Should You Sell your Art on Instagram?

Instagram.

It seems like all creative business owners use it. Yet, everyone is so frustrated with it and it seems like only a rare few businesses are actually thriving on it.

So what’s the deal??

Let me start by saying that I’m not an expert when it comes to Instagram, (in fact, I’ve never really been great at it, mostly because I just don’t care) however…I, unlike a lot of creatives with no digital marketing background, can truly see Instagram for what it is…and what it is definitely not.

Based on this information, I have also been able to make informed decisions for my business …which is what I hope to give you today.

Some people say that Instagram is dying a slow death these days and it’s hard to sell crafts on social media. I don’t not agree with that, but again, I’m not an expert on IG.

I think that there are still many ways you can leverage this platform to grow your business depending on how you like to reach your customers and what you’re willing to put up with, but in general, for most artists, I think your time could be better spent elsewhere because Instagram is no longer what it used to be.

Let’s break down what we know to find out if selling your art on Instagram might still be worthwhile for you (and if not, what to do instead!).

It used to be that anyone who wanted to could easily build an engaged following and customer base fairly quickly on Instagram.

Years later, it seems like it’s SO MUCH more difficult…but why?

Well, one little thing - if you forgot, Instagram is a business, and you’re likely using their services for free. But like any business, in order for them to stay afloat, at some point they need to make money.

We all know that things have changed a lot on the platform since it began, and not always in a good way (for the user at least).

In my experience (and from what I’ve heard from other artists across the board), it seems like new users and old users alike are finding it much harder to gain traction and get seen, let alone sell their art.

Obviously, Instagram has a plan, and I was curious, so I spent some time trying to understand why we all keep having the same issues. Here’s what I found -

As it turns out, since 2018 according to this guy, Instagram is now in the ‘profit’ stage of their life cycle (launch>growth>profit) and they are no longer focused on growing their user base or catering to what you want anymore.

This means they’re cutting back on all that beautiful organic traffic and amazing reach that they so generously gave you for free at the beginning.

Remember, Instagram is owned by Facebook and they’re basically repeating the same exact actions that led to so many people leaving Facebook…slowly decreasing organic engagement levels until they hit around 2%, then asking their users to pay to reach their own fans.

*Enter Facebook Ads* 💸

Companies almost force you into this by changing the algorithm so your posts don’t get seen. This causes you to start running ads and allows them to make money.

The main takeaway here is that Instagram is done being nice and they now want you to pay to build your following.

The problem is that they never directly told users that, so artists and creatives have continued posting as usual while they watch their engagement frustratingly slowly decrease day after day.

Unfortunately, instead of coming to terms with (or being oblivious to) the fact that their favorite social media app is now working against them, artists and content creators are still desperately hanging onto the glory days of the growth stage.

They are still tirelessly promoting content while they complain that no one is seeing their posts anymore.

They try to remain relevant by relying on unsustainable tactics like hashtags and reels for survival, missing the big picture entirely, which is that they’re having to do a lot more work for much less reward.

So what’s a craft artist to do?? Is selling your art on Instagram still even worth it?

Well…maybe. But it depends on your end goal and how you want to get there.

This brings me to my first point:

If you’re willing to pay for ads,
Instagram might still be worth it.

Running ads is a surefire way to get eyes on your website and/or products. Of course, you’ll also need to spend time (and money!) learning how to run ads correctly.

It’s also super important to be selling a product that pays off your ads and still makes you a profit. Otherwise, you’re wasting your money.

Now, ads are great and all, and they can definitely work…but if you don’t know what you’re doing, (as most people don’t) it’s insanely easy to burn through your ads budget without earning a dime in return.

Spoiler: THEY still get paid.

(Side note: running ads is not a solution for selling a product that isn’t already selling. Ads just speed up what’s already happening.)

One of the reasons that Instagram used to be so good was that it was easy to get in front of a lot of new people.

If you created fun, shareable, and valuable content, it would quickly get passed around and you could grow your following organically almost exponentially overnight.

But now, because of the algorithm, that’s becoming more and more difficult every single day…unless you’re willing to make and promote content the way Instagram wants you to make and promote content.

Which brings me to my second point:

If you’re willing to do things their
way, Instagram might still be worth it.

As you’ve probably figured out by now, posting a static photo in your squares these days won’t garner more than a few sad likes (most of the time).

You’ve heard that you need to post consistently, yet it feels draining to keep posting time-consuming content when no one seems to care and you’re getting no results.

However, it’s still possible to grow and sell your art on Instagram without ads. You just need to play their game by making content that they want to promote and by earning their trust.

Yes, consistency is important, but if you’re just reposting other people’s content or saying the same boring things as everyone else, you’re not giving Instagram a reason to promote you.

So, if you’re dead set on not paying for ads and still using Instagram as your main channel for traffic and sales, then listen up.

If this is you, you not only need to be posting consistently (this might mean you need to hire someone or pay for an app like Later), but you also have to make sure that your content is extremely unique.

Creating content that is unique and different from everyone else’s shows Instagram that your content is special and should be seen.

This will probably take a lot of time and some testing, but that’s the price you’ll pay since you’re not willing to pay for ad traffic.

I can’t tell you exactly what would classify as unique content for whatever your industry is, but I’d start by looking up the top content creators in your field, figuring out what most people are doing, then creating something totally different.

Do your own research to find out what is and isn’t working for similar sellers in your field.

Another thing that will get you on Instagram’s good side is to use whatever features that Instagram is currently promoting.

Recently, any new content created in the form of a reel was promoted much more than a photo post because reels were a new feature they were promoting.

Right now, these are the things that will help you grow your following organically through Instagram, but most people won’t be willing to do all of these things over the long term.

