This Black History Month, we reached out to four Black-owned businesses selling their art on Contrado to share their tips on promoting art on social media. Sometimes sharing your work online can feel like you’re shouting into an empty well, especially if you’re an independent artist trying to grow your brand and your following.
Check out these top strategies for using social media to cultivate a strong brand below.
1 – Show consistency and quality
“What works best with social media is consistency and quality… I’m telling African Egyptian stories that every race is responding to, so even in a white-dominated industry, my art stands on its own and represents people of colour on the world stage. The reward is seeing all races buy my art merch!”
– Doran DaDa (@dorandada)
2 – Explore different artists for inspiration
“Good photography definitely helps to show off your work but also show some behind-the-scenes and the occasional photo of who you are… I love the work of Jessi Raulet, whose brand name is EttaVee. Her paintings are bright, bold and uplifting, and she has licensed her artwork to Target, Anthropologie, Clinique and Hallmark. I also love the modern, colourful graphic work of Catherine Nice, also known as Kitty McCall. She has created a beautiful range of products, including wallpaper and fabrics as well as fine art and prints.”
– Jennifer Fynn (@pebblesanddash)
3 – Do your research
“I encourage anyone starting out to do their research and learn about what they want out of the business and who their audience is, but it’s also so important to focus on creating what you love and enjoying that process of creating. Otherwise, it becomes a chore and you can fall out of love with the business. Also, Skillshare has been such a great tool for improving my drawing, learning about attracting an audience on social media and getting advice on marketing.”
– Diana Phiri-Witty (@diana_phiri_witty)
4 – Start important conversations and show a fresh perspective
“It helps to be consistent in posting your work on social media works. That and ensuring you have good tags, so your work is easily searchable. Growing a creative business doesn’t happen overnight, particularly when it’s considered a niche art, but with time, you develop an audience that appreciates your contribution and starts investing in your work. Today, there is a huge appetite for African creative art, particularly from the West, and I think the time is now for African artists to put their best foot forward and showcase their work online.”
– Teresa Lubano (@nanjaladesign)
These talented Black artists continue to share new perspectives, inspire others and make design more accessible to consumer communities of colour. It is an exciting time for Black-owned businesses. Be inspired to create your own products with Contrado and share your own creations on social media now.
