July 1, 2025 • 19 mins
Gone are the days when artists could simply post pretty pictures and wait for sales to flow in. As we navigate 2025's social media landscape, one truth stands above all: authentic connection trumps content every time.
The secret to transforming casual followers into passionate collectors lies not in algorithm hacks or perfect photos, but in genuine, heart-level connection. Today's art buyers crave more than beautiful creations – they want to know the person behind the art, to glimpse your creative process, your family life, your joys and struggles. They're investing in your story as much as your artwork.
Each platform offers unique opportunities for this authentic engagement. Facebook remains the conversion powerhouse for the 40+ collector demographic, with personal profiles now getting five times more reach than business pages. Strategic use of Facebook groups and live videos can nurture deeper community connections. On Instagram, carousel posts and stories build intimacy, while showing your face on video increases engagement by a staggering 70%. Even TikTok, often dismissed by older artists, offers tremendous potential with its highly personalized algorithm and preference for authentic micro-stories.
Across all platforms, three principles remain constant: know your specific audience, make invitations rather than announcements, and prioritize connection through storytelling. By embracing these fundamentals, you'll create not just a following, but a community of supporters who genuinely connect with your artistic journey and naturally want to bring your creations into their lives. Ready to transform your social media approach? This episode provides the practical roadmap you've been seeking.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know, if I had a dollar for every time an artist
asked me Matt, how do I get morefollowers on my social media
who actually want to buy my art,listen, I'd probably weave in
baskets on the beach by now.
But listen, here's the thing.
It's not about getting morefollowers, especially in 2025.
It's about deeper connection,the kind of connection that
really turns followers intofriends and friends into
(00:23):
collectors.
It really turns followers intofriends and friends into
collectors.
So how do you do that when allthe algorithms seem like they're
changing every second andattention spans are shorter than
ever?
Well, that's exactly what we'regoing to dive into today right
here on the Thriving ChristianArtist podcast.
Welcome to the ThrivingChristian Artist, the podcast
(00:52):
where we hope you connect withGod, to bust through the
roadblocks that have held youback for years, create the work
you love and really live thelife you know.
God created you to live as anartist in his kingdom.
I'm Matt Tommey, your host.
Let's get started.
Hey, my friends, so glad you'rewith me today here on the
podcast.
Listen, we're going to jumpinto this whole thing about how
to authentically connect onsocial media.
Whether you're with me todayhere on the podcast, listen,
we're going to jump into thiswhole thing about how to
authentically connect on socialmedia, whether you're using
Facebook, instagram, tiktok,whatever how to do that in a way
that not only feels good to youin your heart but also aligns
(01:15):
with your values, because thosethings are super, super, super
important when you're trying towalk in everything that God's
got for you to do, but alsothose are the things that really
can lead to real businessgrowth and real art sales for
you in 2025.
Now, listen, as you know, ifyou've been doing this for a
while, which a lot of us havethings have changed a lot, right
(01:35):
.
Gone are the days of justtrying to post a pretty picture
and waiting for sales to roll in.
Gone are the days of even beingable to post on your business
pages, right, and hope that theconversions are going to happen
In 2025, real connection, heartlevel connection beats content.
Every time, again, it's notabout quantity, it's really
(01:58):
about quality, and I'm justfinding more and more in the
things that I'm doing and alsowatching.
You know the accounts ofartists that I follow and
artists that I'm mentoring.
People just don't want to seeyour art.
They want to see you as anartist, as a person.
They want to see family lifeand fun and what you're eating
and where you're going.
(02:18):
They want to know you and trustyou and see you and kind of
walk with life with you everyday.
And they want to feel that inyour story.
They want to know that whenthey're buying something from
you or they're interested fromyou, you're not just somebody
that's trying to sell themsomething.
You're really an authenticartist that's living a life
based out of purpose, based outof calling, based out of passion
(02:39):
.
And their purchase means notjust that they're trying to buy
a thing.
Their purchase is really aboutthem wanting to not only connect
with you but also affirm whoyou are, what you're doing and
the life that you're called to.
And you know, although that mayseem a little more complex than
just posting a picture andgetting a sale, I think for us
(03:01):
as artists, it can really be alot more fulfilling for us to
not be feeling like we're juststraight up marketing all the
time, but we're actually beingable to authentically share our
life and invite people into that.
And I don't know about you, butfor me that feels a whole lot
better than just trying to be onthis marketing treadmill all
the time, all right.
