Social Media Archives

The Art Biz ep. 130: 4 Video Mistakes Artists Keep Making with Zach Wolfson

Whether you’re chasing the Instagram algorithm for reels, streaming live on YouTube, or pulling together a video bio for your website, it’s more valuable than ever to make good videos.

It hurts to admit that even bad videos play better on social media than a static photo, but as long as you’re going to the trouble to make a video, why not make it better?

The Art Biz ep. 130: 4 Video Mistakes Artists Keep Making with Zach Wolfson Read

abstract watercolor with blues, gold, orange, light red and textural black marks—the central image surrounded by a black arch ©artist Sara Schroeder | on Art Biz Success

The Art Biz ep. 119: Growing Beyond Being an Instagram Artist with Sara Schroeder

For more than a year, Sara Schroeder has been using tools like journaling and the Enneagram to discover more about herself and explore where she wants her work to go.

Now she wants more. She knows there is more than posting and looking for sales online, so she has stepped back and reassessed. She’s ready for a brave step.

In this episode of The Art Biz, we talk about how she’s approaching her business these days, how her Instagram strategy has evolved, and how she is preparing for her upcoming solo show.

The Art Biz ep. 119: Growing Beyond Being an Instagram Artist with Sara Schroeder Read

Pastel drawing of crashing ocean waves in blues, greens, and grays

The Art Biz ep. 67: Growing Your Art Business on Instagram with Jeanne Rosier Smith

So many artists have benefited from Instagram. This isn’t news. It comes up frequently in my interviews, and it’s so ubiquitous that I haven’t been able to pinpoint a specific lesson to devote an entire episode to.

Until now.

Jeanne Rosier Smith’s success on Instagram wasn’t random. She made a conscious decision to focus on using Instagram to grow her following and expand her art business, and it has paid off. As you’ll hear, she has been focused and deliberate in her use of the platform, while also allowing a great deal of flexibility in the process.

It’s important to Jeanne that using Instagram is, above all, fun.

In this episode, I talk with Jeanne about the strategies she has used for the past 3 years to build a following of 37,000 and reach the 6-figure mark in sales for each of those 3 years.

You’ll also hear about how she maintains good relationships with her 8 galleries even while selling on Instagram, and why she doesn’t schedule posts in advance.

The Art Biz ep. 67: Growing Your Art Business on Instagram with Jeanne Rosier Smith Read

The Art Biz ep. 62: Facebook Live Group Art Shows with Brooke Harker

Fun isn’t a word used very often when we think of marketing or business tasks. Still, it’s one of the criteria I suggest considering when you’re thinking about whether to add something to your busy schedule.

When Covid hit, Brooke Harker threw her fears about doing live video out the window and created Saturday Night Live Art Shows—because she thought it would be fun. It started with just her, but quickly grew to a core of regular artists, with new ones jumping in each week.

I wanted to talk with her about it because these weekly events are open to any artist who wants to show off their art or, perhaps, the art that you collect. In fact, as you’ll learn, the rules are, well, … What rules? This could be a great way for you to connect, practice your video (because imperfections are encouraged), and maybe even sell some art.

Brooke and I discuss:

What happens during SNL Art Shows and how you can participate. They’re 100% free!
How participating artists have benefited from being part of SNL Art Shows.
The 3 questions Brooke uses to prepare for live video.

And so much more. Listen and read the detailed notes.

The Art Biz ep. 62: Facebook Live Group Art Shows with Brooke Harker Read

Why Hacking Social Media Isn’t The Answer (and Why I Won’t Teach It)

Social media will not fix your broken marketing.

There aren’t enough friends, likes or followers that can help you when you have a weak foundation.

Plenty of online marketers will tell you how to hack social media, by which I mean they will teach shortcuts and tricks for “getting” followers and likes on social media.

There’s nothing wrong with learning this information, but I won’t teach it because I find it terribly uninteresting and, ultimately, unhelpful to the longevity of artists’ careers. The online marketers do it well, so I leave the job to them.

Out of Whack

For most artists, hacking social media is out of alignment with their values and it shows. Many artists are suspicious of gimmicks and tricks that reek of blatant self-promotion.

You can’t make something work for you if it doesn’t jive with who you are as a person.

