The 9 Best Social Media Platforms and Tools for Emerging Artists
How Do You Know Which Social Media Platform For Artists & Designers Is The Best One For You?
Conquering the art of social media is one of the best tools artists today can use to stay in touch with collectors and fans while also showcasing their work in a public portfolio. There are tons of options for social media platforms, and the number of creative apps for artists and designers is growing by the day. Apps that specifically cater to artists and designers make it easier than ever to get your work in front of the right audience and ultimately sell more art online.
But the question does still remain: how do you know which social media app is the best one for emerging artists?
We know you'd much rather be making art in the studio than spending your energy promoting yourself on the internet, but figuring out how to get your work in front of the right audience is a huge part of the artistic process! More than anything, telling your story – communicating your context – as an artist (and we know a few who have mastered this part of the art of social media for artists) will help you secure the attention of followers and collectors alike.
Good art business goes beyond nailing down the best social media tips for artists. Take your arts education to the next level with Superfine’s e-learning opportunities.
Before we get into which social media app is the best for artists and designers, we need to make one thing very clear: doing well on social media requires more than being on the right platform.
So, what do you need in order to make the most of your social media presence? Great content, excellent pictures, and a point of view. You’re already doing so much of that through your artwork already – now it’s time to take all that and apply it to your social media presence!
How to Create Great Content as an Artist
One of our favorite art business tips at Superfine! Art Fair is the internet-age old adage: if content is king, then context is queen. We know that sounds like industry jargon, but it plays directly into why we want artists to know about some beneficial alternatives to Instagram for artists – especially since understanding how to leverage the best social media for artists can directly result in more online art sales.
Provide context to your content by diversifying the platforms you post on. Yes, you can have more than one social media channel!
You know what that means?
There’s not one best social media site for emerging artists, but rather, many!
By catering to each social media platform’s unique audience and desire for content presented in different ways – and there are a lot of platforms to choose from, and many approaches to presenting content and information – you’ll be exposed to collectors you may have never dreamed of reaching before!
The Best Social Media Platforms and Tools for Emerging Artists
Unsplash
This community-driven free photo sharing app is a go-to among industry professionals when it comes to finding amazing images for brands, businesses, and even computer desktop backgrounds. But Unsplash is more than just a free photo database.
As a contributing artist, you’ll upload a portfolio of photographs to Unsplash which users can then download and use for free. You’re able to mark on your profile if you are available for hire, so anyone who likes your style can contact you to hire you for a job!
Get Discovered By Industry Professionals
Additionally, Unsplash for Brands is a new feature that pulls from contributing photographers on the site to be considered for visual campaigns for huge brands like Samsung and Chewy. Give a little with some free photographs, get a lot (by getting hired!); what better way to get paid for your art?
For years and years, Instagram has been ranked as the best social media for artists out there and for good reason. Posting a photo as content on Instagram now and then is a great start in terms of getting images of your artwork out into the world, but this image-based consumption pattern doesn't necessarily lend to good, meaty context that keeps collectors interested and wanting more.
Which Art Hashtags Should You Use?
Instagram does require a little research, especially when it comes to finding out which art hashtags to use. Our recommendation? Find several art or artist’s accounts that are similar to you and note what hashtags they are using. You can then use those art hashtags for yourself to ride the wave and reach more potential art collectors.
How many hashtags should you use?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions about Instagram. You are allowed to include up to 30 hashtags for each post that you make. Use all 30 of them!
A bonus perk of Instagram is that it’s super community-oriented, giving you lots of opportunities to interact with other artists and art lovers all across the world. Like many of the other social media platforms we’ll look at, Instagram gives you the option to set your page as a “business profile” allowing you to link your page back to your website, online store, or anywhere else you want people to go.
Ever heard a professional or a colleague say that something is “pinnable?” Pinterest is the go-to social media for artists, designers, and stylists – both professionals, such as interior decorators and designers, and hobbyists like amateur art collectors and crafters. Its multi-purpose nature make it the perfect social media platform for artist to be an iteration of your stylized online portfolio.
Drive Traffic From Pinterest Back To Your Artist Portfolio
You can also list things for sale on Pinterest and call for user traffic to drive back to your website or portfolio – which means if you don't have an online store as part of your website yet, it's time to start one!
User tip: Photoshop your artwork into a neatly designed space that complements your style so users can see your work in situ.
Want more advice for artists like what the best social media platforms for emerging artists is?