So I want to talk aboutFacebook and Instagram and
(03:24):
TikTok really individually,because they are all three very
different worlds.
And for Facebook I want to saythis cultivate community, not
just a page, is still, accordingto data you know, on personal
(03:44):
profiles, the best way to seeconversions for people over 40,
for buyers over 40, whichincludes a huge portion of art
collectors all right.
So, even though Facebook to alot of people may seem old
school and like everybody'sgoing to TikTok or whatever,
listen, it's still the numberone platform for conversions and
(04:04):
, again, especially for peopleover 40.
So, if you're leaning intoFacebook, if you're still on
there, if you're wanting toreally press into that as a
sales opportunity and as amarketing opportunity for you, I
would say this number one useyour personal profile
strategically.
Now, you know, back in the day,I was always like, and everybody
(04:26):
was like use your businessprofile, use your business
profile.
Well, here's the deal.
According to recent data, postson personal profiles are
getting five times more reachthan business pages.
Now you may be saying well,matt, tell me something.
I don't know.
Right, I've been seeing that inmy experience.
We've talked about that a lotin the mentoring program, but I
(04:47):
think all of us have kind ofcome to realize that over the
years, and so don't be afraid tolean on your personal profile
and that's a great place rightwhere you can share kind of
these behind-the-scenes photos,thoughts from your creative
process, moments of gratitude,moments of life and just things
(05:10):
you're walking through andthings that you're experiencing.
And you know, anytime thatyou're sharing that kind of
stuff, always give people a callto action, right, and that
doesn't always mean click to buy.
That could be hey, I'd love toknow what you think, or which
one of these do you like themost?
Or what's your idea about whichone of these ideas I should,
you know, proceed with, orwhatever.
Always, always, always, try toask for meaningful engagement so
that you can get peopleinvolved in the story and in the
(05:32):
conversation of what you'redoing around your art.
All right, number two Facebookgroups are still a gold mine for
community.
Maybe you are needing to startone, maybe you want to revive
one community.
Maybe you are needing to startone, maybe you want to revive
one, whether it's somethingaround you know people who are
collecting your art or maybeit's behind your techniques and
tips and processes that you'reusing in your teaching, or maybe
(05:55):
it's a group to talk aboutwhat's going on in the studio.
These kinds of group spaces canreally allow you to go deeper,
with people who are actuallywilling to raise their hand and
say, hey, I like you, I likewhat you're doing, I want to
find out more about it, I wantto, I want to learn from you, I
want to take a class from you.
Again, facebook groups are agreat, great place to do that.
(06:16):
And the third thing I would sayabout Facebook is go live on
purpose.
Live videos are still a highpriority for Facebook in 2025.
And so, whether you're doinglike a live, like maybe a 10
minute, 15 minute studio chatwhere you're just kind of
letting people know what's goingon in the day, whether you're I
(06:37):
don't know, reading aninspirational scripture or
poetic quote or something, orwhether you're showing off your
latest piece or talking about arecent commission or whatever
Plan on going live consistentlyand listen, I know all you
perfectionists out there.
I can be one as well.
Don't worry about being perfect.
Just be real, right.
Just invite people into yourworld.
(06:58):
I promise you, the more you doit, the better you'll get.
I look back at some of my socialmedia back in the day 2008,
2009.
I'm like Lord Jesus, who let meon on Facebook with with a
camera, right, but guess what,as I did it, more and more, you
get better at it, and that'sjust kind of the nature of the
(07:19):
beast.
All right, last thing I want tosay about Facebook is this if
you're not using your metabusiness suite, um, to post on
your business page Now I justtold, told you, post on your
personal.
Yes, do that.
But also don't just neglectyour business page.
And using the meta businesssuite, it is a great way to
(07:39):
schedule and also cross post onInstagram so that you can put
one post out but have it comeout on two platforms, even
customize the post descriptionsand all that.
And also you get to track theperformance, right, how many
people are clicking, how manypeople are being engaged, all
that kind of stuff.
You can schedule it to go out.
(07:59):
I literally this morning thisis a Monday morning for me
podcasts go out on Tuesday, butI record them every Monday.
And on Mondays I sit down and Iwrite the Thriving Christian
Artist newsletter.
That goes out.
I record my weekly podcast.
That goes out.
And also I schedule all mysocial media that's going out
for the whole week on Mondaymorning, and guess what?
