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Not sure where to start making your artist Instagram profile stand out from the crowd? These next four posts will help guide you. First on the docket - your bio!
Your bio was probably first created as an afterthought, and has since evolved while you watch all the artists you admire. But you may not have thought of these...
There are only two ways to search Instagram profiles - by your username (@yourinstaname) and the name field. Make sure that both are being fully utilized!
You probably don't want to change your username at this point. That would require opening a whole new account - and that's enough to make you tired just thinking about it.
Instead, I recommend changing the name field in your profile. If your username is already your actual name, you probably want to utilize the name field differently. You could say "Portrait Artist in Atlanta" or something similar that your customer might be searching for.
If your username is different than @firstnamelastname, you'll want to keep your full name here. However, you have 30 characters to fill, so by getting creative you can still add some searchable terms such as "Artist" or "Atlanta".
Did you know emojis are searchable? The average person won't know to type an emoji into the search bar, but because they convey so much in only one character, what's the harm? Some obvious choices include:
One last thing to note: make sure your Instagram profile picture stands out in the search results. Your photo will be teeny tiny, but if it is better than everyone else's, you are much more likely to get a click through to your profile. More on that next...
Want an easy way to make your profile pic stand out? Click on your Instagram followers (or those you are following) and start scrolling through the list. Take notice of which photos jump out at you. After you've found a few, think about what they have in common. Maybe you like off-center portraits on a white background or close ups of very brightly colored art.
Once you know what works on you, recreate it in your own way. Have a friend over and take turns taking photos of each other. Or go through your artwork archive and find a piece with the colors and textures that jumped out at you.
Cramming all the important info you want to convey into 150 characters can start to look like a jumbled mess if you aren't careful. Keep your profile neat and tidy using some sort of breaks. You are limited only by your imagination.
Keep in mind, if you want to use the hard return option, you will have to open another app like "Notes" on your phone to type out your profile. Then copy & paste it into the Instagram app. For some reason, Instagram won't let you do this inside the app. It also won't show the line breaks if someone views your profile on their computer, but who does that, really?
You can also use emojis as bullet points or separators. Depending on your personal style and the type of art you create, the choices are virtually endless. Here are a few to spark your imagination:
Go back to your elevator speech. What do you make and who do you make it for? If it sounds weird to come right out and say "I create large-scale abstract art for bachelor pads that are created to impress girls", say what you make and leave out who you make it for. You can hint at who its for using your language.
Related: How to Write a Focused Elevator Speech
For example: Premium large-scale abstract art for modern lofts
Without taking up too much of your valuable space, try to add a fact or two about yourself. The more specific, the better!
For example: movie lover vs. Frank Sinatra movies.
Try to incorporate these facts into your posts or captions every once in a while so they don't feel completely random. The post doesn't have to be all about that thing if it doesn't fit your Instagram style, but allude to them occasionally.
You only get ONE link in your profile. How can you use it to best grow your business?
Many artists like to link to their shop, which makes sense, but if someone visits your shop without buying, the chances of them going back a second time aren't very high.
I like to use mine to grow my email list. This gives me plenty of opportunity to keep in contact and sell when I come out with a new product. If you choose this route, be sure to tell them why they should sign up in the first place. Simply saying something like "stay informed" isn't going to cut it. They are gifting you their email address, so make it worth their while.
If you're plum out of ideas, trade them a free print download in exchange for your email address. Or use that creativity that I know you have (you are an artist after all) to come up with your own brilliant idea.
Related: Create this Landing Page to Collect Email Subscribers
If you switch to a business profile, you are also awarded a contact button. Many people are weary of this after Facebook bought Instagram. (You know how you have to pay to get your Facebook Page's posts seen? That's the fear.) However, that button is pretty valuable, so it might be worth the risk!
If you like people to contact you via email, your Instagram profile is a great place to include it. That way people aren't left wondering how to contact you when your link doesn't make that clear.
There's always Instagram direct message as an alternative, but do you check that regularly?
If you have a big announcement you want to tell the world, change it up! Share your awesome news instead of the normal facts. You can share gallery openings, a new line of products or a redesigned website - anything you can think of.
Copy & paste your old profile into a note somewhere so you can go back to it when you are ready.
