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Juergen Hess

1 Year Ago

Using Facebook Or Instagram

Hi,
When I started on FAA a llittle more than a year ago, I also opened a facebook account. Somehow I seemed to do it in a wrong way. I had 800 friends in no time, but there was no clear profit for my work here on FAA. So I left facebook again shortly afterwards.
Now a year later I am wondering whether a new trial may be worth it.
Before I start doing so I would like some info from those of you you use facebook or instagram. Please tell me how you profit from it for your work on this gallery. Does it halp with getting more reactions, does it perhaps even help with selling some of your work.? If so, please share your suggestions for a profitable approach.
So many thanks in advance,
Juergen

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Chuck Staley

1 Year Ago

I have never had one friend on Facebook buy as much as one greeting card.

I have never had one friend on Instagram buy as much as one greeting card.

Create a page on FB and then connect with a group that has members and see if you can work your way inside.

 

Jessica Jenney

1 Year Ago

I would really recommend that you create Collections on FAA! You have 385 images and no Collections! People are not going to want to scroll page by page looking through your images, although they are very beautiful. Do it now because it will only get more difficult as you add more images.

Create Collections according to subject, location etc.

 

Jason Fink

1 Year Ago

Your mileage will vary. I post pretty regularly to my FB page with videos and images, but I don't believe I've made any sales through it. There are some here who are very successful with it, but I think it takes being involved with a lot of Facebook groups to spread your work, which draws people to your own page.

 

David King Studio

1 Year Ago

For FB, marketing through groups is the way to go but it can be tough to find groups you can work with. Unfortunately I never found an active car or transportation group in which I could even post automotive art. Posting in "art for sale" groups is a waste of time, only artists are in those groups.

 

Floyd Snyder

1 Year Ago

You can only have 5000 friends on Facebook and then only 500 can follow you. Friends and followers, IMHO mean little or nothing to me.

I belong to 200-300 groups.

A few people have been able to build huge followings on a "page". I have never trued that even though I do have a page or two. Both of them have about 600 followers, probably all the same 600 on each page.

But even if there is no duplication, which I know is not the case, that would only be 1700 people. That way, way too small of a market. I have a potential reach through groups of over 3 Million people and they are already there, I do not have to "build" up to that. They are there the instant you join a group.

I just started an Instagram page just to see what it is all about...

I committed to giving it until I had 250 posts and 2000 followers before I made a decision as to rather I can sell art there or not, However, It is not going to take that long. I don't think it is worth the effort. The big problem is you can not post a link on Instagram and all the people have to do is click on the link to go to the sale page as you can do on Facebook and Twitter.

I am leaning towards giving up Instagram to spend my time in places I think are more worth the effort.

Best of luck to you.

 

Donna Mibus

1 Year Ago

I would encourage you to start up a Facebook Page just for the fun of it. It's a great way to build a relationship with the people who admire your work. I just love my Facebook page. I don't consider it a marketing tool whatsoever. I do it for fun and always have. I like to interact with the people who follow my page. I've gotten to know so many of them. It's been great.

I don't even maintain a personal Facebook account. I did not want to bore my family and friends with my art, lol. But with my Facebook page I never feel that way, cause I know they are following me because they ARE interested in my work (whereas family and friends aren't always interested, even if they SAY they are, lol).

So many see it as only a marketing tool, but it's so much more. I really love interacting with my followers there. Often they give me great ideas even! And when my sweet dog Tootsie went blind so many of them prayed for her. Really touched my heart.

I know you are asking about it for a marketing tool, but I guess I just wanted to encourage you and others to see a Facebook page as a way to get to know those who enjoy your work, on a more personal level.

 

David King Studio

1 Year Ago

Keep in mind Donna not everyone considers having an FB page to be fun. lol If you think you would like to spend a significant chunk of your time every day interacting with your own personal online community then maybe it would be worth it to you. Maybe I'm weird but I don't really enjoy that. I have an FB page and even though I was getting plenty of engagement and it was growing I stopped using it, haven't touched it in over a year, just not my thing.