(08:21):
I do it on Facebook andInstagram.
I do that on my Meta BusinessSuite.
Listen, you got to get used tousing that and it's a simple,
simple, simple tool that you canuse, and I just want to
encourage you, you know, beleveraging that for yourself.
All right Now Instagram.
All right, really, instagram isstill the best place, the great
(08:43):
place that artists love to befrom a visual perspective.
All right, it's still veryvisual from a visual perspective
.
All right, it's still veryvisual, obviously.
But the algorithm also isfavoring, right now, engagement
and conversion over perfection.
Now, listen, I know you may befollowing Instagram influences
and be like I can't take thesebeautiful, perfect pictures like
(09:06):
these guys are taking all thetime all over Instagram.
Don't worry about it.
Right?
It's about engagement, it'sabout in.
Conversation is about not, it'snot about perfection, and so
make sure that that you're justas you're putting stuff up, as
you're posting things.
Get in the comments, ask peoplequestions, talk to them, engage
(09:27):
people in your post.
That's going to tell thealgorithm that you are somebody
worth promoting.
All right Now a few things thatI think are big wins right now
on Instagram that I'm seeingnumber one carousel posts.
That is, one post with multipleimages going on three to five
slides.
(09:47):
That is a real plus right nowfor high engagement.
You can use that to show yourprocess.
You can use that to maybe sharerecent testimonies, five things
I learned in the studio thisweek, or five things this last
commission taught me, or fivethings that inspire me.
Whatever it keeps peopleswiping and it increases time on
(10:10):
your post and from anengagement standpoint and an
algorithm standpoint forInstagram, that is a win, all
right.
Number two, on Instagram,stories are really a secret
weapon for building intimacy andbuilding connection with people
.
All right, so use your dailystories to share sort of
unfiltered studio life, quick,little comments or funny things.
(10:33):
Ask questions.
Show your face, you know, showyour studio, show your materials
, what you're working on.
Recent insights in Instagramare showing that artists who
show their face and talk onvideo and I know all the
introverts are going, I don'twant to do this, listen artists
who show their face and talk onvideo, according to recent
(10:56):
research, has 70% higher chancesof getting replies and shares.
Why?
Because people feel like theycan relate to you.
All right, so that's a big deal.
Number three, on Instagram reelsequal reach, stories, equal
relationship All right.
So use reels.
All right, these short, 30, 60,90 second videos.
(11:20):
Use reels to expand youraudience, but use stories to
nurture the ones that arealready there All right.
So, again, you kind of use themin tandem.
Reels are bringing people in,stories are drawing people close
to you, and that's a greatthing you know to do, all right.
And then, lastly, a couple ofthings on Instagram DMs direct
(11:41):
messages right, are where mostof the sales are happening on
Instagram, so be sure to respondto comments, follow new engaged
users and send voice memos inyour direct messages.
It can be a powerful andpersonal way to connect with
people and direct them right towhatever sales channel you want.
All right, and listen, if you'renot using Canva, I mean, oh my
(12:03):
gosh, where are you?
It's 2025.
You need to be using Canva, uh,to to really uh.
You know you can be makingreels, you can be making
carousel graphics, you can bemaking single post graphics,
doing all kind of stuff withCanva to really make your
Instagram look great, and so Ijust want to encourage you
definitely be using that asyou're, you know, developing all
(12:26):
that you're doing on Instagramand on Facebook too, so it's a
great tool for that.
All right Now, lastly, tiktok,and I know we're covering a lot
today, so go back and re-listenif you need to, but listen
TikTok.
I know for a lot of people thatare, let's say, 40 plus, it may
feel like the dance party thatyou weren't invited to, but
(12:48):
listen to me, it's not too lateto get into TikTok.
And the good thing is TikTok,even as a platform, is maturing
a lot and the algorithm isturning into one that is really
highly personalized, all right.
And there's a ton of artists onthere, ton of, you know,
faith-filled content on there aswell, and people that are
coming from a you know,faith-centered point of view, if
(13:10):
you will.
So, few things that I would sayon TikTok in 2025, number one
15 to 60.
Second, sort of micro stories,all right, that are going to
kind of start with a hook thatthat makes it really curious or
make something that soundsreally surprising.
Invite people in, be raw, bereal, be kind of in the moment,
(13:33):
but do it quickly, all right.
