As someone in the older sector of “Millennials“, I have seen a major transition in what the younger generation believes is necessary to market their art and find clients for their style. Most know that older generations of artist understand and fully believe in showing their art in galleries and other in-person venues. In the same vein, most know young artists believe your instagram follow count directly correlates to sales.
Today I want to share my personal experience and why both avenues work hand in hand. At times, social media marketing is very successful for sharing what you are currently creating and can reach people that are outside of the town you live in. The unfortunate downsides come into play when you want to show the scale of an artwork. Many of my 4 foot paintings shocked my supporters at art shows because they only saw them on a 3 inch phone screen. With that said, I know artists posting photos of their work on social media that aren’t able to get a strong following because they have poorly thought out captions and their photo documentation skills are dismal. Without the proper marketing skills you can hurt your career more than help it.
The reality with showing in pop up shows, galleries, and museums is that many more people can stumble onto your work that didn’t know you existed. Remember with social media, you are spoon fed certain artists onto your feed. People can’t type into the search bar “emerging artists that should be noticed” so there is very little chance you will be seen. But if your art is hanging in a local shop or gallery, people of all ages can see your work in person and then choose to follow you online to stay updated on your future shows and see a wider variety of your art. Another thing to consider is that most serious art collectors (and people with the ability to afford high-end art) is older than 40 years old. They are most likely too busy to spend endless hours scrolling on social media looking for $20 digital commissions.
From everything I have written, here are a few major takeaways to think about: How you price and market your artwork with directly shape who your potential market of buyers are. The more time, effort, and money you put in will also change what is possible and how effective your efforts are. What you put in is what you get out of it. Success is a slow marathon. You will have major wins along the way, but be sure to prepare for the lowest of lows in order to stay afloat long enough for your next success.
Best of luck to all of you creatives on your journey!