In the digital age, Instagram has become a pivotal platform for artists to showcase their work, connect with their audience, and grow their art business.
This article will guide you through the process of effectively using Instagram as an artist, with practical tips and strategies to help you to grow as an Artist on Instagram and reach up to 100k followers.
| Key Takeaways | Description |
|---|---|
| Importance of Instagram for Artists | Instagram serves as a digital portfolio, a networking platform, and a marketing tool for artists. |
| Posting the Right Art | Post art that reflects your unique style and resonates with your audience. Variety and quality are key. |
| Making Your Feed Attractive | Maintain a consistent style, use high-quality images, plan your feed layout, use captions effectively, and incorporate white space. |
| Consistency is Key | Posting consistently can help build trust, increase visibility, engage your audience, and grow your following. |
| Effective Use of Hashtags | Use relevant hashtags, mix popular and niche hashtags, don’t overuse hashtags, update your hashtags regularly, and use hashtags in stories. |
| Engaging with Your Audience | Respond to comments, ask questions, use Instagram Stories features, like and comment on other posts, and host contests or giveaways. |
| Utilizing Instagram Stories | Use Instagram Stories to showcase your personality, share behind-the-scenes content, engage with your audience, promote your posts, and highlight your best stories. |
| Collaborating with Other Artists | Collaborate through joint art projects, features, art challenges or contests, Instagram takeovers, and live sessions. |
| Converting to a Business Account | A Business account provides access to Instagram Analytics, increased visibility, ability to run ads, and use of shopping features. |
| Avoiding Common Mistakes | Avoid inconsistent posting, not engaging with your audience, not having a clear bio, using irrelevant hashtags, ignoring Instagram Analytics, not collaborating with other artists, and not experimenting with different content types. |
| Using Instagram Analytics | Use Instagram Analytics to understand your audience, track your post performance, and adjust your strategy based on data. |
Whether you’re just starting out with a new account on Instagram or looking to take your Instagram art page to the next level, this guide is packed with actionable advice. From optimizing your Instagram profile to leveraging the power of hashtags, we’ll cover everything you need to know to know how to grow as an artist on Instagram followers and make your mark in the online art community.
Why is Instagram Important for Artists?
Instagram, with its visually-oriented platform, has emerged as a game-changer for artists around the globe. It’s more than just a social media app to post pictures; it’s a dynamic and interactive community where artists can connect with fans, fellow artists, potential buyers, and art enthusiasts.
For artists, Instagram serves multiple purposes. It acts as a digital portfolio or art page, allowing artists to showcase their work in a visually appealing way. Some of the benefits of engaging on Instagram for artists:
1. Global Exposure: Instagram’s global reach allows artists to showcase their work worldwide. This breaks geographical barriers that were once a challenge for artists and allows them to gain recognition and appreciation worldwide.
2. Networking Opportunities: Instagram provides a platform for artists to connect with fellow artists, potential buyers, and art enthusiasts. They can engage in meaningful conversations, collaborate on projects, and even learn from each other. This networking can open up new opportunities and inspire creativity.
3. Building a Personal Brand: Artists can use Instagram to share their creative journey, narrate their stories, and build a personal brand around their art. This storytelling aspect of Instagram helps artists create a deeper connection with their audience, making their art more relatable and appealing.
4. Increased Visibility: By using features like hashtags and geotags, artists can increase the visibility of their posts. This makes their posts discoverable to people interested in that particular type of art or location, helping them reach a wider audience.
5. Direct Interaction with Followers: Instagram allows artists to interact directly with their followers. They can answer their followers’ questions, respond to their comments, and get their feedback. This direct interaction helps build a loyal and engaged community around their art.
6. Sales Opportunities: With features like shoppable posts and the new Instagram Shop, artists can sell their art directly from the app. This makes it easy for followers to purchase their favorite pieces, providing artists with a convenient sales channel.
7. Insights and Analytics: Instagram provides valuable insights and analytics that can help you understand your audience better. You can see which posts are performing well, when your followers are most active, and what type of content they like. These insights can guide your content strategy and help you create more engaging posts.
8. Free Marketing: Instagram is a free platform that artists can use to market their art. They can promote their exhibitions, workshops, or new launches, attract potential buyers, and even collaborate with other artists or brands for sponsored posts.
A 30 minutes a day plan for growing your Instagram Account to 100k or more
How to Optimize Your Instagram Profile for Your Art Business?
Imagine Instagram as a bustling art fair, and your profile as your personal booth. It’s your corner of the world where you can display your art, share your story, and invite passersby to stop and appreciate your work. Your Instagram profile is your digital canvas—it’s where you paint a picture of who you are as an artist.