Number two if you can startspeaking to identifying and
speaking to a niche, a niche ofpeople on there, that is
something that the algorithmreally, really loves, because it
loves it when you can reallyspeak with clarity.
All right, like for me if I'msaying, hey, christian artists
over 50, or if I can say, youknow, nature lovers who want art
(13:57):
in their home, or natureinspired art lovers, or
something like that, or peoplewho want to fill their art,
their home, with with art.
That means something you know,whatever your lane is, whatever
you ever, you find, uh, you know, some some real connection with
stay there and really work thatAll right.
As you're speaking to that nichenumber three, I would say, uh,
(14:19):
use trending sounds, but withyour own twist.
All right.
So maybe you're you're doing avideo with your art process and
trending audio.
Okay, that's a great thing forreach, all right, but make sure
that you're doing things thatreally are representative of the
look and feel and sound thatyou are as an artist, and I
(14:40):
think that just, hopefully, thatgoes without saying but just
make sure that you're not.
You know, if, like for somebodylike me, I'm not going to be
using punk rock, uh, music to torepresent my art and who I am
as an artist is, people will belike what are you doing, man,
this is not like you.
For somebody like me, I'm goingto be using like I don't know
(15:04):
acoustic guitar or maybe someblues or maybe some worship
music or or whatever it be.
That's kind of who I am, whatpeople are used to, and that's
probably what I would be lookingfor trending audio within those
styles, all right.
Um, last thing, a couple ofthings I would say on on TikTok,
pin your best three videos tothe top of your profile, all
right, ideally one that'stelling people about you, one
that's maybe a storytellingvideo and one that is actually
(15:26):
showing off maybe your best work, your latest work, your
commission, whatever.
All right.
Again, it just gives people aquick way to learn who you are
and connect quickly with you onthe platform, all right.
And lastly, if you're not usingCapCut, both for TikTok and for
Instagram, I would just say,look at it.
(15:47):
It's a great great tool that'ssuper inexpensive, that can
produce these professional reelsreally fast, great captions,
and it's just a tool that I useand I think you ought to be
probably, um, considering, youknow, using that as well, all
right.
So listen again, just to wrapthis thing up, no matter what
(16:08):
platform that you're using, theprinciples of trying to convert
people from just followers intoclients are the same across any
platform.
Number one know your people,speak directly to the heart of
your ideal collector and notjust randomly.
You know this everybody, sortof thing.
Number two, I would say makeinvitations, not just
(16:32):
announcements.
All right, say things like hey,I got three pieces available
this week, or I got a brand newpiece that I want to introduce
you to this week, or, you know,join my collector's club and
find out when the next piecedrops.
All right, invite them to be apart of what's going on with you
, not just making these sort ofblanket blase sort of
announcements.
(16:52):
And no matter what platformyou're doing, connection counts,
right?
So always lead with a story,lead from the heart and uh and
trust, and I just I believe thisfor all of us as we share
authentically who we are andwhat we're doing and the things
that God's called us to do inthe context of our creative
process.
He's the one that brings thefruitfulness, he's the one that
(17:16):
brings the sales, that bringsthe people to us that we can
engage with.
All right, Listen, I knowsocial media can be so
overwhelming, it can be a lot,but the key to it, I think, is
be yourself, share your story,connect well with people and
trust God for the conversion asyou give people clear call to
(17:37):
actions or to follow All right.
Father, thank you that in 2025,we have all of these incredible
tools at our disposal to reallyshare not only who you are, but
who we are in you and whatwe're doing creatively and how
we can release your light inlife.
God, I pray for grace andwisdom and discernment for
people as they continue to leaninto the social media platforms
(18:01):
that we have access to, to be alight and to be a light bringer
and a life giver to all thepeople that follow us and all
the people that can potentiallyfind out who we are and what we
do creatively.
We thank you for that, lord inJesus' name, amen.
Hey, thanks, my friend, forbeing with me today.
Remember, we're on the road to2 million downloads.
(18:24):
Can you believe it?
It only happens through you, asyou subscribe, as you share
this podcast with others and asyou keep coming back every week
to the podcast, hopefully forsome encouragement and some
uplifting content that's goingto help you be everything that
God's called you to be as anartist in his kingdom.
I love you, my friend.
(18:44):
I'll see you next time andremember, till then, you were
created to thrive.
Bye, hey, my friend, before yougo, make sure that you're signed
up for the Thriving ChristianArtist Weekly.
