It was quite difficult to make money as an artist in the past. The money-making opportunities were limited, as the industry was controlled by sketchy art dealers.
But the Internet has changed everything, including artists’ ability to make money.
Many passionate artists rely on Instagram as their main source of passive income. And no wonder that it works well for them…
With over 500 million daily active users, Instagram opens a lot of opportunities to artists all around the world.
To make money from your art on Instagram, you must establish your brand, optimize your profile and keep your followers interested by posting regularly. You can also do sponsored work for extra cash or collaborate with other artists to increase your following.
If you want to find out the right steps to take, I’ve made this detailed post to help artists in your situation. So, grab a cup of coffee or tea and relax as I’m explaining how Instagram can make your art passion profitable.
Can Artists Make Money from Instagram?
As you’re starting your journey as an artist, you may be wondering “Can artists make money using social media platforms like Instagram?” The answer is a positive one.
If you’re an artist, you can use Instagram as a way to gain more fans and make money from art. Instagram has become one of the main social media platforms used by artists to make an extra buck.
With Instagram, you can start connecting with buyers from all around the world. This makes it simpler to find individuals who will pay you for your work.
Many artists can make thousands by posting their art on Instagram. Ashley Longshore, for instance, can sell a piece for up to $30,000 on the platform. And she is not the only one.
It’s possible to make quite a profit on the famous social media app. You just have to build your brand, know when to upload, make art that people fall in love with, and create a strategy that will bring in more sales.
How to Make Money with Art on Instagram
To make a profit from your art, you must promote your artwork properly and find ways to draw people to your website and make sales. Here is how to make money with art on Instagram:
Build Your Brand
If you want to start selling art on Instagram, one of the first things to do is build your brand. This will help you establish a unique presence on the platform so that people can associate your art with you.
Decide on the art style your account will follow. Is it going to be abstract art, modern art, classical art, or something else? Also, how are you going to sell the artwork? Will you have one piece of work and print it in multiple copies or sell one-0f-a-kind pieces?
It’s important to ask yourself these questions as you’re trying to get started as an Instagram artist.
Optimize Your Profile
Profile optimization is another important aspect to consider if you want your art profile on Instagram to become profitable. This can be done by writing a simple, yet powerful bio. Let the people know what you are doing. Adding hashtags relevant to your art can help others find you or know what your brand is all about.
The bio is also where you can add a link that people can access if they want to purchase your work.
You can also post multi-grid images, make calls to action and choose a good brand name and profile picture.
Make Connection with Other Artists
Do you know another artist on Instagram who has an established presence? This is an opportunity for you to grow by connecting with this person.
Reach out to other big names in the art community on Instagram, establish a connection and start collaborating. You can even get in touch with different influencers. If you manage to collaborate with someone who has a large following, you can increase your own follower count.
This way, more people will be following your activity and if they’re interested in the masterpieces you have to sell, you’ll boost your chances of making money.
Upload Lots of Content
Don’t expect people to be interested in your art or consider you a serious seller if you post one piece per month and then nobody else hears from you. Your followers are not going to like it – not to mention that this hinders your possibility of increasing your earnings.
One key to selling more art and making money is consistency. Potential buyers must see that you are active and serious about your business. Ideally, you should post at least once a day or a few times weekly.
You shouldn’t go overboard with posting too much either. If you spam your Instagram account with 10 posts per day, people might become annoyed. They will be tired of seeing your brand all the time.
So, be consistent, but without being over the top.
Do Sponsored Work
Sponsored work is one of the most popular ways to make money as an artist. If your brand grows more and more and becomes popular, companies might be interested in having you promote their products.
By giving them more publicity, brands are willing to pay you and even give you some of their products for free in some cases. Of course, you need to do sponsored work for reliable companies only, and promote products that you’ve either used in the past and like or know your followers will be interested in. This way, people will trust you and stick around to see what other recommendations you have for them.
How to Sell Digital Art on Instagram
So, how to sell digital art on Instagram? Let’s take a look at some of the steps that can get you started:
1. Create a Business Account and Connect to Facebook
To begin with, you should switch from a personal account to a business account. Not only will this help your brand look more serious, but it will also allow you to run ads.
Bear in mind that you should connect your account to Facebook, so you can build a business page there as well.
2. Set Up an Art Website
Set up your own art website. This will establish your professional online presence and will give people the opportunity to get to know you and your art a bit better. You can even post testimonials from other customers to increase your trustworthiness level. Then, you can use your Instagram art profile as a way to send more traffic to your website.
3. Get Started with Commerce Manager
Finally, you can use Commerce Manager to open your art shop. Choose a tool so the onboarding process can begin. This can be done by setting up the new shop either in Commerce Manager or on one of the supported platforms. You can also use the Instagram app for it.
Lastly, fill out the details of your shop in Commerce Manager. Choose the payment methods for your buyers, as well as your sales channels. Then, add the art products you wish to sell. Once you’re done, you can submit your settings and wait for Instagram to review them.
4 Tips to Get Successful on Instagram as an Artist
If you want to be successful as an artist on Instagram and boost your chances of making money, here are some tips to consider:
1. Create Engaging Stories
Instagram stories represent a great way to get more personal with your followers. You can share art updates on your story and even promotions, so people will get more interested in the pieces you sell.
Besides, you can even talk about your art and the story behind your masterpieces or post your works in progress so followers stick around to find out more.
2. Upload Reels on Art Creation
People love video content – so why not use this to your advantage? It’s a great way to reveal new artwork and perhaps even give them a glimpse of your studio, where you feature more of your work. Followers will love it, and it might boost your chances of selling your art.
3. Use SEO-Friendly Tags and Hashtags
Hashtags help people find your content. However, you must use the right hashtags that are related to your work. Ideally, you should use SEO-friendly tags too. Check out the hashtags used by big artists who make similar pieces and learn how to use them yourself.
4. Advertise with Instagram
Once you have your business account ready, you can start advertising on Instagram. You can boost posts and turn them into ads so that you can reach more people and tell the world about your art. This is one more step that you can take to reach your financial goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should an artist post on Instagram?
An artist should post at least once a day on Instagram. However, you shouldn’t post more than 3 times per day.
What’s the best time to post art on Instagram?
Off-work hours represent the best time to start posting your art on the platform. So, this could be in the evening between 7 PM and 9 PM, or lunchtime hours between 11 AM and 1 PM.
Is Instagram good for artists?
Instagram is great for artists as it’s a visual platform. Therefore, you can post every piece you make, promote it and get buyers.
Conclusion
Now you know how to make money off your art on Instagram. It will take some time and effort to establish your presence and set up a successful profile, but the result will be worth it. I hope my tips will help you reach your financial goals.
