Introduction

Capturing the attention of collectors online can be a challenge. While they often peruse social media, email, and gallery websites to discover art, your Artsy profile is the most effective way to convert interested collectors into buyers, offering trust, simplicity, and clarity.

By promoting your Artsy presence across multiple channels (known as “cross-promotion”), you can drive your audience to the place that’s most effective at persuading them to buy—your Artsy profile. 

This toolkit will walk you through the steps of launching shows and viewing rooms on Artsy, with tips on how to boost page views via cross-promotion.

Cross-promoting a show or viewing room

Treat each Artsy show like a marketing campaign. That means you’ll need a timeline and measurable goals, as well as high-quality images and compelling descriptions.

Use this checklist to track your progress and stay organized as you go through the following steps.

1. Set goals

At the onset, be sure to think of concrete goals for your promotion efforts. You can base these goals on metrics such as the number of page views to your shows, works, and artists—all of which are accessible through your Analytics Dashboard in CMS. In addition, you can set fiscal goals related to inquiries and sales.

2. Plan your marketing content

It takes time to create and launch a show or viewing room on Artsy, so make the most of it. Ensure everyone—no matter how they keep up with your gallery’s program—knows that your exhibition is up by sharing it across all of your channels (social media, email, etc.) and linking to it directly.

Pro tip: Quickly create emails and Instagram posts and stories with Artsy’s templates, exclusively available to Artsy partners.

The following three channels are essential to promoting your Artsy exhibitions. Read on and learn how to optimize them for cross-promotion.

Instagram—

This highly visual platform is the perfect place to start cross-promoting your gallery’s Artsy presence. Update your Instagram profile regularly with news about what you’ve published on Artsy. Posting about—and linking to—your Artsy exhibitions on Instagram will transform your profile from a social and educational hub where collectors can engage with your gallery into a tool that facilitates sales for your business.  

To drive traffic from your Instagram account to your Artsy page, you’ll need to update the link in your bio as soon as your show is published.

Pro tip: Services like linkin.bio and linktree let you direct your audience to multiple landing pages from just one link, such as your current show, Artsy profile, and artist pages.

Adding a story in addition to a post will increase your chances of getting discovered on Instagram. It’s fast and easy to upload images of the works featured in your show and screenshots of your show’s Artsy page.

Here’s what to have on hand before you post:

• The link to your show or viewing room in your bio
• The images or videos you plan to post 
• A written description for your post, including a call to action directing viewers to click the link in your bio to see the show
• A list of the accounts you want to tag in your post/story (such as @Artsy and featured artists)

Need help creating images for your posts and stories? Use Artsy’s Gallery Partner Marketing Templates.

Email—

Email marketing is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal. As a direct line to your collector audience, a successful email program can be managed by even the smallest of teams. In a matter of clicks, the same audience you engage with through newsletters and press releases can visit your Artsy profile and purchase your works.

Prepare your written announcement and any images of your Artsy show before it’s launched so you can share it with your email audience as soon as it’s up. Shorten this process with Artsy-branded templates, designed exclusively for our gallery partners. 

Pro tip: Put your call to action in the first sentence and keep the copy short (aim for 200 words maximum per email). The sooner you can send your audience to a page where they can buy your art, the better.

Website—

Link to your Artsy show or viewing room on your gallery’s website regardless of whether it coincides with a physical show. For the best results, add an announcement to your homepage with an image, and be sure to link directly to the page where you want to drive more views.

If your Artsy exhibition is tied to a physical show, include a link to the Artsy-hosted equivalent wherever the show is mentioned on your website. This ensures that interested virtual visitors can instantly browse and purchase works from the exhibition.

3. Create a schedule

Decide when you’re going to publish your show or viewing room on Artsy, and plan your posts, email sends, and website updates around that. The first announcements should go out immediately, so block off time in your calendar to send out the content you planned.

The more aggressive you make your traffic goals, the more promotional content you’ll need to plan on sending. Avoid audience fatigue by changing up images and subject lines.

Pro tip: It’s always a good idea to remind your audience of your exhibition. Plan to share a follow-up “reminder” post or email about a week after the show launches.

4. Track results

After your show has been live on Artsy for four weeks or your viewing room has closed, review the goals you created in step one and compare them to what you see now in analytics. 

To determine which of your channels was the most successful, take a look at the engagement metrics. Which of your Instagram posts got the most likes or comments? Did one of your emails see a higher open rate or more clicks? What day did your website see the most traffic? Answering these questions will help you learn what worked and where you should improve next time.

“Always-on” promotion

Now that you have a plan to promote your online exhibitions, you can focus on the type of cross-promotion that’s always working, regardless of your programming schedule. Cross-promoting your Artsy profile in this way will give your audience a consistent and straightforward way to visit your online storefront.

Artsy button

An Artsy button is a type of widget that sends anyone who clicks it to your Artsy profile, and it can be added to your emails and gallery website.

Whether or not you have a new show launching on Artsy, an Artsy button gives your audience a permanent, clickable point of entry to your online storefront.

Get your Artsy button here, and be sure to choose a style that matches your gallery’s visual identity.

Pro tip: Ask the artists you represent to add your Artsy button to their emails and websites, as well.

QR codes

Like an Artsy widget but for real life, QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes that anyone can scan with their smartphone to be taken directly to your Artsy profile. Giving visitors an easy way to find your Artsy profile will help transform passing foot traffic into a digital following.

Add a QR code in your gallery’s storefront so a curious passerby can browse works even when your physical space is closed.

Exhibiting at an art fair is one of the best ways to establish your gallery, expand your network, and connect with new and existing collectors. If you’re exhibiting at an in-person fair, display a QR code linked to your Artsy profile to give booth visitors a seamless way to follow your artists and gallery on Artsy.

Create a QR code for free with tools like QR Code Monkey or QR Code Generator.

Social media collaborations

A simple way to grow your digital reach is by collaborating with another social media account. This strategy works especially well on Instagram, where two accounts can grow by leveraging each other’s audience.

Start with the artists you represent. If they have Instagram accounts, help them create posts that direct their audience to their Artsy page. This will give your artists’ most engaged followers a chance to purchase works and discover more about your gallery’s program.

Conclusion

Art businesses and collectors have progressed toward digital adoption over the last decade, and last year that progression accelerated. In 2020, 73% of galleries surveyed for the Artsy Gallery Insights Report shared that at least half of the collectors that bought from them online were new to the gallery. Giving your digital audience a fast, secure way to buy online opens your gallery’s artists and works to collectors around the globe.

Visit the Artsy Help Center for more information on best practices for Artsy gallery partners, and reach out to partnersupport@artsy.net for technical support.