Instagram for artists - tested strategies for 2025+

The year 2024 was more than challenging for artists on social media. The times of unchecked growth and effortless community building are over for most. Instagram remains the central platform for the art scene.

Instagram has changed significantly over the years because many questions and challenges have arisen. Is Instagram the optimal social media platform for artists these days? And how can we expand our online target group so that this actually leads to sales, exhibitions and ultimately to a successful artist career?

In this article we are pleased to offer a contemporary perspective on the use of Instagram in order to achieve tangible results in the real (art) world beyond hashtags, likes and followers.

Regardless of what is said about Instagram these days: When you visit an art fair and talk to a collector or gallery owner about an up-and-coming artist, it is very likely that he will first search for information on Instagram before he starts a Google search-this illustrates the importance of Instagram for artists.

your Instagram profile acts as an online portfolio , similar to the website of an artist, also offers a platform for exchange with the art community. However, it is undeniable that Instagram has changed significantly over time and that its influence may have reached its peak through these developments. The constantly changing algorithm keeps many artists at bay and forces us to adapt our strategies to Instagram and rethink.

Various strategies for artists are recommended and discussed on the Internet how to enlarge your fan base to Instagram. But even if these strategies lead to a higher follower number, does that also result in an artistic success? So instead of asking the question of how we can expand our fan base, the more important question should be:

How can we improve the quality of our followers and the interaction with you? "

Before we go to our Instagram strategies to answer these questions, we first want to look at the current Instagram status. What are the biggest challenges and more important: How do we overcome them?

The current status of Instagram for artists

With the introduction of Tikkok , Instagram and other social media such as YouTube started to spread short vertical videos that emulate the Instagram reels. While we used to look at the artists' contributions, which we followed, Instagram's focus is now on "recommended reels" in their feed and, in addition to paid content, also promoted video content.

The impressive Instagram reels of artists show a variety of trends, such as artists who turn and present a painting, abstract painters who spectacularly inject their colors onto the screen, unpacking a canvas or studio fleece covered with plastic film, which show works in the development process or posing with different audio trends in front of the camera.

It is important to note that these reels mainly focus on trends that artists concentrate as social media personality and content creating. In contrast, the art itself often takes a back seat in these videos and plays a subordinate role in the success of the contributions and accounts. This increasingly behaves like influencers and less than traditional artists, since their appearance in front of the camera deviates significantly from what is expected or accepted in the art scene in front of the camera.

The effects of these developments are devastating for many artists and in general for art as such. Traditional pictures that focus on art no longer seem to be suitable for reaching new spectators. It is even more problematic that Follower may no longer be able to see their contributions, since space for proposed reels and paid content must be created. This leads to a drastic decline in range and engagement-something that we can understand our Instagram account

So if you don't follow the current trends, you will be punished. This is honestly also applies to our Instagram channel, as we have decided-even with expenditure-yield considerations-not to take up the Reels and Stories trend. And if you follow the trends, you may not only risk your artistic integrity by giving in to the requirements of algorithm, but also your reputation and your credibility in the high-end art world.

How can we deal with it? We will follow this question below. First of all, however, we would like to represent the basic strategies and optimization options, which of course still form the foundation.

The foundations for Instagram success-a guide for artists

In recent years we have discovered numerous Instagram profiles of artists. We are constantly looking for them, mark their work and follow them while we also document visits to galleries, art fairs and museums. One of the most fascinating aspects of Instagram for me are the digital compounds that I could make with artists, and I feel very lucky that the majority of our followers themselves are artists or actors in the art scene.

At the same time, we are constantly concerned with how to optimally use Instagram. This article has become a little more extensive than it was originally planned. Please see this to me 🙂

Most important tips at a glance:

• Use your real name as user names and, if already assigned, complement terms such as artists, studio or art (or add an underlined or a point).
• Select your most striking and best recognizable work of art as your profile picture.
• Design your biography concisely, professionally and informative and integrate the most important link (e.g. website, press).
• Do not publish more than once a day and keep your content briefly and precisely (long text articles should be avoided). A typical Instagram contribution should be understandable, have relevance at any time and meet a clear purpose (offer added value to the audience).
• Use Instagram stories to use engagement tools such as surveys, questions and music, to share extensive content for an event or to present less high-quality but still interesting content (poorly illuminated or not very beneficial).
• Pay attention to how often you post, what content you share and how you interact with your fellow human beings.
• Behavior on Instagram as you would do in real life (communicate in messages as if you are personally meeting and show respect).

