In today’s digital age, many artists rely on social media to showcase their work and connect with their audience. But what happens when the platform changes its algorithms, or worse when your account is suspended? This is where having your own website becomes not just beneficial but essential.
In this post, we’ll explore why having a personal website is crucial for artists, offering more control, professionalism, and opportunities than social media alone.
Social Media Limitations: Is social media enough for your online presence as an artist?
The short answer is no.
While some artists may be advancing with only social media for now, it’s important to remember that while social media is an incredible tool for reaching your audience, networking, marketing, and market research, there are many roles that social media cannot fill.
It’s also imperative to remember that you don’t have control over your social media. The host platform can change its policies or remove your content or even your entire account without warning, as has happened to many artists. While some artists may be able to recover their accounts, many face long-term consequences such as diminished visibility due to changes in platform algorithms.
Professionalism
Not having a website can hurt how the public and professional organisations perceive you, especially in this day and age of technology. In the mind of the public, it sets professionals apart from hobbyists. A well-designed website can showcase your artistic practice in a polished manner, making you appear more serious and committed compared to the informal presentation of work on social media.
So, regardless of where you are in your journey, having a website makes you appear more professional and credible to your audience. This is especially helpful to new artists or artists without gallery representation, as it sets you apart and enhances your professional image.
Branding
Having a website allows you to establish your brand, and it gives you a platform to reach a global audience. This connection with your audience is a powerful tool in your artistic journey.
Buying your domain name early in your career, even if you don’t open your website immediately, is also a good idea.
Design consistency and its contribution to a cohesive brand identity must be considered. You could do this with colour scheme, fonts, layout and imagery. By building a solid brand identity, you become instantly recognisable and more memorable to your audience. It also makes your brand feel more intentional, considered and trustworthy.
Portfolio
An online portfolio is a reliable tool and helps establish a professionality in your practice. It is an essential element for applying to opportunities like residencies and grants.
By hosting your portfolio on your website, you gain complete control over how your work is presented and described. This empowers you with independence and control over your artistic narrative, a level of control that social media cannot provide. A well-organized, visually appealing portfolio on your website allows you to present your work within a context that genuinely reflects your artistic vision, offering potential clients and galleries a comprehensive view of your work.
Warning: linking your social media accounts as your portfolio doesn't look professional when applying for opportunities. Most applications have a separate section for social media.
A Digital Archive
We touched on the lack of control you have over your social media in the “Is social media enough for your online presence as an artist?” Section, I’d like to reiterate the point. You don’t have complete control of your social media.
The host company could take down your page without warning, and you would lose all of it. That’s not to say that a website is 100% foolproof, but you have a lot exponentially more control than that of your social media accounts. To combat this, regularly and routinely backing up your website and keeping copies of your work in cloud storage can further safeguard against unexpected losses. Set a reminder to perform backups regularly—weekly or monthly—depending on how frequently you update your site.
Also, having a folder of professional photos of your work saved on your device makes applications much more manageable and streamlined.
Building a Community and Marketing
Building a community is the perfect opportunity to combine your tools. Utilise your social media to create engaging social media content and clear call-to-action to encourage followers to visit your website for exclusive updates or behind-the-scenes content and to sign up for your mailing list. You may offer exclusive content or discounts to your email subscribers to encourage sign-ups.
While marketing strategies is too big of a topic to boil down to a few sentences here, it’s worth remembering it’s said that people are more likely to read an email than see a social media post. According to Forbes, email marketing is considered “one of the most effective forms of digital marketing” (Hoory & Aditham, 2024), highlighting its importance.
Online Store
You don’t need to start with an online store, but as your career progresses, an online store on your website can become a significant revenue stream. Ensure your site is equipped to handle transactions smoothly and securely.
If you do decide to take that leap, whether you host your online store or use a third-party marketplace, having an established website makes the addition faster and feels safer to your audience, providing a sense of confidence and reassurance.
Conclusion
While social media is a valuable tool, a personal website offers unmatched control, professionalism, and growth opportunities. Start building your website today to elevate your artistic career and protect your digital presence.
And to give two examples of excellent calls to action:
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Thank you for reading, and all the best,
Amy
Hoory, L. (2024) 5 benefits of email marketing in 2024, Forbes. Edited by K. Aditham. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/benefits-email-marketing/ (Accessed: 05 September 2024).