Quick Thoughts on Artists’ Websites and Social Media
Yes, I know you’d rather be making art, but if you want to sell your work or have others appreciate it, consider these tips:
If you are an artist who does not have exclusive gallery representation and you want exposure, it’s essential that you have a website. I know some artists who only use Facebook or Instagram to showcase their work, but social media doesn’t give the full and easily-viewable picture of who you are as an artist.
The question of the necessity of social media is up for debate, but I think artists should at least be active on instagram. There are several other options, but Instagram is the most popular as of now and and a great way to reach a broader audience.
Use hashtags to help those not following you to find your content, but use them sparingly so your post is not cluttered with superfluous hashtags. If you use hashtags that millions of others use, yours may get lost in the crowd. Use hashtags relevant to your identity, your work, your location, your content. There are hashtag generating tools you can use if you need ideas on what hashtags to use.
Please put the dimensions of the work on your website and on social media posts. It’s so hard to have a real sense of a work of art without knowing its size. Also indicate the medium.
If you want to sell your work, I suggest posting prices on your website and social media posts. More and more artists and galleries are being transparent about pricing because that’s what collectors prefer.
Please don’t make me scroll around the screen to see the full image. I want to look at the screen and see the full image and it should be responsive to any viewing device. We can click on the image if we want to see a larger or detailed version.
Make sure the images are of decent quality. That doesn’t mean you need a fancy camera, but you should be sure to use proper lighting without glare on the work, shoot it straight on so it’s not skewed, and crop it so there is no unintentional, distracting background. Proper presentation is key to being taken seriously.
I hope that helps. Please feel free to get in touch if you need more help or advice on these matters.