Your bio is like a small signboard at the entrance of your booth. It’s where you can share a glimpse of your artistic journey. Are you a self-taught artist who finds inspiration in the natural world? Or perhaps a classically trained painter who loves to experiment with abstract forms? Your bio is where you can share these details and more. It’s your chance to invite visitors to explore your art, join your mailing list, or simply follow your artistic journey.
Next, consider the aesthetic of your profile. Just as you would arrange your physical art booth to be visually pleasing, your Instagram profile should have a consistent look and feel that reflects your art style. Whether it’s a harmonious color palette, a recurring theme, or a particular mood, a consistent aesthetic can make your profile more appealing and memorable.
Finally, your profile picture is like your booth’s banner—it’s one of the first things people see. It could be a portrait of you, a snapshot of you working in your studio, or even a piece of your art. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s a clear, appealing image that represents you as an artist.
| Here’s how you can optimize your profile for your art business: |
|---|
| Username and Business Name: Choose a username that is easy to remember and reflects your art business. Your business name should be the same or similar to your username to maintain consistency and make it easier for people to find you. |
| Bio: Your bio should succinctly describe who you are as an artist and what type of art you create. You can also include a call-to-action, such as a link to your online store or portfolio. |
| Profile Picture: Your profile picture should be clear and professional. It could be a headshot, a logo, or one of your art pieces. |
| Highlight Covers: Use Instagram’s highlight feature to showcase your best work, behind-the-scenes content, testimonials, and more. Customizing your highlight covers can give your profile a more cohesive and professional look. |
| Contact Information: Make sure to include your contact information so potential buyers or collaborators can easily reach you. |
Remember, a well-optimized profile can attract the right followers and help you grow an Instagram channel.
What Type of Art Should You Post on Instagram?
On Instagram, your posts are your masterpieces. They’re the pieces you put on display, hoping to catch the eye of a passerby, spark a conversation, or even inspire a purchase. The type of art you post on Instagram should primarily reflect your unique style and creativity. However, it’s also important to consider what resonates with your audience.
Here are some tips:
Showcase Your Unique Style: Instagram is a platform where you can showcase your unique style. Whether you’re into digital art, painting, sculpture, or any other form of art, make sure your posts reflect your individuality and creativity to get your art noticed.
Consider Your Audience: While it’s important to stay true to your art, it’s also crucial to consider what your audience likes. Use Instagram analytics to understand what type of posts get the most engagement and try to incorporate those elements into your future posts.
Variety is Key: Don’t limit yourself to posting finished art pieces. Share your creative process, sketches, work-in-progress shots, and inspiration. This not only adds variety to your feed but also helps your audience connect with you on a deeper level.
Quality Over Quantity: While it’s important to post consistently, don’t compromise on the quality of your posts. High-quality images and thoughtful captions can go a long way in attracting and retaining followers.
Experiment with Different Formats: Instagram offers a variety of formats such as photos, videos, carousels, and stories. Don’t be afraid to experiment with these different formats. For instance, you could share a video of your creative process, a carousel of different angles of your artwork, or a photo of your workspace.
Leverage User-Generated Content: If your followers are sharing photos of your art, reposting their content (with their permission and proper credit) can be a great way to engage your audience and show appreciation for their support. It also adds a different perspective to your feed and can encourage more of your followers to share your art.
Remember, the goal is to create a cohesive and visually appealing feed that not only showcases your art but also tells your story as an artist.
How to Make Your Feed Attractive?
An attractive Instagram feed can help you stand out from the crowd, attract more followers, and even catch the eye of potential buyers or collaborators. Here’s how you can make your feed more appealing:
| Tips |
|---|
| Maintain a Consistent Style: Whether it’s your color palette, subject matter, or editing style, keep your posts cohesive. |
| Use High-Quality Images: Post sharp, high-resolution images for a professional look. |
| Plan Your Feed Layout: Visualize your feed using planning tools to arrange posts for the best aesthetic. |
| Use Captions Effectively: Tell stories, share insights, and engage your audience with thoughtful captions. |
| Incorporate White Space: Utilize white space to make your art stand out and create an organized look. |
| Create a Theme: Develop a theme, such as a color scheme or subject, to make your feed visually appealing. |
| Balance Your Posts: Mix close-ups and wider shots to add variety and depth to your feed. |
| Use Grids: Experiment with grid layouts that tell a story or create a larger image when viewed together. |
| Include Personal Elements: Share glimpses of your workspace, art supplies, or occasional selfies to connect with your audience. |
Why is Consistency Key to Grow Your Instagram Art Account?
Consistency is key to gaining followers on Instagram for several reasons:
Building Trust and Recognition: Posting consistently helps you build trust with your audience and allows them to recognize your art style. When you post regularly, your audience knows what to expect and looks forward to your posts.
Increasing Visibility: Instagram’s algorithm favors accounts that post consistently. The more often you post, the more likely your content is to appear in your followers’ feeds and the Explore page.