So if you are willing and can follow through, then you could possibly do really well (no guarantees of course!).

Whether or not you decide that Instagram is the right place for you to sell your art, here’s the good thing -

The same concept of getting organic reach and creating shareable, saveable, and valuable content still exists. In fact, it’s more important than ever!

The problem is that Instagram wants your money and is preventing you from sharing and growing your brand without paying for it.

If you’re not paying, your posts are essentially being ‘punished’ by being hidden, and your following is likely growing at a snail’s pace as a result (sound familiar?).

So, the big question you need to ask yourself is…are you willing to play that game?

Yes, there ARE ways to still grow on Instagram. However, you have to be fully committed and play by their rules…and again, just because you’re getting followers doesn’t mean you’ll be making sales.

You can choose to continue down this path (which will undoubtedly just get worse until a new app shows up and you’ll have to start building from scratch again), or you can start getting strategic and make things a whole lot easier on yourself by taking matters into your own hands.

It’s kind of like renting a house versus buying one; buying a house takes time and requires more work up front, but in the end, you own it and you have control of it.

This is essentially the same concept as when you’re building your online following.

Of course, there is a time and place for everything…you might not WANT to try and make a part-time or full-time living from selling your art online, so consistent sales aren’t that important to you on Instagram.

In this case, it’s probably not worth your time to put in the work to build your own audience…just have fun, and make sales as you go!

However, if you’re someone who has always wanted to be a full-time creative, the choice is clear. Why spend so much time investing in a platform that you have no control over? (and that gives no fucks about your business)?

I decided that I wasn’t willing to deal with a platform like this and instead chose to focus on growing my own following online that I could use however I wanted to.

Instagram is still a tool I use, but it’s not the main way I grow my audience or sell my art or digital products. I use it as an additional way for people to find my brand, and if Instagram disappeared tomorrow, it wouldn’t affect my business.

Years since making the decision to focus on building my own following, I can safely say that moving away from Instagram and taking the time to build an online presence that I own and isn’t affected by an algorithm has completely changed my business.

Since I made the switch:

• when I create content, I know people are seeing it

• I know who my most engaged followers are and what they are interested in

• I know that I can create a new product on Monday and get it in front of my biggest fans on Tuesday (and likely make immediate sales)

• I can get feedback about my products and learn quickly how to help my followers solve their biggest pain points

• My income has increased drastically

If you’ve skimmed through this and you think you’re up for the current challenges of what it entails to successfully sell your art on Instagram, then go for it!

However, if you’ve realized that Instagram might not be the best way (for you) to sell your art online, then this part is for you.

Jumping through hoops on other company’s websites when all you want to do is to get your art seen, make sales, and build lifelong customers can be really frustrating.

I experienced this myself when I started selling my art online years ago which is why I’m now here sharing what I know.

The good news is that although sometimes it seems like Instagram is the ONLY way to get people to find your art online, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Your future customers can find you through:

• your blog

• someone else they follow online

• an ad

• an online workshop

• a giveaway

• a joint project

• a forwarded newsletter

• referral/word of mouth

…and that’s just the beginning!

But how do you get started growing an audience of your own so you can start sharing your art with them?

You can Google any of the above tactics and get a general idea of how to put them into action (along with some business owner passionately telling you their way is the ONLY way to grow your following which is BS), but you’d be missing the big picture.

Tactics are great and any of them can work to an extent, but without an overall strategy, they’re just not sustainable.

It’s like trading time for money, but here you’re trading time for followers (and/or money).

For example:

You could spend a ton of time on a giveaway, only to have to do it all again next month to keep getting more followers.

You could spend a ton of time putting together and hosting a paid workshop, only to have to repeat it again to keep making money.

That’s fine if that’s all you want to do. But I’m telling you there’s a better way to do things.

If you don’t want to be continuously trading your time for money and instead create something sustainable, you’re going to have to really commit.

Because what you’ll need to create online is a series of automated systems that will start bringing in followers and customers for you - on autopilot.

You can still use these exact same tactics, you’ll just tweak them slightly so they combine with your systems. This way they become a lot more powerful than a one-and-done action.

If you’re considering building your own following and presence, you have to go all-in, mentally, emotionally, financially.

It will take a lot of time and a lot of patience, but if you do the work and put everything into place, you’ll be reaping the benefits for years to come.

Imagine never worrying about a company changing their algorithm again…knowing that your products are being sold automatically, while you focus on other things in your business…like making stuff.

Imagine how it would feel to open your inbox and have people asking you for custom work, brand deals, or wholesale orders, after they found you with a quick Google search.

These are the kinds of things that can happen when you build not only your online audience, but your online presence. And that is exactly what I teach you to do inside of my group coaching program for artists and crafters, Handmade & Paid.

If you know you want to expand beyond Instagram but you’re overwhelmed with where to start or just intimidated, a high-touch group program alongside an experienced mentor might be just what you need.

The hardest thing about starting and/or running a creative business is trying to do it on your own. I know…I did it.

When you’re in a supportive small group environment moving towards a similar goal with other like-minded creatives, your chances of succeeding increase exponentially.

When you ALSO have an experienced guide who is there to answer any question you have along the way, keep you in a winning mindset, and steer you in the right direction, it’s hard NOT to make major progress.

The thing is, selling online is not easy, (if it was, we’d all be craft millionaires!) and making enough to support yourself part-time or full-time is even harder.

Having that support system behind you not only holds you accountable, but inspires you to push forward even more than you would on your own.

Interested in learning more? Check out my workshop to hear about how you can get that support, and then book a call to chat with me about your creative goals.

Just have a quick question? Reach out here.

Thoughts? Leave them below!