Finding Art Collectors Through Social Media


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In the old days, many artists would argue that the best way to find art collectors is by meeting them in person. However, now people are selling work more and more without ever seeing their buyers. In fact, they sell their work without so much as leaving their house. That is the power of the internet.

So, what is happening on the internet to connect artists to collectors, and how can more of us get a taste of the action?

Some artists make the mistake of thinking that having a website is the only key to online sales. However, we at Agora Gallery have always been adamant about using social media to drive traffic to artist websites. In this article, we will look at how you can use social media to sell artwork and find art collectors, starting with how to decide which social media platform is best for you.

Various artist social media pages

What Social Media Sites Are Best For Promoting Art?

When you’re just starting out, it’s important not to spread yourself too thin. Concentrate your energy on the sites that will get you the right audience. There are many social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, Tumblr., LinkedIn – just to name a few), but you should only focus on 1-2 of these when you’re getting started.

The ABCs of Social Media Sites

When picking which social media platform you’ll be promoting your work on, consider three things: audience (who is using the site?), behavior (does the site allow you to interact easily with your audience?), and content (what kind of things are typically shared on this site?).

Audience

Just as every artist has their own style, their works also attract different audiences. Your audience may use Instagram more often, while another artist attracts the sort of people who use Pinterest. First, you’ll need to know your market, then you’ll want to know the main users of the social media platforms. You can learn what kind of audience you have by showing your work in more public spaces and seeing who reacts more strongly to it, or by looking into the audiences for similar artists.

Important: While young adults are still the largest group to use social media, other generations are catching up very quickly. According to Pew Research Center, over 35% of adults 65 and older are using social media, compared with only 2% in 2005.

Behavior

As an artist, you’re looking for several things when choosing a platform. You want to pick a social media site that allows you to share images easily. You want a platform where it’s easy to communicate with the viewers of your work, and one where you can link back to your personal website.

Content

Whatever social media platform you choose, it should be a place where it is common to share artwork. If you are the first person to start selling art in a new marketplace, you do have the element of originality, but how many collectors will be there to see it? You want to be sure that this is a place where collectors are actively looking to find art.

What else did you consider when picking a platform for your artist page? Let us know in the comments!

Now that you know your ABCs, let’s look at the different social media platforms. Here is a breakdown of the most popular sites in the U.S.:

Studio Sunday post on Agora Gallery's facebook page
One of the most popular posts on Agora Gallery’s Facebook page is the Studio Sunday series

Facebook

Possibly the most popular site with 1.44 billion monthly active users, Facebook allows people to share text, photos, videos, and external links. Facebook is a very engaging platform, encouraging comments and reactions to posts. There are also communities on Facebook in which users can collaborate and share specific, moderated content.

Instagram

A great image-sharing tool, Instagram has recently allowed users to upload photos that break away from the restrictive square-only format. Obviously, due to its visual-intensive nature, Instagram is a wonderful platform to upload your artwork and get immediate feedback from the global Instagram community.

Twitter

With 305 million monthly active users, Twitter is most often used for text-only updates (though users do occasionally post images, videos, and links). Each post is a maximum of 140 characters. Though the audience is mostly younger and international, Twitter is not very popular for fine artists or collectors.

Mary Pearson_tweet image
Twitter is a superb network for promoting yourself, with or without the images.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is far more business-oriented than any other social media sites. Due to its professional nature, you may find some art collectors here, but the content typically shared is about industry news – not artwork. Soliciting your artwork on LinkedIn would likely be frowned upon by serious collectors, though you can use LinkedIn to join communities for artists where you can learn about resources and events in the fine art ‘industry.’

Google+

Google attempted to break into the social media world, but it was difficult to do with so many established giants. With an estimated user base of just 5 to 6 million, Google+ is a smaller network, but its users are very loyal to the network. Another good reason to use Google+ is for Google search and SEO of your Artist Website.

Instagram_agora Gallery
The king of image-sharing platform, Instagram

Snapchat

Originally more of a personal communication app, Snapchat is a social media app in which you can send pictures to specific recipients. However, those photos are deleted permanently after a few moments. The market is much younger, on average, than most others. While a fun app to share images with, Snapchat is not ideal for selling artwork.

Tumblr

A very versatile platform, Tumblr. allows users to highly customize their pages, to which they can post anything from text to images to short videos. Tumblr. has a strong ‘community’ feel, encouraging a lot of engagement with audiences. However, be aware that this growing platform is still very small, and the audience is much younger than others’.

