Being an artist is hard.
Pursuing art as a career means putting a very personal part of who you are out there for the world to see. When you succeed, it’s the greatest feeling in the world. When you’re struggling to find an audience, it can be the most disheartening.
Every artist hopes for a core group of fans that are willing to support their creative pursuits, and most people have a number of artists that they would love to help support, if not through monetary means than through other methods. They’re an invaluable part of the artist’s success. These fans are the ones who are out spreading the word and introducing new people to the artist’s work, showing up to shows, performances, or exhibits with friends in tow.
And, as artists, we are all eternally grateful for each and every one of you.
There are also a few great ways to show support for your favorite artists online. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media networks provide an easy, but meaningful, way to endorse their art. Just by liking their page or following their profile, you’re showing your interest in what they produce, but that’s just the beginning of how you can support artists online.
Facebook is designed to show people what they most want to see on their personal streams. They determine what that is by tracking which pages and people they interact with the most. Every time you like, comment on, or share a status from an artist’s Facebook page, you’re sending the signal that you want to see more from them. Also, when you interact with a status, it shows up in the ticker to the right of your friend’s screen, too. Sharing a status introduces your friends to the artist, sharing their work and giving your friends an opportunity to ‘like’ them, too. You can also invite your friends to like their page if you think that they might be interested.
Facebook also just introduced a new feature, allowing you to select pages and individuals you would like you ‘see first’ in your personal stream. Simply click on the page of your favorite artists, and then click the ‘Liked’ button. A small menu will open up. All you have to do is select “See First” to get all of the latest updates from that page. Facebook’s regular changes make it hard for an artist to reach their followers without paying for advertising, and this quick and easy action not only makes it easier for you to see their updates, but it also makes it more likely that other followers will see their updates as well.
Find and like your favorite artists on other social media sites, too. Most artists are on Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, and Vine. Many have websites and a mailing list. Seek them out and see what else they have to offer.
Finally, if you aren’t sure how to best support your favorite artist, ask. They likely have a few ideas that would be both helpful and timely, and the extra show of interest is always appreciated.
Inspirational Corner:
