How do I keep marketing my work as an artist when my job is on hold?
By Meredith Wolting: Meredith is a graphic designer and content creator at The Social Media Artist. She is a freelance artist who works throughout Toronto, designing sets, props, and costumes for theatre and film. See her work at www.meredithwolting.com
If you’ve lost work during the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be unsure of what your future as an artist is going to look like. Sure, you’ve been working on some stuff just for fun, but what about making an income? How do you keep advertising your services when you aren’t working in your regular way? We’ve put together a list of ways for you to keep your social media presence fresh to help you generate business.
1. Play with Social Platforms
There are so many different options to keep your audience engaged through regular posts, ephemeral content (stories) and videos. Create a Poll for your audience to vote on. Would your followers rather see a daytime or night time look makeup tutorial? Start a Tik Tok account to make videos with other dancers or singers. Do a trivia game about your performance experience by using the Quiz button on Instagram Stories. Give your followers a studio tour through a series of images or a short video. Do a “Day in the Life” Instagram Story series about how you stay creative in quarantine.
2. Go LIVE
Hype it up. Announce your Facebook or Instagram Live a few days in advance and tell your audience to comment their questions or suggestions of what they’d like to see. If you’re doing a virtual concert, ask them what songs they’d like to hear you perform. For a live drawing session, ask them to vote on a character for you to create fan art of.
3. Collaborate
Which artists inspire you? Team up with another artist and enhance both of your work with a collaboration. Recently, I had a writer connect with me asking for graphics to go with her recorded poetry slam. I made some simple animations out of the words and we ended up creating a lyric video. Collaborate with someone who has different skills than you do, so you’ll both have something fresh to share and can advertise for each other.
4. Mix it up
Combine your different skills. Are you a painter who likes to write? Do a simple painting and hand letter some inspiring words on top of it. Have you been doing some epic #QuarantineCooking? Make a special dish and see how your plate presentation skills can enhance the flavours visually. Transport your audience to another land through photography paired with a soundscape you’ve created. This is a great way to stand out from your competitors and reach a wider audience by appealing to fans of art forms.
5. Contests
Have you ever done a giveaway? It’s a great way to get your followers excited about your work with an incentive! Encourage your audience to share your work and tag their friends for an entry into a contest to win something created by you. Maybe you’ll write a silly song for the winner, draw a caricature of them, or send them a gift certificate to use for your services when it’s safe to book in person sessions again.
6. Show Previous Work.
Bring back #ThrowbackThursday and show off something you’re really proud of from the beginning of your career. Start an #artpostponed series where you share something about a project you started before COVID-19 shut things down. What was it becoming? I’ve noticed that my own audience loves to see process photos, because it makes them feel like they’re going on the creative journey with me and it encourages them to come back later to see the finished piece.
7. Shout Out Another Creative.
We’ve all been affected by COVID-19 one way or another. Give a fellow artist a social media shout out! Tag them and share your favourite piece of theirs, and tell your audience why you appreciate this artist so much. Maybe they’ll do the same for you!
8. Offer Virtual Classes.
You’ve got skills, and people would love to learn from you. Figure out how virtual classes could work for you and start advertising your services!
Some artform specific ideas to get you started:
Actors: start a podcast in which you read a chapter of a novel for each episode, do a live script reading with other actors, record a monologue, or record a video call with a scene partner
Musicians: livestream a concert from your living room, record songs with other artists, or record a song on your own by layering harmonies and instruments over yourself.
Visual artists: host a virtual art show or drawing class, announce a sale or a special offer for your work, or create a new graphic advertising your services.
Dancers: host a live dance class, get creative on Tik Tok, or start a series of technique tutorial videos showing how to do specific moves.
Filmmakers: write a screenplay that actors can self-tape their scenes for and then piece it all together, write a monologue and have an actor record it to share on their platforms, or shoot a short film on your own.
Photographers: advertise virtual photoshoots! You can take photos via video chat by instructing your client where to place lights and how to pose.
Writers: share excerpts of previously published work, share a teaser of something coming or something they can buy, or do a live reading of something you’re particularly proud of.
The world may be on pause, but art never stops. The best way to keep marketing yourself during these uncertain times is to keep sharing your work! Your social media audience and potential clients won’t forget you if they see that you are still committed to your craft, even in the darkest of times. Thank you for being an inspiring light of creativity!