Let’s start by examining the word “get” as in “getting” new likes and followers. It’s grabby. It’s icky.

What if, instead, we embrace the word “attract,” as in I’d like to attract more fans and followers.

If you agree that this approach is bundled in better energy, stick with me.

This Is More Valuable

Why Hacking Social Media Isn’t The Answer (and Why I Won’t Teach It) Read

How Do You Use Video? (Curious Monday)

Loyal reader Debra Disman says that she would love to see how artists are using video.

Please tell us!

What is the focus/subject of your videos?

How long are they?

Where do you post them?

What kind of results do they bring you?

Do you have help or do you do it yourself?

What have you learned about the process?

Feel free to add a link to your video.

Don’t do video? Share your favorites in a comment.

How Do You Use Video? (Curious Monday) Read

Roseate Spoonbills painting by Allison Richter

Do You Reveal Your Politics? (Curious Monday)

Things are heating up in the presidential race and online.

And it’s getting nasty. One client asked me how I deal with reading about it all in my Facebook feed and I said, I don’t. I really don’t read my feed much. It’s too upsetting. I can connect with my students and clients through our private groups, where the energy is much more positive.

What’s right for you?

Do you take a stand publicly for your political opinions? (You don’t have to tell us what they are.)

Where do you draw the line?

Do you find yourself getting trapped in political conversations on social media?

Do You Reveal Your Politics? (Curious Monday) Read

Test Your Social Media Effort

As I said in last week’s post: In marketing your art, there are no absolutes. Everything is a test.

That was about testing your email marketing results.

This week I want to look at testing your social media results, and the same principle applies: Everything is a test.

4 For-Sure Facts

I’m absolutely certain about these 4 things when it comes to testing social media:

1. The payoff for investing your effort into social media will be greater if you focus on your foundation (website, blog, email list) first.

Without this foundation in place, social media isn’t as useful. You need to have a place to send people – an online portfolio to show off your art and/or your expertise if you’re a teacher.

2. You can share a post similar to someone else’s and get radically different results.

This is why we read that the best time to post to your Facebook business page is at 11:30 am in one place and 6:30 am in another. You have a unique list of followers and have to see for yourself.

3. Your level of enthusiasm will show in what you post.

The greater your

Test Your Social Media Effort Read

©Kristen Watson, Digital Immigrant. Used with permission.

Why You Need an Editorial Calendar (and How To Make One)

An editorial calendar is a roadmap for your marketing content.

An editorial calendar buys you peace of mind because you don’t have to scramble for what to say or share. Ideas are stored and worked on over time rather than in a panic at the last minute.

Wouldn’t it feel great to have ideas lined up for your newsletter or blog for the next six months?

Another big reason to use an editorial calendar is that it helps you remember the important things you want to say. You know … those things you forget about until immediately after you’ve clicked the Send button?

For example, let’s say you are teaching a workshop six months from now. You would add promotional content to your editorial calendar for the month or two prior to your workshop, and perhaps even before that time if you had an early registration period.

Those are placeholders for the future. When that time comes, you just

Why You Need an Editorial Calendar (and How To Make One) Read

Marcie Scudder's On This Very Day photograph

5 Recommendations for Online Success

It used to be that the only way artists knew to promote their art was to send 35-millimeter slide packets to a gallery. That was about $30 worth of slides with first-class postage and a return envelope with the same amount of postage.

It was expensive, and the packets often disappeared into the ether. Lots of money down the drain, and artists complained.

Now you can instantly promote your art through any number of online portals – for FREE!

Artists continue to complain because now there are too many options. You could spend all of your time online promoting your art instead of making it. Bad idea.

You’re an artist, and artists make art. Without the art, you have nothing to promote and no way to earn income from your art.

Instead of wasting a lot of time online, learn to spend your time wisely so that your efforts are rewarded and not squandered. Dedicate your online time to creating the most valuable content you can possibly share with your admirers.

Quality over quantity.

Here are 5 recommendations for content creation success, which lead to online success.

5 Recommendations for Online Success Read

Social Media

Out of Whack

This Is More Valuable

4 For-Sure Facts

Your Artist Mailing List: Rethinking + Assessing