Online platform made in the shade for artistsPart 3 in a series about artists going online Other parts in this series: Putting your art on(line) Should I show my art on Facebook? How to Instagram  Instagram tends to be a happy place, devoted to image scrolling and tending towards the inspirational. You can follow friends, artists you like, cos-players, dress makers, car collectors, gardeners—there are loads of random topics to make you smile. Instagram is built primarily for smartphones. You can see your account on a desktop system, but you can only post to Instagram via your smartphone, unless you pay for a service that posts for you, or use a complicated workaround. It's all about the stories What makes Instagram so popular? It’s all about the stories. They are fascinating. The sweet story of a girl and her dog. The strange and wonderful world of a fantasy artist. The foul mouthed botanist. The musings of a man with pet pigs. And best of all, art lessons from skilled artists. (Personal note: I follow many, many artists. I take classes from artists I find on Instagram. I learn from their videos. I purchase artwork and books. I advertise for the Arts Council on Instagram. And I post my own artwork.) Since Instagram is a visual medium, good photos of your art are crucial. And you’re already doing that, right? If not, read our blog post on how to photograph your art. The fun thing about Instagram is that you get to be creative with your photos; you’re not entering a competition. There aren’t strict rules. Photograph your art in different locations. On your desk. In the garden. On your head. Be creative Study what other artists do and try out their ideas. Take the time to honor your art and make it look good. Think of Instagram as an open studio tour in cyberspace. Like Facebook, Instagram offers a personal account option and a business account option. A business account option allows you to advertise, gives you analytics about your traffic, and a host of other benefits. If you elect to have a private account as a way to share your artwork with the world, be sure and make it public so you can be found. (How to make your personal Instagram account private)
Ceramicist Steven Hall, who owns Brownell Ceramics in Mountain Ranch has a business account for strictly business purposes, and a private account for his own use. “I use the personal account for posts that don't contribute to the branding and marketing of my business, like camping, birthdays, family, and friends etc. I use the business account for my professional page because IG provides analytics and advertising that aren't available to personal accounts.” According to Hall, Instagram analytics can help you market your work with information like what time of day your viewers are most active so that your posts are more likely to be seen and engaged with. He also warned against posting too often so you don't wear out your followers. It's a good idea to take time and consider your Instagram strategy to make the most of your online efforts. A beginners guide to Instagram https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-use-instagram https://productpictips.com/how-to-photograph-your-art-for-instagram/#Get_Your_Art_Seen_On_Instagram Should I convert to an Instagram business account? https://blogs.constantcontact.com/instagram-business-account/ How to promote art on Instagram https://sproutsocial.com/insights/promote-your-instagram/ Part 2 in a series about artists going online Other parts in this series: Putting your art on(line) Should I show my art on Facebook? How to Instagram  Face to face with FacebookFacebook is the biggest dog in the social media yard. It’s probably the most popular platform right now. While you may have personal reasons for not joining FB, it is currently one of the easiest ways to reach new collectors. A smart social media plan can reach hundreds, if not thousands of pairs of eyeballs. Remember that FB has right around 1 billion users. That’s quite a potential audience. Facebook personal page vs Facebook business pageWhen you start on Facebook (FB), you start with a personal page. That’s where you post notices of birthdays, weddings, graduations, vacations, or possibly inflammatory political opinions. You can make posts on your personal page private or public. You friend people on your personal page; they can accept and friend you back. A Facebook business page is a different animal. You (technically) are allowed only one personal account, but you can have multiple business pages. (Remember, if you don’t follow FB’s rules, you might be banned from the site. Yes, they can do that.) A business page is where you post information about your business. You might post information related to your art, or related to the business of art. You engage with your followers. You can create a gallery of your artwork. You can sell products from your business page. You can buy advertising for your business page. Your business page(s) is/are for your businesses. This is possibly the most important thing about a business page: People can follow your business page. Yes, people can follow your public posts on your personal page (Here’s how to allow followers to your personal page) But changing the visibility of posts is cumbersome and unless you use your personal page for only business posts, you risk mixing personal and public at inopportune times. It’s more professional (and risks less embarrassment) to have a business page for your business. It allows for organic reach as people share and like your posts on your business page. And it allows for boosted posts and paid advertising if you decide to embark on that adventure. (You can't advertise or boost a post from a personal page.) I follow a ton of FB business pages. I like to know what my favorite businesses are doing. What is the local bookstore selling? (She’s on FB) What is the local catering company making for home-delivery Friday (She’s on FB). What’s the local theater producing this weekend? (They’re on FB.) What are my favorite artists making? (They’re on FB.) When I follow a business page, FB (mostly) feeds their posts into my newsfeed, especially if I’ve engaged with them on their pages in the past (this is why engagement with posts is so important). Engagement