One of the best ways you can increase your sales and traffic to your Design By Humans store is to create unique, engaging content that makes you and your art stand out.

Figuring out what to post and when to maximize your exposure can be daunting, so we wanted to round up a few tips on how you can up your Instagram game!

These tips are relevant for sharing on all social media platforms, but here we’re focusing on Instagram. Because it’s an image focused and visual application, it’s generally considered the best fit for artists to promote their work.

Make Your Art Your Focus

Okay, hear us out. This sounds obvious. But how you display your art has a huge impact on how well it captivates your audience, and it can make the difference from a scroll and a click. Diversify the types of graphics you’re posting on your feeds - don’t post the same type of image over and over. That means if you usually post flat shots of your art, try something different. Behind the scenes, progress timelapses, art mocked on apparel, etc. are all great ways to mix it up and keep your feed interesting and enticing.

You know we mean it, because we do this on our own Instagram page! Variety is the spice of life, and in an oversaturated space, keeping things interesting is what keeps people coming back.

Increase Engagement

Engagement is the #1 way to grow your following organically - without having to spend money on ads. Even spending 15 minutes per day browsing relevant artist hashtags like #artistsupportingartists, #independentartists and engaging with others via comments can give your account a huge boost!

When you’re tagging someone in your Instagram post, be sure you’re also tagging them in the photo before you post, not just in the caption.

Instagram specifically is testing removing likes from U.S. accounts and has already implemented this in other places! This means true engagement, like actual conversations, are going to be KEY moving forward in Instagram strategy. Likes are still great, but when you come across something that really resonates or inspires you, let them know. More often than not, they’ll return the favor and you both get an organic boost on your page.

Consistency is Key

A consistent posting strategy is vital if you want to grow your Instagram and social media following. Not only does consistent posting keep your content fresh in people’s feeds, but building a long-standing presence on social also builds your credibility as an artist. People are more likely to follow you if they know doing so means they’ll keep seeing your art.

That’s not to say you should post just to get something up, or that you want to “spam” feeds by posting 5 times a day. You’ve probably seen this before, right? Quality over quantity rings true here!

Not everyone can (or even should!) post every day. But keeping your page fresh with at least a few posts a week will bring you consistent growth over time.

We hope these tips help you create a space where you can share what you love!

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