How to make yourself known as an artist

At a time of globalization and the development of digital platforms, all professional artists are faced with this problem: making themselves known as an artist .

As we mentioned in the article “ artistic career ”, becoming a famous artist is not an easy task! Developing your network of influence in the art world requires specific and varied skills, as well as significant and regular effort.

Staying holed up in your artist's studio, solely immersed in the creation of your works, is obviously not the best solution. In this article, you will find all the levers to pull to make your works known, and to improve your popularity as an artist. This complete file will allow you to develop your project and implement an effective strategy, with numerous advice from professionals in the world of communication and marketing.

However, if developing a communication approach is essential today to make yourself known, it is not a question of losing your passion and your soul either. It's up to each artist to find the right balance, with the tools that suit them.

In our work at the Art4You gallery, we are confronted daily with these aspects. Making our artists known and promoted is at the heart of our concerns. Our own promotional work, as well as the numerous exchanges we have with artists, the public and communication and art professionals, gives us today a good vision of the subject, which we want to share with you.

In the program :

Prepare your “artist message”
To distinguish oneself
Define your content communication on the internet and social networks
Build your address book in the art world
Exhibit your works by integrating communication
Get articles about your work as an artist
Use the services of an art gallery

Prepare a coherent and persuasive speech

Some artists are very good at talking about and promoting their art. Others are less comfortable in this area, for different reasons. If your work is very instinctive, or if you are naturally reserved, you may have difficulty putting yourself forward and explaining your artistic approach.

But whatever your stance on this, you should definitely craft and polish your speech.

Whether in elevator pitch mode or in a more detailed format, you need to prepare. To answer questions from the public during your exhibitions, or if you are interviewed to talk about your works, it is in your best interest to have a well-rehearsed speech, which has a positive impact on listeners.

It is advisable to write down an outline of this speech on paper.

You will be able to practice unfolding it in different formats and as you get inspired.

Ideally, you should present this message to people around you, or better yet to art professionals. Their feedback will allow you to refine your communication.

This speech can then serve as a basis for your various media, whether verbal, written or digital.

It will form the basis of your communication strategy .

Stand out / be divisive / create buzz

Since the end of the thirty glorious years, consumer habits and marketing have changed profoundly.

From “Mass Market” which consisted of selling the same product en masse to as many people as possible, we have practically moved to “One to One”. The strong individualization of our societies has undoubtedly impacted this phenomenon.

Today we are addressing increasingly narrow “niches”.

What now appears obvious is that by wanting to talk to everyone, we reach no one!

Some people and even brands no longer hesitate to be divisive.

By addressing a well-targeted audience, we are more assured of attracting their support. Even if it means seeing a large number turn away. In any case, the latter would have been too difficult to convince.

Furthermore, cleavage often causes what is called “buzz”.

This phenomenon, very present on social networks, allows people to “talk”, which constitutes very powerful advertising. Because being known, even in a bad way, always has positive repercussions.

The contemporary art market is no stranger to this phenomenon, quite the contrary!

The reasons for the divide may be a desire on the part of artists to denounce the establishment, or to renew a conventional way of conceiving art. They are sometimes also purely mercantile.

But in all cases, it will not escape you that the discourse of artists who succeed in becoming known through this medium is always well rehearsed.

However, time will judge. It is a safe bet that committed and provocative artists, like Marcel Duchamp, will remain engraved in the history of art. For “cheaters”, fashion risks passing very quickly. That being said, everyone decides how they operate, with their own values.

The artist's characteristic has always been to differentiate himself from ordinary mortals.

Do not hesitate to assert your difference and your particularities, this is obviously what makes you original and what makes your work unique.

Being divisive is in fashion, so take advantage of it!

Internet and social networks: the creation and animation of a community

On the Internet, content is king. Whether it is a showcase site on the web to exhibit your works, a blog, communication on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok, the important thing is to take care of your content. Make it unique for each platform.

Algorithms fight against content duplication. Images must also be unique. On the other hand, your works must be considered “products”. The image of a painting displayed on different art galleries will in principle be recognized as such and not considered as duplicate content (provided that the algorithms work well, because they have their shortcomings..).

Your publications must interest the public. Don't be self-centered. Show empathy and imagine what people would like to see and read.

SEO on Google

Google dominates the search engine market worldwide, except in China and Russia. In France, Google Search captures more than 90% of Internet searches. We will remain focused on the known algorithms of this engine, knowing that competitors, like Bing, operate more or less similarly.

Do not paraphrase content that already exists on the web. Google seeks above all to satisfy Internet users by providing them with original information.

Rather than giving the search engine what it already has for a long time, give it what it doesn't have yet. If he likes this content, you have won and he can be at the top of the results.

All this is quite complex in detail, but rest assured, here we give you the essentials for success.

There are only 3 levers to rank well in Google:

- The technical lever: correctly built and configured site, sufficiently fast hosting

- The quality of the page content: Text, images, sound, video

- External links to your page (backlinks) Note: internal links to your site are also important, but we will not go into detail here. Just be aware that this mainly concerns sites that host a very large number of pages.

