Followers have literally become the currency of social networking and can play a key role in your success in both the online and gallery worlds.
- Think of your page as an illustrated ongoing commentary on your progression and evolution as an artist. Make it a good read... and a good see. Develop a consistent storyline or narrative. Focus on your art-related activities, on what you're doing and how you're doing it, like what you're up to in the studio, your latest shows, recent sales, how you decide what to make next, the challenges you face while working on a new piece of art, where you go or what you listen to or read for inspiration, and so on. The best artist Facebook pages make people want to come back for more. Like a page-turner book or a great TV series, fans can't wait for the next exciting episode or adventure.
- Consistency is really important whenever you post. Make sure everything connects up, that there's a flow to what you write and show, and that no matter when or where on your page people join in, they can feel like they've got a grip on things and a sense of who you are and what you're about as an artist. If your page gets too confusing, people will stop following you.
- Make sure your posts relate to your art and art life in one way or another. In other words, stay on topic. Posts on unrelated subjects or aspects of your personal life that have nothing to do with art should probably go elsewhere, perhaps on a personal page viewable only by friends and
relatives. If you do decide to post off-topic, make sure you provide enough in the way of explanation so your art fans can understand.
- "Likes" are OK. "Comments" are better. "Shares" are the best. The lowest level of engagement is clicking "Like" and moving on. Not much action there. Commenting means more and lots of comments on a post often leads to an interesting discussion thread. You know what happens when a thread gets interesting? More people spend more time reading it which also means they're spending more time around your art. You know what happens when a thread gets REALLY interesting?
It gets shared. And "Shares" are what you want; that's the highest level of Facebook engagement and the single best way for new people to get introduced to your work, by friends who share your posts (and art) with their friends.
Khipuz - Art Business
9
15