 

Donna Mibus

1 Year Ago

@David, spend a significant chunk of your time every day …

Oh my goodness, I take a couple of minutes to post something. Then I’ll check later that day and reply to and like comments. It takes no significant time at all. :-)

I doubt I spend even 10 minutes.

 

Glass Drops

1 Year Ago

I was just about to suggest a page as well. Particularly if successfully branding that matters.

 

Iris Richardson

1 Year Ago

It depends on what your goal is. If there is a local Fb, traveling groups that could totally see that work for you. I have yet to track sales to Fb or IG. The best results I have seen with Linkedin and Twitter. I do invest at least an hour every morning in social media marketing. I agree to make collections, which allows for easier browsing. You have amazing art. If you are already on Twitter join our marketing group https://fineartamerica.com/showmessages.php?messageid=7520685 We follow and re-tweet each other once or twice a day.

 

Dora Hathazi Mendes

1 Year Ago

Hi Juergen,
if you want the most simple way to be effective, and spend less time on SM, not need to open a FB page, your FB profile will be enough.. But post all your art to your personal profile, at least two times a day, and be sure who sees them, will know that they are for sale. Write something about it, and add your link where they can buy it. also be sure at your personal profile info, there are the links to your shops too on the top, and not buried under curriculum info..

Then, search for a group on FB which has LOTS of members, ACTIVE and VERY interested in Netherlands or in the theme you have most images about. Very likely the group wont allow links, and selling but no problem. You start to post in the group, regularly, but not too often, lets say at least once a week, or twice a week. Add a watermark to your image just a small one, without saying that you sell, or without adding a link in the group post, say interesting things about your image... Then be sure you answer all the comments and engage with all persons who comment on your post. if they ask that you sell, you can say yes :)

Do this regularly, like a routine but don't overdo it, once or twoce a week, depend on the group dinamic . By time, I mean after months, they will start to know you, and visit your FB profile, because they will became interested in you after your engaging posts and beautiful images. There at your profile, they will find your links , and slowly hopefully you will start to sell.. then you will sell more and more..

If you are doing it right, after a year or so, they will be waiting for your posts in the group, and they worry if you missed a week or two. You will became a visual story teller in the group, and it will get you the right friends, and right followers to your FB profile.

We say, slow water washing the shore, or something like that... you do it slowly, but steadily, and don't give up fast, and don't give short term goals. this is a long term thing. This way you dont need to join hundreds of groups, dont need complicated spreadsheets, and you can do it without feeling a robo, and without getting overwhelmed that you have to do everything everywhere.

Instagram is good too, but more difficult to create sales, as more difficult to engage at once with a group of people who can be interested in your art. FB is more efficient for that.

I hope it helps.
PS: Thank you for your lovely comments on my paintings ! :)

 

Donna Mibus

1 Year Ago

There is an advantage to having a Facebook Page vs using your personal profile. People can view my Page whether they sign in or not. Can’t do that with a personal profile.

So non Facebook folks can view my Page, in other words. They cannot Like or Comment. For that they need a Facebook account to log in. This was the main reason I moved to a Page for my art.

https://www.facebook.com/donnamibus

 

Dora Hathazi Mendes

1 Year Ago

I hope it was not misunderstandable what I wrote. I have a FB page too actively from around 2016, and yes it is also good. But also more work and to start you can feel like you are alone there in a desert.

Even if you gathered many followers to your page you can feel alone, it is quite difficult to keep it active because FB hide it from almost all of your followers. They want you to pay to boost to be visible.

I was not spending there much time lately, only posting the usual, and engagement dropped drastically, only 1-2 top fans commenting.

Then some page with many followers started to share from mine, and now I have at least more likes.

To make a FB page working is quite a lot of effort. Just to post your images there not going to do nothing. FB need original content and entertainment.

Still I am not going to drop it, because people find me there, and ask if I have a FB page.

So if you want to keep simple, and want less work you can do a lot with the personal profile.

 

Donna Mibus

1 Year Ago

...To make a FB page working is quite a lot of effort...

