7 Tips: Writing About Art on IG
It’s hard enough to write about art. Writing for the fast-moving, low-attention audience of Instagram can be more challenging still. Some people offer a cut-and-pasted press release blurb as a sort of photo caption—but that’s a heavy lift for your audience, and reveals little about your own point of view.
Instead, try these tips to craft posts quickly and effectively:
1. Tell readers what they’re looking at
Sometimes the impulse is to share as much as possible about what a show or event is about. But first: Who or what’s in the picture? Describe the action, directing attention to image.
2. Put essential info in first 9 words
Treat this space like a headline. This language should prompt readers to click “more.”
3. Offer clues that demystify
Point to a detail, the way you might if you were explaining a work in person.
Note distinctive aspects of tools, materials, process.
Rather than telling how to look, share ways to look.
4. Provide value
Information, inspiration, provocation, humor: What’s the takeaway?
5. What’s your reaction personally?
What does it feel like to look at it, or reflect on it?
6. Sound like you
Not like a press release.
6. Keep it short
The longer the text, the less chance that readers will consume your key points.
7. Don’t hide facts in hashtags
Share important points in prose.