Superfine! hosts The Art Business Plan Podcast, featuring guest speakers at the top of their game in the industry.
Past guests have included Marina Granger of The Artist Advisory, Cory Huff of The Abundant Artist, and polymath Kenny Schachter.
Planoly
If you’re serious about your Instagram and Pinterest game, you’re going to want to invest in Planoly.
This Instagram planning app allows you to plan your posting ahead by uploading images and text. Paid versions of the app even have a feature for auto-posting, so you can create your content in advance and let Planoly do the posting for you. As entrepreneurs ourselves, we love any tool that makes life easier!
Planoly also has a feature for planning out Pinterest content, so you can tackle two social media platforms at once.
Set it, forget it, and get back to making art. This social media planning tool is worth the investment for artists!
Canva
Ever wonder how other artists and creatives manage to have super streamlined, professional looking graphics and announcements on their social media pages?
Designers, we know this is old-hat for you. But for those not versed in the Adobe Suite or artist entrepreneurs without the budget to hire another creative (yet!), Canva is an easy-to-use design and publishing tool. Create graphics for social media, brochures for your next art fair, even business cards and presentations!
Why are beautiful graphics a must-have for social media?
They make your profile stand out.
Graphics make announcements – like new product drops and studio updates – pop!
Beautiful graphics make you look like a true professional.
Graphics help you communicate your personality.
Inspirational text and quote graphics are highly shareable, meaning your profile will reach more accounts!
Have you tried including text posts on your social media pages yet? Let us know how it’s going!
By now, most internet-users are familiar with this app’s signature blue bird icon. While Twitter has an interesting reputation for outspoken politicians and moment-by-moment commentary on HBO specials, it's also an app that offers the best social media for artists to stay involved in the cultural conversation while interacting with peers, collectors, galleries, and more. Yes, that means networking!
Because of it’s real-time text and link-based nature, Twitter is an ideal platform to share links to your website’s blog, article and press mentions you've garnered, and blast out information about upcoming events you’re participating in – making Twitter a perfect platform to invite art lovers and collectors to attend your next appearance Superfine!
User tip: Make sure your website is optimized for sharing links that funnel users back to your greatest marketing tool – your website.
Tumblr
The reason why Tumblr is both an old-school and effective tool of social media for artists to share their work is because of microblogging. With the platform's signature image and text-based posting format, your work can be blogged, reblogged and blogged again while still ensuring credit comes back to you, the artist.
Though the number of users is relatively low compared to the billions of accounts on Instagram and Twitter, Tumblr boasts a super dedicated base of fanatics specifically attuned to arts, culture and beautiful things, making it great a social media for artists.
User tip: If you have an active blog on your website, choose 2-3 beautiful images of your artwork, an exciting paragraph from the main text, and post with a link back to your website.
Behance
Many artists and designers create presentations and digital mock-ups of their work for their portfolios and websites. Luckily, there’s an entire website dedicated to hosting those plans while allowing users to share them with other creators around the world. Behance offers social media for artists specifically geared towards creatives looking for inspiration, collaborators, and more, and is a perfect place to show off those presentations.
Behance is intended for sharing your portfolio to showcase both your realized projects and your concept work. Many artists will upload 3D models of installations they’ve created concepts and proposals for. A perfect place to upload your Superfine! booth plan, we think!
User tip: Use Behance to connect with other artists and creatives on projects. Expand your portfolio and keep your creative juices flowing!
ELLO
This one is called “The Creator’s Network” for a good reason. Ello is one of the best social media platforms for artists out there. On this networking site, artists from across the globe can meet, connect, and collaborate. Built by artists for artists, Ello re-imagines the future of creative work by providing a contemporary forum and virtual workplace for artists, brands, agencies, publishers, and their fans.
Ello provides the unique opportunity for creators to interact at the intersection of art, creative opportunity, and new media. Plus with their Creative Briefs initiative, Ello partners with larger brands, agencies and publishers to harness the power of real-time community collaboration.
The Best Social Media Strategy for Artists
Like any new creative practice, getting started is the hardest part of using social media for artists effectively. Once your profile or portfolio has been set up, it becomes easy to set aside 10 minutes a day to engage with followers, respond to messages and create a new post or two. Superfine! exhibitors continuously impress with their dedication to social media, storytelling and marketing prowess – will you be next?
There’s never been a better time to up your social media game and build out your art business.
Superfine! has created the educational podcast “The Artist Business Plan” that delves into everything from renting out your artwork to how to price your artwork to sell and more.