The NoHo Arts District has always been more than just a neighborhood—it’s a creative hub where painters, sculptors, musicians, and performers collide in a beautiful mess of artistic energy. But here’s the thing: being talented isn’t enough anymore. The artists who are actually making it—the ones selling work, booking gigs, and building sustainable careers—aren’t just creating in their studios. They’re online, they’re strategic, and they’re treating their art like a business.

If you’re an LA artist still relying solely on gallery openings and word-of-mouth, you’re leaving money and opportunities on the table. The digital world has leveled the playing field, giving independent artists access to global audiences that were once reserved for gallery-repped talent. Here are five digital marketing strategies that can help you take your art from the NoHo studios to screens around the world.

1. Build Your Digital Home Base (Digital Marketing for LA Artists 101)

One of the foundations of digital marketing for LA artists is having a real website you control. Your Instagram is not your website. Let me say that again for the artists in the back: your Instagram is not your website. Social media platforms are rented land—algorithms change, accounts get hacked, and you’re always one policy update away from losing access to your audience.

Every serious artist needs a proper website that serves as their digital portfolio and business card. This doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Platforms like Squarespace, Wix, or even WordPress make it ridiculously easy to create a professional-looking site in a weekend. Your website should include high-quality images of your work, an about page that tells your story (people buy from people they connect with), a contact form, and ideally, an online store or inquiry system.

But here’s where most artists drop the ball: they build the website and then abandon it. Your site needs fresh content to stay relevant in search engines and give people reasons to return. This is where a blog or news section becomes invaluable. Write about your creative process, share studio behind-the-scenes, review art supplies, or discuss what inspires your work. Even one post per month can make a significant difference in your online visibility.

2. Master One Social Platform Before Spreading Yourself Thin

The biggest mistake I see LA artists make is trying to be everywhere at once—posting sporadically on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, and doing none of them well. This is a recipe for burnout and mediocre results.

Instead, pick one platform where your ideal audience actually hangs out and dominate it. For visual artists, Instagram and TikTok are obvious choices, but don’t sleep on Pinterest, which functions more like a visual search engine and can drive serious traffic to your website. For performing artists or musicians, YouTube and TikTok offer incredible reach.

Once you’ve chosen your platform, commit to showing up consistently. The algorithm rewards consistency more than perfection. Three solid posts per week will outperform seven rushed, low-effort posts. Show your process, not just finished pieces. People are fascinated by the journey—the messy studio, the failed experiments, the 3am creative breakthroughs. This is your creative spark in action, and it’s far more engaging than another perfectly lit product shot.

And here’s a pro tip: engage with other artists and potential collectors. Comment genuinely on posts, participate in art challenges, and build actual relationships. Social media is social—the artists who treat it like a community rather than a broadcasting platform see much better results.

3. Email Marketing: Your Secret Weapon

If social media is rented land, your email list is property you own. Email marketing remains one of the highest-ROI marketing channels available, yet most artists completely ignore it. This is a massive missed opportunity.

Start collecting emails everywhere—your website, at gallery openings, during studio tours, at art markets. Offer something valuable in exchange: a free desktop wallpaper featuring your art, a discount code, or access to works before they’re publicly available. Once you have subscribers, actually communicate with them regularly. Send a monthly newsletter sharing what you’re working on, upcoming shows, new releases, or even just interesting creative inspiration you’ve encountered.

The beauty of email is that it cuts through the noise. When you send an email, it lands directly in someone’s inbox—no algorithm deciding whether your message is worthy of being seen. Your most loyal collectors and supporters will be on your email list, so treat it like gold.

4. Leverage Digital Publications and Online Features

Getting featured in a digital magazine for creatives can provide massive exposure and credibility for your work. These publications are actively looking for interesting artists to feature, and the barrier to entry is often much lower than traditional print magazines.

Research online art magazines, creative blogs, and culture sites that align with your style and aesthetic. Many accept submissions or have contributor programs. When pitching, don’t just send generic emails—personalize each pitch, explain why your work would resonate with their specific audience, and make it easy for them by providing high-quality images and a compelling artist statement.

Features in respected digital publications serve multiple purposes: they expose your work to new audiences, provide social proof (which helps with sales and gallery representation), and create valuable backlinks to your website that improve your search engine rankings. This kind of marketing for artists works because it positions you as a notable creator within the broader creative community.

5. Invest in Targeted Advertising (Even With a Small Budget)

Organic reach is great, but sometimes you need to pay to play. The good news is that digital advertising platforms like Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads allow you to target with incredible precision, meaning you can reach potential collectors even with a modest budget.

Start small—even $5-10 per day can generate meaningful results if you target properly. Instead of trying to reach everyone, focus on people who have already shown interest in similar artists or art styles, people in specific income brackets who collect art, or people in cities where you have upcoming shows.

Run ads to specific objectives: promoting an upcoming exhibition, driving traffic to new work in your online store, or building your email list. Track everything and adjust based on what works. The beauty of digital advertising is that it’s measurable—you can see exactly what you’re getting for your investment and optimize accordingly.

The Intersection of Art and Business

Look, I get it—you became an artist to create, not to become a marketer. But the reality is that the artists who build sustainable careers are the ones who embrace both sides of the equation. Your talent deserves to be seen, and that requires some strategic effort beyond making great work.

The NoHo Arts District embodies this entrepreneurial creative spirit. Walk down Lankershim Boulevard and you’ll see artists who aren’t waiting for permission or validation—they’re putting themselves out there, taking risks, and building their own platforms. Digital marketing is simply the 21st-century version of what NoHo artists have always done: being scrappy, resourceful, and refusing to let geography or gatekeepers limit their potential.

You don’t need to implement all five of these strategies tomorrow. Pick one, master it, then add another. The key is starting. Your future collectors are out there right now, scrolling through feeds, looking for art that speaks to them. Make sure they can find you when they go searching for their next piece of creative inspiration.

The tools are available, the audiences are waiting, and the barriers to entry have never been lower. Now it’s just a matter of showing up, staying consistent, and trusting that your art—combined with smart marketing—will find its people. From NoHo to the world, your work deserves that global audience. Time to go get it.