Is your site “mobile responsive”?

Make sure your site is optimized for mobile devices. Today, mobile browsers on smartphones represent the vast majority. They are clearly favored by search engines.

Your site must be fast. A page load time of 5 seconds is just acceptable on a desktop, but way too long for a mobile user.

This represents the technical aspect. Note that a fast site does not benefit from a ranking bonus. On the other hand, a slow site risks ending up in oblivion.

Get links to your site

Contact people around you who run websites, and ask them to link to your site. Links, called “backlinks”, are the most powerful vector for moving your site up in Google rankings. If these links are themed and also talk about art, it's even better. The vast majority of links arrive on your home page, which is quite natural. But you can also get links to a deeper page, the description of a painting or a particular article.

Some companies may offer you the sale of links. This solution is possible, provided you do not abuse it.

At the beginning, you have few or no connections. Do not exceed 3 or 4 new links per week, at the risk of seeing your site penalized by Google, which then considers that you are trying to cheat with its algorithm. When you have at least 50 links, you can start gradually increasing the frequency. Note that during a particular event, such as a painting exhibition, or an article in a newspaper, it is natural that you suddenly benefit from additional links. Even more so if it is a television appearance or a prestigious prize, such as that of the Pernod-Ricard foundation.

Don't hesitate to create a blog about your personal art gallery, and regularly enrich it with articles. They will be able to talk about art, of course, but why not also about any other theme that can be linked to the artistic universe. This only enriches the semantics of the site, which is often beneficial for traffic.

When writing an article, aim for a keyword.

- This keyword must be part of your Title (H1)

- If you get involved in the administration of your site, your keyword must also be present in the Title tag. This is the text that appears in blue on the search results. The description field corresponds to the text that appears under the link. It has no influence on the page ranking. On the other hand, it has one on visitor behavior. The goal here is to make them want to click on your page.

- Start your article with a paragraph that summarizes the article and contains the semantic surroundings of the keyword. The algorithms should be able to “guess” the keyword.

- A few years ago, the simple act of “stuffing” the text by repeating the keyword as much as possible was enough to bring the page up to the first position. This time is over and this type of practice risks seeing your page penalized. Note that the closer a page gets to the top positions, the more numerous and “severe” the algorithms become. You can use your keyword from time to time in the text, but don't overdo it.

- Structure your articles The article must have a title (H1) The subtitles are hierarchical (h2, h3, etc.). Make sure there are no breaks in titles, for example an H1 followed by an h3.

- Finally, try to think of a typical character who matches your audience. Write for this character, address them directly. You can even go so far as to create a “buyer persona” sheet, giving them an age, a profile, a name, etc. This method is used in many areas, and particularly in web marketing.

When it comes to your site, your Artist Name will obviously be the main keyword.

Social networks

Today, social networks seem to be taking over the web. In fact, applications such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, Linkedin, etc. and the web form an eco-system of complementary elements.

If you are not familiar with SEO techniques, you can follow various tutorials and training courses, but here we will give you the essential secrets of success.

The formats are different on each platform. Vertical images (portrait format) are preferred on Instagram, for example. On TikTok, you'll typically post very short videos, whereas YouTube visitors may be interested in much longer content.

We will not go into detail here about the algorithms specific to each platform.

However, there are common points to be aware of.

Interactions with content promote SEO, mainly within an hour of a publication. This is especially true for Linkedin.

So choose the times of your publications carefully.

Comments are much more valued than “Likes”. The ratio is at least 1 to 20.

To engage Internet users, do not hesitate to post comments on other people's posts. Whether it's other artists, potential buyers, galleries, it doesn't matter. This is a great way to start conversations and attract people to your profile. If they like your content, these visitors will subscribe in return and will constitute your community of “fans”.

When you post comments, try to be interesting, to provide an original point of view, even if it is divisive. This often prompts responses, which is very profitable. Don’t settle for short comments like “great”, “very nice work” or “excellent”. Try to expand on the point a little.

You should expect this interaction phase to be time-consuming. At first, you should spend at least one to two hours a day on it. But when you reach a certain stage, most of the animation will be provided by your community. You will then only have to make a few interventions from time to time, to respond or to restart the dynamic.

The content calendar

Ideally, you should schedule a content calendar for your social networks. You will choose your publication frequency, for example one per day, per week or per month (this is the minimum).

Create a table and plan your publications by indicating the theme, format, expected duration, recording date.

You should then get down to creating your content in advance. For example, you can dedicate a day to creating different content. This will allow you to build up a stock, which will save you the stress of running out. If you can get several months in advance, that's great! Furthermore, this does not prevent you from producing topical content during an event, such as a new creation, an exhibition or a special meeting. It will be a bonus.

Attention! If interactions require less time after a launch period, the publication of content must still maintain a certain rhythm. You can take breaks, but don't be gone for too long or you risk losing subscribers.

