Facebook Marketing for Artists

I must be out of my mind, attempting a topic like this, when social media marketing has been covered extensively in some very excellent blogs by professionals whom I follow every week.

But, that said, what I want to do here is edit out all the technical bits, and focus on the practical basics and the do-able.

Anthony Matthews

​The BIG question. Do I need to have a Facebook Page?

One of the most daunting decisions we will make from the onset is whether or not a Facebook fan page is necessary.

​The answer depends on a lot of things, such as how much time you are willing to spend on your Facebook marketing and whether or not you have the confidence to manage a page, beyond your normal profile. 

​My answer to that question is YES. Why you ask?

1. ​Well, first of all, being an artist is a profession. As such, your message and image as a professional may be different than the fun social aspect of your personal profile. Having a fan page means that you can keep your personal and professional life separate. While it is true being an artist is often tied to our personalities, do you really want your clients to see EVERY post about your kitty? Keep reading, More on personal sharing later.
2. Second, having a fan page allows you to analyze the traffic to your page. It lets you see just how many people have seen your posts through its Insights pages. It also gives you a method of targeting potential customers through all the excellent functions that having a fan page offers. For example, Boosting a post. This is advanced stuff, especially when it comes to razor targeting of your demographic using paid sponsored posts. NB: this will not be covered here. Stay tuned.

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Why use Facebook for my marketing?

People are inherently social. Facebook works because it is a social network in the truest sense. Many artists don't get much social interaction, since they are often sequestered in the studio for long periods of time. But, managing a Facebook Page can be done conveniently, when your time permits.

I can sum Facebook marketing up in three words, one word repeated actually.

​Engagement, engagement, engagement.

What this means is that in order for your posts to be seen by as many people as possible, its Organic Reach, then you have to act in the fashion that the Facebook algorithms are designed for. Simply, ENGAGEMENT!

At the bottom of every post in your timeline, you will see three options, and we are all familiar with them. But, lets look at them and their meaning.

• LIKE - this is the most common action we engage in and it simply means that we are acknowledging this post and responding to it in a way that lets the poster know we agree with, or value their posting it. 
• COMMENT - this is the option that lets us weigh in on the post, either positively or negatively. 
• SHARE - this allows us to share the post on our own timelines, or on the timeline of a friend or a page you manage such as your artist fan page.

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Why does Liking, Commenting and Sharing matter?

This is where the power of organic reach comes into play in a serious way.

Most people don't realize you can in essence help train your Facebook newsfeed to show you the content that you WANT to see. That is a simplified statement since there are dozens of factors at play.

But by using those buttons, you can give hints to the algorithms on what to post to your newsfeed.

This, at its simplest, is one of the 3 pillars of Facebook's original ranking system called EdgeRank.

Every time you Like, Comment or Share a post in your newsfeed, you are essentially training it to filter posts based on your interests. You are telling it that this post, or person or subject is important to you, and to please let you see more.

Kinda like training a dog - or cat, maybe? 

So, what happens when someone else likes, comments or shares on a post in your fan page newsfeed? Well, it tells you and the Facebook algorithm that these people, your fans, are interested in your posts, and want to see more like them.

​In this way, you can fine tune your message to your audience.

​These actions can have an amazing impact on the results. Knowing this can allow you to implement a strategy in your posts that will maximize your reach for your efforts.

​All that said, posting high quality content is the most important thing you can do to enhance engagement and reach. People are not likely to be inspired to engage with your posts if they are not appealing to them. 

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How do I get active engagement on my posts?

Ah, now this is the rub! But, there are a number of techniques you can use to increase your engagement.

I am going to reference a professional by the name of Pat Flynn. He runs an amazing blog, covering such diverse topics as Search Engine Optimization, Content Management, Digital Marketing, and Social Media.