It's my free newsletter, fullof spiritual encouragement,
creative inspiration andpractical tips to help you
thrive in everything that God'scalled you to do as an artist in
(19:05):
his kingdom.
Every issue is absolutely freeand it includes the latest
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the week and, again, tons oftips and encouragement and
inspiration for you to keep youinspired and encouraged in
everything that God's got foryou as an artist in the kingdom.
You can click the link righthere in the show notes to join
us, and it's a great way to stayconnected in the kingdom.
You can click the link righthere in the show notes to join
us, and it's a great way to stayconnected.
(19:26):
All right, love you, bye.
You know, if I had a dollar for every time an artist
asked me Matt, how do I get morefollowers on my social media
who actually want to buy my art,listen, I'd probably weave in
baskets on the beach by now.
But listen, here's the thing.
It's not about getting morefollowers, especially in 2025.
It's about deeper connection,the kind of connection that
really turns followers intofriends and friends into
(00:23):
collectors.
It really turns followers intofriends and friends into
collectors.
So how do you do that when allthe algorithms seem like they're
changing every second andattention spans are shorter than
ever?
Well, that's exactly what we'regoing to dive into today right
here on the Thriving ChristianArtist podcast.
Welcome to the ThrivingChristian Artist, the podcast
(00:52):
where we hope you connect withGod, to bust through the
roadblocks that have held youback for years, create the work
you love and really live thelife you know.
God created you to live as anartist in his kingdom.
I'm Matt Tommey, your host.
Let's get started.
Hey, my friends, so glad you'rewith me today here on the
podcast.
Listen, we're going to jumpinto this whole thing about how
to authentically connect onsocial media.
Whether you're with me todayhere on the podcast, listen,
we're going to jump into thiswhole thing about how to
authentically connect on socialmedia, whether you're using
Facebook, instagram, tiktok,whatever how to do that in a way
that not only feels good to youin your heart but also aligns
(01:15):
with your values, because thosethings are super, super, super
important when you're trying towalk in everything that God's
got for you to do, but alsothose are the things that really
can lead to real businessgrowth and real art sales for
you in 2025.
Now, listen, as you know, ifyou've been doing this for a
while, which a lot of us havethings have changed a lot, right
(01:35):
.
Gone are the days of justtrying to post a pretty picture
and waiting for sales to roll in.
Gone are the days of even beingable to post on your business
pages, right, and hope that theconversions are going to happen
In 2025, real connection, heartlevel connection beats content.
Every time, again, it's notabout quantity, it's really
(01:58):
about quality, and I'm justfinding more and more in the
things that I'm doing and alsowatching.
You know the accounts ofartists that I follow and
artists that I'm mentoring.
People just don't want to seeyour art.
They want to see you as anartist, as a person.
They want to see family lifeand fun and what you're eating
and where you're going.
(02:18):
They want to know you and trustyou and see you and kind of
walk with life with you everyday.
And they want to feel that inyour story.
They want to know that whenthey're buying something from
you or they're interested fromyou, you're not just somebody
that's trying to sell themsomething.
You're really an authenticartist that's living a life
based out of purpose, based outof calling, based out of passion
(02:39):
.
And their purchase means notjust that they're trying to buy
a thing.
Their purchase is really aboutthem wanting to not only connect
with you but also affirm whoyou are, what you're doing and
the life that you're called to.
And you know, although that mayseem a little more complex than
just posting a picture andgetting a sale, I think for us
(03:01):
as artists, it can really be alot more fulfilling for us to
not be feeling like we're juststraight up marketing all the
time, but we're actually beingable to authentically share our
life and invite people into that.
And I don't know about you, butfor me that feels a whole lot
better than just trying to be onthis marketing treadmill all
the time, all right.
So I want to talk aboutFacebook and Instagram and
(03:24):
TikTok really individually,because they are all three very
different worlds.
And for Facebook I want to saythis cultivate community, not
just a page, is still, accordingto data you know, on personal
(03:44):
profiles, the best way to seeconversions for people over 40,
for buyers over 40, whichincludes a huge portion of art
collectors all right.
So, even though Facebook to alot of people may seem old
school and like everybody'sgoing to TikTok or whatever,
listen, it's still the numberone platform for conversions and
(04:04):
, again, especially for peopleover 40.
