INSTAGRAM MARKETING FOR MAKERS

As a visual platform, Instagram is the perfect outlet for Artists and Makers trying to showcase their artwork and creative projects. With a straight-forward feed that puts the images first before anything else, this is a great opportunity to tell a story through your photos and really build up a visually stunning portfolio of your brand.

Moreover, Instagram is an incredibly fast growing platform, so there are great opportunities to showcase your work to a wide-reaching and diverse audience.  As of April 2017, Instagram reported 700 million active monthly users. And with new users signing up every day, the potential to gain a huge following is through the roof.

Research also shows that Instagram works incredibly well as a marketing tool. In fact, the majority of users not only follow friends and family, but also their favorite brands. The fact that you can ‘re-gram’ or share photos means that people often post product photos of cool goods they like, which gives the images a much farther reach. Plus, the number of likes and shares on any given image can tell you a lot about what your audience is really into.

“Instagram overtakes Facebook as the preferred social media of choice for the art world” – Hixcox Online Art Trade Report 2017

Whether you are an Artist who wants to build a business online, increase your audience and client base, or just share your artwork with the world, we think Instagram is a great platform. This is your tool to create a visually compelling story, share each stage of your product development from start to finish with your fans, and get your fans to engaged so they feel like they are part of the process.

 

 

INSTAGRAM MARKETING FOR MAKERS (The Basics)

 

The Instagram app is available on Apple, Android and Windows phones, and signing up is as easy as downloading the app to your phone and entering either your email address or connecting via Facebook. Choose a username that incorporates your business or brand name, and try to keep it the same as or similar to your usernames on other social media platforms.

 

BEFORE YOU START POSTING

 

Your Profile

 

First things first, fill out your profile with all the relevant details, and be sure to tell people all about who you are and what you do in your bio. For example, if you are a painter, a photographer, a food stylist or a graphic designer, add those details because it will make it easier for people to search for and find you. Also be sure to switch off the ‘private account’ tab in your settings so that your profile and feed are open to the public. Finally, include a link to your website so your fans can connect with you outside the platform.

 

Your Vision

 

It is so important, not only with Instagram, but with all marketing platforms for your business that you understand who your customers are. For example, if you are a fashion illustrator and printmaker, your ideal customers is NOT simply anyone with empty wall space in their home. You need to dig a little deeper on this one, so if you have not yet put any thought into who your ideal customer is, there is no time like the present! When you are confident you know who your audience is, then you can start thinking about how to tell your story in a way that is relevant and interesting to them.
 

INSTAGRAM POSTING TIPS

 

Share High-Quality Images

 
The main goal of any Instagram feed should be to catch people’s eyes with visually arresting images that are both unique and memorable. Bright, beautiful, crystal clear photography is more engaging than blurry dark shots or solid blocks of text. Remember that your imagery reflects your brand here, so try to make it count!
 

Tell Your Story

 
Storytelling is so important for engaging your audience, and we think it is a great way to look at content marketing. Each photo you post should be sending a message about your brand, and the aim here is to elicit an emotional response in your followers. Some interesting ways to tell your story on Instagram could include displaying your products in unexpected settings, showing behind-the-scenes shots, or even getting your fans to share their pics that portray a particular theme or story.

 

Be Personal

 
Even though you may be trying to promote your business, not every post has to be a product shot. People like to feel they connect with a brand, so don’t be afraid to reveal a bit of your personality in your images and captions. Share varied content that is interesting, inspiring and relevant to you and your brand, and try to include posts that your audience will find relatable.

 

Share Videos

 
The Instagram video function is an incredibly creative way to take your storytelling to a whole new level. With video your followers can get a better feel for your brand as an experience rather than just a 2-dimensional image. You can use videos to show off new products and their unique features, take people on tours of interesting places, build excitement about upcoming events, or even show your fans a more human side of yourself and your business.
 

Use Text With Images

 
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes a bit of text can help you get your message across quicker and more efficiently. Text overlays are great for branding your image, promoting sales, and sharing tips and inspiring quotes. We particularly like Canva for their free online design tools that allow you to choose from thousands of graphics, filters and fonts.

 

Giveaways and Contests

 
What Instagrammer wouldn’t love the chance to win free stuff, especially if all you have to do to get said stuff is ‘like’ a post, share a photo, re-gram a pic, or follow an Instagram feed. Contests and giveaways are great ways to create a buzz about your business or product, and they almost always result in a slew of new followers and fans. In addition, depending on how you structure your contest, you can also drive people to your website, boutique, gallery or shop.

 

Stream Your Instagram Account On Your Website

 
To get the most out of those gorgeous eye-catching Instagram posts, you might want to consider streaming your latest photos on your website. Not only does this add a bit of eye-candy to your site and encourage people to follow you on Instagram, but it engages your readers and broadens the reach of your brand. Different websites have different capabilities when to comes to streaming your Instagram posts on your website, but we really like SnapWidget for it’s many layout options.
 

Use Instagram To Sell

 
Instagram may be all about the images, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it as a vehicle to sell your products and services too. Eye-popping pics and intriguing videos are great promotional tools that can really create hype about new offerings, and with some strategically placed calls to action you can direct people to your website or a specific product page via the link at the top of your page in your bio.
 

Hashtags

 
We actually get asked a lot about using hashtags, and there are a few key points that we always try to impart. Firstly and most importantly, your hashtags should be relevant to your business or brand. You can ensure this by using the following types of hashtags:

Business Specific:  #ClareHaxbyStudio, #JenniferLimDesign

Post-specific General: These hashtags explain exactly what is in your post, for example, #Art, #Artist, #Artwork, or #Illustration. However, they are very general and many people use them, so there is the greater chance of you being lost in the crowd.

Idea Specific: You can create your own unique hashtag that is relevant to something you have created. This could be anything from your unique business name to a catchy phrase that encompasses your idea. Creative Encourager and Artist Tara Leaver has done this with her #happyartistmovement

Event Specific: For example, the Affordable Art Fair in Singapore uses #AAFsg and #AffordableArtFairSg.

Category Specific: If you create a very specific category of work such as Japanese woodblocks, you might want to use relevant hashtags along the lines of #JapaneseWoodBlock, #JapaneseWoodBlockPrint, or #JapaneseWoodBlockPrints.

With hashtags, it is important to do some research to find out which ones are trending at the moment and out of those, which ones fit with your posts and brand. Keep in mind that numbers are allowed in hashtags but spaces and special characters like % and $ are not. Moreover, you can use up to 30 hashtags per post, but if you try to include more than that your comment won’t post.

Interested in learning more about Hashtags? Download our Ultimate Hashtag Guide for Artists and Creative Entrepreneurs