Pinterest

The audience for Pinterest seems like a perfect place to find collectors, as its users are designers, DIY-enthusiasts, and home decorators. However, Pinterest is not a very “social” social network – there is not much commenting or interaction between users, meaning your fans may never get in touch with you about the artwork they like.

Though there are many social media sites out there, especially location-specific ones like Asian sites Renren and Sina Welbo, these sites are the ones you’ll most need to know about.

Unless you have a strong reason to suspect one of these websites will have particular advantage for you, the two best websites for artists to start promoting their work to collectors are Facebook and Instagram.

Stay in touch with us! Our Newsletter is packed with inspiring stories, art tips, and Agora Gallery’s latest exhibition announcements.

Using Instagram and Facebook to Find Art Collectors

When it comes to showing your artwork online, you can’t expect most of your audience to be interested in buying art. For every thousand or so views you get, only a few will be from serious collectors, and even they may not be in the market for new work at that moment. When using social media to find collectors, the first step is to brace yourself for this cold truth: on the internet, views rarely equal sales.

However, it isn’t all bleak. The upside of internet promotion is that when you get more traffic, more engagement, and more followers, you increase the chances that your work will receive press coverage and will reach collectors. This requires patience and an active online presence, but the rewards are great and art collectors will come!

A 2015 article in Artsy reported that over half of surveyed collectors on Instagram had recently bought artwork from artists they originally discovered on that platform. So, you just have to be active online, build a strong presence, and get your artwork seen by these collectors!

So – how do you get collectors to see your artwork on social media?

1. Simple Promotion

Just by getting your artwork “out there,” you’re increasing your chances of coming across your next art collector. Even if you don’t find collectors, but are just expanding your audience, the word of mouth factor can always lead to new connections, so just by doing a little self-promotion on these sites can be invaluable in finding the next collector.

Essential: Keep your pages updated with regular posts. Sharing artwork images, event news, or other updates brings in new fans (or “followers”) and keeps your current audience engaged. Even if you haven’t created new artwork recently, you can post about upcoming exhibitions, fairs, and shows, “brag” about awards you’ve received, or share updates about artwork sales.

2. Smart hashtagging

On Facebook, hashtags aren’t very popular, but they can be very helpful on Instagram. A hashtag is a unique term with no spaces immediately following the # symbol (like #art or #AgoraGallery). By using relevant and popular hashtags on Instagram, you can make sure your work is reaching people who are interested in that specific term. Use a few per post and you’ll notice the change immediately.

For more on hashtags for artists, check out: How To Use Hashtags To Promote Your Art.

3. Join Communities

While Instagram doesn’t have communities, Facebook has many great groups that you can join to share your work, see the work of others, and make new connections. A little research goes a long way; spend a few minutes researching art collectors and art lovers on Facebook and you will find several public and private groups that you can join.

4. Paid Ads

Facebook has many advertising options for businesses (and when you’re selling your artwork, you are a business) and the possibilities are limitless. You can use Facebook’s ad platform to experiment with different audiences to find the perfect one for you. You can target people by location, sex, age, and even more importantly, by their interests. Your ads won’t always result in sales, especially when you’re first starting out, but luckily most Facebook ad campaigns can be purchased for just a few dollars and the more you learn the better you get. One thing is for sure – your audience will grow, and fast.

5. Build Relationships with Influencers

You can look at the followers of similar artists to yourself on both Instagram and Facebook. Look at who is commenting on their posts. A good way of connecting with these collectors and fans is to ask the artist if they’d share one of your pieces on their page (crediting you and linking back to your page, of course). Offer to post their work on your page, too, to make it a fair exchange. This method is not new; many artists with large audiences have gained hundreds and thousands of fans by having a relationship with influential people on social media.

Do you have a tried-and-true method that you’d like to share? Or, on the flip side, a method that didn’t work for you at all?

artworks by Agora artists
Art by Agora artists: “Woman with Modigliani Neck” by L.W. Shortridge, Ardour by Julie Warren Conn, and City Density 11 by Shifra

Using social media to convert followers to art collectors.

Emphasize sales

Remember – not everyone who shares images of artwork online is selling the work – in fact, most people are usually sharing other people’s artwork. Whether you mention your prices or simply write “Available for sale,” you’re both claiming authorship of the piece and reminding viewers that they can own it.

Make buying easy

Facebook has a “shop now” button for pages that you can use to link to your website. Whenever you post new art, you should post a link to where they can buy the work with a clear description: “Buy this work here […]”

On Instagram, you cannot include clickable links in individual posts, but as long as you have a link to your website on your profile, you can mention in the description that your works are all available for sale on your personal site.

