A Creative’s Guide to Social Media Marketing

What to Do When You’re “Too Artsy-Fartsy” for Regular Marketing Advice

So you’re a creative, huh?

You might be a musician, writer, artist, photographer, dancer, actor, blogger, woodworker, or whatever. There’s no specific criteria to being a creative. What’s important is that in order to get the word out about your art, you have turned to the S-word….

SOCIAL MEDIA(Gasp!)

Social media is all the rage right now.

Deep down you know you should be concerned about social media marketing. And that just might freak you out. How could you, as a self-proclaimed creative, want to imitate those tricksy online marketers? Isn’t that (heaven forbid) SELLING OUT?

“Social media marketing is the way of the future. You’re not selling out – you’re being smart.”

- Me

Art is a great outlet for your personal feelings, but if you want to actually share it with people, you’re going to need to step outside of your comfort zone a bit.

Don’t feel guilty if you’re thinking about using social media to boost album sales or to spread news of an art show. IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE.(I have glasses,

therefore I know what I’m talking about.)

So how do you use social media as a creative?

It’s time to learn from the experts.

Find a niche.

There are plenty of violinists in the world. But how many of them do what Lindsey Stirling does?

This dancing violinist was once told she sounded like “drowned rats being strangled,” but she didn’t let that get her down. She knew she had something unique to offer – and today, her 4.5 million YouTube subscribers speak for themselves.

Create often.

Writer Hannah Stephenson writes a new poem every weekday, then posts it on her website. If you follow her on Twitter @thestorialist, you can keep up on her work with tantalizing excerpts-turned-tweets that make you want to click through and read the rest.

Go behind the scenes.

Don’t be afraid to share things that aren’t polished and perfect – I’d bet that’s half the reason people follow you in the first place!

Though Caitlin Connolly is mainly a painter, she gives her Instagram followers a cool look into the creative process with what she calls #ladyhuedoodles. These beautiful sketches became so popular that she now sells them alongside her larger paintings.

Adapt.

Brandon Stanton is a photographer who one day decided to walk the streets of New York City and photograph the people he encountered. His project, Humans of New York, now has millions of followers.

Part of the reason for that is Brandon’s willingness to adapt his tactics. When it all started, Brandon simply posted his pictures with no embellishment, but then he started posting the conversations he had with the subjects. These quotes are now the highlight of every picture he shares.

Have fun!

Eric Whitacre gained popularity in the early 2000s for his works in choral composition, but he has maintained that popularity by being the most active and enthusiastic composer on the internet.

Despite being a respected member of the fine arts world, Eric doesn’t take himself too seriously. He even experiments with his own pieces by regularly putting on Virtual Choir performances in which anyone can participate.

Now it’s your turn.

Staying creative while marketing your brand on social media can sometimes be a difficult balance. We’d love to hear what YOU have to say about using social media as a creative – let us know your best ideas and mind-blowingest insights by joining the conversation on Facebook or Twitter.