Hey, is your Instagram account private or public? I’m checking it to see if you know how you have your account set up because as an artist, I want you to get more eyes on your artwork!
I’m also checking in because I’ve noticed a lot of artists are promoting their Instagram account but it’s set up to be private. I have a feeling that a lot of artists don’t realize that this means someone has to take another step to see your work and request access to your account. Then they have to wait to be let in.
For the viewer this is a total bummer because they’re impatient and want to see your work now. And by the time they’re granted access, they’re into something else and never return to see your work. Or they miss the notification that they’ve been granted access to your account entirely.
Personally, I hesitate to request being added to a person’s private Instagram account because I don’t want to come across as a lurker who’s asking to see posts that were intended for friends only.
I understand that it’s the internet and sometimes people want to limit who can see what their posts. If that's you, know that I totally understand and respect that. Keep your account private.
But, if you’re an artist who wants to grow their audience and connect with more people around the topic of their art, can you make sure your account is available to the public?
If you’re not sure if your Instagram account is public or private, you can find out right now. Here’s how:
Open your Instagram account
Click on the three lines in the upper right
Click on Settings
Click on Privacy
Look at Account Privacy.
If it’s toggled “on” and is blue, that means you have a private account.
If it’s greyed out, it’s public.
If you’d like to change it from private to public, slide the toggle to the left so it’s greyed out. You’ll get a prompt that asks if you want to change the privacy. Click Change to confirm you want to do it.
When your Instagram account is private, your posts can no longer appear on the Explore Page. And using hashtags won’t matter because your posts won’t appear in those feeds either. This makes it more difficult for people to find and enjoy your awesome art work!
Is your account public or private? Let me know in the comments.
Cheers,
Kate