Engaging posts

“Engaging” doesn’t just mean interesting, it also means that people are interacting with it.  Ask your fans questions or for an opinion on your latest piece.  Encourage them to tag friends in the comments. Then respond to their comments. When your followers feel like they are part of the conversation, they are more likely to feel personally invested in your posts and your life.

Direct Messages

Both Facebook and Instagram have direct messaging available, and this is a great way to get one-on-one with your collectors. Many people don’t want to do their business in “public” and the comment section of one of your photo uploads is a very public venue.

After 2-3 comments back and forth, move the conversation to a direct message. This way, you can follow up if the conversation dies, and you can continue the conversation with art updates after a few weeks. Just don’t be too persistent or you’ll annoy them and scare them off.

Keep your page professional

Collectors may originally get ‘hooked’ by one artwork, but you can guarantee that they will browse your whole page before they make any decisions about buying. If the rest of your page is about unrelated images, if there are many unprofessional typos or low-quality images, you might be missing out on a big sale. Keep all of your posts clean and attractive, and the same goes for your website.

 

Agora Gallery has invested lots of time and resources in helping artists learn how to promote themselves on Social Media. If you have any specific questions about this or about any question regarding art promotion, let us know in the comments or e-mail us at blogs@agora-gallery.com. We’d love to hear from you!

Looking to develop your artistic career and build a presence in New York City and worldwide? Book an online career development consultation meeting today.

 

Do you follow any amazing artists on Instagram or Facebook? Share their accounts with us in the comments!


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36 responses to “Finding Art Collectors Through Social Media”

  1. Camper Repair Shops Near Me avatar

    Right here is the right blog for anybody who would like to find out about this topic. You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I really would want toÖHaHa). You definitely put a fresh spin on a subject that’s been discussed for decades. Excellent stuff, just wonderful!

  2. Achike Anayo avatar

    Thanks alot, this has thrown more light to my previous knowledge. I am on Instagram, but I haven’t really taken time to study or try out most of these points mentioned here. So from now I will try to put some of these tools to work. I am happy to read this. And I hope to get even more articles and materials from you to boost my career. Thanks

  3. Azul McCarthy avatar

    It’s nice to keep up on our social presence endeavors. I saved this article and keep it as a sort of guide that I need to come back to catch up with my startup strategies. Thanks you so much for the tips.

  4. Annie Hardy avatar

    Yes! Instagram is great for getting to know people. A lot of the time, you can prep your content before Sending a message. If you know you want to connect with someone. Create a story that day. I think that stories are a great way to show that you’re an interesting and valuable person before the initial contact. Peak that curiosity of the person on the other end!

    Annie – Buckeye is beautiful

  5. Anna Carmen avatar

    Very interesting overview of the topic. Customer acquisition is very hard for small enterprises in the industry of selling artworks.

  6. Connie Lipa avatar

    I’m a retired special education resource teacher in Illinois. I’ve been oil painting & drawing for 50 years.
    Because I teach reading, I’m joining the SCBWI
    local chapter of writers and illustrators of children’s books. I’m creating s FB biz page & Instagram page. Thank you for this invaluable information. I have signed up for your newsletter. Any suggestions are appreciated.

  7. Alina Zamanova avatar

    Great tips! Thank you! Here is my art page on Instagram @alina_zamanova . Will be happy to engage with new audience x

  8. Andy Hetherington avatar

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    After fooling the Art world over and over he has now teamed up with a renowned Art critic to reproduce a Jackson Pollock painting as well as his new type of Art
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    And these Artworks are going on sale
    18th March 2018
    Bolton Auction Rooms
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  9. Txon Pomés avatar

    Very good article, many thank!

  10. Micah Krock avatar

    Great tips in here I need to use. Trying to get my own artwork out here more and just the type of advice I am looking for.
    Thanks!
    Check out my cityscape paintings @artistmicah on Instagram

    1. Andra Bilici avatar

      Hi Micah! We’re glad the article helped you!

  11. Babatunde John Onabodu avatar

    Great, to learn is a way of life in the same manner with art. Continuity will result to perfection same in painting same in selling artworks, am from Nigeria, and i need to sell myartworks. Thanks for the orientation. Bravo.

  12. morenikeji olumide avatar

    Good article!
    Very inspiring
    Please check Out
    Art n soul functional art on instagram
    Thanks.

  13. Simanovsky Vladimir avatar

    Thanks you very much for your professional look at questions regarding the marketing within fine art field.
    I am professional artist living in Bratislava, capital of Slovakia working in my own studio mostly focused on painting.
    This is very interesting fact that whole theory about selling art through social media is mainly matter of having certain dose of fortune, because nowadays art activities are so large- scale implemented in many different fields that the social media audience or viewers including potential buyers is somehow confused what might be for them in this moment more convenient to choose! After reading your comment I found myself in the middle of international circle trap that these common problems we artist have to share all around world without exemption. Thank a lot for possibility to read your web. s.