I don't understand why everyone keeps saying it takes a lot of effort and a lot of time. It doesn't. I just posted something new. Took me all of 3 minutes. Later today I will check back in and Like and reply to comments.

I maybe spend 10 minutes TOPS on my Facebook page daily, and it continues to generate sales. I frequently make sales the same day or next after posting something.

I don't know what people are doing for it to be taking them "a lot of time and effort" but it doesn't take me that at all.

 

Pamela Williams

1 Year Ago

If you decide to utilize Instagram. make sure you use hashtags.

I also highly recommend using linktr.ee in your bio. You can set up links directly to your art on your premium site. here s mine. click on logo at bottom to create your own.

https://linktr.ee/Pwilliamsfoto

 

Valerie Meotti

1 Year Ago

I have been a member for many years and have never sold one thing on FAA but have had 29,000 visitors. I blame myself as my styles are not for everyone but know that FAA robot visits your work from different sites around the world. You will see these cities consistently. No one is going to find you scrolling through 3+ million art postings on this site. So advertising is the only way to get play.
Your photographs are beautiful. I especially love your sunlit trees. You have a great body of work. I would make collection groups of them to help navigate what they are interested in once they do visit your link. Make sure your link info works and you have tags assigned to your pictures.
I am not an every day poster of social media and it does take time contrary to some opinion. You do not need to post all your work 3 times a week on social media as suggested to get some visits to your site. Just pick your best 4 or 5 and cycle through those. Enough to have them select your link to see your whole site. Even if you make a sale, the artist cut is minimal. There are other sites out there that you can also subscribe to for printing. The fees are all about the same.
Also think about having your own website domain which is fairly easy to build with Wix or Square space. Then you can just add the links for fulfillment sites like FAA or any others that you can search for. The more online site presence you have, the better.
I personally do better in local galleries and stores as well as Etsy. Good luck with your endeavors.

 

Dora Hathazi Mendes

1 Year Ago

Donna, maybe because your art is that good and popular :) Because each time you post, you are able to write an engaging story about it, it seems in 3 min top effortlessly :))

not everyone can do that.. if it worked, I would love just to post my painting and done, without saying a thing, because to write is not my thing. My English is basic, and I am always afraid that I write something, and maybe it sounds good enough to me, can be awkward for a native English speaker, not to mention my grammatical mistakes lol . So I like to keep it simple, when it is a little bit more than simple for me is already an effort :))

I envy for instance those cat pages , who has great humour effortlessly, or they pop out a new poem to every single post.. they do great! Or those who are good on making painting videos, or any funny art related videos. they are doing great too, they get great engagement, and thousands are sharing their posts.
For me these things are not coming naturally, I am not a writer, not an actress, or humourist, I am just in introvert artist, who like to paint.

Also possible to get great engagement is someone share their life in between art posts, because fans are curious but my life is quite boring actually lol, not much to share.
If I post a photo of my cat, and try to come up with some funny thing he is saying, and he gets more engagement than any of my painting. I just dont feel like to do it, or to do things I dont feel like, even if I know very well what would make more engagement, it just don't feel right for me, and if I decide to do it, it takes a lot out from me.

I created a weekly post on my page, which I was doing for some years and was bringing me lot of new followers, and custom orders, and sales, but I got overwhelmed, also I dont need it anymore, because now I get enough work without... the engagement dropped when I stopped, but I had to because it took a lot of effort to keep it up.

So all above that is an effort. Even it was to start to share my art to the world, to put it out there... etc etc

Maybe they are saying that is a work, because it is not coming that naturally to them, than to you. .Your page is exactly how it should be, but for most FB means that to dump an image and done, waiting for sales.. you must put work in it, because it is not enough. (except if you are that fantastic, that you just post an image and people are fainting wooow ahhh ohhhh because is that great and fantastic :)))

 

Donna Mibus

1 Year Ago

Well, Dora, those are very good points indeed! I enjoy my Facebook Page so much it doesn't seem like effort or work to me. Never occurred to me that others might not enjoy having a Facebook page.