01 Set up a professional account and a meaningful organic

Let's start with the tip of our own IG account: the biography. A professional biography can consist of the following information: your artistic discipline (e.g. painter, multidisciplinary artist, sculptor), nationality, your place of residence and by whom you will be represented. Mark your art galleries in your biography. You can also include all current or upcoming exhibitions in your biography.

However, it is important to keep your biography as simple and concise as possible. Do not discuss your mission or personal story with emojis or long sentences. Stay formally, concise and even a little difficult to grasp.

Make sure you insert the link to your artist's website or the artist website on the website of your gallery or an ongoing exhibition or an ongoing project. The use of a link tree is also possible, but generally established artists will not use any established artists, since it rather corresponds to the behavior of the influencer artists on Instagram. Here, too, the IG appearances of established artists can serve as a great example or source of inspiration for the professional design of your own channel.

A good example of a professional appearance offers @Donnayoungart:

02 Selection of the right user name

People are looking for them (if they are lucky), and if they cannot quickly find them, they will neither mark nor pursue or comment on their work they have seen. So let's make sure that it is as simple as possible for you that you are the artist you are looking for. This is particularly important if your name occurs frequently.

If someone starts a search, they are looking for their name. So if you do not have a pronounced sense of humor like, I recommend you to stay with your own name. Even if this should already be awarded, you can use underlined or points or even better, add terms such as studio or art or artist as a supplement to your user name.

03 Select profile picture

Our advice on the selection of profile images goes in a similar direction as mentioned before. It is important that people realize that they are an artist, even if it only happens on a small scale. The most effective way to achieve this is to design your profile pictures into a unique work of art.

Even well -known artists like Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst practice this. Remember that you only have about two seconds to signal someone that you are an artist. Why shouldn't you put your art in the spotlight on every occasion?

04 Your organic

Design your biography briefly and informative and always integrate essential information such as your website. People click on links in biography much more often than on other areas of Instagram (even more than on "swipe-up" in Stories). This is an additional way to legitimize yourself.

Depending on your degree of professionalism, this can also be an excellent place to highlight your latest press articles or an upcoming exhibition.

Here you can see an excellent example of a successful artist organic:

05 Content: Instagram stories vs. Static content

There are two primary types of content that you can create on Instagram: the Instagram story and the contributions that are stored on your profile and are displayed in the feeds of the users. These two formats differ considerably and should be used in very different ways. In addition, as mentioned at the beginning, there are still the Instagram Reels (short videos for spontaneous posts).

Regular feed posts

Do not publish more than a regular Instagram contribution per day. That is related to the algorithm; If you create more than one contribution, you water down your reach (and your commitment). Stick to one contribution per day and use your stories for additional content. In addition, your content should be short and concise.

As already mentioned, you have about two seconds to communicate with your audience. If it sees a long text block, it will hardly read anything.

A regular Instagram feed contribution should have the following features :

1. Something that is just as relevant and appealing for a person years later as at this moment.
2. It should work independently (even if it is part of a series, such as a work-in-progress contribution).
3. It must have a clear purpose and offer the audience a certain added value (even if this purpose is that I find it cool - it should give people joy).
4. Another tip is to post between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. CET (there was an extensive study of this). I personally prefer to post earlier (between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. CET) or later (between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. CET) to also reach our followers in other time zones. We have observed our audience for a long time and now know what works best for us.

Publish valued content from the industry

A frequent question that arises is, of course, what kind of content should be published to make an outstanding feed that is perceived as professional and high -quality in the eyes of galley heads and collectors. An Instagram feed for artists serves as an extended portfolio in which we can present our works of art and ourselves in different contexts.