So, if you're leaning intoFacebook, if you're still on
there, if you're wanting toreally press into that as a
sales opportunity and as amarketing opportunity for you, I
would say this number one useyour personal profile
strategically.
Now, you know, back in the day,I was always like, and everybody
(04:26):
was like use your businessprofile, use your business
profile.
Well, here's the deal.
According to recent data, postson personal profiles are
getting five times more reachthan business pages.
Now you may be saying well,matt, tell me something.
I don't know.
Right, I've been seeing that inmy experience.
We've talked about that a lotin the mentoring program, but I
(04:47):
think all of us have kind ofcome to realize that over the
years, and so don't be afraid tolean on your personal profile
and that's a great place rightwhere you can share kind of
these behind-the-scenes photos,thoughts from your creative
process, moments of gratitude,moments of life and just things
(05:10):
you're walking through andthings that you're experiencing.
And you know, anytime thatyou're sharing that kind of
stuff, always give people a callto action, right, and that
doesn't always mean click to buy.
That could be hey, I'd love toknow what you think, or which
one of these do you like themost?
Or what's your idea about whichone of these ideas I should,
you know, proceed with, orwhatever.
Always, always, always, try toask for meaningful engagement so
that you can get peopleinvolved in the story and in the
(05:32):
conversation of what you'redoing around your art.
All right, number two Facebookgroups are still a gold mine for
community.
Maybe you are needing to startone, maybe you want to revive
one community.
Maybe you are needing to startone, maybe you want to revive
one, whether it's somethingaround you know people who are
collecting your art or maybeit's behind your techniques and
tips and processes that you'reusing in your teaching, or maybe
(05:55):
it's a group to talk aboutwhat's going on in the studio.
These kinds of group spaces canreally allow you to go deeper,
with people who are actuallywilling to raise their hand and
say, hey, I like you, I likewhat you're doing, I want to
find out more about it, I wantto, I want to learn from you, I
want to take a class from you.
Again, facebook groups are agreat, great place to do that.
(06:16):
And the third thing I would sayabout Facebook is go live on
purpose.
Live videos are still a highpriority for Facebook in 2025.
And so, whether you're doinglike a live, like maybe a 10
minute, 15 minute studio chatwhere you're just kind of
letting people know what's goingon in the day, whether you're I
(06:37):
don't know, reading aninspirational scripture or
poetic quote or something, orwhether you're showing off your
latest piece or talking about arecent commission or whatever
Plan on going live consistentlyand listen, I know all you
perfectionists out there.
I can be one as well.
Don't worry about being perfect.
Just be real, right.
Just invite people into yourworld.
(06:58):
I promise you, the more you doit, the better you'll get.
I look back at some of my socialmedia back in the day 2008,
2009.
I'm like Lord Jesus, who let meon on Facebook with with a
camera, right, but guess what,as I did it, more and more, you
get better at it, and that'sjust kind of the nature of the
(07:19):
beast.
All right, last thing I want tosay about Facebook is this if
you're not using your metabusiness suite, um, to post on
your business page Now I justtold, told you, post on your
personal.
Yes, do that.
But also don't just neglectyour business page.
And using the meta businesssuite, it is a great way to
(07:39):
schedule and also cross post onInstagram so that you can put
one post out but have it comeout on two platforms, even
customize the post descriptionsand all that.
And also you get to track theperformance, right, how many
people are clicking, how manypeople are being engaged, all
that kind of stuff.
You can schedule it to go out.
(07:59):
I literally this morning thisis a Monday morning for me
podcasts go out on Tuesday, butI record them every Monday.
And on Mondays I sit down and Iwrite the Thriving Christian
Artist newsletter.
That goes out.
I record my weekly podcast.
That goes out.
And also I schedule all mysocial media that's going out
for the whole week on Mondaymorning, and guess what?
(08:21):
I do it on Facebook andInstagram.
I do that on my Meta BusinessSuite.
Listen, you got to get used tousing that and it's a simple,
simple, simple tool that you canuse, and I just want to
encourage you, you know, beleveraging that for yourself.
All right Now Instagram.
All right, really, instagram isstill the best place, the great
(08:43):
place that artists love to befrom a visual perspective.
All right, it's still veryvisual from a visual perspective
.
All right, it's still veryvisual, obviously.
But the algorithm also isfavoring, right now, engagement
and conversion over perfection.
Now, listen, I know you may befollowing Instagram influences
and be like I can't take thesebeautiful, perfect pictures like
(09:06):
these guys are taking all thetime all over Instagram.