Engaging Your Audience: Regularly posting engaging content gives your audience more opportunities to interact with your posts, increasing your engagement rate.
Growing Your Following: Consistency can lead to steady growth in followers. As you post consistently and engage with your audience, Instagram’s algorithm is more likely to suggest your account to other users.
Here’s a rough guide on how often to post on Instagram:
| Followers | Posts per Week |
|---|---|
| < 1k | 3-4 |
| 1k-10k | 5-6 |
| 10k-100k | Post every day |
Remember, it’s not just about quantity, but also quality. It’s better to post less frequently but with high-quality content than to post daily with mediocre content. For more tips on posting consistently on Instagram, check out this article.
How to Use Hashtags Effectively to Promote Your Art?
Hashtags are a powerful tool on Instagram that can help increase the visibility of your posts, attract new followers, and engage with your audience. Here’s how you can use hashtags when you post to effectively promote your art:
Research Relevant Hashtags: Look for hashtags that are relevant to your art and your audience. This could include general art hashtags (like #art or #artist), medium-specific hashtags (like #digitalart or #oilpainting), or theme-specific hashtags (like #abstractart or #portrait).
Use a Mix of Hashtags: Use a mix of popular hashtags (with millions of posts), moderately popular hashtags (with thousands of posts), and niche hashtags (with hundreds of posts). This can increase your chances of getting discovered by a wider audience.
Don’t Overuse Hashtags: Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, but that doesn’t mean you should use all 30. A good rule of thumb is to use between 5 and 10 relevant hashtags per post.
Update Your Hashtags: Don’t use the same set of hashtags for every post. Keep an eye on what’s trending and update your hashtags regularly.
Use Hashtags in Stories: Don’t forget to use hashtags in your Instagram stories as well. This can increase your stories’ visibility and attract more followers.
Remember, the goal of using hashtags is not just to get more likes, but to attract the right followers who are genuinely interested in your art. For more tips on using hashtags effectively, check out this guide.
How to Engage with Your Audience on Instagram?
Engaging with your audience on Instagram and Facebook is not just about increasing your follower count, it’s about fostering a community and building meaningful relationships with your followers. Here are some strategies to effectively engage with your audience:
Remember, genuine engagement is about more than just numbers. It’s about building a community around your art and creating meaningful connections with your followers. For more tips on engaging with your audience on Instagram, check out this article.
Why Should You Use Instagram Stories and How to Use Them Effectively?
Instagram Stories and short videos have become a powerful tool for artists on Instagram. They offer a unique opportunity to showcase your personality in a more casual and personal way than traditional posts. Sharing snippets of your daily life, your creative process, or your thoughts and ideas can help your audience connect with you on a deeper level.
One of the key advantages of Instagram Stories is the ability to share behind-the-scenes content. Followers often appreciate getting a glimpse of what goes on behind the finished art pieces.
Whether it’s the messiness of your workspace, the array of art supplies you use, or the progression of your art piece from a blank canvas to a finished work, these insights can make your audience feel more involved in your creative process.
Instagram Stories is also a great platform for engaging with your audience. With interactive features like polls, questions, and quizzes, you can get to know your audience better, gather feedback, and increase engagement. For instance, you could post a poll asking your followers to choose between two art pieces for your next project, or a question sticker asking for their favorite art styles.
Another effective way to use Instagram Stories is to promote your posts. If you have a new post on your feed, sharing a preview of your stories and directing your followers to the post can increase its visibility and engagement.
Lastly, Instagram allows you to save your best stories as highlights on your profile. This can be a great way to showcase your best work, share testimonials, or make important announcements. It also allows new followers to catch up on your content easily.
In essence, Instagram Stories are not just about sharing content, but also about engaging with your audience and building a community.
How to Convert Your Instagram Account to a Business Account and Why It’s Beneficial?
Converting your Instagram account to a business account can provide you with valuable tools and insights to grow your art business. Here’s why it’s beneficial and how you can do it:
Benefits of a Business Account:
- Instagram Insights: A business account gives you access to Instagram Insights, which provides data on your followers, post engagement, and the performance of your stories and promotions.
- Contact Information: You can add your email, phone number, and address to your profile, making it easier for potential buyers or collaborators to contact you.
- Promote Posts: With a business account, you can promote your posts to reach a larger audience.
- Shopping on Instagram: If you sell your art, you can set up Shopping on Instagram to sell your products directly from your posts and stories.
How to Convert to a Business Account:
1. Go to your profile and tap on the three lines in the top right corner.
2. Tap on Settings.
3. Tap on Account.
4. Tap on Switch to Professional Account.
5. Choose Business.
6. Add the necessary information and tap Done.
Remember, while a business account offers many benefits, it’s important to use these tools strategically to grow your art business. For more information on Instagram business accounts, check out this guide.