The external impression is crucial, and you only have the opportunity for a first impression once in real life and online. Create content not only for a few views and likes. Produce content that make you appear appealing and professional.

Therefore, the following types of articles in successful artists in the "art scene" are particularly popular:

• Different types of contributions to present their works of art professionally and multifaceted
• Photos of works of art - whether new or old - carefully selected
• Pictures of works of art on walls 
• Detailed recordings of works of art
• Representations of works of art in the exhibition context 
• Representations of works of art in the studio environment
• Exhibition contributions with a view of the scenes and high -quality installation views
• Installation views of a past or current exhibition
• Exhibition views during the vernissage
• Pictures of the construction of the exhibition
• Photos of the artist and gallery owner in the exhibition room
• Recordings of an artist discussion
• Contributions about the artist as well as his life and his personality
• Professional portraits of the artist with charismatic and artistic charisma
• Pictures of the artist in his studio
• Recordings of the artist when visiting other artists
• Insights into your private life, while you still remain professional and protect a compensation in favor of art -related content.

Instagram stories

Instagram stories work extremely well. The decisive factor is that you are temporary (specifically said, you only remain visible for 24 hours - unless you are saved as a highlight in your profile). Therefore, Instagram stories are ideal for presenting a narrative and establishing a more personal connection to an audience. An ideal moment to use an Instagram story is if you have a story that can be conveyed gradually.

Each story has a period of 15 seconds, which gives you the opportunity to attract users' attention. If you want to interact with your audience - you can use great tools to establish the contact that is otherwise not available, such as: GIFs (moving stickers), questions, surveys, music, etc. You have a wealth of content for an event.

Story highlights -these pretty little bubbles that are visible in their profile. Think about the main topics of your stories (art fairs, studio insights, galleries, in the studio, travel), but keep the number low. Nobody will want to scroll through more than 4-5 highlights, so just design it. Are you also wondering when the best time is to post? - Whenever it suits you. The best thing about stories is that you can (and should) tell you all day long.

Instagram Reels

In the past, Instagram mainly served as a platform for photos. However, videos have become significantly more important today. In order to take this trend into account, Instagram has introduced a function called Reels (short video clips) that specifically appeals to users' interest in videos.

The Algorithm from Instagram prioritizes Reels and shows them to a larger audience than other posts. ”

If you are creative, you should also deal with this type of contribution to integrate it into your Instagram strategy. It is a good way to achieve new target groups.

Reels are not about marketing their art actively, but rather about sharing valuable information with their audience. It is about building new relationships and maintaining existing contacts. At Reels, the focus is not on the aggressive sale - it is rather about presenting yourself, your art and your brand in an authentic way.

Excellent ideas for Reels:

1. Unveil new work
2. Do a studio tour
3. Show your design process
4. Demonstrate packaging and shipping
5. Show your tools
6. Show how to install your work
7. Show how to set up and clean up your studio
8. Work through sketchbooks or art journals
9. Remove your inspiration
10. Answer a question

An art-influencer that perfectly dominates content strategy and implementation is Mary Lynn Buchanan @Mary_lynn_buchanan:

If you decide to use Reels, you should make sure that the format of your video stands out from the usual Tikok trends and artists, where art is not in the foreground. The average duration of these trend reels is often only a few seconds, and the trends are designed to achieve a wider target group

Remember to carefully present the work of art, use the algorithm or to insert a teaser like "Soon there will be more" into the video. Ultimately, however, the interaction with your audience is very short and superficial, and you may not be aimed at the desired target group - mainly other artists, while at the same time in the eyes of the large collectors or galleries that are looking for new, promising talents could be unprofessional.

06 The "Raster" and the individual contributions

Numerous people are considering the visual structure of their “grids” (in German: raster). Your profile grid , i.e. the entirety of the images that are displayed in your profile, actually plays a subordinate role. The majority of users look at their photos in their feed, get them into news or by chance - a visit to their profile is rather rare.

According to our experience, only 5 to 10 % of the people who see our contributions actually visit our profile (and that is rather the rule).