His blog is very technical at times, well beyond the needs and capabilities of most of my intended audience. Here, I am going to summarize his thoughts, incorporating other professional advice, as well as my own observations. In case you are interested, here is a link to his blog.
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​Now, my easy summary of the best advice on using a Facebook Fan Page for your Arts Practice.

• Post regularly - but, don't over post! Set up a routine for yourself, and stick to it. It doesn't have to be every day, but don't post 10 times one day - or in one hour - and then nothing for a week. Don't forget, your fans are your friends, and I bet very few of your friends want 10 phone calls in an hour! Quality is better than Quantity!
• Link back to your website or blog. One of the most important reasons for posting in social media is to drive traffic (visits) to your website and/or blog. It is impossible to communicate your entire message in a Facebook post, but your website can explain that information much better.
• Use interesting images in your posts. We all do it, scrolling through our news feeds and doing a full stop on that cute kitty picture or video. You may not be selling kittens, but think about what images your customers want to see, such as your art.
• Elicit an opinion. People like to share their opinions. Use this technique as an opportunity to hear what your fans think. Just do it in a sincere way.
• Ask for help. I LOVE this one. People, your fans especially, want to help. Ask them for it. But again, be honest. Tell them why and what you want. Don't ask for money or sales directly, but do ask for their likes, comments and shares. You may be surprised. There is significant evidence that including those words increases engagement and reach.
• Don't make every post about wanting something. This is where you share your cute kitty post, or show pictures of your studio or garden. Your fans are always being bombarded by sales pitches, let them know that you consider them friends! Evidence suggests that people are more likely to purchase from people they know and like.
• Ask your fans to share something about themselves. We don't do this enough. Relationships are a two way street. We give so much information about ourselves, now ask them to tell you something about themselves.
• Piggy back on other popular posts on other pages. This at first seems rude at best, or downright vulgar at worst. BUT, used sparingly and wisely you will reach people who may not have been aware of you. Best practice is to share your links or page on the post whose fans you want to reach. They may be interested in what you are offering, but do it intelligently. If they feel your comment or share is worthy, and of use to them, then they will become your fans too. 
• Respond and acknowledge EVERY Like, Comment and Share. This is probably the simplest and most rewarding technique out there. Through this, you will discover who your true fans and influencers are (more on influencers below). You will build deep and meaningful relationships with people who value you and what you offer as an artist and as a person. It upholds the basic tenant of engagement in social media. And, it just feels good. 
• A comment on Twitter Hashtags. I will cover Twitter in another post, but since the Hashtag is now integrated with Facebook, I feel it deserves a mention. Best practice is to not overstuff your posts with them. One or two or even three are ok when they make sense to the post. BUT any more than that and your post will take on the feel of spam, and no-one likes being spammed. There is evidence that these types of posts will get you page unlikes and reduce your engagement and organic reach.

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Who and what are Influencers and how can they help my reach?

The goal is to increase your reach in terms of the number of people who see your posts. Influencers are an increasingly important component of any Social Media marketing plan. For our purposes, I want to simplify the concept and define influencers as...

"...networks, peers and professionals in your industry - whether they are people or Facebook pages - that contribute to the overall reach of your posts in the hopes of achieving more awareness, engagement and ultimately, sales".

We all have those loyal friends on Facebook, who like and share your posts on a regular basis. They widen the reach that your posts get when they engage with them. They expose them to groups of people who may not have seen them otherwise.

Likewise, networks and websites like the Artist Directory take on a role of Influencer. They contribute to the relevance and authority of both your Facebook posts and your website.
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In conclusion...

If I could offer any advice to artists regarding any of the strategies, tips and points outlined above?

Create a Facebook Page, and take control of your own Arts Practice Social Media Marketing!

Take an active role in engaging your fans by creating a dialogue with them. Participate in posts about you and your work by Liking, Commenting and Sharing. It only takes a moment.

Watch this Blog space for more on social media advice and for other topics related to your arts practice.

Please feel free to share this Blog among anyone you feel would benefit from it. Don't forget to like it on Facebook!