I have to admit to arriving late to the Instagram party. It wasn’t until I learned how valuable it can be as a marketing platform that it caught my attention.

Instagram has been a fun place to share photos, but that’s not all! You’re about to discover some super cool new ways to play with it as a business owner.

 

It Has Great Visual Appeal

 

It sets itself apart by using visuals instead of text. So if writing isn’t really your thing, it’s a good alternative to having to write every day. Of course, always keep in mind that you’re there to promote your business; cute, funny, and beautiful images are great, but make sure they’re working for you. If you create physical products – especially art and photography – Instagram is a good fit with its visual nature. Make sure your images are the highest quality you can make or afford, and that they reflect your business vision and quality of work.

With the many photo editors around (I recommend Canva) it’s easy to give your images more impact with a caption right on the photo. A picture is worth 1,000 words of course, but a caption captures people’s attention as they scroll through hundreds of other images. Your posts will have more impact with a message, a contest, funny or insightful ideas, etc.

 

Links and Stories

 

There’s no way to post links in Instagram – except one precious one – in your profile. You can of course set it and forget it, but you can also change your link to align with your latest post. It’s kind of a hassle to remember to update it every time, but it’s just the way Instagram is. Instagram allows you to link to your other social media accounts for  some cross-pollination between them.

Take full advantage of Instagram Stories. These are like slideshows that you create to tell a story. They disappear after 24 hours, which is an incentive to your followers to watch them while they can. It’s a unique way to get more interaction with your potential clients instead of the usual still photos.

 

Keep In Touch

 

Don’t just post images and forget about them. Following up with comments is the way you engage with your present and potential clients in Instagram. Now, I know carrying on a dialogue in the Instagram app isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but there are workarounds out there that allow you to use a laptop. I use my laptop 100% of the time for Instagram – yep, there are ways………

 

Hashtags!

 

Hashtags – oh hashtags. Instagram has a unique relationship with them. Use them to help people find you. Unlike Twitter, where the hashtag was born, you are encouraged to use your own, as well as popular ones. The popular ones allow people to find you, but your unique hashtags come under “branding.” For example, my IG hashtags are #RightBrainWorld, #BeBoldBeArt, #WeNeedCreatives, #WeNeedYourArt, #ArtAndBiz, and my favorite, #CollateralJoy. Your unique hashtags allow your followers to find your posts, while the popular ones allow new followers to find you (and become followers and potential clients).

 

Show You Care

 

And remember, as in all social media, be authentically you, for the reasons I’ve mentioned in previous posts. Your uniqueness is your gift.

Post regularly as in other platforms to stay in your followers’ radars. You never know when that one post will be exactly what a follower needs today, and turns them into a client.

Don’t forget to follow people who inspire and encourage you, and try to keep to following users who are a fit for your industry or niche. For example, your followers might not be so interested in seeing that you follow people with negative reputations (I’ll leave it at that). Stick with uplifting your business, and leave personal but unrelated interests to a personal account.

One reason Instagram works so well is because there is a lack of pressure for your followers to buy something. Instagram followers will respond to an authentic feeling of liking your artwork. This is something that is unprecedented as it brings art to everyone at the ease of a few clicks of a button. It also allows artists to be in more control of their work, in contrast to waiting for a show or dealers.

As your followers grow, you may find people re-gramming your artwork or tagging their friends in your comments. This is how one photo can easily go viral and gain followers to sell art both on and offline. Of course, your primary goal as an artist should not be to solely pursue the most amount of fans. However, the more publicity you get, the more likely you will be to bring in the cash flow.        agora-gallery.com

Look at Instagram as your high-tech art gallery that – with the right strategy – has the potential to reach millions of people. The opportunity to make a living from your art/creative offering has never been better!

 

 

 

Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash

 

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Ellen Clarke