So where should we go with all these considerations? Better focus on the quality of each individual contribution and not on how it works in combination with its entire content. Your grid may not seem flawless, but if people appreciate their individual contributions, they will win much more loyalty and a committed audience in the long term.

07 Paid growth - Buy Insta Ads & Follower/Likes

Instagram advertising is an effective way to reach a wide audience and quickly increase the number of your followers. They are available in different formats, which are designed to address users in different ways.

Why Instagram advertising is effective

Instagram advertising uses a visually oriented platform, which is characterized by the fact that it captures the attention of users. Users usually spend more time on Instagram with the interaction with content, which makes this platform an ideal place to put their brand in the spotlight. Targeting options play a crucial role . You can specifically address certain demographic characteristics, interests and behaviors and ensure that your ads reach potential followers who are very likely to be interested in their brand.

Facebook ads manager enables comprehensive analysis and retargeting functions . You have the option of monitoring the performance and adapting your campaigns to achieve the best possible results. Instagram advertising also benefits from high interaction rates, which has a positive effect on visibility and the extraction of new followers.

Types of Instagram-Ads

Instagram provides various formats for advertisements, each bringing their own advantages:

• Photo displays : These are simple and effective because they use high -quality images to attract users' attention. They are ideal for putting works in the spotlight or emphasizing central messages.
• Video ads : These enable you to use lively content for up to 60 seconds. Videos can have more captivating and are particularly suitable for stories or for the presentation of works or their creative process.
• Carousel ads : With these formats, users have the option of leafing through several pictures or videos within a single display. They are useful to present different features or several works in a article.
• Stories ads : These appear between the stories of the users and can include both pictures and videos. They are designed in full screen mode and offer an immersive experience, which often leads to higher interaction rates.
• Explore ads : These ads are displayed in the Explore feed and reach users who actively search for new content. This can help to address people who may not yet follow them but have shown interest in similar topics.

Best practices for creating Instagram ads

In order to make effective Instagram ads, it is of great importance to address the right target group and create appealing images These aspects ensure that your ads are observed and increase the commitment.

In addition, you can use marketing agencies to get support for ads or valuable tips.

A. address the right target group

It is essential to know your audience carefully. Use the Targeting options of Instagram to precisely define demographic factors such as age, gender, place of residence and interests.

Create tailor -made target groups based on your current followers and customers. Use Lookalike Audiences to achieve new users who have similarities with those who already interact with their content. Use Instagram's behavioral targeting to address users based on their activities, such as previous interactions with their profile or similar accounts.

Check and optimize your target group segments regularly to ensure that your ads remain relevant and effective. Define clear goals for each campaign , be it the increase in the number of followers, increasing the engagement or improving the conversions.

B. Creation captivating visuals

Visual content is crucial to attract your target group's attention. Use high -quality pictures or videos that match the aesthetics of your brand. A consistent style contributes to strengthening brand perception. Integrate lively colors and clear, concise text to ensure that your message is easy to understand.

Use the different display formats from Instagram such as Carousel Ads, Stories and Reels to design dynamic and appealing content. Experiment with various visual elements to find out what is best received by your audience. Stories and Reels in particular can be particularly effective due to their immersive full screen format.

Make sure that the visual design is tailored to every format and, if necessary, optimized for the vertical view.

Buy Instagram-likes

While users strive to differentiate themselves from their competitors and to gain awareness, they compete with the rate of user accommodation. This key figure usually determines which contribution is displayed in the feed in the feed the user. The interaction of the users also moves their content into the "Explore" , which they can reach by clicking on the magnifying glass symbol in their Instagram app.

In this area "Explore", users have given the accounts with whom they have interacted

Therefore, over half of users use the "Explore" , which helps new content manufacturers and brands to win a fresh audience.

In short: the more likes your content gets, the more people become aware of it. Many brands strive for a rapid "boost" for their contributions to increase the commitment. For this reason, you invest in likes.

An example of this are service providers who "guaranteed" quality and usually offer " buy likes " packages with large quantities of 100 to 50,000 or more. Such services are not even prohibited on Google and other search engines and receive positive reviews.

