Expert Advice on Social Media and Websites for Artists

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Social media for artists can be a drain on our resources, often because we expect too much from it. It can be helpful to think of it as one useful tool rather than the whole box. This article is less about how to get a high follower count and more about identifying the purpose of your social media to help you approach it more effectively. I will also share insights on the necessity of a website and benefits of newsletters.

Claudia

What’s the Purpose of Your Social Media?

Figuring out the purpose of your social media accounts is the key to their ‘success’. And the success may come in many different forms. Are you looking to connect with your community? Build an audience for your work? Use it as a selling platform? I like the word platform because it suggests something to dive off and build from. Whether that’s simply directing people to your website or initiating an in-person meeting with someone at an event. It’s not the whole story, just the opening chapter. So with that in mind, try not to put too much emphasis on its immediate return.

You may have all of these objectives, but, to begin with, it’s more realistic to focus on one at a time. We need community first, audience second, and then the selling strategy can begin. Tailor your content and approach to suit the phase you are in.

Eleanor Johnson, First Prize Winner of Jackson’s Art Prize,
2025’s Instagram Account

Align your Approach with Your Purpose

The majority of artists I know are using social media as a point of sale. Whether that’s directly through the platform or to secure future exhibiting opportunities, the work they post is available to buy. Yet, on the majority of artists’ accounts, it’s unclear as to what is for sale or how to buy it.

If you are looking to use social media to sell your work, here are some questions you can ask yourself:

Clarity:

Is this piece of work for sale? What are the artwork details? Is it available through you or a representative?

Consistency:

Are you presenting a cohesive practice? Does the work all make sense together?

Catalogue:

Does your feed look tidy like a catalogue or portfolio? Too many repeats of old exhibition posters can clog things up.

Current:

Is this work relevant to your current practice? Do you need to archive some posts that are no longer aligned with your offering?

Claudia Kennaugh, Art and People Instagram Account

ACTIVITY

Do one thing a day or week that supports your intentions:

Build Community:

Comment on an artist’s work you admire or find out where they are next exhibiting and show up.

Expand Your Audience:

Share the invite to a gallery opening on your stories, buddy up with another artist and visit.

Make Sales:

Post a new piece of work for sale or available for commission. If you’re on Instagram, send it as a direct message to a gallery, interior designer, or art advisor and ask your friends to share it in their stories.

Do I Need to Keep Up with Trends?

Trends are not something I encourage people to pay attention to, but you could see them as an opportunity to experiment. When Instagram reels became popular, everyone assumed that they needed to spend hours composing them just to be seen. Or that they needed to put themselves in front of the camera, even if it made them uncomfortable. A newer trend on social media for artists is overlaying words on the screen of your posts or reels. This can be helpful for accessibility reasons and getting your message across. So ask yourself: “Why is this trend relevant to my practice?” Try it out and only continue if it feels authentic, and isn’t too time consuming.

Be wary of trends such as the work in progress and process video. It can take away the magic for the viewer and, more importantly, could affect your perspective on the work at a vulnerable stage. You may also be giving away some valuable trade secrets.

TIP: The one algorithm trick I follow on Instagram is to post a story at the same time as a new post. Something related to the topic but from a different perspective. This drives traffic to your new post. The more engagement your post has in the first few hours, the more favoured it is by the algorithm.

Jackson’s Art Prize Instagram Account

Websites for Artists

With the rise in social media for artists, people often ask me: “Do I still need a website?” The answer is YES. This is your chance to showcase the full breadth of practice: from the concept in your Artist Statement to the context in your CV, current bodies of work, and recently sold works. That being said, your website wants to be as simple as possible. This is not a dusty encyclopaedia of everything you have ever done but a clean ‘shop window’ into your current practice.

Just like your social media, websites for artists need to be clear, cohesive, and current. So ask yourself the same questions as you did in the section above: Align your Approach with Your Purpose. You want the entirety of your online presence to all feel like the same landscape, otherwise people get confused.

When I start sourcing artwork for a project, I will look at the artist’s Instagram page and website to see what work is available to buy. If it’s unclear as to what the artwork details are, what is available, or the navigation is complicated, this slows down the process. So make sure it’s clear, simple and updated.

Do I Need to Create A Newsletter?

I receive some lovely newsletters from artists, which are very helpful to my work as an art advisor. It’s far more nourishing for me to see what you are working on this way than leaving it to a chance scroll. I have ‘opted in’ to your mailing list, which means I am interested, and you can share your news more confidently.

Newsletters can also be a helpful hook to drive traffic to your website, which is especially useful if it has an e-commerce function and is easy to buy from. Keep the text short, sweet and try to keep some consistency in the format. Focus on no more than three to four segments. People have short attention spans.

Have a go at reviewing your online presence to check in with whether it’s working for you, or if you’re working too hard for it. You want to save that precious energy for making work.

Expert Coaching Webinars With Claudia Kennaugh

Over the past few months, we asked the Jackson’s community what they wanted to know most about building a career in art. Based on your responses, we’ve created six webinars in collaboration with Claudia to explore these key topics. Each session is packed with valuable insights to help you grow and succeed as an artist, plus a live Q&A where you can ask your own questions.

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