How To Sell Art On Instagram

Social media is an increasingly important tool that artists should fully embrace. As a recent report shows, 45% of art buyers regard social media as one of the most important channels to discover and find artists, and 91% of the galleries surveyed said that they actively use social media to promote their gallery. Instagram is currently the most popular social media platform with over a billion active monthly users (approximately 13% of the global population). 

Instagram has become increasingly crucial in the art world as galleries and artists now use the platform to reach the younger generation of art buyers. Generally speaking, the younger a buyer is, the more time they spend on Instagram. The advantages of Instagram for artists are:

• It’s free. Artists can maintain complete control of their own online presence, digitally showcase works, interact with a wide audience, and arrange sales, all for the low, low price of $0
• It allows users to display images in a digital space that already hosts thousands of collectors and gallerists
• Not only can buyers interact directly with artists via direct messages (DMs), but they can also request sales through this format
• Artists are capable of building up a steady and loyal following, whom they can keep updated on current projects or their daily life with their “story” feature
• It’s free advertising for your work

A note of caution: appealing though all these features may be, it is important to balance your time and not get lost in the app since, although Instagram offers access to buyers across the globe, it is primarily used for research and not for sales. 

Tyler Mitchell is a great example of an artist who used Instagram to advance in his career. He might well be one of today’s most talked about photographers. Tyler graduated from the Tisch School of The Arts in 2017 and has quickly risen to the surface of the photography world. He is best known for his shoot with Beyoncé for the September 2018 issue of Vogue, which he did when he was only twenty-three years old. In 2019, Tyler had his first solo exhibition at the Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam, which later traveled to the International Center of Photography in New York where it was shown in 2020. In 2022 he opened his first solo show with Gagosian gallery in London. I interviewed Tyler to find out how he uses Instagram to promote his brand and network. In this video which registered students can watch, he explains his techniques.

I know: Building up followers can be tricky, especially since Instagram has matured and users are more reluctant to add new accounts. The days when you were able to get 10,000 followers fast are over. Still, there are a few ways to grow your follower numbers. Tim Bengel (@timbengel) gained half a million followers on Facebook and over 200,000 on Instagram in less than a few months. I also interviewed him in my online class. 

Tyler and Tim’s interview, as well as very specific insights, such as how often to post, how to build a following, and what to post, I share in my online class. And you can watch interviews I did with artists who rose to prominence through their online media presence. Learning from them will help you to better understand how to best use Instagram for your advantage - without spending too much time on it. You can sign up via the link below and benefit immediately from my lectures and from expert interviews. 

Best, Magnus

P.s. My online class helps artists to sell more artworks. It’s based on my teaching at Ivy League Universities and 20 years of experience in the art market. And the best art market experts contributed to the class. The class has helped thousands of artists around the world, in every medium and age group. Find out more and sign up to my free masterclass by clickling on the link below.