Another digital idea artist Michelle Thompson introduced was that of using Instagram Influencers for art promotion online. For me influencers induce an image of super fashionable 20 somethings posting reels of their latest trainers or their ‘favourite’ restaurant, however Michelle spoke of the big spike in online sales of art prints during lockdown and the great advertising provided by sending a print to a highly followed Instagram influencer who then shared a reel of themselves unwrapping the work and hanging it on their very trendy wall.
Influential Marketing is the term used for using an influencer to promote a business or brand. Influencers can be someone with even just a few thousand followers on Instagram or other social media networks “They are the antithesis of celebrity endorsers that cost more than an arm and a leg to close an endorsement deal with, and such a price tag doesn’t translate to sales” www.yourartempire.com
The important thing is to do your research and find an influencer that identifies with your aesthetic and vision. Sites such as BuzzSteam and BuzzSomo can help with this process. The next step is to pitch your collaboration to your chosen influencer. www.influencers.club has some good tips for pitching.
Other influencers
I have found benefits in promoting my work through other local artists and exhibition spaces. A recent collaboration working as a model for Sandy Miles Photography mutually benefitted us both in widening our audience. The Market Cross, in which I have exhibited over the last few months, work hard to promote their space online and in doing so have featured images of my drawings and links to my social media page, also putting a section for sale in their online gallery.
