"I can post a painting and it will sell before the paint is dry."

Information technology's the truth for creative person Ashley Longshore, who sells her eccentric pop art for up of $30,000 straight off of Instagram.

And, she'south non the only one. Artist Chris Austin enjoys "flash sales" of his latest work, getting emails from eager buyers within minutes of posting on Instagram.

With these examples and more in mind, it's safe to say Instagram has get the social media platform for artists. It's launching careers, eliminating the need for big-name critics to call the shots, and helping artists connect with buyers across the globe willing to pay for their work.

And so, how does an creative person plough their Instagram feed into another acquirement stream?

It all comes downwardly to getting more engaged followers. Because, the more than pop your business relationship is on Instagram, the more in demand your art volition be.

But the truth is, gaining followers doesn't happen overnight. Information technology takes a healthy dose of effort and strategy. And so, whether you lot demand to post better content or larn how to hashtag the right way, information technology's fourth dimension to footstep up your game.

Bank check out eleven ways to attract more followers and brand Instagram more than profitable for your art business.


Post only the all-time of the best

Y'all wouldn't dream of letting a piece out of your studio until you were satisfied with it, right? Well, y'all need that same attention to detail in your Instagram posts!

Your Instagram account is an extension of who you are both creatively and professionally. Blurry, poorly-lit images give off a bad creative vibe—pretty much proverb yous don't understand design. And, who wants to buy art from an artist who doesn't understand, or at least care about, proficient blueprint?

A make clean background and natural light are always a good pick when information technology comes to capturing your artwork. Set your art up by the nearest window, and think to tap on your telephone screen to focus!

Don't forget to edit your photos if demand past so they wait like the real thing! If the colors and lighting don't evidence the true quality of your artwork, potential buyers are either going to be turned off from your Instagram feed altogether, or they'll be annoyed that the piece they thought they were buying doesn't lucifer what they got in the mail.

There are a bunch of apps bachelor these days to get your fine art looking as truthful-to-life as possible. You tin acquire how to utilize our favorite photograph-editing app hither.


How would you explain your piece of work in iii seconds?

Branding can be a foreign concept for those artists without a marketing degree. Basically, it ways posting images about different things, but using a cohesive fashion (both aesthetically and in writing) for each mail.

We know what yous're thinking, why should artists care? But, it's really a magical thing!

With the short attention spans of people online these days, you only have an instant to grab their attention and brand a argument. With the right branding on your feed, followers will understand who yous are and what your fine art is all about, all at commencement glance.

And, the more impressive and succinct your Instagram feed is, the more credible and professional person you volition seem—giving you an edge up when information technology comes to collectors.

If y'all're ready to get started, think nearly what kind of fine art you create and the kind of people that buy information technology. What will they reply to the most?  Volition your posts exist friendly and colorful or edgy and bold? Employ these answers to decide your make strategy.

Whether you use a certain filter, hashtag, writing voice, etc., stick to a mode that represents yous and your fine art then that your target customers are poised to purchase.


Don't underestimate the ability of creative content

We've said it before, and we'll say it once more: always go for quality over quantity when it comes to social media.

Think virtually the posts you hit "similar" on every bit y'all're scrolling through Instagram. Friends may forgive a blurry, spontaneous photo because they know and beloved you. But, when you're trying to pique the interest of collectors across the world, they may not be convinced when your photos—and captions—are poor.

Your photos demand to grab their attention. Excite them. Leave them in awe of your abilities as an artist.

If you are scrambling to find something to share, consider the possibilities. Attempt posting progress posts, earlier and after shots, behind-the-scenes in the studio, a timelapse of your procedure, quotes that fuel your practice, a vote between two works, a video tutorial, testimonials about your piece of work, a revelation you've had, exciting news, etc.

Or, do a little digging on artist accounts you admire, then make their ideas your own!

Instagram is a wonderful chance to share your experience as an creative person with your fans. Stay enthusiastic, authentic, and follow the eighty/xx dominion, and people will flock to your intriguing account. The door is then opened for you to sell more art and hear about other profitable opportunities.


And, don't overlook the importance of captions

"Here's a picture of my fine art you know zippo about and here is the price"—something seems a bit off about that sort of caption, doesn't it?

While it may exist easy to throw upwards a piece's title and price, your followers yearn for more. They don't want to be blatantly sold to, they are bombarded with ads all day long.

No, they desire to exist enticed. They want to be told a story—who you are, what yous're feeling, your inspiration, the problems yous solved, how the artwork came to be. Letting people in on your inspirations, process, and story backside the work tin can be the tipping indicate for customers to click emotionally and pull out the checkbook.

