It goes without saying that if you’re not on social media today, whether as an artist, a small business, or a big brand, you’re truly missing out on HUGE possibilities to be seen and/or sell. As artists, it may be the least of your concerns but as a Social Media Manager I’m telling you that it shouldn’t be! People are becoming more and more visual, so artists have a unique advantage in an increasing visual and digital world. Content is now very easy to create and the fact that not everything needs to be curated and look perfect takes a lot of pressure off artists and visual creators; people want to see raw and real content. With that said, getting started or maintaining a presence on social media can feel a little intimidating and overwhelming at times specially with so many new apps and platform updates popping up almost every day. That’s why I’ve put together a list of the top 3 social media platforms emerging artists can get started on easily.

First and foremost is the oh-so-famous Instagram! Instagram is a visual-based platform, PERFECT for artists and visual creatives. While people are hesitant to start fresh on Instagram because the algorithm is difficult to beat, the most important thing to keep in mind today is that, as per the CEO, Instagram will be focusing on short-form video content, specifically Reels. Reels are easy to create (nothing a 5-minute YouTube video can’t teach you!). Consistently creating eye-catching Reels already puts you ahead in the game. Instagram is also an amazing platform for networking and building an online community.

Facebook – the OG social media platform – is also a very good platform for artists. It allows artists to create a professional business page to promote products and services, as well as groups to interact with like-minded community members. The downside to Facebook is that organic (unpaid) growth is difficult to achieve, and the platform will encourage users to pay for ads to get exposure.

Last but certainly not least, is TikTok. With its rise to fame during the global pandemic of 2020, TikTok has become more than just a platform where Gen Z create fun dances to trending sounds. Small business and artists are using the platform in a fun and engaging way to both build a community and land sales. There are endless possibilities to the kinds of videos artists can post and it’s important to note that TikToks can be repurposed as Instagram Reels – just make sure you don’t have the app’s watermark visible on the video! The downside to TikTok is that you need to thoroughly research your target audience to make sure that they’re present on the platform, otherwise your content won’t be reaching them. The app’s demographics are not the same as Instagram & Facebook and it’s important to keep that in mind when deciding whether to create a presence on the platform.

Having a presence on social media requires time and effort, whether it’s engaging with other creatives and/or potential customers, creating content or doing some market research. But if done right, the benefits outweigh the investments of time and effort. If big artists like Kaws, Banksy and many more think it’s a good idea to be on social media, then you should too! It all comes down to where you want to have that presence. As mentioned in a previous blog post titled Social Media Marketing for Artists, pick one platform, master it, and then move on to another one.