How to Collaborate with Other Artists and Grow Your Art Community?
Collaborating with other artists on Instagram can be a powerful strategy to grow your art community, increase your visibility, and gain new followers. One way to collaborate is through joint art projects. You could team up with another artist to create a series of artworks, a challenge, or even a virtual art show. This not only allows you to create something unique and exciting but also helps both of you reach a wider audience.
Another effective collaboration strategy is featuring other artists’ work on your Instagram account, with their permission of course. In return, they can feature your work on their account. This mutual promotion can help both of you attract new followers who are interested in your style of art.
Hosting art challenges or contests is also a great way to collaborate with other artists. You can invite artists to participate in a challenge or contest, which can increase engagement on your account and foster a sense of community among artists.
Instagram takeovers can also be a fun and engaging way to collaborate. You could invite another artist to take over your Instagram account for a day, and they could do the same for you. This can provide fresh and exciting content for your followers and help you reach a new audience.
Finally, consider hosting a collaborative live session with another artist. You could discuss art, share tips, or even create art together during the live session. This can be a great way to engage your followers and learn from each other.
Remember, the goal of collaboration is not just to grow your followers, but also to build relationships with other artists, learn from each other, and foster a supportive and vibrant art community.
How to Use Instagram Analytics to Understand Your Audience and Improve Your Strategy?
Instagram Analytics, available to Business and Creator accounts, is a powerful tool that provides valuable insights into your audience behavior and post-performance. Understanding these metrics can help you improve your content strategy, engage your audience better, and ultimately grow your art account.
Audience Insights: Instagram Analytics provides data on your followers’ demographics (like age, gender, and location) and active hours. This can help you understand who your audience is and when they’re most active on Instagram, allowing you to tailor your content and posting schedule accordingly.
Post Performance: Instagram Analytics shows how each of your posts is performing in terms of likes, comments, shares, and saves. This can help you understand what type of content resonates with your audience, so you can create more of what they like.
Account Reach and Impressions: These metrics show how many people have seen your content and how far your content is reaching beyond your followers. This can help you gauge the effectiveness of your hashtags, captions, and engagement strategies.
Website Clicks: If you have a website link in your Instagram bio, Instagram Analytics can show you how many people are clicking on it. This can be particularly useful if you’re using Instagram to drive traffic to your online portfolio or shop.
To access Instagram Analytics, go to your profile, tap on the three lines in the top right corner, and then tap on “Insights”. Remember, data is only one piece of the puzzle. It’s important to combine these insights with your creativity and intuition as an artist to create a successful Instagram strategy. For a more detailed guide on Instagram Analytics, check out this article.
What are Some Common Mistakes Artists Make on Instagram and How to Avoid Them?
While Instagram offers great opportunities for artists, there are also some common mistakes that can hinder your growth.
| Here’s what to avoid: |
|---|
| Inconsistent Posting: As mentioned earlier, consistency is key on Instagram. Inconsistent posting can lead to lower engagement and slower follower growth. To avoid this, create a content calendar and try to stick to a regular posting schedule. |
| Ignoring Engagement: Engagement is crucial for building a community on Instagram. Ignoring comments or not engaging with your followers can make you seem distant and unapproachable. Make sure to respond to comments, engage with your followers’ posts, and use features like polls or questions to interact with your audience. |
| Poor Quality Images: Instagram is a visual platform, and poor quality images can deter potential followers. Always post high-quality, well-lit images that showcase your art in the best way possible. |
| Over-Promoting: While it’s important to promote your art and any products you’re selling, over-promotion can turn off your followers. Try to maintain a balance between promotional posts and posts that add value or entertain your audience. |
| Not Utilizing Instagram’s Features: Instagram offers many features like stories, IGTV, shopping, and more. Not utilizing these features can limit your reach and engagement. Try to explore and use these features to enhance your Instagram strategy. |
| Not Having a Clear Bio: Your bio is the first thing people see when they visit your profile. A vague or unclear bio can leave potential followers confused about who you are and what you do. Make sure your bio clearly states who you are, what you do, and what followers can expect from your account. |
| Ignoring Instagram Analytics: Instagram provides valuable data about your posts and your audience. Ignoring this data can lead to ineffective strategies. Regularly check your Instagram Insights to understand what’s working and what’s not, and adjust your strategy accordingly. |
| Not Experimenting with Different Content Types: Instagram offers different content formats like photos, videos, carousels, and stories. Sticking to just one type of content can make your feed monotonous and limit your reach. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different content types to keep your feed interesting and reach a wider audience. |
Last Word
Remember, growing on Instagram is a learning process. Growing as an artist on Instagram is not just about gaining followers, but also about building a community, showcasing your art, and connecting with your audience.