Don't worry about it.
Right?
It's about engagement, it'sabout in.
Conversation is about not, it'snot about perfection, and so
make sure that that you're justas you're putting stuff up, as
you're posting things.
Get in the comments, ask peoplequestions, talk to them, engage
(09:27):
people in your post.
That's going to tell thealgorithm that you are somebody
worth promoting.
All right Now a few things thatI think are big wins right now
on Instagram that I'm seeingnumber one carousel posts.
That is, one post with multipleimages going on three to five
slides.
(09:47):
That is a real plus right nowfor high engagement.
You can use that to show yourprocess.
You can use that to maybe sharerecent testimonies, five things
I learned in the studio thisweek, or five things this last
commission taught me, or fivethings that inspire me.
Whatever it keeps peopleswiping and it increases time on
(10:10):
your post and from anengagement standpoint and an
algorithm standpoint forInstagram, that is a win, all
right.
Number two, on Instagram,stories are really a secret
weapon for building intimacy andbuilding connection with people
.
All right, so use your dailystories to share sort of
unfiltered studio life, quick,little comments or funny things.
(10:33):
Ask questions.
Show your face, you know, showyour studio, show your materials
, what you're working on.
Recent insights in Instagramare showing that artists who
show their face and talk onvideo and I know all the
introverts are going, I don'twant to do this, listen artists
who show their face and talk onvideo, according to recent
(10:56):
research, has 70% higher chancesof getting replies and shares.
Why?
Because people feel like theycan relate to you.
All right, so that's a big deal.
Number three, on Instagram reelsequal reach, stories, equal
relationship All right.
So use reels.
All right, these short, 30, 60,90 second videos.
(11:20):
Use reels to expand youraudience, but use stories to
nurture the ones that arealready there All right.
So, again, you kind of use themin tandem.
Reels are bringing people in,stories are drawing people close
to you, and that's a greatthing you know to do, all right.
And then, lastly, a couple ofthings on Instagram DMs direct
(11:41):
messages right, are where mostof the sales are happening on
Instagram, so be sure to respondto comments, follow new engaged
users and send voice memos inyour direct messages.
It can be a powerful andpersonal way to connect with
people and direct them right towhatever sales channel you want.
All right, and listen, if you'renot using Canva, I mean, oh my
(12:03):
gosh, where are you?
It's 2025.
You need to be using Canva, uh,to to really uh.
You know you can be makingreels, you can be making
carousel graphics, you can bemaking single post graphics,
doing all kind of stuff withCanva to really make your
Instagram look great, and so Ijust want to encourage you
definitely be using that asyou're, you know, developing all
(12:26):
that you're doing on Instagramand on Facebook too, so it's a
great tool for that.
All right Now, lastly, tiktok,and I know we're covering a lot
today, so go back and re-listenif you need to, but listen
TikTok.
I know for a lot of people thatare, let's say, 40 plus, it may
feel like the dance party thatyou weren't invited to, but
(12:48):
listen to me, it's not too lateto get into TikTok.
And the good thing is TikTok,even as a platform, is maturing
a lot and the algorithm isturning into one that is really
highly personalized, all right.
And there's a ton of artists onthere, ton of, you know,
faith-filled content on there aswell, and people that are
coming from a you know,faith-centered point of view, if
(13:10):
you will.
So, few things that I would sayon TikTok in 2025, number one
15 to 60.
Second, sort of micro stories,all right, that are going to
kind of start with a hook thatthat makes it really curious or
make something that soundsreally surprising.
Invite people in, be raw, bereal, be kind of in the moment,
(13:33):
but do it quickly, all right.
Number two if you can startspeaking to identifying and
speaking to a niche, a niche ofpeople on there, that is
something that the algorithmreally, really loves, because it
loves it when you can reallyspeak with clarity.
All right, like for me if I'msaying, hey, christian artists
over 50, or if I can say, youknow, nature lovers who want art
(13:57):
in their home, or natureinspired art lovers, or
something like that, or peoplewho want to fill their art,
their home, with with art.
That means something you know,whatever your lane is, whatever
you ever, you find, uh, you know, some some real connection with
stay there and really work thatAll right.
As you're speaking to that nichenumber three, I would say, uh,
(14:19):
use trending sounds, but withyour own twist.
All right.
