Marketing for Artists (Without Social Media)

Figuring out marketing for artists can feel overwhelming when you're more comfortable with a pencil than a pitch. But after years of trial and error, I’ve learned that marketing doesn’t have to mean selling your soul or dancing for the algorithm. It just means finding honest ways to connect your work with the right people. In this post, I’m sharing what’s actually worked for me—no gimmicks, no fluff, just lessons from the trenches.

I don’t use Instagram or Facebook. I deleted my Instagram account after growing it to over 10,000 followers. I also shut down a wildlife art Facebook fan page that had more than 5,000 people on it. Want to know what happened to my art income after that? Nothing. It didn’t drop at all. My art sales, commissions, and other income stayed completely steady. That’s because I had already shifted my energy into building a newsletter and a website that I owned. I use YouTube and organic SEO to grow my audience and send people directly to my site.

For client work and gallery relationships, I rely on direct outreach instead of waiting to be discovered on social media.

Marketing for artists: Tips on where to start and what to focus on

You don’t need to do everything at once. In fact, most artists I know burn out trying to chase every trend. I’ve been there. I’ve jumped on platforms I didn’t enjoy, copied strategies that didn’t match my voice, and felt scattered all the time. When I finally slowed down and treated marketing like part of my creative practice, things got simpler—and more effective.

I focus on three core areas: building a strong online presence (mostly through my website and newsletter), creating evergreen content that brings in traffic, and developing multiple income streams so I’m not dependent on one platform or client.

This is exactly the kind of foundation I break down in my guide on how to start an art business from home.

Key Points

• Your website is the foundation of your marketing. Everything should lead back to it.
• Use organic content (like blog posts or YouTube videos) to bring in the right people over time.
• Build an email list and actually talk to the folks on it. It’s your direct line to collectors, clients, and buyers.

Build a website you actually own and use it well

This is where all my marketing efforts point people. My website is my storefront, my portfolio, my blog, and my library of useful resources. It doesn’t need to be fancy. Mine started off super simple: just a homepage with a few featured projects, an about page, and a blog. I made sure the homepage clearly said what I do and who I help. I added a contact page that actually works. I didn’t wait to make it perfect—I just got it live.

Over time, I added product pages, a small shop, and landing pages for downloads and guides like my art licensing contract template. Every blog post I write links to one or two of these pages, and those pages often bring in sales passively. It’s not rocket science. It’s just consistency.

Grow your email list and treat it like gold

My newsletter is the most valuable marketing channel I have. It’s where most of my sales, commissions, and licensing conversations start. I share updates, sketchbook insights, behind-the-scenes process notes, and links to whatever I’ve been making. It doesn’t need to be long or polished. Just consistent and honest.

After stepping away from social media, I doubled down on my email list. I offered a free sketchbook guide and made it easy to sign up. I put the form on every blog post and mentioned it at the end of my YouTube videos. When someone joins, I send a welcome email that feels personal, not automated. I usually ask people to hit reply and tell me about their creative goals—and many of them do.

If you’re still figuring out how to write about your work in your emails or on your site, it helps to review examples of artist bios, artist statements, or even artist manifestos for inspiration.

Make content that lasts longer than a social post

Once I stopped posting daily on Instagram, I put that energy into blog posts and YouTube videos. That shift changed everything. One video can keep bringing people to my site for months (or even years). One blog post can rank in search and become a top traffic source.

Instead of writing daily captions, I started thinking about what my audience might be searching for. I asked myself what questions they had. I wrote blog posts that answered those questions clearly. I recorded short videos walking through my sketching process or sharing reflections about being an artist. I don’t worry about being polished. I just focus on being useful and honest.

If you're not sure what content might bring in the right audience, this article on SEO for artist websites is a solid place to begin.

Use direct outreach without being weird about it

When I want to connect with a potential client, gallery, or collaborator, I send an email. It’s that simple. No pitching in DMs. No hoping to get noticed. I introduce myself, mention what I like about their work, and share something relevant of mine. It doesn’t always lead to something—but it often opens a door.

I’ve gotten illustration gigs, teaching opportunities, and licensing deals this way. I keep a spreadsheet of people I admire or want to work with. Every week, I reach out to one or two of them with a short, thoughtful note. I link to one relevant piece of work, not a massive portfolio. If I don’t hear back, I follow up once a few weeks later. That’s it.

If you're pitching something specific—like a workshop or collaboration—looking at examples of artist proposals might help structure your message clearly and professionally.

Diversify your income so marketing isn’t desperate

One of the reasons I don’t panic about sales is because I’ve built up several income streams over time. This didn’t happen overnight. I started by selling art prints, then added freelance illustration, then teaching, then digital guides. Each new stream gave me a little more freedom to be creative with my marketing.

Now I make income from licensing artwork, selling PDFs, creating short courses, doing freelance work, and running a monetized YouTube channel with affiliate links. None of these are huge by themselves—but together, they add up. That means I don’t have to rely on daily social media engagement to make ends meet.

If you’re exploring options, my article on how to make money from artwork covers a variety of ways artists generate income, and my breakdown of selling art online can help you choose what works best for your lifestyle.

Internal linking is your friend (and SEO loves it)

When I write a new blog post, I always link to other helpful articles I’ve written. This keeps people on my site longer and helps search engines understand how my content is connected. That connection boosts my search visibility and helps readers get more value from my site.

If someone finds my post on how to price art, they might also want to learn how to talk about art or understand artwork provenance. By linking these posts together naturally, I help them explore more without needing to search again.

I also go back and update old posts to link to newer ones. This makes my site more useful and helps new content get indexed faster.

Final thoughts

Marketing as an artist doesn’t have to feel gross or confusing. At its core, it’s just storytelling—explaining what you do, who it’s for, and why it matters. Use your site as home base, make content that’s useful and true to you, and talk to people like you’d want to be talked to.

You don’t need social media to thrive. I’m proof of that. You just need a clear voice, a good place for people to find you, and a way to stay in touch with those who care.