Most service providers generally structure their activities in such a way that their contributions with significant deviations in the likes appear striking. The more you acquire, the more the contributions are distributed to the entire group.

But if you pay for such services, there are some aspects that cause the risks to increase. It is likely that in the long run a variety of followers and especially likes have a significant value and influence on the visibility of your IG channel. Now, however, we want to deal with the reasons why their content and profile could suffer reputation damage:

1. Your competitors (and Instagram) could recognize if you buy likes.
2. Instagram can take measures against them.
3. Fake likes do not automatically mean real transactions.
4. Bots can occasionally cause their contributions to be unpredictable.
5. They get into an endless loop because an abrupt setting of the service can have negative consequences.

Use 08 hashtags in the right dose

Numerous experts in the art business, blogs or YouTube channels give the impression that the key or algorithm can be deciphered by using hashtags and the frequency of articles. After trying these approaches, however, we quickly get to the realization that the results are not convincing and that there are no abbreviations for success or promoting growth.

In view of the latest adjustments to the Instagram algorithm-and based on our growth strategy, which focuses on networking-has been relevant . They have a little influence and can often be perceived as a spam if, for example, artists copy thirty hashtags and insert them into their contribution descriptions or even use them in their own comments.

This can give the impression that you desperately strive for growth and possibly try too intensely to market yourself. When we look at the use of hashtags in renowned art galleries, we can see that for the reasons mentioned, they only use a limited number or no hashtags at all.

Therefore, you should not use more than five to ten hashtags per post and make sure that the hashtags are relevant and professional. Avoid hashtags like #viral, #likeeforlikes, #explorepage or #Follow4follow, because it is primarily about increasing your followers as an influencer and not for art itself.

09  Use only high quality pictures

Regular items are crucial for the growth of their fan base on Instagram in the field of art. At the same time, however, it is essential to protect the quality of your content. The use of first -class pictures plays an important role here.

Make sure to present your works of art in optimal quality. Your work of art deserves to be portrayed in the best light. Therefore, take the time to ensure that your photos are clearly, well lit and carefully edited. Invest in a high -quality camera or a powerful smartphone and use image editing programs to optimize your photos.

Your goal should be that your work of art stands out and the attention of potential followers draws on. Remember that your contributions are both your brand and the quality of your works of art against mirrors . Your Instagram fan base in the art area will increase through regular posts and visually appealing content.

Maybe you ask yourself now: What if I don't have enough works of art to post something every day? There are various ways to generate more content, even if you don't have enough finished works to share. A strategy that is often used is to create contributions via a process of creation. Artists share numerous pictures of their works in various phases of origin in their Instagram channel.

10  Follow interesting profiles

Follow specifically and carefully. Instead of an arbitrary accumulation of accounts, you should concentrate on the relevant artists, leading galleries and influential art magazines. By following the most important players in the art world, they remain informed and inspire themselves through the highest quality art. Use this opportunity to deepen your knowledge and develop your personal direction.

When someone visits their profile, they also see who they follow. Through the connection to well -known artists and personalities, they present themselves as a serious artist and win. Also make contacts with entry-level galleries and aspiring artists near you to expand your network.

Research local art magazines and follow the authors on Instagram. The same applies to gallery employees, curators or art consultants - they specifically network with these people to strengthen their presence in the art area. Use Instagram strategically to build these connections with just a few clicks.

11 Network with other artists

Now is the moment to actively communicate with these contacts. As a rule, the first reaction of an emerging artist is to contact galleries for exhibitions or collectors in order to sell some of his works. But mostly this does not lead to the desired success.

Instead, you should focus on establishing relationships with other artists who are already established in the art scene and to use the network we have created. Network with people whose art style fits yours and who really appreciate.

Do not look for contact with artists who are far above their level, but to those who are only slightly above it. Support them by highlighting their contributions to impending exhibitions in their stories. Liking, commenting, sharing and sending direct messages - all of these are ways to actively get in touch with these artists.

Later you could be your key to become part of a larger network. Find them up for your intentions before your visit; So you are no longer a stranger at the vernissage, but have already met someone.