So maybe you're you're doing avideo with your art process and
trending audio.
Okay, that's a great thing forreach, all right, but make sure
that you're doing things thatreally are representative of the
look and feel and sound thatyou are as an artist, and I
(14:40):
think that just, hopefully, thatgoes without saying but just
make sure that you're not.
You know, if, like for somebodylike me, I'm not going to be
using punk rock, uh, music to torepresent my art and who I am
as an artist is, people will belike what are you doing, man,
this is not like you.
For somebody like me, I'm goingto be using like I don't know
(15:04):
acoustic guitar or maybe someblues or maybe some worship
music or or whatever it be.
That's kind of who I am, whatpeople are used to, and that's
probably what I would be lookingfor trending audio within those
styles, all right.
Um, last thing, a couple ofthings I would say on on TikTok,
pin your best three videos tothe top of your profile, all
right, ideally one that'stelling people about you, one
that's maybe a storytellingvideo and one that is actually
(15:26):
showing off maybe your best work, your latest work, your
commission, whatever.
All right.
Again, it just gives people aquick way to learn who you are
and connect quickly with you onthe platform, all right.
And lastly, if you're not usingCapCut, both for TikTok and for
Instagram, I would just say,look at it.
(15:47):
It's a great great tool that'ssuper inexpensive, that can
produce these professional reelsreally fast, great captions,
and it's just a tool that I useand I think you ought to be
probably, um, considering, youknow, using that as well, all
right.
So listen again, just to wrapthis thing up, no matter what
(16:08):
platform that you're using, theprinciples of trying to convert
people from just followers intoclients are the same across any
platform.
Number one know your people,speak directly to the heart of
your ideal collector and notjust randomly.
You know this everybody, sortof thing.
Number two, I would say makeinvitations, not just
(16:32):
announcements.
All right, say things like hey,I got three pieces available
this week, or I got a brand newpiece that I want to introduce
you to this week, or, you know,join my collector's club and
find out when the next piecedrops.
All right, invite them to be apart of what's going on with you
, not just making these sort ofblanket blase sort of
announcements.
(16:52):
And no matter what platformyou're doing, connection counts,
right?
So always lead with a story,lead from the heart and uh and
trust, and I just I believe thisfor all of us as we share
authentically who we are andwhat we're doing and the things
that God's called us to do inthe context of our creative
process.
He's the one that brings thefruitfulness, he's the one that
(17:16):
brings the sales, that bringsthe people to us that we can
engage with.
All right, Listen, I knowsocial media can be so
overwhelming, it can be a lot,but the key to it, I think, is
be yourself, share your story,connect well with people and
trust God for the conversion asyou give people clear call to
(17:37):
actions or to follow All right.
Father, thank you that in 2025,we have all of these incredible
tools at our disposal to reallyshare not only who you are, but
who we are in you and whatwe're doing creatively and how
we can release your light inlife.
God, I pray for grace andwisdom and discernment for
people as they continue to leaninto the social media platforms
(18:01):
that we have access to, to be alight and to be a light bringer
and a life giver to all thepeople that follow us and all
the people that can potentiallyfind out who we are and what we
do creatively.
We thank you for that, lord inJesus' name, amen.
Hey, thanks, my friend, forbeing with me today.
Remember, we're on the road to2 million downloads.
(18:24):
Can you believe it?
It only happens through you, asyou subscribe, as you share
this podcast with others and asyou keep coming back every week
to the podcast, hopefully forsome encouragement and some
uplifting content that's goingto help you be everything that
God's called you to be as anartist in his kingdom.
I love you, my friend.
(18:44):
I'll see you next time andremember, till then, you were
created to thrive.
Bye, hey, my friend, before yougo, make sure that you're signed
up for the Thriving ChristianArtist Weekly.
It's my free newsletter, fullof spiritual encouragement,
creative inspiration andpractical tips to help you
thrive in everything that God'scalled you to do as an artist in
(19:05):
his kingdom.
Every issue is absolutely freeand it includes the latest
podcast episode, featured artistspotlights, a worship song of
the week and, again, tons oftips and encouragement and
inspiration for you to keep youinspired and encouraged in
everything that God's got foryou as an artist in the kingdom.
You can click the link righthere in the show notes to join
us, and it's a great way to stayconnected in the kingdom.
You can click the link righthere in the show notes to join
us, and it's a great way to stayconnected.
(19:26):
All right, love you, bye.
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