Whether you're just starting your art career or have many years in the industry, bulking up your followers can only bring more opportunity. The equation is simple; the more people that know and follow your work the more you'll be able to network, learn about art jobs, and grow in your craft. 

Unfortunately, building your followers isn't always easy- it takes work and dedication. Here are 5 great ways to help get you started:

Level Up Your Instagram

Instagram is a visual platform which is why it's great for artists. But rather than sharing random images, using a strategy can help you garner more followers. 

• Be picky- Don't just follow anyone, follow those that are in your target audience. Not only will they likely follow you back but it will also help others find you. Get started by looking at the 'suggested users'.
• Create good content- Once you've found followers it's important to keep them. That's why you should always strive to upload good content. So that piece that you created that was just 'okay' maybe leave it in your docs folder. Quality over quantity. 
• Don't post too much- The last thing you want to do is annoy followers with too many posts. According to research conducted by CoSchedule, it's best to post twice per day around these times: 2:00 a.m., 8:00 to 9:00 a.m., and 5:00 p.m.
• Share your account- Have a Cubebrush store? A website? Make sure your Instagram is made easily available for people already looking at your art. 
• Hashtag smarts- Hashtags work as keywords and can help artists or consumers find your work. To decide the best hashtags to use, don't reinvent the wheel- check out popular artists you follow and what they use. 

Engage

Engaging with your audience not only helps to build your following but also contributes to keeping them. This can be as simple as having thoughtful conversations with your audience through comments on social media posts, forum participation, and even being active in community events, like Art War. #shamelessplug

Consider responding to everyone who makes a comment on your social media post. 'Liking' comments is great but an actual written response like, "thank you!" or "I love your stuff too" goes a long way. 

In fact, when you respond and how you respond effects how consumers feel about your brand. And that's how you need to think of it. Even if, you're selling art on the side, you are still building a brand- yourself. 

A recent article regarding the importance of engaging an audience created this table to live by:

More social media responses

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More social media comments from visitors

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Greater attention from non-followers

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You're viewed as more responsive than the competition

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Nurturing a long-term audience and building a business

Participate

This is the fun part. Participating in events, community forums, and even platforms to show off your work like DeviantArt are a great way to immerse yourself in the art world and network with other artists and fans. 

Consider the following: 

• Community Forums- This is a great way to connect casually with other veterans and newbies- talk about new trends, share your art, even create a blog. For example; Cubebrush offers Art Blogs on their community forums for artists who want to share their work. This is a good option for those that don't have time to create a website and are looking for feedback from the community. 
• Art Competitions- Participating in art competitions can help get your name out there. They often draw a large audience from other artists and studios. That's why it's important to invest time into them, imagine that your submission is an interview or audition- demonstrating what you've got. Plus, you could win some big prizes if you place. Competitions to look out for include: 
  • Cubebrush's Art War- Usually kicking off in early December, this art competition challenges you to create a character based on a theme. It's a requirement to show your work on the forums to encourage meaningful conversations with the community. Place in the top 5 and get showered with prizes. 
  • 3D Artist of the Month- Rebus Farm Render Service is enticing the masses by offering great prizes each month for one artist. Artists must simply submit their best image, and if chosen they will be featured all month and nominated to be the Artist of the Year.  
  • Digital Art Challenges- CG Boost creates multiple art challenges throughout the year all accompanied by awesome prizes. The latest is the Mushroom House Challenge. Their main goal? Improve your skills, have fun, and create a 3D render for your portfolio. 
• Guest Blog Posting- One way to immediately gain exposure and show what you've got is by submitting blog posts for major platforms. Essentially, you're directly accessing their large audience. Consider submitting things like tutorials, how-tos, and even advice to help newer artists. 

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Cubebrush, for example, creates an easy way for artists to submit guest posts and, if published, shares it on all social platforms. Plus they include your post in an email that goes out to nearly 400k subscribers.  With that said, don't forget to include links to your own social media and website at the bottom. Do it right and increase your brand awareness with just one post. 

Tell us, what strategies have you used to up your following?