Content for arts sake
I’ll be focusing on my art from here on out, leaving this blog to rest for a bit.
Thank you to everyone who follows me here.
This is not a NY resolution thing. I don’t really abide by that. You should set goals to achieve them regardless of the time of year.
See you in two weeks! Merry Christmas and all the best in the new year!
For you, as a Gen X artist who wants to speak to the right demographics, you’ll want to be on Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn.
According to my research, Facebook demographics come in with Gen X (ages 35-54) and Millennials (ages 25-34) taking the most space. About 23.5% of users are between 25-34 years old, and 18.2% are 35-44. It is slightly male dominated coming in at 55% male and 44% female. *
Pinterest is heavily female-dominated, with women making up about 77% of users. It is however skewed to Gen Z and millennials (25-34). ** However, I found that between 2015-2024, a significant amount of interior design aesthetic “updates” went towards interior design aspects like furniture, decor, paint etc. and prioritized a modern look. They also included eco-friendly ways to update their homes. (So, no buying cheap art from Home Sense or Winners or wherever you go to get cheap, fast and disposable art. #winning)
And LinkedIn comes in with the highest paid crowd on any of the platforms I mentioned and they’re also the highest educated. They come in with the most earning power of 75K or more in general (US). LinkedIn’s user base primarily consists of Millennials and Gen X, with 47% of users being Millennials (ages 25-34) and 38% being aged 35-54 respectively **
Why are these numbers important? They are your target market, or should be. Unless you’re an outlier. But it’s still very useful to know so you make informed choices.
With this information, you won’t be marketing to the wrong demographic, dancing for the wrong audience (literally), and losing your integrity and stressing. You’ll be on the mark by talking to people your own age and it will be marketing that both you and your audience can understand and appreciate.
And something I’ll say again is that social media for artists isn’t 100% about selling. It’s about nurturing your audience and letting them know you’re alive, making art and are there for them. Commenting, sharing and liking goes a long, long way in this there land of the internet.
Discover proven strategies to make your art shine in a crowded Pinterest space.
Since you’re likely doing this social media thing on your own and standing out can feel like you’re looking for a needle in a haystack. The recommended posting frequency is 3-5 times per week if you’re aiming for growth. How many times per day of those 3-5 times per week? 1-2.
Yikes. Between art and posting (because you likely have more than just Pinterest), how will you ever get it all done? As I have said before elsewhere, schedule your posts and focus on engagement. Engagement is heads and tails more important than likes. Consistency is needed for growth and authority. Engagement allows your fans to meet personally with you. It gives you authenticity and a realness you might miss otherwise. Social media is still somewhat impersonal, real interaction breaks that barrier.
Once per week ensures consistency. Twice enables you to reach different audiences at different times.
What kind of growth can I expect? Again, once per day three times a week enables consistency. Twice per day three to five times a week enables a steady increase over 3-6 months. In saying that, the quality of your pins matters as well (sorry). A quality pin is a bit subjective, but keep it simple. Your niche also matters too. you can expect to double your monthly views with this strategy.
At the end of the day, put your focus on creating high quality pins that resonate with your audience. Consistency and quality are key to creating a loyal following and also driving traffic to your website or long form content choice.
This isn’t controversial (lame), it’s just common sense and it’s helpful for artists to know.
Instead of delving into the abstract and often elusive “why” behind your art, storytelling is far more powerful because it’s grounded in real, relatable experiences. For example, did you go way off the beaten path? Was it raining? Talking about these experiences takes the viewer along for a magical ride and helps them to understand the process. Why you chose that particular colour or chose that type of paint and how difficult it was to blend, etc. will not be as engaging as opposed to how it came about. Furthermore, telling how helps you to talk about your art without coming off as boastful. It showcases your skills and dedication.
Sharing the tangible “how” draws your audience into your creative process and makes them feel a part of your journey. It’s not about saying, “Look how deep and meaningful my work is,” but rather, “I’m inviting you along to experience this journey with me.” This approach is entertaining and it humanizes the experience. It creates an emotional connection between the art and the viewer.
Storytelling helps to build trust and loyalty. It gives the client something to hold onto and take with them by putting it in their home. So give them something that makes them feel special with a special take home story. Sweep them away whenever they look at your piece of art. Whether it be a postcard or a painting.
Finally, from an SEO perspective, the more people talk about you and your work, the more conversations are had and from different perspectives and this boosts visibility. People search for all kinds of artistic processes for all kinds of reasons. By sharing your “how,” you’re not only engaging your audience but building a narrative about your work.
So in the end, it’s about them. People want to experience things. From the comfort of their chair. At home. And they can do this by having a piece of your art. It will transport them to that story, just like sharing your iTunes library with someone. You’re both linked through that connection. It helps Google, it helps you, and it’s the gift that keeps on giving.
I wrote this for my Facebook page.
I’ve been learning a lot about AI and how to use it. And as a traditional artist (uses oil paints, charcoal, pencil, physical stuff, etc.) and who took way too many art history classes, it reminds me of learning about when the camera first came out (late 1800s or so). Everyone lost their minds over it saying it wasn’t “real art”. It’s just a replica. (Some people say the same about painted, photorealistic art saying it’s “just a copy and there’s no imagination or interpretation—the purpose of art they say) 🤷♀️ But that’s a topic for another day.
Then Photoshop and the like came out. Computer graphics improved and artists lost their minds again. “It’s a computer, it’s not real art, it’s fake, and will take away from artists and replace them”, etc etc). But we adapted and learned how to utilize it. Myself included.
And now we arrive at AI and everyone is losing their minds again. Writers and artists alike. So I believe AI will take a turn like that in the past. We’ll learn to adapt and understand how to use it 🤷♀️
So there’s a (very expensive) history lesson in art and its evolution. Roughly speaking.
