How Artists Can Get Noticed on the Internet

There is one thing which most online artists desire, and that is to get their artwork noticed and make a name for themselves. Posting artworks to Facebook, blogging about them, sending out newsletters, having an online portfolio, and networking on social media are all signs that we want to be recognized in some way.

It’s a good thing to want recognition - it’s something which brings us encouragement and motivation – and can lead to increasing art sales.

Before I explain some ways of getting noticed, I’ll tell you about some things which can actually work against you (for social media).

 

1. Posting too often at the same place. At the APM group at Facebook, I’ve seen some artists post the same artworks multiple times in a row. Yes, this may get your work seen but you will not be remembered in a positive way. The impression is a desperate attempt for recognition, and the result is annoying many other members of the group. The artist is essentially taking attention away from other members of the group who have been posting honestly. I have not banned anyone for this yet, but will if it becomes a big problem.
   
   
2. Re-posting past artworks too often. It’s good practice to post past paintings occasionally, as some may have missed earlier posts. But, posting the same paintings every single day also seems like a desperate attempt for recognition. Followers would rather see new work from you than the same pieces over and over.
   
   
3. Not mentioning your name and/or artist website when you post work to social media. After looking at so many artworks by artists on Facebook groups, I would say that I mostly notice artist’s names when they are written in the description box and on the artwork itself. With so many artists posting, it’s best to take these extra steps. Your name is your brand – make it plainly seen as much as possible.

Ways for Artists to Make a Name for Themselves on the Internet

1. Work very Hard.
   
   There is no doubting that promoting art online takes an extreme amount of time and effort. If you are newly online, take some time to create a Facebook page, Twitter profile, Linkedin, Pinterest and Google+. Set them all with the same profile picture and username (your name) and include a short bio and link to your online art portfolio at each place. Don’t worry too much about followers for now.. they will come with time. Now, make sure those profile links are somewhere on your artist website, so that visitors there can follow you at their preferred social media sites.
   
   Here’s some extra tips which will save you an incredible amount of time:
   
   • Install Addthis (or similar service) on your web browser to share blog posts and artworks, on your site, to several locations.
   • Use Bufferapp or Hootsuite to schedule posts. In this way, posts can be scheduled for times when you are away from your computer. Facebook also has a very useful scheduling feature for pages. Using scheduling, you can effectively do all art promotion for the week in one sitting, leaving more time for creating art.
     
     
2. Be original!
   
   Originality often goes far on the internet! People love being wowed, and seeing and sharing things which are different. I recommend finding at least one thing which distinguishes you from the rest – and promoting this like crazy. Let’s take our featured artist Iris Scott as an example. She promotes herself as a “professional fingerpainter” everywhere. It’s on her website, Facebook page, Youtube videos and even the title of Iris’s spotlight here at Artpromotivate. She has become known as a “professional fingerpainting artist”, and is making the big move to New York soon! (Check out her Facebook post: Iris Scott) Congrats Iris on your success!!
   
   
3. Be consistent!
   
   Consistency is key to becoming noticed on the internet. Try to have something to post on social networks every single day – even if you have no new artwork. Also, always keep your artist website updated. There are many examples of possible things to be posted, instead of the usual artwork image:
   • Progression of an artwork
   • Ask a question
   • Talk about upcoming events  
   • Other artist’s work
     
     
4. Have a recognizable style.
   
   All the great artists had their own styles – Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, Rembrandt, etc. Try to develop an original style of your own. With time, when people see new works of yours, they will (hopefully) instantly make the connection with your name.
   
    

For more advice on this topic, please read these posts:

How to Achieve Success Online
Creating an Art Series

Do you have anything to add or any experiences to share? What other ways can artists get noticed online?