How Artists Can Make Money On Instagram
Social media is proving to be an indispensable and far-reaching tool for artists to reach and connect with their target audience. Instagram, in particular, being a photograph-centric platform, has become a hotbed for talented visual artists across numerous domains. From selling art on Instagram to using it as a platform that lets them connect with businesses and organizations that require their skills, artists are changing the way traditional marketers have looked at Instagram.
If you want to be one of those artists making money on Instagram, here are a few points to keep in mind that guarantee success!
Authenticity is critical
Artwork:Ballon Girl by Banksy. Image courtesy of the artist.Authenticity plays a critical role in the integrity of an artist. Authentic art reiterates to the buyer how much effort the artist has put into their work, and gives buyers the feeling that it is genuine and worth the price. Taking inspiration from someone's work is fine, but don't let it become the heart of your artwork. Social media makes it significantly easier to pick out copied art and can rapidly bring down an artist's credibility and reputation. One of the world's most renowned contemporary artists, @banksy is popular precisely due to his authentic works of art.
Consistency is growth
A one-hit wonder is easily forgotten in the age of social media and impatience. The seeds of great art are sown through consistency. Consistently putting out great work day in and day out, and never laying back after a particularly successful post is key to ensuring long-term success. Pick an area that you want to focus on, something that excites you or sparks your passion. This guarantees that you will always stay motivated and brainstorm new ideas and concepts regularly. The theme does not need to be something that is set in stone. Rather, think of it as a starting point that can evolve and change over time.
Quality is key
Artwork: Open book by Georgie St. Clair. Image Courtesy of the artist.Your ideas and execution may be unmatched, but it becomes all for naught if you aren't able to portray that effectively on Instagram. Use a high-quality camera to ensure that your art is vivid and vibrant can go a long way in bringing in followers and appreciation. Lighting, understanding how to make the best use of your camera, and post-processing can help you make your picture look perfect. Georgie St. Claire from @georgiestclaire showcases how important presentation can be in elevating the quality of your art.
Keep branding on your mind
Artwork: Eucalyptus composition by Jenny K. Image courtesy of the artist.Your brand is what separates you from other artists. It can be thought of as the underlying flavor to each of your posts and art. Remember to keep it uniform so that your target audience can associate your work with you. Over time, this results in better opportunities and revenue. Jenny K of @livingpattern is a great example, and does exactly what her username specifies; creating wonderful and eye-catching patterns out of life!
Creative content is vital
Artwork: App of the week by Abbey Lossing. Image courtesy of the artist.Abbey Lossing is an illustrator based out of Brooklyn who experiments with colors and unique illustrations to depicts the lives and habits of millennials. With more than 300 posts, she has racked up over 300,000 followers on Instagram with her unique style and content! Try to come up with ideas that give visitors a sense of authenticity and originality, and make them eager to see your next post.
The power of captivating captions
Image from the @humansofny IG feed Captions help your audience come a full circle with your art. You can highlight your inspiration or the story behind your work to ensure that you tip potential buyers in your favor, and get them to pay for your work. For instance, if you are looking to sell a painting of a dog, rather than just putting up a caption that says 'For Sale', something like 'Cooper is looking for a new home to explore!'. is bound to catch more attention! Although @humansofny isn't an art page, the page is perhaps the best example of how captions can be more powerful than the photographs.
Explore sponsored posts
Creatively sponsoring some brands in your work is an excellent way to generate some extra revenue. Try to find certain companies that sell products that you really enjoy using, and get in touch with them. If you have a large enough following, they may be willing to pay you to promote their products.
Grow your tribe
The higher your popularity on Instagram, the more in demand your work will be. One of the best ways to grow followers is through continuous engagement. Respond enthusiastically to comments on your posts, rather than spending a lot of time to write a professional reply. Always reply to questions, since there is a great chance that the individual is looking to buy some of your work. Christine from @christinejoypaintings is a great example of an artist who despite having a comparatively smaller following, does a stellar job with engagement.
Engagement with #Hashtags
Hashtags can be a godsend for artists on Instagram, but only if they know how to use them effectively. Use the Instagram search feature to find out the most popular keywords that are related to your art. Ensure that the hashtag is as specific as possible to your work. For instance, use something along the lines of #daily_illustration, #blownglass, or #origami_design that is tailored to your specific niche, rather than the generic #art and #artist. Look for successful artists in your niche and study their posts and stories to understand the type of hashtags they use.
Connect with the right crowd
You must connect with the right people in order to build up a following that mostly includes your target audience. This can be anything from fellow artists and interior designers to art organizations and galleries. Engage with these pages by liking and commenting on their posts. Keep in mind that you shouldn't only comment for the sake of gaining more followers. Instead, put up genuine compliments and insightful comments that spark curiosity from the followers of these pages.
Giveaways & Competitions
Few things are as satisfying as winning a prize. Contests and giveaways always bring in a lot of engagement from audiences and can put you on the map. Just ensure the prizes are reasonable so you don't find yourself struggling to keep up with your promises!
Use highlights to showcasae your art
The Instagram Stories Highlights are a powerful tool that you must be using to showcase your work. They are one of the first things observed by new visitors to your page. Since they are permanently present on your profile, they must feature some of your best and most valuable content. You can divide your highlights into numerous themes, such as 'New Works', 'Exhibitions', 'Works In Progress', 'Experimental Ideas', and so on, to make it much easier for visitors to navigate.
Create shoppable posts and stories
Your post by itself must act as the pitch to your audience. You can add product tags and stickers to your stories and posts that redirect to a summary page within Instagram where people can find out more about your work. This can then lead them to a website or portal where they can purchase your work and complete the transaction.
Affiliate marketing
Another great way to monetize your Instagram page is with the help of affiliate links. If you want to earn a commission from the sales, you must place the link in your bio. You can then promote the product or service in a creative manner that utilizes your artistic skills and creativity. There are numerous art affiliate programs available that you can check out and partner with to earn some extra revenue from your page!
Launch and curate an IGTV Channel
IGTV allows you to upload vertical videos that are up to 10 minutes long, enabling artists to connect with audiences like never before on Instagram! In addition to the content focused on your art, you can also engage with your audience through Q&A sessions, and featuring collaborations with other artists. Vasjen Kastro of @baugasm features some amazing gradient and poster designs by making great use of IGTV!
Optimize your link in bio
Instagram only allows you to place a single link in your bio which can make it challenging to promote several of your works. Third-party tools such as Shorby, Lnk.Bio, and Linktree can be used to create a single optimized link that contains all your work and also tracks them separately to give you a better idea about engagement and traffic analytics. By doing so, you are making the best use of what Instagram allows by default, and maximizing your earning capabilities.
Generate new leads
By having your work on a universally accessible social platform, you are exposed to a significantly higher number of potential customers and opportunities. All it takes is one interested individual to find your page and contact you regarding a contract or commission for a series of jobs. Having an active social media account for your work makes you appear incredibly motivated, engaging, and enterprising, and much more likely to generate new leads.
If you are selling art on Instagram, and are finding it difficult to compete with tens of thousands of other individuals trying to do the same, give these tips a try. With consistent effort and a structured approach, you too can harness Instagram's incredible marketing potential to achieve the success that you desire!
Show your work with us and start to increase the reach of your art today.