One of the most effective ways to expand your art-related business is through Instagram. You only need a phone and internet access to connect with your ideal clients right away. It’s true: it’s possible you can book out your beautiful handmade products, paintings, or actually almost anything entirely through organic reach if you develop a strong content strategy and focus on building meaningful relationships with your community and the target audience you need to reach. I have real-life evidence as proof!
What is the good and bad news?
Hm. There is only one thing standing in your way—the one thing you need.
A thought-out strategy to help you achieve your goals.
I’ve broken down the best Instagram tips for art accounts, from finding a niche to hashtag research and, of course, using video content to your advantage. So what should you do to bring your higher engagement back to life and boost your profile so it starts growing again? That’s what we’re going to talk about!
What exactly are we going to discuss today? 🕵️
Audit Your Instagram BIO
Is your BIO stating who your ideal follower is?
Is it attracting new potential followers and making them click that “follow” button?
Does it include your mission and the purpose of your profile?
Does it say who you are?
When you decide on your art niche, a polished bio description will help you stand out from the crowd. You’re not another “artist” trying to make it big. You’re “that oil color painter” or “that Etsy talented girl selling handmade shirts”.
Use Instagram SEO
I’m completely serious – it’s time to flex your search engine optimization muscles to make growth possible.
With Instagram’s recent algorithm upgrades, now is the perfect time for those wanting to update their ‘Gram Hashtag strategy. Using the right, niche combination of hashtags in your posts (and Reels) will definitely expose your content to a large and targeted audience. Your chances of attracting new people interested in what you have to offer, and increasing engagement are vastly increased by the use of the RIGHT hashtags.
Protip: When you use hashtags that have nothing to do with your content, IT’S THE WORST. Someone is searching that hashtag to look up specific inspiration, and it’s a massive letdown when they tap on something and it’s about speeding up your metabolism instead of traveling to Italy. Don’t do that.
How to find the most relevant niche hashtags for your posts?
There are two smart options (actually, the second one is smarter and will save your time, but hey, NO SPOILERS).
- Investigate the Instagram explore page. Search for a hashtag related to your niche and tap on “top” results. Investigate the results and make notes of the hashtags each post is using.
- The option above is “a basic one”. It’s good, but it includes some guesswork because you don’t really know what hashtag volume is right for you, and which of the hashtags you look at are trending, and have the highest potential to boost your growth. That’s why the second option is much smarter – doing it with a hashtag research tool.
Actually, I won’t recommend a tool that’s dedicated to hashtag research, because I know investing in 5 tools can seem overwhelming. Or, let’s be real: it is overwhelming.
Fortunately, you can find all-in-one tools on the market, that have all the features included, and you don’t need a separate tool for hashtag research, a different tool for in-depth analytics (more complex and detailed than the one you have in the Instagram-in-app analytics), Reels Metrics, and your audience analysis.
The tool I’m using is IQ Hashtags – I love it, as I get access to a variety of helpful insights and resources, so that I can create compelling Instagram content that increases my engagement, and my organic reach.
Collaborate With Other Creators With the Similar Target Audience.
It’s cliche Instagram advice in a nutshell, huh, amirite? But as eye-roll-inducing as it is, there is – believe me! – a kernel of bigger truth to it.
A really great strategy for attracting your niche-specific followers is to approach another art biz and offer them a barter/an exchange. The rule is simple: you’ll post something of theirs, and – woohoo – they’ll post something of yours
If each of you includes in the caption the reasons why your followers should follow the other, you are effectively sharing (and swapping!) the most valuable audiences.
This is a hugely beneficial networking opportunity and a great way to learn from others in your chosen niche.
Protip? Make sure the accounts you approach have a similar amount of followers.
To Wrap-Up!
That’s a wrap! If you’re an aspiring creator or biz owner looking to take Instagram seriously in 2023, do check out our other articles 🥳
P.S. What Instagram improvement will you make to your profile this month?