Here are my top content creation tips for full and part time artists
Pursuing your creative dreams can be both a fulfilling passion but also a super challenging balancing act. Whilst so many of us love creating artwork, it is crucial to be effective with our time management so we can create, market our work and also have work/life balance.
In this blog post, I'll be sharing my top content creation tips tailored specifically for artists which will help you successfully build your creative business, make sales and fulfil your creative dreams,
Develop a Weekly Content Plan
A lot of people suggest batch creating content however I would always recommend creating a loose weekly schedule of the things you would like to post / talk about each day on social media. From 'Tip Tuesday' or 'Work in Progress Wednesday', the world is your oyster when it comes to subjects you can share.
A lot of us get caught in the cycle of just sharing our work but wonder why we are struggling to grow or make sales. The truth is, as creatives, we are our own personal brand so we need to be focusing more on building and nurturing our audience to build trust and relationships.
By creating a content plan rather than batch creating, this will allow you to show up on various social media platforms in a more authentic way with more 'real time' content.
Understand how to really utilise Social Media
Nowadays there are so many social media platforms that it can seem completely overwhelming but it is essential that if you wish to really turn your art into a flourishing business, then you must be willing to learn (and fail sometimes) on all platforms.
Here are my top platforms as an artist and the sort of content that I have found works best:
Facebook - and oldie but still a goodie! Whist video content can perform well, I personally find that static images and photography perform best. Facebook is a very active and engaged community so really use this platform to build and nurture relationships by asking questions, offering value and opening up conversation.
Instagram - Please do not get hung up on the vanity metric at the top of your page (in other words, the amount of followers you have) because this isn't what is important.
Whilst many of us are keen to focus on growth, it is equally just as important to focus on engagement and building relationships (are you noticing a theme here?)
We are all probably aware that Instagram is more of a video app these days and it is possible to see significant growth from reels, however it is still possible to have a thriving art business with a small but engaged community.
So focus on balancing video content to reach new people, static posts to nurture and engage your current audience and stories to share more personal things and build relationships.
TikTok - No it's not just a dancing app! TikTok is much more than this these days! From my personal experience, videos that perform well on instagram do not tend to work so well on TikTok. This is because the algorithm is completely different. Longer videos with a voice over or talking in front of the camera seem to work best on this app. It is a great place to reach new audiences and really allow you as a creative to add a personal flare to the content you are delivering, People buy into people, not things so try and add a bit of your personality or personal story to your content. I would strongly suggest incorporating this platform into your marketing strategy if you haven't already.
YouTube - Both for long and short form video content.
Long form content ideas could be; a time lapse of you working, a tour of your studio space or how you balance creating art with a 9-5 job etc.
Short form content ideas can be the same as what you post on both TikTok and Instagram reels (without the watermark). This is also called repurposed content.
YouTube is a great way to help show the person behind the work, which as I have said many times so far, really helps build relationships and connection.
Pinterest - A hugely underrated platform when it comes to building an art business. It technically isn't a social media platform, it's actually a visual search engine.
The amount of followers you have isn't important as it is about the number of impressions you get. You can repurpose your content from other social media platforms onto your Pinterest page using key words and a link to drive traffic to your website / whatever you are trying to promote.
Like with all social media, consistency is key so by creating a rough plan each week of what and when you wish to post on each platform, it is a great way to build momentum, relationships and increase visibility which is what helps drives sales.
if you would like some content ideas then I have a free resource here:
Record Everything
You do not need the best camera to be able to record yourself or your work. Most people use their phones to take progress photos of their work, film time-lapse's or record videos of every step. This way you will always have plenty of content to post, even when you're not actively working on anything!
Just make sure you always clean your camera lens (even your phone camera!), use good lighting (nothing too harsh or bright - I personally love to use natural daylight!) and don't forget to have fun with it.
You do not have to put yourself on camera if its not something you fee comfortable with at first but over time try and push yourself out of your comfort zone to record little snippets of you creating - people LOVE to see who's behind the work and it helps forge connection which is key.
Pursuing a career in art requires discipline, dedication and consistency. By implementing these tips, you will be able to find balance between creating, marketing and your other life commitments without it becoming overwhelming.
I know how daunting it can feel but try to embrace each step of your journey and remember that it's the little steps which help make the biggest moves.
You've got this!