So many artists have benefitted from Instagram — it's a topic that comes up frequently in these interviews, but it's been difficult to pinpoint one key lesson to devote an entire episode to, until now. Jeanne Rosier Smith made a conscious decision to focus on using Instagram to grow her following and expand her art business and it has definitely paid off. Jeanne has been focused and deliberate in her use of the platform while also allowing a great deal of flexibility in the process.

Jeanne paints seascapes and landscapes with pastels and works with the abstract underlying designs beneath the realistic images she paints, seeing just how far she needs to go in order to maintain realism while still leaving something to the imagination. She loves pastel because the rich, pure pigments allow vibrations of color and visual mixing impossible to capture with any other medium.

In our conversation, Jeanne shares the strategies that she has used for the past three years to build a following of more than 37,000 and reach the six-figure mark in sales for each of those three years. She shares how she maintains good relationships with her eight galleries, even while selling on Instagram, and why she doesn't schedule posts in advance.

Highlights

• Jeanne shares her personal art history and passion for pastels. (2:08)

• The instant feedback and fun factor that has made an Instagram strategy the right choice for Jeanne. (5:48)

• Steps that will take your Instagram account to the next level. (7:45)

• Connecting with collectors starts with sharing your inspiration. (11:56)

• The frequency of your posts needs to reflect your growth goals. (14:15)

• Which content results in the greatest connection, followers, and sales? (15:49)

• Is the ROI worth the effort of maintaining an Instagram account? (20:41)

• Maintaining a good relationship with galleries while growing on Instagram. (25:22)

• Marketing opportunities that will result in sales. (28:42)

• A look inside Jeanne's personal collection. (33:45)

• Do your posts need to be scheduled in advance?? (34:45)

• A successful hashtag strategy starts with thinking like a collector. (40:09)

• Is there a best time of day to post on Instagram? (44:46)

• A peek at what Jeanne is currently working on. (45:51)

Mentioned

• Jeanne Rosier Smith

• Jeanne Rosier Smith on Instagram

• Instagram for Artists

• Artists Helping Artists Podcast

• Gallery 31

• Artist Support Pledge

• Loriann Signori

• Marc Hanson

Resources

• Art Biz Success Community

• Intro and outro music by Wildermiss