In addition: If you like your work, you could reciprocate and start supporting you, for example by introducing you to your contacts. Real interest and the support of others can make a significant difference. Work together with other artists, because it will be difficult to be successful alone.

According to the marketing rules, one person needs an average of seven touches with our work before being stimulated to act. By consistently presence in the feeds of potential people, they finally become aware of our IG account and our website. If everything is professionally prepared and the profile corresponds to the conventions of the art world, an invitation to the exhibition could only be a matter of time.

12 consistency and perseverance

Publish content regularly. People are habit, and if they are used to continuously seeing new contributions, they react positively to this. It does not make sense to share a flood of content and then remain inactive for a whole month. Your audience will forget your presence and trust in her will disappear.

This aspect of social media is probably the biggest challenge because life has its own requirements. Nevertheless, there are excellent tools that can help you, such as Later or Tailwind , with which you can plan your contributions in advance. This gives you the opportunity to organize your content and then devote yourself to the creation of great art.

Artist versus influencer - via different career paths on Instagram

It seems as if we were standing as an artist on Instagram on a fork in the road where we have to decide whether we want to position ourselves as an artist or as an artist influencer. Do we choose the path of Instagram trends or do we adhere to the unspoken conventions of the art scene? "

Do we rely on a career that is characterized by self-expression in the influencer model that is based on content production and online sales, or are we striving for a career within the art world, which is characterized by the presentation in exhibitions and galleries?

It is never easy to gain a foothold as a full -time artist - regardless of the chosen direction. There are currently around 5 million active artists worldwide who create between 25 and 50 works annually. This represents an immense amount of art that arises year after year. In contrast, 99 % of all collectors in their lives only acquire a single work of art, and only about 6,000 serious collectors invest more than $ 100,000 in art annually, according to Julien Delagrange , director of CAI Gallery .

The framework conditions are anything but cheap, which often leads to considerable frustration and self -doubt. The art scene comprises around 25,000 galleries and 7,500 museums, which makes it almost impossible to successfully present and sell 125 to 250 new works of art every year. Nevertheless, the art world is often seen as a culprit, while social media are considered the saving bank. Ultimately, however, the results are often disappointing, because there are also more works of art than collectors on social media.

It is crucial that you find out which career path suits you best and that you make this decision well informed. Without going into detail, Julien Delagrange some essential points that you should consider when thinking about joining the Instagram trends and striving for a career as an artist:

• There is no clear strategy for monetization, since followers do not necessarily become buyers.
• The majority of artists follow other artists, which significantly reduces the conversion rate. Based on this tendency, it is necessary to produce more content, since the quantity of the content is often above quality.
• Although short -term successes are possible, you may quickly reach the limits of your success. Studies have shown that most online sales are less than $ 5,000. As a result, not only the conversion rate is low, but also the price segment of your target group is limited.
• It is difficult to collect success and overcome this upper limit. Although sales bring money, but do not increase the value or future sales figures for your works. Therefore, their art will only have the decorative value.
• In the art scene you can increase your value by actively working on your artistic resume.
• Questions about the integrity and sustainability of your art and your career may have to be raised.
• If the algorithm determines what you create and how you should present it, are you still an artist or just content manufacturer? Since the algorithm, which can constantly change online audience and trends, could end the heyday of its success-be it through a new trend, a new social media platform or an update of the algorithm.
• Your business model depends on factors that are outside of our control.

If you are interested in discovering additional career tips or designing your artist profile in such a way that it meets the unspoken norms of the art scene, visit this information page of the CAI Gallery with relevant recommendations for artists.

An artist who cuts a very good figure on Instagram as a serious artist is the Hawaiian Heather Day @Heatherday

In this spirit we wish you a warm Aloha for your own Instagram trip!

Joachim Rodriguez y Romero

Owner and managing director of Kunstplaza . Publicist, editor and passionate blogger in the field of art, design and creativity since 2011. Successful conclusion in web design as part of a university degree (2008). Further development of creativity techniques through courses in free drawing, expression painting and theatre/acting. Profound knowledge of the art market through many years of journalistic research and numerous collaborations with actors/institutions from art and culture.

www. kunstplaza .de/