Art + Social Media 101
Nearly every artist I've met would like more exposure for their work.
More exposure means more sales and it means more freedom to create what you like - because no matter what you make, somewhere out there are people who will appreciate it.
But I remember back in the early 2000's when I first started selling my work, most older artists I knew were wary of putting their images on the internet. They worried about copyright infringement. They worried that it might make them look too market driven. But in the last fourteen years I've witnessed a complete reversal. These days you don't really exist as an artist unless your work is online. And the rise of social media has made networking exponentially easier and more effective.
If you got in early on, you might already have tens or hundreds of thousands in your network, but for those just starting out it can seem daunting since nearly everyone is now clamoring for attention.
So, I've developed an acronym for developing your social networking skill-set: CIGAR
Content: Whatever you're doing you want people to be engaged with it, right? So consider carefully what you're posting. Do you want to be known as the painter who shares cat videos, or the one who makes beautiful paintings? While people may love cat videos and you may get a lot of "likes", "shares", and comments... ultimately, you're just driving traffic for someone else. You want people who are interested in your thing to come to you for interesting content - images of your work, interesting articles about your field, etc...
Interaction: Forget the traditional idea of advertisement! While Madmen is a great show, the world doesn't really work that way anymore. Increasingly, people have been rejecting advertisement since the 60's, especially among art lovers. The internet has shifted toward engagement as the driving force. So, you can't just post an image and a clever tagline and wait for the sales to roll in. You have to respond when people comment, and you have to engage people on their own pages as well. Respond to their images sincerely and you will not only build a network, you will build friendships! Which leads us into the next point.
Generosity: The days of dog eat dog competition are obsolete. If they ever were actually effective, they were certainly counter-productive to long term success. Even those who made fortunes from being ruthless, died lonely, cynical, and despised. Especially in the age of social media, the key to success lies in Collaboration. I won't naively say that competition doesn't exist, but I would like to cast it in a different light. Collaborative Competition is much more effective in the long run and more pleasant for all involved. Take for example, my friendship with the brilliant painter Adam Miller... he and I have been close friends for eight years now and both of our works and careers have improved 1,000 fold in that short time. What's the secret? We hold no secrets from each other. If he discovers some painting trick, he tells me and I do the same. If a collector buys several of his paintings and he thinks the collector might like my work, he introduces me, and I do the same. We promote each other, exhibit together. Of course I want to make better paintings than he and he wants to make better paintings than I... but we both grow much faster through collaboration than we would by being enemies... and of course, I also get a great friend out of the deal! Now, we've expanded our collaboration with other friends
and the results have been exponential. Graydon Parrish, Brandon Kralik (photo above) and I have engaged in a new collaboration to develop Post Contemporary painting... not an art movement, but a philosophy of life. And Collaborative Competition is at the center of it.
Of course we have to be realistic about sharing as well. It doesn't help any of us to starve ourselves in order to help others. We share collectors who love our work and have enough resources and interest to collect others as well. And I've been chastised by my friends and colleagues for sharing too much to too many people who I don't know - perhaps I'm over-sharing to you right now? But I find that I have so many ideas on a daily basis, that I can share liberally and still come up with more. So, you can decide the balance that's right for you, but a good way to start is to promote the work that you love - the work of friends and artists you admire. If you're consistently generous, people will feel no qualms about being generous to you!
Acumen: is the ability to think clearly and make good decisions. This is something you'll learn over time if you have a philosophy (like Collaborative Competition, for example), build a strategy upon your philosophy, and consistently and persistently carry out your strategy. If I had to boil all success down to one factor that I've observed in the many brilliant people I've met, artists and otherwise, is that they learn acumen and persistently pursue their goal. Which leads us to the next point.
Real World: Social media can take you far, but nothing, and I mean NOTHING, can replace meeting people in person. Use social media as a portal to begin discussions with key players in your field. Then arrange to meet them at an event. Demonstrate to them that you have something to offer, and just be yourself. I find more success in simply making friends out of colleagues, collectors, journalists, than I do out of trying to cultivate some false image. Also, organize real world exhibitions, and make sure to take pictures and post them on your social media accounts! If it's not documented, and no one knows it happened, then it might as well have not happened at all. Get the most out of your time and effort!
While we're in the spirit, let's connect on social media too! I'd love to see what you're doing!
Instagram: RichardTScott
Twitter: NewOldMaster
Facebook: Richard T Scott
There are many other details you'll learn as you follow this path, but these keys will help you develop a strategy that is both sustainable and catered specifically to you.
Good luck and be generous!