Going Viral Won’t Save Your Art Career (Here’s What Will)
Post three times a day on Instagram.
Be on TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Pinterest.
Create Reels.
Go viral.
Hustle harder.
If you’re exhausted just reading that, I have good news: you’re not lazy and you’re not behind.
You’re just being fed marketing advice that was never designed for artists.
Since 2017, Font Squared has worked exclusively with artists and arts nonprofits, and we’ve helped clients generate $1.55M+, grow event attendance by 716%, and maintain an 80% client retention rate.
So let me say this clearly: going viral won’t save your art career.
It might spike your views. It might inflate your follower count. But it rarely builds the kind of trust that leads to ticket sales, commissions, donations, memberships, or consistent attendance.
This post is the quick, spicy version. The full breakdown (with examples and receipts) is in the Week 1 video on my YouTube channel.
Why the usual marketing advice fails artists
Most mainstream advice assumes you have:
A content team
A paid ads budget
A product that ships in a box
A business model where “more attention” automatically equals “more revenue”
Artists and arts nonprofits don’t work like that.
You’re building trust. You’re building community. You’re asking people to show up, donate, buy, join, and care. And that takes more than posting into the void.
Three pieces of garbage advice (and why they’re a trap)
Garbage advice #1: “Post every day on every platform”
This advice is basically a subscription plan for burnout.
When you try to be everywhere, here’s what happens:
Your content gets generic (because you’re rushing)
Your art practice gets squeezed into the cracks of your day
Your marketing becomes a second full-time job
And the punchline? You can still get low reach because algorithms don’t care how tired you are.
Garbage advice #2: “Just go viral”
“Go viral” is not a strategy. It’s a lottery ticket.
Even if you do get a big spike in views, it often doesn’t translate to sales, donations, or attendance because the audience was scrolling for entertainment—not looking to invest in your work.
Ten people who consistently show up and buy are worth more than 10,000 people who double-tap and disappear.
Garbage advice #3: “Hustle harder”
Hustle culture is especially toxic in the arts because it makes you feel like exhaustion is proof you’re doing it right.
But if your marketing plan requires you to sacrifice your health, your creativity, or your sanity, it’s not a plan. It’s a slow leak.
What actually works (the three principles)
Here’s the part most people skip because it’s not as sexy as “post more.”
These three principles are the foundation of the campaigns we run at Font Squared.
Principle #1: Email first, social second
Your email list is the only audience you actually own.
Instagram can change its algorithm tomorrow. TikTok could disappear. Facebook can decide you only reach 2% of your followers.
But your email list? That’s yours.
One of our clients, Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator, raised $35,000 in 24 hours for Give Miami Day using email marketing.
Not Instagram. Not TikTok. Email.
Principle #2: Your website is your foundation
Social media is rented land. Your website is your home.
If your website is outdated, confusing, or missing a clear next step, you’re basically asking people to care about your work—and then giving them nowhere to go.
A strong website doesn’t need to be fancy. It needs to be clear:
What you do
Why it matters
What you want the visitor to do next
Principle #3: Strategic events over constant content
Instead of posting every day, focus on high-impact moments that give people a reason to show up now.
Events create urgency. They create community. They create momentum.
We’ve seen strategic event marketing outperform “a month of daily posting” over and over again—because it’s tied to a real outcome.
If you want the full breakdown (with receipts)
In the Week 1 video, I go deeper on:
Why “post more” advice is designed for influencers, not artists
How to stop chasing virality and start building an audience that buys and shows up
What “email first” looks like in real campaigns
How to use your website as a conversion tool (not a digital business card)
How to build a simple, sustainable strategy around events
Watch + subscribe
If you want real marketing strategies that respect your art, your time, and your budget, subscribe to Real Talk: Marketing for Artists on YouTube.
And tell me in the comments: What’s the worst marketing advice you’ve ever received?
Because I promise—you’re not the only one.
