“What should I post on Instagram?”: Social Media content ideas for Artists

Once you have set up your Artist’s social media account a big question arises: “what should I post on Instagram?”. Social media is the playground where we all come to meet, share, engage and debate. For artists and art professionals Instagram can even be an art sales channel.

If you want to have a solid social media presence as an artist and creating a social media content calendar for different channels eases the process of sharing your artwork, connecting with people interested in your work, and even reaching potential clients to expand your art business.

When it comes to marketing yourself as an artist there is always a bit of hesitation about following the trends and losing your voice, but the good thing about social media is that there is space for everything. With such an influx of content coming at them, users are always looking for something unique and interesting, and that’s when and where your art can capture their attention. 

Keep reading and learn what to post on your Instagram or Social Media account by creating a content calendar for your artists or art business feed.

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Creating an artist’s Social Media profile

Before even thinking about what to post on social media as an artist, you need to set up a profile. The main goal is to be compelling, users that find your profile should be able to learn who you are and what you do in a quick and easy way. Yes, your bio should make a statement.

What should your Instagram profile say about you at first glance? Make sure you check every item on this list:

-Short bio: Including your name or pseudonym, what you do, where you are from and a call to action (an actionable item) suggesting what to do to contact you for submissions, sales, and other interactions.

-A link to your professional website, online portfolio or your most recent virtual exhibition.

-A profile picture that captures your aesthetic.

-A set of hashtags that can help other users find you: these tags can be mixed and edited according to the occasion, and could tell the audience about the art niches, techniques, medium, or subjects you usually work with.

With all these details set up, now is time to get posting!

Social Media content ideas for Artists

As an artist, your Instagram profile should provide value to your followers a.k.a people interested in your art and overall work. Your feed should be a mix of your body of work, your technique, upcoming art shows, things that inspire you, and your life as a creator. How should this look? Well, it all depends on your personal aesthetic and creative approach. Who says your feed can’t be another piece of art?

A good artist’s profile should be as cohesive as their body of work. Your followers should be able to recognize your posts. An easy way to achieve this is to work with a color palette you are familiar with, work with a certain aspect ratio for images and videos, and even play around with your grid to create a pattern in your little social gallery.

What should you post on Instagram as an artist then? Here are a few ideas you can adapt to your point of view or use as prompts for content creation:

1. A time-lapse video story or reel of the creation of a piece.
2. Record 1 second a day and create a video diary of your surroundings.
3. Create a carousel of the things that have captured your attention and inspired you.
4. Share the first sketch of an artwork and the final result.
5. Pictures of past or current exhibitions and art shows.
6. Tips: how do you use certain art tools? How do you ignite your creative spark?
7. Close up: show a detailed look of one of your art pieces and tell your audience about it.
8. Make a video tour of your art studio.
9. Share a view of how your artwork looks in a client’s room.
10. Share a page or a piece of your art journal.
11. Meet the artist: tell your audience about yourself and share a bit of your personal story.
12. Create a 3D virtual exhibition of your art pieces and share images and video captures to get new visitors.
13. Talk about your artistic influences.
14. Highlight your peers: share works from current artists you like.
15. Share a work in progress: the audience wants to know what goes in the studio. Use the hashtag #WIP
16. Show the process: do you work with a particular technique? Are you taking an innovative approach to mixed-media works? Let the world know!
17. A side-to-side comparison of how your art has evolved over time.
18. Share your aesthetic: show how one of your art pieces would look in a room mockup. 
19. A detailed look at a final piece.
20. Show yourself!

Artist’s tools for social media content creation

An artist’s toolbox looks different in this time and age, the traditional canvas and paints, coexist with drawing pads and editing software for digital art pieces. The list doesn’t end there. If you want to reach a bigger audience and expand your art business, you need to get familiar with certain terms like art marketing and the tools needed to put those strategies to work.

Boosting your digital presence is a matter of strategy and planning. There are tools that can help with the planning part like a content calendar to have an overview of future publications. And when it comes to time and resource-saving practices: use a management tool to schedule content and get analytic information to know your audience.

Regarding to content creation you need to be persistent, and a good way to come up with Instagram-worthy content is to showcase how your art pieces look in an actual room. With ArtPlacer’s Room Mockups you can easily upload your art pieces, “drag and drop” them in digital rooms like bedrooms, office spaces, and hallways with a variety of styles. Use a preset frame or customize one to highlight your artwork. Edit shadows and lighting to achieve a realistic look. With just one click you can share the image to different social media channels.

Now that you know the basics of social media content for artists is time to create new creative posts and get those likes! Start your ArtPlacer’s trial now!