Welcome to the second decade of the 21st century (now going into the third) where social media, defined by Google as websites or apps used for networking and creation and sharing of content, reigns supreme. Not only is social media used to share hot "memes" but also by several different individuals to bring attention to their causes. Among these individuals is he who hopes his art would be the next piece on the MoMA walls- or trend better yet.

Going Into Social Media With Your Art Business
Before we get into the nitty-gritty bits of why it makes business sense to have your art business on a social media platform, have a look at some companies who share their work on social media:

https://m.facebook.com/soderbergpartners/
https://www.instagram.com/turningart/

Here are a few personal reasons why you should do it: 1. As the definition of social media implies, you should be able to meet with other artists in your field of work. It is said that many an idea grows better in a mind other than the one it was sprung in, 2. You get critical perspectives from people with either more or just as much expertise in your field as you, which only works to better the quality of your work,

3. Inspiration. How? Well, having your art business on social media will require that you have an account in the platform you choose. This will put you in prime position to obtain inspiration seeing as most platforms today employ the use of Artificial Intelligence in order to bring things of your interest closer to you, 4. Finally, seeing as word of mouth is the most important marketing tool to an artist, social media makes it really easy for you to interact with your art enthusiasts and for them to share your work with others- all that's needed is a link now.

Promote Your Art Business On Social Media
The number of social media users clocks in at 3 billion people today, which is almost half of the world's population, with social platforms such as Instagram registering traffic upwards of 75 million people on a daily basis. Facebook, one of the older platforms owned by one of the world's most wealthy businessmen, Mark Zuckerberg holds the lions share. Statistics indicate that 95% of young adults are likely to subscribe to a brand through social media with just over 70% of them being likely to recommend the brand to fellow users based on their interaction with the brand on social media. It, therefore, goes without saying that social media is important for the growth of your works reach and its influence consequently.

How It Works And Which Channels Are Best For Art?
You may promote your art in a vast majority of ways but the best way is to run advertisements. Luckily for you, there are tailor-made advertisement options available to you on different platforms. Advertisements on social media are also relatively cheap in contrast with other media making for a far better deal. What you must do first is to know who your target market is, i.e. who are more likely to resonate with and subsequently purchase your art, and which platform they frequent most. Apart from Facebook, platforms with the most traffic in English speaking countries include YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. If your art is in the form of Non-Static media, you would be wise to consider taking up residence on YouTube. You should also know that Videos, as opposed to images, are more memorable, seeing as they are engaging and occupy users' sense of hearing.

Art, in the form of images or paintings, fares better on Instagram. Instagram went as far as to drain their site of all color in order to bring more attention to posts made by its users. Instagram also has the "Explore" feature, embedded in its search functionality that allows you to view content that is highly likely to be in your orbit. This translates to users who are likely to be interested in your work. You are, therefore, likely to receive traffic regardless of the size of your profile. What's more, with Instagram's new "Shop" feature, people visiting your page are able to make purchases directly from your page. It cannot go without mention that, as of 2015, Facebook influenced over 50% of its users' purchases. Interestingly, though, you get far much more engagement on Instagram than on competing platforms.

Why Promoting Your Art Business On Social Media Is Important
Social media avails to you a reach that is otherwise impossible to have under different circumstances. It is imperative that you tap into this potential. Almost half of the world's population spends two and a quarter hours on this media on a daily basis as indicated by data from the year 2017. Translated into a lifetime, this means that the average human being only spends more time sleeping or watching TV than he does on their phone. The amount of time your art could spend before the average user's eyes over social media could translate to millions in billboard, flyers or television money. What's more, you cannot get a more immediate response to your work than you could use this media. It is documented that, on average, responses from businesses on Twitter are usually expected within an hour by nearly 80% of Twitter's user. Twitter's most preferred method of sharing is via links, meaning you could generate far much more traffic to your business' site than is usual. It is documented that just over 40% of consumers come to know of products via Twitter. It only makes sense if growth is on your agenda.

Get Your Art Out There
Art has never been an easy way through which one can earn a living, but with the advent of social media, new life has been breathed into the dreams of creatives looking to live off what they love. Thanks to social media, the number of artists showcasing their talent to a larger audience only grows on a daily basis. All you need to do is pick a platform, and open an account. #GYAOT