As a dominantly visual platform, Instagram is a perfect spot for visual artists to meet their audience and ultimately sell their artwork. If you’re an artist looking for ways to sell your work on Instagram, you’ve most definitely realized that it’s getting more challenging by the minute.

This comes as no surprise given the crazy cutthroat environment of over 1 billion accounts, all wanting their five minutes of fame.

That said, there are still strategies emerging and established artists both can implement to get to their ideal customers on Instagram. So, without further ado, here is the ultimate guide on how to sell art on Instagram in 2020.

Grow your following
The math is simple – the more people see your work, the more chances of turning them into buyers.

But before you start following random people hoping they would follow you back, like your work, and buy from you, think again. You don’t need a bunch of followers just for the numbers. The only way to actually benefit from the people following you is to target your potential leads.

Ok, but how, you may ask.

Luckily, there are services designed to do precisely this. Save yourself the trouble of spending days, even months looking for ideal leads manually, and make a smart investment in IG growth services that bring real, relevant, and genuine leads straight to your followers list. If you’re interested in growing like a pro, you can find more info here.

Brush up your profile
The most common mistake a ton of talented artists on Instagram make is not treating their IG profile as a business opportunity. Sure, it should be your artistic expression that lures people in. However, if we’re talking selling, there should be some targeted business moves involved.

Think of your IG bio as your digital business card. And, as such, it should clearly express who you are, what you do, and how people can reach you. Most importantly – where they can buy your work. If you have a website or an e-shop, put it in the link in the bio.

Pro tip: Add a little bit of character to your bio line. Show your funny or smart side, and get additional points for creativity.

Next up – revisit your profile pic. If you’re a popular artist, the broad public is familiar with, you can use your photo here. You can still add a bit of your signature artistic style to it, to let your audience in on your technique.

Structure your grid. You can organize it in some of the popular layouts, or decide to go for a specific mood, set of colors, or theme. Whichever way you choose to go, be sure that it expresses your artistic style.

Be consistent and smart with your posts
By consistent, we mean - post every day. And by smart, we mean – hashtags, captions, and CTAs.

This is a no brainer, yet so many artists shy away from updating their Instagram regularly. If you’re out of fresh artwork, there are still things you can post about and keep your audience and the tricky Instagram algorithm happy. For example, you can do a step-by-step process posts and show your followers what goes into your pieces. They would be delighted to see the behind the scenes and even start to appreciate your pieces even more, seeing how much work it actually involves.

As for the hashtags – think of them as a roadmap to your work. Let your pieces get all the spotlight they can by posting around 10 very specific and particular hashtags. One or two of the most niche popular ones can be in the mix too. But remember, the more specific you go, the better the chances of getting discovered by your ideal audience.

Captions are also unrightfully neglected by artists trying to sell their work on Instagram. Don’t make the same mistake. Tell a captivating story in the captions, add relevant hashtags, and close with a powerful call to action. Yes, it would be best if you actually directed people to buy your work.

Generosity pays off
Finally, let’s not forget about the power of gifting. Create a customized piece for a popular art influencer, a famous Instagrammer, an art collector, or a charity and send it over with a kind note.

Nine out of ten times, they would be delighted to share it with their following and mention you.

This gets you right in front of a bunch of new, super-relevant audience.