Today, the internet is an invaluable tool in many industries, art included! Technology allows you to gain visibility, find new clients and also to communicate more easily with your artists. You will, as a result, contribute to the development of their careers, which is certain to have a positive impact on your gallery. In this article, we will give you advice that will allow you to aid your artists in their digitalization and help them to create a personalized and effective online presence.

This may seem obvious, but all the same it’s important to remember: Instagram is the most important and most used social media network in the art world. In effect, according to the 2020 Hiscox report, 68% of art buyers have indicated that Instagram is their social media network of choice for indulging their interest. And it goes even further, with a quarter of online art buyers using Instagram to make purchases between March and September 2020. Of all survey participants, 87% use Instagram to discover new artists and 86% to find art to collect.

Thanks to an Instagram account, artists can develop a virtual portfolio, which allows collectors to better understand their world and artworks. But Instagram is also a communication space. The platform encourages and facilitates a relationship with subscribers. The ideal for artists is to find the right balance between professional, polished images of their work with more spontaneous, natural photos. The "behind the scenes" aspect creates a closeness to the artists that is very much appreciated by followers, who are looking for authenticity. For example, they can show their workshop or their sources of inspiration. Stories (temporary content lasting 24 hours) are a great way to share snapshots of their life instantly and without too much hassle for the artist. The importance of sharing is exemplified by Damien Hirst. The English artist started sharing moments from his life on the networks in January 2018 and his follower count quickly grew to over 740,000.

Here are some additional tips:

• Don't forget to use tags and hashtags. Ask your artists to mention your gallery in their photos of their work and do the same by tagging them in your posts. Hashtags are important because they allow people who don't know you to discover your gallery when they do keyword searches.

• You need to be consistent in uploading content or your Instagram account will lose visibility due to the platform's algorithm highlighting accounts that post more regularly. However, be careful not to post too much either, or some of your posts will not appear on your followers' feed.

Creating a website is what anchors your digital presence. Granted, it’s more complicated and time-consuming to set up than an Instagram account, but thanks to the web design tools that exist today, you will see that it is not as difficult as you think.

A website allows artists to create a real virtual catalogue. This way, collectors have the opportunity to discover the artist's work in more depth. It is the perfect counterpart to an Instagram account. A website allows the artist to go into more detail, to write a detailed biography, past exhibitions and the prices of an artist. The Instagram account will allow you to complete this information in a more dynamic, casual way, especially for your artists' news. In both cases, these are valuable tools for giving a voice to the artist, who can thus speak in their own words about their work and career. Another advantage of the website is its customizability. Depending on the design, the graphics, the images, and any text elements, it is the artist themself who is represented and showcased. The possibilities are almost infinite and our selection of the most inspiring websites can give you ideas!

Sophie Hustin's website homepage

Some additional advice:

• Remember to pay attention to the quality of the images and make sure they are not blurry or pixelated. You can, for example, allow your artist to use professionally produced images from your gallery. As a result, they will benefit from quality images and you will also be featured on their site.

• Many tools exist to create websites easily without requiring any specialised knowledge. We recommend Weebly, Squarespace and Wordpress. It's up to your artist to see which one suits them best.

Today, many emerging artists are represented by several galleries, located around the world. Think of it as an advantage not only for your artists, but also for you! It's a way to connect with other gallerists and create a network of partners around the world. Social networks can be an additional way to communicate with them and create synergies between these different exhibition venues for your artists. Not to mention that it is a great way to show that your artists are already known internationally.

The Internet can also be a way for your artists to exchange with other artists or personalities in the art world. There are also social networks dedicated to artists and art such as DeviantArt or Are.na. Finally, Pinterest is proving to be a very valuable tool for artists: the community is very invested and it is possible to link one's website directly to its page. With 1.1 billion visits between March and August 2020, the online moodboard platform is actually resourceful.

Pinterest feed propositions for Artsper

New networks, such as Clubhouse (a group voice chat platform for networking with others in your industry) continue to grow every day. With digitalization necessitated by COVID-19, the internet has become an indispensable tool for developing as an artist and gallery.

Technology makes it easier to access and organise data and statistics. This data can help you understand what is popular with your collectors, and what works will sell best. You can help your artists by sharing this information with them, as it can have an impact on their work.

On Artsper, you can access the "Opportunities" tab on your gallery page. This feature allows you to access all the key figures regarding your sales, the demand for certain works and your visibility.

These are all our essential tips to help your artists develop their careers through digital. Now it's up to you to support them in this process and, with the help of Artsper, boost your visibility and sales online!