Of course, you can acknowledge when something is still for sale, merely be creative about information technology. Ending with, "Excited to run across where this piece finds a dwelling!" does the trick without being too boring.

Every mail service should start a chat. The goal is engagement, don't forget!

Ane of the best means to do this is past asking thoughtful questions at the finish of your posts. Even if your followers don't respond at showtime, eventually they will. Peculiarly if you reply to others'. Keep asking and go along engaging.

Finally, before you postal service anything, enquire yourself if you lot would appoint with this post. Is it worth it to share? If your answer is no, or you doubt if you would appoint with the post, and so maybe something needs to be tweaked.


Go a handle on how to hashtag

Hashtags are like maps in the land of Instagram. They are keywords that make your posts discoverable for the people searching for art like yours, making them i of the biggest and all-time ways to grow your fanbase.

Which hashtags reign supreme? Well, information technology takes a piddling digging to detect the answer.

The first rule when information technology comes to hashtagging is to narrow it downward. While #fine art is extremely popular (it's tagged in over 350 million posts), information technology could also apply to anything: someone strolling through the Met, a box of pastels, a styled plate of food, or even a dusk—all extremely different results.

That's why you need to become specific.

Marketing maven Hubspot explains, "As a user, I'yard more probable to find what I need if I search for something specific, and when your business organisation comes up for my specific search asking, I'm more probable to be happy with what I found."

Call up about the exact keywords your audience will search for. For example, #abstractart may be more specific than #art, simply #blueabstract might exist specific enough to bring y'all a new buyer.

Yous desire your hashtags to exist popular enough that people are searching for them, only not so popular that yous get lost in the contest.

Type a hashtag into Instagram's search bar, and it shows yous related hashtags to add to your list. Or, take a look at what other artists and influencers with the same audition are using, and try them for yourself.

Instagram allows y'all to apply up to thirty hashtags at a fourth dimension, but dissimilar numbers piece of work for different people. The magic number could be seven or information technology could be twenty, reminds HubSpot. The best way to figure out what works for your art business is to just exam it out.

Social media success is all about testing the waters and adjusting your sails accordingly.

Continue a list of the best ones y'all've plant that you can pull from for different posts. Merely exist certain to lucifer hashtags with what is going on in your image. #inthestudio won't apply to every motion picture yous post, and a mismatch can plow followers away.

Accept the fourth dimension to get hashtags downward and you'll be on your way to more followers in no time.



Follow the recipe of success

At that place is a tried-and-truthful recipe when it comes to Instagram success. Yes, different cooks volition throw in different spices from time to time, just no one tin can ignore the main ingredients. Without them, the recipe but won't work.

So, what are nosotros talking almost in terms of using Instagram? Allow's dive in.

While small, your bio should not be underestimated. It'south the just place where followers tin click on a link, and the whole bespeak of your business relationship is to sell your piece of work!

You can change out the link depending on what y'all want to feature (or utilize a site like Linktree that opens into a menu of links), but a link to your website or Artwork Annal Public Profile Page is the perfect place to transport fans who want to peruse and purchase more available art.

Paired with a brusk and sweet bio dripping with personality, your Instagram account will be fix to go. Make information technology extremely clear what sort of value people volition go from post-obit you. Use keywords that your audience would search for in the description.

When it comes to your username, it's best to utilize your art business proper name, if it's available, so that it's consistent with the rest of your online presence. Typically it will be your full name with a keyword like "art" or "studio" attached to the finish. Recollect, you want it to be as piece of cake every bit possible for people to discover your business relationship.

Finally, allow's talk nearly privacy settings.

If you are using your account to promote your art business organisation, it should not exist private! Otherwise, there'southward no point wasting time on social media. Information technology's substantially another website for your work, and people and influencers need to be able to see your fine art immediately. Brusk attention spans, think?

When people come to your page, having these bases covered will help ensure they stick effectually.

Socialize with the right people

It is a social networking app after all!

Befriending other artists and influencers on Instagram who might someday share your work with their followers can open up a lot of doors and help you proceeds followers of your ain.

While you've probably already connected with family unit and friends on Instagram (acquire how here), the side by side step is to identify some Instagram accounts continued to your target audience. This could be galleries, interior designers, fine art consultants, fellow artists, artist organizations, etc.

The first step? Starting time following them. If they follow you back, great! Only that'due south non where the story ends.

