Lori McNee Shares Her 6 Social Media Tips for Artists

Artist Lori McNee is a social media superstar. Through six years of art blogging, over 99,000 Twitter followers, and an established art career, she has gained expertise in art marketing. She helps artists grow their careers through blog posts, videos, consultations and of course social media tips.

We spoke with Laurie about blogging, social media and asked her for her top six social media tips.

1. Use social media time-saving tools

Many artists say they don't have time for social media, but it's much easier than before. You can also use it to schedule posts on Facebook and Twitter. With social media phone apps, you can check your social media feeds very quickly and talk to people. It is important to jump a little every day, even just for 10 minutes. Even if you use social media to a lesser extent, amazing things can happen. I used to spend four hours a day on my computer before I could schedule tweets and use phone apps. It took time for my studio, but that time spent online was very important. It built my brand and reputation and expanded my entire career as an artist.

2. Share your world to build your brand

Don't be afraid to share your world on social media. You need to focus on building your brand so you can sell it. Share your personality, a bit about your life and what you do in the studio. Pinterest and Instagram are great tools for this. They are visual, so they are ideal for artists. Twitter and Facebook can now also be visual. You can share images of your day, your paintings, your trip, or the view outside your studio window. You have to find your own voice just as you do as an artist. The big problem is that artists often do not know what to share, why they do it and where they are going. When you know why you use social media, you have a roadmap, a strategy. This makes it much easier.

3. Focus on building relationships to increase your reach

Many artists don't focus on building relationships on social media. All they care about is marketing and selling their art. Be sure to connect with people on social media and share other people's interesting posts. And while it's great to connect with fellow artists, it's important to go beyond the artistic niche. Everyone loves art. If I hadn't stepped outside the art world, I wouldn't have been able to work with CBS and Entertainment Tonight and have fun with them. You have to think outside the box when it comes to social media and blogging.

4. Use Social Media to Improve Your Blog

It is very important to have a blog. Another mistake artists make is that they only use Facebook and Twitter instead of a blog. Your social media channels should enhance your blog, not replace it. Social networking sites are owned by other people who can close the site or change the rules. They also always follow your content. It is much better to control your content on your own blog. You can post links from your blog to your social media sites - they work together. You can drive traffic to your blog through social networks. ()

5. Use video to break up the monotony

Artists should also use YouTube. The video is huge, especially on Facebook. Your Facebook posts rank higher with videos. Video is a great way to break up the monotony. You can share tips, painting sessions, demos from start to finish, tours of the studio, or make a video slideshow of your latest exhibition. Ideas are endless. You can film your hikes and plein air painting, or interview a fellow artist. You can make a talking head video so that people get to know you and your personality. The video is powerful. You can also embed videos in your blog posts. There are many ways to repurpose content. You can turn blog posts into videos by voice-over your post. Podcasts are also very popular because people can download an mp3 audio file and listen to it.

6. Post Consistently to Grow Your Followers

Twitter and Facebook are very different cultures. You don't have to post on Facebook as often as you do on Twitter. Many artists use their personal Facebook page as a business page. A Facebook business page is much easier to sell on and is searchable on search engines. With ads, you can target specific audiences to get more views and likes. If interested, there is a way to turn your personal profile into a business page. I post once a day on my Facebook business page and suggest no more than one or two posts per day for my personal page. However, it depends on your social media strategy and what you want to get out of it.

You can tweet a bunch. I post about 15 scheduled informative tweets a day and even a few in the middle of the night to target foreign countries. I enjoy sharing useful information throughout the day, and I also tweet live to engage with my followers. If you are just starting out, this number may seem ominous. I would like to tweet 5-10 times a day if you want to build followers on Twitter. Keep in mind that if you don't tweet constantly, you won't be read. I recommend tweeting at least once a day to avoid unfollowing, and "Tweet people the way you want to be tweeted!"

Why I started blogging and using social media

I started blogging back in 2009 to thank my fellow artists and rediscover myself. My 23-year marriage ended suddenly, and at the same time, I found myself an empty nest. It was a difficult time, but instead of feeling sorry for myself, I decided to share my 25 years of professional artistic experience with others. I didn't know anything about blogging, but I started. I didn't know how to get my message out to the whole world or how anyone could find my blog. I joined Facebook to catch up with old friends and my kids were upset! I remember I was browsing the Internet and I saw a little blue bird called Twitter. It asked, "What are you doing?" and I got it right away! I knew what I was doing, I blogged and I had a post to share. So, I started sharing my latest blog posts and started connecting with other people on Twitter. This decision changed my life!

I've worked hard, I've risen to the top, and I'm considered a social media influencer. I have met so many interesting and influential people from all over the world in the art world and beyond. This relationship has led to many amazing things including gallery representation, exhibitions, sponsorships and artist ambassador status for Royal Talens, Canson and Arches. Now I get paid to travel and give keynote speeches at major conventions, as well as to write for books and magazines. I Have My Own Book) as well as e-books and an amazing DVD () that introduces the viewer to each social media platform and explains the benefits. I'm a social media correspondent and I fly to Los Angeles to cover events like the Emmys and the Oscars. I even get free art supplies and other cool stuff, and get featured on cool blogs like this one - just to name a few! Social media has done so much for my career.

Learn more from Lori McNee!

Lori McNee has even more amazing tips on the power of social media, art business advice, and fine art techniques on her blog and in her newsletter. Check out, subscribe to her newsletter, and follow her on and off. You can even draw and explore social media in 2016!

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