  14. Justin van den Berg avatar

    Hi.very generous and helpful articles . thank-you very much.

  15. Shreekant avatar

    Hey,
    I am from India. Want to participate and looking for art collector. Need ur help,
    Thanking you.
    Shree

    1. Agora Experts avatar

      Dear Shree, the tips in this article will definitely get you started! For more art advice and tips on how to get in front of art collectors on social media, please take a look at our Social Media for Artists article collection.

  16. Kirsten Elizabeth Gilmore avatar

    I’m beginning to see IG as a form of microblogging that tells a story of the artwork–it’s inspiration, it’s mistakes, it’s triumphs–over time. With poured painting, even the mistakes can be pretty! 🙂

    My hope is to gain followers who genuinely care about this “behind the scenes” story of the art, rather than just growing follower numbers through loop giveaways and such.

    Do you have any suggestions about good hashtags to use to connect with art lovers on IG?

    1. Agora Experts avatar

      Hi Kirsten, I agree with you, IG is transforming into microblogging, and even photojournalistic, type of platform. To get in front of YOUR future followers, I would suggest doing hashtag research and compiling a hashtag library that you can quickly pull from. There are hundreds of art-related hashtags, so to find ones that would be perfect for you, you might need to experiment. A couple of very useful sites that I personally use when researching hashtags are Hashtagify.me and RiteTag.com.

  17. JEANETT SIRAKI avatar

    It is ” VERY ” ” GENEROUS ” of you to guid & inform Artists how to be able to sell for themselves … but i personaly think that A GOOD ARTIST NEEDS A GALLERY TO SELL FOR THEM ! as if i get in The middle of all this CHIT-CHAT , i could NEVER creat a CUALITY painting ! NEVERA ! it is not possible to create DEEP art after talking & socializing!!! SPECIALY ABOUT MONEY !!!for a real Artist!!!
    Having said all this, i’ve got to say that is long time that i want to get in touch with you … but … ( i started to show my some works on instagram my name : JEANETT SIRAKI , if you ever get time please have a look ! Because i am not confident that i Would be good enough for you!!! But i think that i am the most Best & original artist at The moment!!!so … i can’t undetestan? ! So only your opinion can clarify!!! But please if you dont like my art do not tell me in comments… tell me in private message! As it would destroy me !but if you do like , it World build my confidenc so very much . Thanks very much for your attention & with my Best regards . Jeanett Siraki from Marbella, Spain ) .

    1. Agora Experts avatar

      Hi Jeanett. Unfortunately, not all artists are able to get representation from a great gallery and for that reason we offer quality advice that artists can really use. If you’d like to submit your portfolio for a review, please take a look at our Gallery Representation and Artist Promotion page.

  18. Henry Jensen avatar

    Instagram has not generated sales of my art but the “likes” or lack thereof and any comments are very useful. Excellent article Agora-gallery.

    1. Agora Experts avatar

      Hi Henry! Only a few of thousands of people that will come across your art are serious art collectors. However, keep posting and engaging with your fans, enjoy the priceless feedback you get, and follow the steps we listed.

  19. Ulises Hermida avatar

    I would like to have more exposure to art collectors….I have a page on google+ called “diseño h”… it is an excellent article thank you!!!

    1. Agora Experts avatar

      You’re very welcome, Ulises. Good luck with your page and make sure to read our other articles on Marketing on Social Media.

  20. TONY OWERE avatar

    Hoping that you will start promoting my Art very soon, thank you

    1. Agora Experts avatar

      Hi Tony, I’ve forwarded your information to our submissions department so someone will be contacting you shortly.

  21. TONY OWERE avatar

    Thanks we appreciate you guys,well done AGORA

  22. The Gallery St Tropez avatar

    Very good article on Social Media promotion!

    We opened our Gallery last month in the heart of Saint Tropez, France. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/-WO1uM9-EcA

    1. Agora Experts avatar

      Thank you and good luck!

  23. choice okereafor avatar

    I have artwork want ti showcase

    1. Agora Experts avatar

      Dear Choice, if you’re looking to submit your portfolio, please visit our Gallery Representation and Artist Promotion page.

  24. Charles Robert Olsson avatar

    Hi Folks, great article on social media marketing.

  25. Heru Muhawa avatar

    Thank you…

    Best regards,

    Heru Muhawa