Make Art. Be Seen. Part 2: The Biggest Mistake Artists Make on Social Media (And How to Fix It)

Let’s start with an uncomfortable truth that will sound very weird coming from me in this particular series because it seems counter-intuitive:

I create art. I love making art. And before you disregard this whole post from the next reveal, just keep reading... because I promise I know what I'm talking about. 

But the truth is: I post my art online and I genuinely suck at marketing it on social media.

That probably sounds odd coming from someone with nearly two decades of marketing experience who's talking about how to effectively market your own art, but I'm telling you for a reason. Here's what I don't do: I don’t carefully craft my captions. I rarely take the time to get my lighting right. I post when I remember or when I feel like it which can be every six months to a year. I don’t engage much, I forget the login on a regular basis, I don’t show up consistently, and my audience, such as it is, consists mostly of my family and close friends.

I’m fine with that, because I don't want to sell my art. For now, at least, my art is mostly just for me.

But I’m telling you this to highlight something important: I know exactly why my art account doesn’t perform, and I know precisely what I would need to do to fix it. Because I have done it elsewhere.

On LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, I’ve grown platforms with tens of thousands of followers. I’ve built communities. I’ve had posts that went viral. But that wasn’t accidental. It was intentional. It happened because I showed up with a clear intention and goal, used clear messaging, interacted regularly, and was strategic and consistent.

So here’s the big reveal: The single biggest mistake artists (or any business at all) make on social media isn’t just being inconsistent. It’s not understanding what “being consistent” really means.

Consistency Isn’t Just Posting Often. It’s Posting Intentionally.

Most people would think consistency is just frequency. Post more, right? Wrong. If you post everyday but the content is aimless, random, and unclear, you’re just adding noise to an already oversaturated social media universe.

Real consistency is about strategy. It’s about clarity in your message and your visual style. It’s about knowing who you’re speaking to and what you’re saying. And, critically, it’s about showing up as your business self, interacting regularly, and engaging meaningfully.

If you want people to care about your work, you have to engage with them. Social media is just that: social. It’s a conversation. The accounts that grow are active participants. They reply to comments, interact with others, comment thoughtfully, and contribute meaningfully.

If that sounds exhausting, well… welcome to marketing. It is exhausting sometimes. In fact, I often joke (only half-jokingly) that social media is like the circles of hell, each platform its own unique torture. I'm fairly confident Dante would’ve had plenty to say about Instagram Reels.

But the good news is, you don’t need to love social media to use it effectively. You just need to approach it strategically.

Think Like a Strategist (Because You Are One)

If you can’t pay someone else to handle your socials, guess what? You’re your own marketing department. And that means it’s time to start thinking like one.

So with that comes some unpleasant truths: 

1. Social media platforms change constantly. What worked last year won’t necessarily work this year.

2. The posts you labor over will sometimes flop. The quick snaps you post in two seconds will sometimes explode in popularity. It’s unpredictable and frustrating.

3. You need to diversify your presence because platforms are volatile. Don't put all your art on one single app that might vanish overnight (remember Vine?).

But two things never change in this world of algorithms and volatility:

1. Consistency: Posting intentionally, showing up regularly, and interacting authentically.

2. Continuing to Learn: Staying curious about what’s changing, experimenting, adapting, and growing.

I’ve grown on LinkedIn because I’m consistent and clear. I’ve grown on TikTok because I experiment and learn. Neither of these platforms exploded overnight. I built them step by careful step, showing up again and again. But they succeeded because I approached them intentionally and professionally.

I knew who I was speaking to, and I knew what message I wanted to send.

Separate Your Personal Life from Your Business

Another big mistake: mixing personal and business. Posting your personal life alongside your art can confuse your audience and compromise your boundaries. I'm not saying don't share your personal motivations or the reason why something that happened to you in your personal life impacted your creative process. I'm saying: approach personal details as part of your brand story.

From a practical standpoint, a cluttered, unfocused account makes it harder for followers to understand what they’re seeing. Are you a business or a diary?

From a safety standpoint, keeping personal and professional lives separate protects you, your family, and your privacy.

Make dedicated accounts for your art. Keep the content relevant and related to the message you are trying to send. 

My Secret Weapon: Scheduling in Advance

I get it. Life gets busy. Creativity isn’t always predictable. You won't always have the mental or emotional space to plan a perfect caption at the moment you need to post.

Here’s how I manage it: I schedule my content ahead of time.

I batch-create posts when I have a free afternoon. Then I use a scheduling tool (some free, some paid) to make sure posts go live when I need them to. It takes pressure off day-to-day posting and ensures I stay consistent, even when life happens. Tools like Canva's built-in scheduler or Buffer help me post strategically and consistently.

Planning doesn’t mean you never post spontaneously. But it means that even if your day falls apart, your social media won’t.

What Should You Actually Do Next?

Let’s make it simple. Do this for yourself:

• Choose one or two platforms to prioritize. Optimize your profile and clarify your messaging there. (Remember: diversify elsewhere, too!)

• Batch-create a few posts in advance, and schedule them. Be intentional, clear, and professional.

• Interact with your audience and community regularly as your professional self from your business art account. Comment, reply, follow others. Social media is social.

• Separate your personal and business accounts. Give yourself a clear boundary.

Don’t pressure yourself to post daily. Pressure yourself to show up clearly, consistently, and intentionally.

Remember: There’s No Magic Formula

Social media is fickle. You’ll have posts that inexplicably flop and random posts that become hits. It’s unpredictable and frustrating. “Why did that go viral?” is a question no one can fully answer.

But behind all that randomness, one thing remains true: The accounts that succeed are consistent, actively engage with their audience, strategic, and always learning.

You don’t need to reinvent yourself every month or chase every trend. You need clarity, intention, and a willingness to learn.

Turns out there is no secret ingredient.

My Challenge for You This Week:

1. Pick a scheduling tool (Buffer, Social Oomph, have free tiers).

2. Create and schedule 2-3 intentional posts (behind-the-scenes, finished work, inspirations—whatever fits your brand).

3. Spend 10 minutes daily interacting on social media as your professional self.

That’s your first step to a smarter, stronger online presence.

Coming Up Next:

Next time, I’ll help you broaden your horizons beyond social media. Websites, email lists, online shops—there are many ways to grow your visibility, and you should never rely on social media alone.