60 artistFebruary 2021 http://www.painters-online.co.ukTAA
s an artist you want to spend
most of your time doing what
you love: making art. But to
build a successful career,
you also have to become
your own publicist, manager,
and marketeer. Branding and marketing –
especially on social media – have become
vital tools for today’s artists. Although
it might sound foreign at first, viewing
yourself as a brand is actually a powerful
tool to develop your career and your art, as
it requires an awareness of your craft, your
values and your goals – in other words,
what makes you unique. The following five
elements are essential for building your own
artistic brand on social media.Authenticity
It’s part of your practice as an artist to know
what you want to share with the world
and to grow confident in your own voice.
Creating your visual identity and finding
the right words to define it is somethingthat builds over time – but if you haven’t yet
given it some thought, take a moment to ask
yourself what your brand is. Start by asking
yourself the following questions: where are
you from? What are you passionate about?
What are the main subjects and themes
you explore in your work? Which media
do you use? What values would you like to
convey through your art? This should get
you started on a journey towards finding
out who you are as an artist and, just as
importantly, how you want others to
perceive your work.Diversification
In the world of Instagram and TikTok, it’s no
longer enough to have a website with your
CV and portfolio, you have to bring people
to it. Think about all the channels that are
available to you: social media (Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn,
YouTube, etc.), and also your emailing list
and the press. Putting your name out there
is a multi-layered and circular process, each
channel feeding the others. For instance, you
can encourage your social media followers
to subscribe to your e-newsletter in order
to get news from you before everyone else,
or share a print article about your latest
exhibition on all of your online platforms.Editing
Imagine you’re preparing a solo exhibition
in a physical gallery space. You most likely
wouldn’t put anything and everything
up on the wall. Instead, you would go
through your work, choose the strongest
pieces and display them in the best light
possible. Channels such as your website
and Instagram feed are no different – you
can think of them as a solo show for which
you are the artist, curator, writer, public
relations manager, and gallerist all at once.
You make all the creative decisions! By all
means, keep experimenting and creating to
your heart’s desire but also make sure to get
good pictures of your work, select and edit
the best ones, and put some thought into
curating what you put out into the world.Consistency
A crucial part of branding is staying true
to yourself and to your art. This means not
sharing anything that isn’t true to you or
that clashes with your work – it’s important
to know what your visual and conceptual
identity is and to present that at all times.
As your social media accounts are dedicated
to promoting your art, it’s best only to share
things that relate to your own work; for
instance, unless your work is deeply political,
think twice about posting your personal
beliefs on issues that could divide your
audience and take attention away from your
brand.
Every element of your social media profiles
should convey who you are as a creative- starting with your profile picture. This is
the image that will come up first on your
page and that will accompany everything
you post, so your followers will identify you
with it. The best option is to take a close-
up picture of yourself with something that
inspires you in the background or, better yet,
your own work. You can also use a logo or
the piece that you think most representative
of your practice as a whole.
Connection
The ultimate goal of social media is to
be social (yes, the clue is in the name).
In your case, this could mean creating a
community of people who love what you
create, building a network of artists and art
collectors, or finding gallerists and curators
who would like to work with you. The
important thing here is to build a connection
with your audience and to sustain it over
time. Put a little bit of energy into using the
different platforms and getting familiar with
them. This doesn’t need to be overly time-
consuming and take you away from your
studio – 10 to 15 minutes a day are enough
to get you started. Find other users you want
to interact with, follow their pages, like their
content, and leave insightful comments
(something a bit longer and personal than a
generic ‘great work!’).How to use social media to
make a name for yourself
ARTISTS’ PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: 1ST OF 6
We begin a new series of articles by Marine Costello
who shares her knowledge on how to build a
successful career as an artist in our digital world
Marine Costello,
Communications Officer at Parker Harris
Parker Harris was created by Emma Parker
and Penny Harris in 1990 and it is now one
of the leading visual arts consultancies in
the UK. Parker Harris manage some of the
most important art prizes and exhibitions
in the UK and mentor artists through all
aspects of their careers. To learn more about
their professional development and online
marketing coaching programmes,
email [email protected]. You can
also stay in touch with Parker Harris
on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at @
ParkerHarrisCo.