Contacts in the art world

In all professional fields, in any social activity, having a good address book is a strategic element.

For the artist, often isolated in his studio, creating and maintaining contacts in the art world is a question of survival.

It is essential to devote time and energy to building professional relationships with buyers, gallery owners, exhibition organizers, collectors, the press, various suppliers, as well as with other artists.

This not only prevents you from falling into professional isolation, but also allows you to benefit from discussions about the profession, good tips and artistic opportunities.

Once created, this file must be maintained, updated and above all used.

Do not hesitate to regularly send messages to all your contacts.

Whether through e-mail campaigns, or better yet, by sending a card with a friendly note, there is no shortage of opportunities to reconnect. Don't just wait for end-of-year greetings to remind your correspondents of your existence. These exchanges are very often occasions for opportunities (sales, exhibitions, collaboration proposals, etc.).

If this speech seems to break open doors, it is unfortunately a situation that we have witnessed too often.

Exhibit your work / Art competitions

We won't teach you anything by telling you that exhibiting your works still remains “The” most effective way to make yourself known. Exhibiting your work allows not only to make it known to the public, but also to confront your works with views that are not always friendly. Exhibitions force you to put yourself forward, present your achievements and talk about them.

Exhibiting your work in your region is generally accessible, provided you have some good contacts. But depending on your ambition and your desires, exhibiting in other regions or abroad can bring you new opportunities to sell and make yourself known internationally.

To be able to participate in major exhibitions, you will generally have to go through the gallery filter.

Participating in art competitions is also an interesting challenge. Preferably choose competitions in which you have every chance of passing the selection, but some difficulty in obtaining a prize. If you get it, the satisfaction will be even greater. Furthermore, the prices obtained during competitions contribute to the development of the artist rating.

It is also often an opportunity to obtain a press article, which you can relay in your communication.

The strategy for getting an article in a newspaper or on the internet

Getting an article about you in a newspaper may seem unattainable. However, it is often much easier than you might think.

The local press is often lacking information.

You can call the editorial staff of local newspapers and simply ask them if they are interested in an article about you. Of course, you have to take advantage of a particular event to launch this type of operation. The local press can have a significant impact on your popularity. Generally, the article will also be published on the internet. This is your opportunity to request a link to your site.

To get an article on an art blog, it's pretty much the same thing.

Asking costs nothing, and you will be surprised to discover that bloggers are very often looking for content ideas.

For the national and international press, it is more difficult, but the same principle applies. A good method is to target a journalist well before asking them to write this article. Find his email and comment positively on some of his articles. Add some relevant remarks. Repeat the operation from time to time. It is likely that at first, your message will end up in the recipient's trash. But with perseverance, there is a good chance that the journalist will eventually read your messages and validate your address as the sender.

You can then submit your project to him. Remember that journalists are always looking for information, and that they often lack content and find themselves “out of power”.

You could then do them a good service.

Prepare a press release (CP)

For writing the CP, you will follow rules similar to those for a blog article:

- Make a short title (around ten words maximum)

- The hat is an introduction that summarizes your press release. Again, keep it short. Fifty words seem more than enough.

- The text must be concise and must go to the point, without detours or puns. The aim is to prevent the journalist from wasting his time. A length of 300 words seems to me to be a maximum. Aim for 200 words instead.

- At the top or bottom of your CP, write a contact very visibly, with the Name, telephone number and email address.

Attention! A press release is not an advertisement. Keep your tone factual and avoid promoting yourself.

Write your CP directly in the body of the email, not in an attached file. In the majority of cases, the attachments are not even opened and the email goes directly to the trash.

If it doesn't seem to be working, don't give up and keep going.

Because as the saying goes: “He who tries nothing, achieves nothing”.

The art gallery and artist services

Your art gallery, online or physical, also has the mission of making you known.

Some of them offer real services to artists.

Do not hesitate to ask your gallery owner about this.

On the gallery website, you probably have your artist page. Generally, the gallery implements means to properly reference this page. Perhaps it is in your interest to make this page “go up” by linking it from your site?

The gallery also communicates on the events in which it participates. If you are one of them, it can also influence your popularity as an artist.

Conclusion

Making yourself known as an artist is not an easy task, because the competition is tough.

However, there are many levers to increase your visibility. To put all the chances on your side, we advise you to work on the following areas:

Have a prepared and rehearsed speech on your artistic approach, to convince gallery owners, buyers and collectors. This message forms the basis of a communication strategy.
Ensure a presence on the Internet and social networks, in order to create, animate and retain the loyalty of a community. To succeed in this field, you will need to develop a content strategy and publishing schedule.
Increasing the number of exhibitions of your works at the local, national or international level, depending on your ambitions, remains a traditional but nevertheless very effective way to increase your popularity, as does participating in competitions with a view to obtaining a prize.
Don't neglect the role of your art gallery. A point of connection with art professionals, collectors, the public and artists, the gallery has an important role to play in your communication.

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