Step two: slowly just consistently start liking and commenting on their latest posts. Be complimentary or pose questions, but ever be insightful. In that location'south nothing worse than an Insta user clearly using you for their ain gain.

The goal is to exist social as possible then that these accounts (and the ones following them) run across your comments and are impressed enough to check you out. You'll not merely spark marvel almost your own folio, but you'll begin to build relationships. And, these interactions will make them desire to engage with your posts too.

Which brings u.s.a. to the Instagram algorithm…

Larn the secret to Instagram's algorithm

Thank you to Instagram'southward always-irresolute algorithm, it's now estimated that you meet simply 10% of the posts from people you follow. And, the same goes for the people following you!

So, what's the play tricks? Engagement.

In fact, the more people engage with your post, the higher information technology appears in your followers' feeds. And the people who engage with you consistently are more probable to come across your posts in the future.

And so if you'd much rather schedule a post and exist washed with information technology, think virtually information technology like this:

The more than appointment you get on your posts, the more people volition see it in their feeds and search results. Which means a higher chance for even more than people to engage with it and discover your business relationship. And the more engagement you get, the more people will want to follow yous. Hence, the more followers you volition become!

The bottom line is, yous get out what yous put in. You demand to appoint with others and then that you will get engagement and followers yourself.

But that means you have to spend the time communicating on other people's posts (so they call up you and eventually come over to your account), as well as posting amazing content of your own that people will desire to interact with and follow.

Detect your posting "sweet spot"

Social media gurus at CoSchedule determined that posting i to 2 times a day on Instagram is the sweet spot. If you post more than once, remember to mix up what type of content you are sharing with your potential art buyers to keep their attending.

But no matter how many times you post, keep it regular! You demand to stay fresh in people's minds, not forgotten.

When you post regularly, you stay on your followers' radar. And, you are able to build a connection where they consistently like and annotate on your posts. So when you aren't consistent with posting, you are more likely to lose engagement and get lost in the dreaded algorithm shuffle.

Fifty-fifty if it's a few times a week, pick a posting schedule you feel comfortable committing to. Plenty to become on people'south radars, only non and so much yous burn out. Yous need fourth dimension to create fine art, likewise!

The best fourth dimension to postal service?

With a costless business account, Instagram offers insights such as fan demographics, how frequently your post was viewed, if they establish you through hashtags, when your followers are online, and more. Knowing the right time to post can brand a huge divergence when it comes to engagement. And the faster you become engagement, the better.

Remember, also posting, you lot need to brand time for quality interactions with certain accounts. Creating a marketing calendar can be a great way to proceed track of it all.

And these days, you don't have to sit effectually and expect for the clock to strike posting time. Work smarter and relieve yourself some fourth dimension past using a scheduling tool for Instagram. Instagram didn't e'er allow scheduling, but now that information technology does, artists should hop on lath A.S.A.P.

Don't forget about Instagram Stories

Aptly named, Instagram Stories is all connecting with your followers on an fifty-fifty deeper level, showing them up close and personal the story of you and your art.

This could not be more convenient for artists! Because fine art is so much more than than pigment on a canvas. It has its ain story: the inspirations behind it, the message it'due south telling, the care and devotion taken with every stroke.

And, telling this story helps sell your art.

So, how do you use Instagram Stories to market your artwork? Learn the in's and out's of mastering Instagram Stories here with our in-depth guide for artists.

Sometimes all it takes is a little visibility

Get the Insta give-and-take out by including a link to your account on your other social media pages, and remind new fans to follow you lot periodically.

Don't stop at that place! Put an Instagram icon on your Artwork Archive profile, and add your username to your business cards, outcome materials, and more than. Have a newsletter? Share your account with your email followers. All these steps can add up to get more than eyes on your fine art account.

Get an influencer yourself

Here's withal some other mode to make money from your artist Instagram account that y'all might not take realized: when your following becomes big enough, companies might exist willing to pay you to promote their products in your posts!

Of course, you need to truly love and believe in the quality of that paintbrush, clay, or watercolor paper, merely information technology'due south a corking way to rake in some extra money for your Instagram efforts.

In the end…

The bigger the Instagram fan base of operations, the more interested buyers will exist fighting over your art. Post-obit these steps for getting more art fans on Instagram will assist yous plow the social media app into something profitable for your fine art business.

So when yous start making sales, you tin go on everything organized on Artwork Archive. Mark which pieces have been sold, generate invoices to get paid and track sales insights then your Instagram account stays profitable.

If yous are not already using Artwork Annal, requite information technology a try with no commitments.