From: Maria Cannon (maria@hobbyjr.org)

While we’ve all heard stories of artists making it big in a short span of time, for most professionals in the arts, the ascent is a slow and gradual journey. For artists just starting, the goal should be to focus on improving their craft while creating a name for themselves in their niche. In this article by B*Tru Arts, we’ll explore the best strategies artists can use to get noticed and start earning while pursuing their passion.

Create a Personal Brand

Creating a personal brand is one of the best ways to make yourself stand apart from the crowd. The first step will be to decide on a brand name, for which you can use your name or come up with a creative one. Next, it’s time to work towards developing a strong digital presence, which can be done as follows:

• Be Active on Social Media

Start using platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and more to showcase your art. These platforms are free to use and can help garner hundreds if not thousands of views for your work. The key to growing as a new account on social media is to post regularly, participate in the latest trends and promptly engage with users who interact with your content.

According to research, including images in social media posts increase their engagement rate by up to 30%. Hence, remember to include pictures in all your uploads, such as a photo of your new sketch, sculpture, a still from you on stage, or of someone wearing a dress you designed.

When it comes to editing photos, consider using an online background remover tool through which unwanted parts of the image can be removed and replaced with a simpler backdrop, allowing the user to focus easier on your art.

• Design a Website

In addition to developing a following, your goal must be to channel customers from social media onto your website. Once on the website, customers can learn all about your story, past work, and future projects/shows, and make purchases or hire your services. Additionally, including a resume on your website will help agents understand your experience better and consider you for the gigs they’re hiring for.

While there are numerous free website builders on the market, you can consider hiring a freelancer designer to create a professional-looking website.

Monetize Your Work

With the popularity of social media, there are various avenues through which artists can monetize their work.

• Commissions: This involves clients hiring your services for creating a custom piece of art such as a painting, sculpture, origami piece, etc. Artists in the performing arts can also do commissions by recording audio or filming a sketch. As reported by Creator Resource, the rate you charge should depend on the type, size, and scope of the project.
• Sponsored Content: If you’ve garnered a respectable social media following, you can expect brands to approach you for promoting their products. This can mean directly advertising their product on your page or including it as part of your artwork as requested by them.

Establish a Business

While working with multiple clients is great for revenue, it can leave you open to various risks. Entering into contracts with clients and other businesses as a company will protect your assets and finances from litigation. Additionally, if business picks up and you plan to accept funding from investors to expand your offerings, establishing a Texas corporation is the best option, compared to working as a sole proprietorship. To avoid the hassle of managing paperwork single-handedly, consider working with a formation service.

Furthermore, start using accounting software to manage business finances. The software allows you to automate the payment process by sharing timely invoices with clients and maintaining a positive cash flow. Moreover, tax deductions will be calculated automatically, helping you save hundreds of dollars a year which can be used towards other parts of the business.

Leveraging the power of social media can help artists garner more eyeballs for their work than ever before. Additionally, with consistency and hard work opportunities in the form of gigs, commissions and sponsorships are bound to come your way and help turn your passion into a fruitful career.

Image via Pexels