Social Media as a marketing tool for Art
A conversation with another artist got me thinking about the Creative communities that I belong to on Facebook. I post a lot of my work in these groups and wondered about its validity as a forum for sharing Art. Is it taken seriously by the outside art-world, or are we merely seen as hobbyists, seeking attention through praise and feedback on our work.
It is, in fact, where I post most of my work and I’m sure I’m not alone in this.
I would love to hear from Artists and others about how they feel about the sharing of work on social media sites and whether or not they feel it benefits or does it denigrate their work, whether they have had success in marketing work and where they feel it could lead.
Thoughts anyone?
chellthomas 
chellthomas said,
April 30, 2012 at 12:16 pm
Reblogged this on chellthomas.
Frank Louis Allen said,
April 30, 2012 at 5:43 pm
Its helped me sell a couple of prints and got me into a book but that was more because of my disabilities. the only thing I worry about is do people respect your ownership
and I’d rather share the work then struggle to get recognised without people seeing it
Dan Smethurst said,
April 30, 2012 at 5:58 pm
I feel it gets your work out to a much wider audience and i feel it does not matter if you want to be seen as a hobbyist or if you want to be taken seriously. However i feel if you really want to be taken serious then not only can using these sites be a start to getting your work out to a bigger audiance but you have much better support, advice and gain more confidence.
Danaan said,
April 30, 2012 at 6:36 pm
If I didn’t post my art on FB, no one would see it. Social media is most definitely a useful marketing tool.
pipmel said,
April 30, 2012 at 6:43 pm
I fear that it probably isn’t even considered by the “established” art world. But then again there will always be a “class system” in any type of art. For all of us that post on facebook their art, poetry etc, we will always be considered the second class citizens of the art world. But it really is their loss. The work that gets posted to facebook can be amazing, your’s certainly is! But in my opinion anyone trying to go the uncoventional road, will always be fighting against the tide. But it is a fight I intend to keep fighting!
Lynn Howarth said,
April 30, 2012 at 9:30 pm
As a recently joined member of several Facebook art groups I have to say my personal experience so far has been a very positive one. Having only drawn the odd family portrait now and then over the past 25 years I logged onto Facebook one morning back in late January and found an ad for a drawing challenge called 28 Drawings Later which was founded by Glasgow artist Victoria Evans. The purpose of the challenge was to ask participants to do a drawing a day for the whole month of February. At first I didn’t think I would manage it but slowly my confidence began to build until I eagerly looked forward to each new days challenge. There was no set theme – indeed that was what was so wonderful about it – you just drew whatever took your fancy that day. I had re-found my lost mojo so to speak! I enjoyed the whole creative process so much I decided to try and keep up the momentum and continued drawing as much as possible posting my work on The Persistence of Memory, 28 and After and the Portrait Groups on Facebook and have had a lot of amazing support from other artists out there. I have been totally inspired by everyones work and have recently started creating more expressive work rather than the realistic stuff I was doing before as I didn’t have the confidence to show my more expressive side. I do feel, for people like me who lack confidence, it is a gateway to getting your work out there. The fact that other people can criticise and/or praise your work is probably a good thing as constructive criticism should always be welcomed. To date I haven’t received any negativity thankfully but then again I do happen to belong to some of the loveliest groups out there – full of encouragement and positivity which I think brings out the best in people. I’m not sure what the art world out there would make of it – but then again theres a sid to the serious art world that I dont particularly like and its all about the money – but there sure is a whole heap of extremely talented people posting work that definitely deserves a wider audience. I have built myself a wee website and am hoping to be able to get some sort of exhibition or at least find a gallery that would like to take me on. This has really helped me through a particularly difficult period in my life and I am feeling much more postive than I did back in early January of this year. Hope this helps!!! Lynn H x
Wendy Sheridan said,
April 30, 2012 at 9:52 pm
For me, sharing my work on line within creative communities, is an excellent marketing tool, you never know who is going to happen on by and like your work. It alleviates the necessity and expense of setting up physical exhibitions to sell, and any encouragement by fellow artists is a bonus. Feedback also drives you on to create more work, learn from others, and feel part of an art family.
nicolasguywilliams said,
April 30, 2012 at 11:49 pm
I never made much money from my work anyway so I changed the way I saw money and now it is for me all about getting the art and writing to the public … I am very anti capitalist but I do believe social media offer a unique opportunity in the same way as cafe’s once did in Paris. It is not the forum you are in that enlists the art world’s attention it is how you use them 🙂 the art world is often only acting as a vulture that picks up on artists only when they have already become known in the undergound scenes but it is the underground scenes the avant guardes that change the art world so, never allow the view that we are “hobbyists” ever be entertained … they need us … but in fact we don’t need them … if all artists realised this the culture vultures of the art world would start panicing 🙂
Peter Kenvin said,
May 1, 2012 at 4:46 pm
I dont do a lot of art work, and what I do isnt particularly great. I think for someone like myself, its a perfect way to see what people think of what little artistic talent I can muster. As for the art world taking facebook art groups seriously, frankly I dont know whether they do or not. I think there is a certain snobbery in some art circles that may cause some people to think of facebook art groups as being in someway beneath them. My personal view is that groups like those on facebook level the playing field – certainly on sites such as the one many of us here are a member of, the feedback is supportive and respectful, meaning that people’s dignity is protected in a way that it may not be in other forums, both online and otherwise, which is valuable, indeed essential, when the point is surely to encourage people from all walks of life and of all abilities to be creative and unafraid of creating.
April Brosemann said,
May 1, 2012 at 11:48 pm
I find it easier obviously to network with other creative souls and gain insight, learning, and continued inspiration; however, it’s time consuming and quite a challenge to keep up with daily especially with everything else goin on in life. I’m not sure how others feel, but promoting my art has become almost a full time job. I love a challenge so that’s probably why I continue to do what I do, not to mention I LOVE art and those who create it 🙂