Tackling social media can exist a challenge, particularly when you are busy in the studio.

It's easy to throw up an Instagram mail service and telephone call it skillful, simply is that really helping your art business?

Your Instagram, and really any online presence, is an extension of your fine art brand. People are going to judge it's quality and associate that with your art. And, did you know that more collectors than ever are turning to Instagram to notice new art?

Whether you lot need to postal service better content or learn how to hashtag the correct way, it'south time to step up your game. Follow these nine steps to level up your Instagram and get more than art fans and customers.

one. Complete Your Profile

When a potential buyer happens upon your Instagram account, y'all can start the relationship off right by making sure your name, image, and bio are in tip-top shape.

First, make your username straightforward. Try to use your real name with a keyword like "artist," the medium you work in, or the name of your fine art business. And then, choose a thumbnail image (beware — it's tiny!) that fans tin identify with, such as a closeup of you and your art. Finally, make your bio short, sugariness, and descriptive.

TIP: Don't forget to include a link to your website or Artwork Archive Public Profile Page. Your bio is the only place where followers can click on a link, and the whole betoken of your account is to sell your piece of work! You tin fifty-fifty change out the link depending on what you want to feature.

2. Follow The Right People

Social media maven CoSchedule explains that 1 of the best means to get more Instagram followers is by following "suggested users." Instagram creates these suggestions based on people you follow, your contact listing, or previous posts yous've liked — pregnant they probably autumn into your target audience.

To detect them, you can click on the icon in the top right of your app with the person and a plus sign. This will take y'all to "Notice People" with a list of suggested users. Or, you lot tin can go to a similar artist's profile that you enjoy. Next to the "Following" button you'll observe a triangle icon that drops downward into a list of suggested users for you to peruse.

In one case y'all follow someone, they will get a notification with your profile only waiting to be viewed. Many times, people will follow you back because they like what they see!

3. Connect Your Contact Listing

You lot may have plenty of fans and customers in real life who just oasis't found yous on Instagram notwithstanding. Assistance them connect with you (and get their eyes on potential art to purchase) by clicking on the three vertical dots in the upper correct corner of your account. Then, select "Find Contacts" and follow people that you'd similar to connect with and think would enjoy your Instagram.

Artists @sorrentinoart and @corinnegallastudios both take fun and complete Instagram profiles.

iv. Exist Social

You'd be surprised at how much information technology actually pays to be social on social media. You'll gain fans and customers past doing then! Start by genuinely liking and commenting on the posts of fellow artists and influencers. Ever reply to people who have commented on your pictures — a simple "cheers" might suffice. Finally, don't forget that this platform has real potential to make real connections with other artists. If you similar an creative person'due south work or they are doing something interesting, don't be afraid to reach out and let them know - you lot never know what can come up from these relationships.

TIP: When replying to someone in the comment section, brand certain to include their username starting with the "@" symbol. This will send them a notification—otherwise, they won't come across it!

5. Create Good Content

We've said it before, and we'll say it again: e'er go for quality over quantity. Instagram is a wonderful chance to share your experience as an artist with your fans. Stay enthusiastic, authentic, and follow the 80/20 rule, and people will flock to your intriguing account.

If you lot are scrambling to find something to share, endeavour posting works-in-progress, time-lapse videos of you creating, your favorite corner of the studio, a newfound inspiration, or a detailed close-upward. Or, do a little digging on artist accounts yous admire, and so make their ideas your own!

TIP: Check out the gratuitous design website called Canva! When the claiming is to have fresh content every twenty-four hour period, Canva makes the job a whole lot easier. Their Instagram hub is chock full of easy-to-use templates and drag-and-drop elements for quick notwithstanding effective designs! Keep your followers curious, share your passion, and build your art concern with heart-communicable Insta stories, posts, and ads that inspire appointment - the key to a growing Instagram account!

6. Mail Enough, But Not Too Much

CoSchedule found that posting one to two images a 24-hour interval is the sweet spot for Instagram. If you postal service more than one time, remember to mix up what blazon of content you are sharing with your potential fine art buyers to proceed their attention. And, try to stick to a consequent posting schedule to always stay fresh in their minds.

What are the best times to mail? ii:00 a.grand., 8:00 to nine:00 a.g., and 5:00 p.m. found CoSchedule. That mode, your posts are seen outset thing in the morning before working hours or after work when fans flip through Instagram to unwind.

7. Hashtag the Right Fashion

All the popular civilization jokes aside, hashtags serve an important purpose on Instagram — they are the keywords and phrases that buyers tin use to discover your art! With ane advisedly selected hashtag, a collector might come beyond your business relationship and snatch upwardly a few pieces. It's merely one more manner social media is changing the fine art world. So, which hashtags should you choose?

The easiest way is to take a look at some popular creative person accounts on Instagram. See what hashtags they are using and how many, and so test it for yourself and see what works all-time. A general rule is to apply five to ten hashtags per mail service, merely y'all can use up to xxx. You can even create your own make hashtag with your studio proper noun or something similar!

TIP: Crowding dozens of hashtags into your caption tin go out your post feeling cluttered and your message overwhelmed. If you need a set, include your hashtags a couple of lines downwardly from your caption with a dash or catamenia on each line in betwixt. Or, add a separate annotate with your hashtags instead.

Artist @oodlies keeps the advent of her Instagram posts clean by dropping down her hashtags.

8. Share Your Business relationship with the Globe

Sometimes all it takes to become more than Instagram followers is a piddling visibility. Get the Insta give-and-take out past including a link to your account on your other social media pages, and remind fans to follow you periodically.

Don't stop there! Put an Instagram icon on your website, and add your username on business cards, consequence materials, and more than. Do you have a newsletter? Share your account with your email followers. All these steps can add up to go more eyes on your art and more fine art customers.

9. Observe What Works

With a complimentary business account, Instagram offers insights that can make using the social media app easier for your art business. You'll be able to meet fan demographics, how often your post was viewed, commented on, liked, and more. Keep runway of the best days, times, content type, and hashtags you are posting, and you'll exist on your way to using Instagram more than finer to sell more art.

What's the bottom line?

The more than you can print fine art fans and customers, the more interested they will exist in ownership your art. And, that includes both in person and online. These days your Instagram business relationship is an extension of your art make, just it's as well the perfect platform to bewitch buyers. Follow these steps to level up your Instagram account, and run into how far it can propel your fine art business.

Want to pace upwardly the rest of your social media accounts in 2017? Check out this fresh social media strategy for artists.