Makes me think of knitting. I would dearly love to knit. Bought a "Teach Yourself to Knit" book and had a go at it. Took me FOREVER to knit even a few rows, lol. I thought it was such a lot of effort for so little results. Did not enjoy it. But there are many who love knitting! And they probably scratch their heads at me saying it takes a lot of effort and time, because for them (those who ENJOY knitting) it does not take a lot of effort and it does not take a lot of time.

Thank you for the other point of view, Dora!

 

Jessica Jenney

1 Year Ago

Donna, the public can see posts on the Facebook personal profile page as long as you make the posts public. In fact I have a much greater reach on my personal account than my page even though I have many more likes for my page.. I have many people that follow my personal account without being friends.

Facebook really limits the reach on business pages.

 

Donna Mibus

1 Year Ago

Jessica, really? Maybe I should consider posting to both my personal and Page then.

When my husband tried to go to my personal profile he was not able to see anything until he first logged in, even though I have many public posts there.

 

Jason Fink

1 Year Ago

That's good info Jessica. I'll have to remember that when sharing to my personal page. I just updated a bunch of my image posts to Public.

 

Juergen Hess

1 Year Ago

Hi Folks,
Ever so many thanks to all of you. I am deeply impressed by the length and informative content of your answers. They certainly are very helpful. I do realize that the Facebook adventure involves quite an effort and some stretch of long-term patience. There certainly is no quick fix.
Of course I still have a number of questions and uncertainties how everything will work in detail, how for instance the relationship between a personal page and the group pages work. And will I post the same pictures over there as I do here on FAA? Each of them put up twice, so to say?
Well, I shall find out more once I will have started.
As I am going to Germany tomorrow and hope to be away for about 12 days, that it will be only after Whitsun that I can direct my mind again to the FB endeavour, it seems wise to make the jump only then. After all the jump into the new and unknown FB world will need full attention and continuous effort.
And it will be FB and no longer Instagram. At least this is my present impression.
I hope to be in contact with you again.
All the best and good luck and light,
Juergen

 

Mike Savad

1 Year Ago

I'm not sure what your question is. If you find a facebook group, that has nothing against spamming, and its about the topic you have, then I would post the link with a description, but don't say its for sale or you will be seen as a spammer.


----Mike Savad

 

Lisa Kaiser

1 Year Ago

Mike's response is really true.

Most types of marketing on social media is simply considered spamming so it's best not to share constantly. The market on social media is flooded.

The best marketing is on all social media and not sharing the same things on instagram and facebook as is the constant push from those companies.

Is social media a waste of time? No way, at least not for me.

The way that I profit is that I post to Facebook one week, then Linked.In, then Pinterest and then Instagram. I then repeat the process and gain some interest in three of the social media platforms but sales come to me primarily through Facebook.

I usually have to ship an original painting or people come to my house or gallery.

 

Lisa Kaiser

1 Year Ago

For those of you who say there are no sales on instagram, not true. I am shopping on some other site due to what my fav artist's posts on instagram...just saying...post on all social media...all of it especially if you're retired and have time. Do as much as you can.

 

Mike Savad

1 Year Ago

I usually send 1 a day to like 6 groups, keeping track of what I sent, so I can write down if its a good group or not. And I always check when the last time was I sent that image, doing a search in that group. 2 months and I send it back. New eyes, old memories, its a new picture to them.

If you are consistent with your work people start to recognize you or even look forward to the work. So make sure you have a lot of that subject or start building up if you get a lot of views or sales. I like having like 10 works at least when doing a group so I can be there for a little while.

----Mike Savad

 

Yuri Tomashevi

1 Year Ago

I started to use Facebook five months ago and Instagram a month ago. I do not have any sales from Facebook and Instagram yet.

However, posting in Facebook groups gives me a sense of how my particular work resonates with viewers. Since the posting date, I sometimes got just around ten likes in a week for some pieces. Yet for my yesterday post, I got over 260 likes in 21 hours since posting.

My conclusion is that posting in Facebook groups is a good measurement tool of how viewers perceive your work.

 

This discussion is closed.