decor and transforming spaces with art. 

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Thanks so much for reading!


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