I'm new to marketing my art and don't know how to start communicating my story on Instagram. Should I tell a story in my post captions alongside the art description?

Yes, absolutely tell stories in your captions, but go further than that. The most helpful mental framework is to ask yourself: ‘What can I post that has absolutely nothing to do with my art?’ Post about who you are as a person—your dog, your hobbies, your car, your background. You can also use AI tools to interview you and help you discover what’s interesting about yourself. The key insight is that art sales are 50% the work and 50% who the artist is. People need to bond with you as a person before they’re ready to seriously consider buying your art. When you share personal content, algorithms put you in multiple different ‘lanes’—not just the art lane, but the dog-lovers lane, the kayaking lane, etc.—giving you far more reach and engagement. Start by posting something personal and watch the engagement change, then keep building from there.

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Asked by a new artist learning to market · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-09-02