can be simply saying, nice work! on one of their posts. Or it can be a question for them to answer. Always answer comments on your posts. (You can block people if you get a nasty commenter. Your page is your space.) The upshot: Facebook is still the leading way to advertise your artwork. To effectively advertise and sell your art, you need to create a business page. How to make a business page on Facebook https://sproutsocial.com/insights/facebook-business-page-guide/ The difference between a personal page and a business page www.outboundengine.com/blog/facebook-business-and-personal-pages-the-differences-dos-and-donts www.thrivehive.com/why-you-need-a-facebook-business-page/ Facebook marketing strategies https://blog.hootsuite.com/facebook-marketing-tips Displaying your art on the internetPart 1 in a series about artists going online Putting your art on(line) Should I show my art on Facebook? How to Instagram  One of the things we’ve learned during the current crisis is the importance of taking your business to the internet. In March, as the shut-down began, businesses that made a nimble pivot to online were able to mitigate the damage caused by the shut-down. Even as we tentatively open businesses, customers who are leery of shopping as they did before COVID-19 spend more time (and more money) online. The business of art is a business just like any other. Artists need an audience of collectors and a great way to reach those collectors is online—in fact, until we are able to safely open the country, online might be the only way you can reach collectors. And online takes your art show, which was probably local, and gives you the opportunity to make it national, if not international. If you don’t have an online presence, now is the time to create one.  Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay I know artists who treat this part of their business as pure drudgery, not part of the creative process. I admit, it’s hard to get over that hump. Overcome your resistance! Marketing your work online is a creative adventure. You are telling your story. You're creating a persona and a digital space for your art, and that space—that persona—will be a work of art that showcases the work you make irl (in real life). Overcome your resistance! Here are some ideas and resources to guide you through the journey to online success. This is not meant to be an exhaustive look at social media marketing. A person can spend a lifetime studying that topic. This is just a taste, to get you started. Should I social? A beginner’s guide to social media Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay Social media is social. It's good for networking, making friends (yes, I’ve made friends on social media), keeping up with trends, learning new things and having fun. Oh yes, and advertising your artwork. Social media is a popular way for many businesses to be online for little or no monetary investment. You don’t have to become a social media junkie to use it effectively to advertise your work. But you do have to come to terms with it, maybe even enjoy it a little. Remember, advertising on social media is all about engagement. It’s about being social. Respond when you get comments. Follow others. Be friendly, kind, patient. All the things you are in real life. What platform should I use?Set limits. Pick one or two platforms and start playing. Choosing a social media platform can be bewildering. What works for me may not work for you. You’ll learn to work social media in your own way. The important thing is to start. The big dogs (right now) are Facebook and Instagram, simply because of the sheer numbers of users (1 billion for Facebook). But they aren’t the only game around; Twitter or Linked In might be right for you, or Pinterest or TikTok. You’ll have to figure out which one you like the best (or hate the least), and which one provides the most return on your time. Set Limits. Pick one or two platforms and start playing. Keep in mind that the social media ecosystem changes fast, so you’ll want to stay aware so you can respond to all the twists and turns of life online. But there's no need to become obsessed if you don't want to; even a basic presence on social media can help your art business. ResourcesCory Huff at Abundant Artist describes how to choose between FB, Instagram, and Pinterest.
www.theabundantartist.com/cant-decide-facebook-instagram-pinterest-heres-choose Artist and businesswoman Lori McPhee has a series of blog posts on social media. www.finearttips.com/fine-art-tips/2020-club/social-media-tips Don't throw shade on your artwork with sub-par pictures.To display and sell artwork online, clear and accurate photography is crucial. Collectors aren't able to see the art in real life, so they depend on the images they see online. Please take the time to make sure your photos accurately represent your work. Even if you don't have a fancy camera, the phone on your camera can take good pictures. Most phone cameras these days are pretty amazing. Here are a few tips for taking your own images.
PHOTOGRAPHY CHECKLIST
HOW TO MINIMIZE DISTORTION IN ARTWORK PHOTOGRAPHY  Your camera (or phone camera) should be on the same plane as the picture to avoid distortion, as close to parallel to the artwork as possible. If the bottom or the top of your artwork appears distorted, try moving your camera up or down until you reduce as much of the distortion as possible. make sure everything is in focus Photos of your artwork must be crisp and clear. When online, collectors can zoom in to see every nuance of a brushstroke or a sculpted line. Whether using a fancy camera or a phone camera, you can make sure your photos are in focus by following these suggestions:
To learn more about photographing your artwork, visit these website:
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The Calaveras County Arts Council is a private non-profit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation. Founded in 1981, our purpose is to coordinate excellence in the presenting and promotion of the visual and performing arts of all cultures for artists, residents and visitors. Our staff is comprised of an executive director under the direction of a maximum 11-member volunteer Board of Directors. EIN 94-2779793