As an artist you have many choices to make, and one of them is whether or not to bring your brand social. In the past, artists did not have the benefit of social media to help assist them in the promotion of their work. They had to rely on traditional routes such as portfolio building and sending which is not only very time consuming but also very costly. With social media being very prevalent today, it makes sense that as an artist or creative that you would be utilizing these free applications as marketing and promotional tools.
There are many benefits to taking your brand social as an artist. By utilizing social media your work may be exposed to many people who might not otherwise have had the chance to view it. This includes potential buyers, patrons, and new fans. You may think that going social would be a no-brainer for an artist creating work in 2017, but along with the many benefits of social media also are risks that must be considered.
“People develop ideas and understandings of society, culture, and history through their interactions with and analysis of art” (Fusaro, 2016). Art has always been an important part of society, and with today’s digital age, one that is not physically encountered with often enough.
“Cultural products are rich in symbolic meaning that consumers use to construct, sustain, and enact identity” (Colbert, St-James, 2014). A community that readily has access to this kind of humanity may be better off in the long run as the younger generation may have the opportunity to grow up with a broader sense of self and the world around them. “Individual aesthetic and empathetic awareness developed through engagement with art can lead to understanding and appreciation of self, others, the natural world, and constructed environments” (Fusaro, 2016). However, when viewing a work of art online versus in person, the experience and intention of the artist may be lost. Art is an experience, and part of that experience is having the ability to inhabit the same space in which the art exists.
Photo from pexels.com
Another risk that one takes when bringing their work social would be running the risk of being copied. It is highly unlikely that somebody with the intention of ripping off another’s artistic work would decide to do so after encountering the work within a museum or gallery setting. Being online offers the veil of anonymity. The internet can be a fleeting place, and there may even be chance that someone could copy your work unintentionally not remembering that they have seen something like it online.
In the long run, there are always risks that one takes when using social media whether it be for personal or promotional use. The best way to determine if it will be the correct move for you is to identify what you want to accomplish with bringing your brand social, acknowledging the risks, and doing all that you can to monitor and reduce them.
As an artist, why or why do you not promote your artwork through social media?
References:
Colbert, F., & St-James, Y. (2014). Research in Arts Marketing: Evolution and Future Directions. Psychology & Marketing, 31(8), 566-575. doi:10.1002/mar.20718
Fusaro, J. j. (2016). When Worlds Collide: Artists, Teachers, and Learners as Contemporary Community. Art Education, 69(2), 52-60.
Natasha Dominguez 
Great post! My initial thought was that every artist should embrace social media as a medium to connect further with an audience and share his or her work. But, you made a great point about the risk of being copied! As great an opportunity as it is to share via social media it certainly can make it much harder to manage control of creative concepts. I remember a friend sharing an article about companies like Urban Outfitters that were mass producing items that were originally sold on Etsy and it seemed very hard for either side to prove. Interesting issues to consider. Here is a bit on that story: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/twitter-erupts-over-accusations-that-urban-outfitters-copied-designers-necklace-line/2011/05/27/AG0GJxCH_story.html?utm_term=.6d4012b18398
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Awesome post Natasha! I love reading the artists point of view on this subject. My best friend is an artist in Orlando and I recently agreed to help him with his social media. I can say that being copied has been one of his biggest fears and your post just solidifies that risk. I was glad to read that not interacting with art in person is also a risk to an artist going social. My friend loves art shows and setting up at local events. I told him that those are good things and that he shouldn’t change a thing about showing is art in person. Again, great post. You can tell your passion for art drives these blog posts and that makes it a joy to read.
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