Why doesn't social media work for most artists, and what should they do differently?

Most artists fail on social media because they treat it like an art machine gun — just posting art, art, art, art, different angles of art, the mess in the studio, more art. Think about it this way: social media should be treated like a gallery opening night. If someone walked into your opening, you wouldn’t just point at your art on the wall over and over. You’d have a conversation. You’d talk about where you’re from, where you grew up, your inspiration, your life. You’d be personable and genuine. Social media is meant to be a conversation, not a commercial. Your art posts are the commercials. Nobody wants to watch a TV channel that’s just commercials — a TV channel has to put out programs so it can air commercials. The programming is who you are: Are you single or married? Do you have kids? Where do you live? Where did your creative eye come from? Are you vulnerable? Funny? A dog or cat person? What do you do on weekends? That’s the programming. Your art is the commercials sprinkled throughout.

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Asked by artists frustrated with social media results · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-05-29