🚫 10 things I wish I knew earlier | Artists on Instagram
#21 Grow your art community
Dear little demon,
Welcome to the edition #21 of the Art Missive! We are 3,066😈 in this newsletter. Whether you have been here from the beginning or you have just arrived, thank you so much for reading ❤.
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In this Art Missive
⌛ Reading time : 5 minutes
👉 Actionnability: immediately actionable
💪 Goals:
Make people support your artistic journey
Build an art community
Find artists
Improve your content
Avoid burnout
Intro
Instagram offers artists incredible opportunities to thrive and grow their art. You can connect with like-minded artists, receive constructive feedback, seek guidance, and access resources to improve your craft. But most importantly, you can build a community of people who love and support your artistic journey.
But let's face it: Navigating the platform as an artist can be tough.
That's why, after three years of trial and error, I've put together a list of 10 things I wish I'd known earlier.
Whether you're using Instagram to showcase your portfolio, network with fellow artists, or grow your audience, this edition #21 of the Art Missive is packed with practical tips to help you get the most out of the platform.
Let’s go!
1. You don’t have to be the best artist
Many artists hesitate to share their art on Instagram because they feel like they aren't good enough. They think they need to be the best to connect with other artists on the platform. But let me tell you, you don't need to be the most skilled artist to build strong connections on Instagram. In fact, people relate to those who are still learning and growing.
What really makes people love your art is your motivation to constantly improve, experiment, and share your progress with them. Your audience will love witnessing your evolution over time.
Take my art, back in 2020, for example:
When I first started, it was clumsy and far from perfect. But even so, I managed to gather 100k followers by staying true to my conviction to always do my best to improve, staying consistent, passionate, and dedicated. People didn't follow me for my messy lines, but for my dedication to my craft.
2. Instagram is not artists’ enemy
It is a common claim among artists on Instagram to say that the algorithm sucks and that Instagram hates us. But this is a false notion that I despise. Instagram's sole purpose is to keep users engaged with the platform for as long as possible. If you can create captivating artistic content that make people stay on the platform, Instagram will recognize the value you bring and promote your account to relevant audiences.
🔎 Content tips:
👉To improve your content, focus on increasing your watch time and engagement.
👉You want your content to make people want to 1) watch until the end, and 2) interact with what they have seen.
👉Don't forget to include a hook at the beginning and a call-to-action at the end.
3. You need to give first to received back
At the beginning of my journey on Instagram, I found it difficult to understand the importance of giving before receiving. I used to think that just posting my art would be enough to grow a community, find support, and connect with other artists. However, I soon realized that merely sharing my work was a self-centered act.
I realized that I needed to give first in order to receive back. This meant adding value to others through actions like leaving thoughtful comments, engaging in conversations, listening to others, offering advice, sharing humorous content, commenting on stories, and connecting with people in my niche. Once I started giving back, I received positive responses in return, such as comments complimenting my art, advice, and feedback.
4. Posting only finished work will make your burnout
I used to only post my finished work because I thought that content like unfinished art, works in progress (WIPs), and rough sketches could never interest people. However, I could not have been more wrong. For many of us, our audience is composed of other artists who love to see behind the scenes.
🔎 Strategy tips:
👉Share sneak peeks of your workspace and unfinished projects (WIPs).
👉Share mood boards, rough sketches, and daily doodles.
👉Not only will this give you a lot of content ideas, but it is also highly valuable for your audience
5. 1 art = multiple IG contents
Many artists believe that they can only post a finished artwork once or twice on Instagram. However, I strongly disagree with this notion and here's why: if you limit yourself to posting an artwork only once or twice, you may restrict your Instagram growth or even experience burnout. Instagram requires a consistent posting schedule, and most artistic workflows cannot keep up with this pace.
🔎 Strategy tips:
👉Clique here to see how 1 art piece = several contents
6. 100% of artist have a bad profile
I used to copy other artists' bios, but since I stopped, I have seen more growth. The reason being, I realized an important thing:
This kind of bios (that you see everywhere on IG) does not make people want to follow you:
But this kind of bios do:
You know why?
These bios state a clear reason for people de follow.
🔎 Artist profile tips:
👉Use emojis
👉Give a clear reason for people to follow you
👉Visitors should understand what to expect from you at one glance
7. People won’t follow you only for your art
When I first started on Instagram, I thought that simply posting my artwork would be enough to catch people's attention. But as you know, art enthusiasts are constantly bombarded with images of incredibly talented artists. Seeing beautiful art is now the norm, so having pretty art is no longer enough to stand out from the crowd.
What will make people engage with your creations is obviously the quality of your work, but you need something more: added value. Your audience must have a clear interest in following you.
🔎 Content tips:
👉Don't just focus on creating aesthetic content, add value for your audience.
👉Make them feel emotions, teach them something, motivate them, or make them identify with you... These are ways to add value.
8. Always start with a hook
On Instagram, it's easy to go into autopilot mode and mindlessly scroll through your feed until something catches your eye. As an artist, you want your content to be the one that stops people in their tracks.
One effective way to do this is by starting each piece of content, whether it's a post, Reel, caption, or story, with a hook. A hook is an attention-grabbing opening statement that entices people to keep watching or reading.
🔎 Hook tips:
👉Always prioritize crafting a strong hook
👉Consider using a "wow statement," posing a thought-provoking question, sharing a compelling quote, or stating an unpopular opinion.
9. Replicate other’s content
You don’t have to create content from scratch! To save you some time and energy, consider this advice: what made me learn content creation really fast was to study and replicate viral content. Especially for Reels.
🔎 “Steal like an artist” tips:
👉Study viral and valuable content within your niche and art community
👉Aim to improve upon the original content
👉Put your own spin or your unique perspective on it
👉Use it as a learning opportunity to understand why certain types of content perform well and how you can apply those principles to your own work.
10. You can keep posting during a art block
Many artists face art block at some point, where they lack the ability to create meaningful artwork. During an art block, it can be challenging to create new artwork. However, that doesn't mean you can't keep posting on Instagram. Here are some tips on how to keep posting during an art block:
🔎 Tips for posting during an art block:
👉Repurpose your old content: Save all your photos and videos on a hard drive, so you can repurpose them later when you're unable to create new content.
👉Repost your most popular content: Look at your Instagram insights and repost the content that performed the best. You can even give it a new caption or update the edit.
👉Create new content with existing art: You can use existing artwork and create new content by editing it or using it in a different context.
👉Share memes and relatable content: Memes and relatable content are great ways to engage with your audience, and they don't require any artwork.
👉Show yourself and share your struggles: Don't be afraid to show your face and share your struggles with art. You may be surprised at how much your followers relate to your struggles and appreciate your honesty.