Art PR: How is the role of traditional media (magazines, galleries, and critics) evolving in the age of social media?

The ongoing transformation for traditional media - galleries, critics and print publications - compared to digital platforms today is particularly pronounced in the art world. Traditional media has long been considered the gatekeeper of prestige and cultural authority, but artists can now use social media to directly access audiences without communicating through these organizations. Therefore, art public relations professionals have important questions: how can artists and organizations manage the credibility and legacy of traditional media with the immediacy and large audiences of social media? As algorithms and audience driven platforms shape new ways to discover and begin conversations surrounding art, PR professionals and experts are faced with the challenge of trying to merge these two worlds to facilitate visibility, legitimacy and engagement.

In the video “Artist Career Paths: Art Galleries vs. Social Media (The Truth)”, the narrator talks about changing experience of the art world through traditional art institutions versus new media art platforms. It describes how artists negotiate their art careers between these two “paths” and explored the credibility of a gallery and networking opportunities with that versus immediacy and reach of social media platforms, primarily Instagram and TikTok. The creator also emphasizes to remain present in both journeys, as both routes provide the opportunity to increase visibility and professional development. This discussion reflects interesting ideas about how art PR strategies can work to reframing their approaches to assist artists in their development, whether reflecting either traditional or digital avenues.

I asked our PR and growth experts: How should PR tactics differ for artists focusing primarily on traditional media exposure versus those prioritizing social media growth? What are the potential risks or downsides for artists who rely heavily on social media for visibility, and how can PR mitigate it?

Here are the experts' insights:

• In-person and online communities require a different approach
• Blend in select traditional milestones
• Traditional PR guards both name and works
• Traditional PR provides depth and longevity
• The real power comes from learning how to merge curation and connection
• Art PR crafts an artist identity that isn't dependent on trends

In-person and online communities require a different approach

Emily Reynolds, Owner at R Public Relations

"Building IRL community requires a different approach than building a following. Some content is designed to be digitally shareable–think cute and trendy graphics, value-adds at every turn, and memeable, relatable content. All of these tactics work to build online audiences and loyal followers. Creating an in-person community requires a slower and perhaps more thoughtful approach. Talk to your community, learn how you can serve them, and react to their real-time feedback. Social media communities don’t always translate to real life, so digital artists should make a point to pop up at in-person activations and cultivate a local audience when possible. The most savvy artists will blend elements of both styles to create a loyal audience both online and in real life."

Blend in select traditional milestones

Leah Miller, Marketing Strategist Versys Media

"Artists focusing on traditional media still need carefully managed narratives. Think of publicists curating stories that land in niche publications, gallery catalogs, or cultural magazines. We’d usually layer in critic engagement, a refined press kit, and collaborative storytelling through institutional credibility. This type of strategy moves slower but builds long-term authority. It’s less about frequency and more about legacy; the artist becomes part of a critical dialogue, not just a newsfeed.

For artists prioritizing social media, the strategy is high-speed and visuals-first. We work closely on short-form content calendars, visual storytelling rules, direct audience interaction, and often platform-specific campaigns. It is a volume game. Timing and trend-awareness become just as important as visual consistency or personal narrative. We’ve worked with emerging multimedia artists who grew large followings through a mix of studio videos and thought-led Instagram Reels, but struggled to achieve institutional recognition until we complemented it with strategic media placement.

Risks of leaning too heavily into social-only visibility include being overly dependent on algorithms, where reach can drop overnight. There’s also an issue of perceived credibility. A mid-career artist with 100k followers but little gallery representation might still be seen as “undiscovered” by collectors relying on traditional channels. To offset this, smart PR blends in select traditional milestones, even small ones. A group show review in a local publication or inclusion in a nonprofit’s annual exhibit can go a long way in cementing legitimacy."

Traditional PR guards both name and works

Jason Vaught, Director of Content & Marketing at SmashBrand

"If an artist relies too much on social media, it is a blow to their creative future. The need to post often creates a need to create quickly and to spend less time on the thoughtful piece. The platforms are subject to rule changes and cuts in reach at any time. Online fame can provide a base of followers who are more interested in what is trending than what the art is. So high prices can skyrocket too soon and just as easily fall to nothing. Accounts can be banned or copied, and stolen ideas run rampant. Anything produced or revealed each day drains adrenaline or energy and inhibits creativity. There won’t be the media or critic support that a serious potential buyer needs to take the work seriously.

Constant PR helps keep visibility steady and long-term. It exposes the artist to newspapers, magazines, galleries, and critics who add meaning and importance to the art. A good and easily understood press plan gives the exposure plenty of places to dwell so no single platform gets total attention. Press kits, interviews, and news stories go a long way toward explaining the artist’s vision and building a trust among those reading. PR guards both name and works, with good deadlines for releases. It builds continuity in style and exposure in the public approach to the story. This allows the artist to put their stick in the ground, do their creative work, and let the reputation grow through steady PR coverage."

Traditional PR provides depth and longevity

Mark Friend, Company Director at Classroom365

"Artists working with more traditional media should prioritize storytelling, institutional partnerships and sensitive placements to express artistic depth and longevity. These channels are a validation of experience and credibility still associated with professionalism by audiences. For artists with a focus on social media, PR has to be more immediate. Meaning that messaging must be authentic, community-driven and flexible in terms of visual storytelling.

The danger of using social platforms as the primary source of data is volatility. Algorithms come and go in a day and visibility plummets without a trace. There is also the pressure to create content constantly, which can compromise on art quality. PR should neutralize this by spreading communication channels, mixing social growth with PR releases, newsletter mentions and partners that are not in the control of algorithms."

The real power comes from learning how to merge curation and connection

Max Shak, Founder & CEO at Nerdigital.com

"I’ve always been fascinated by how credibility and visibility evolve when technology disrupts a creative field. The art world is a perfect example — it’s navigating the same cultural shift I’ve seen happen in digital marketing and media. When I talk to clients in creative industries, I often say that traditional media and social platforms don’t compete; they complete each other. Prestige still lives in curation — the critic’s review, the gallery show, the magazine feature — but connection now lives in the algorithm. The real power comes from learning how to merge the two.

For artists, traditional media offers legacy, while social media offers longevity. I’ve worked with brands that chased virality on Instagram only to realize it lacked staying power. The audience was wide, but not deep. On the other hand, an artist featured in a respected publication or gallery builds enduring authority — it’s slower, but it compounds. That’s why I often recommend a dual PR approach: use social media to humanize and build frequency, but use traditional press to anchor your credibility.

The risk with leaning too heavily on social media is that you’re building on borrowed ground — algorithms change, attention spans shrink, and what trends today might disappear tomorrow. Traditional PR provides the kind of permanence that algorithms can’t. So, the smartest strategy isn’t choosing between prestige and popularity — it’s finding your rhythm between the two, allowing one to sustain what the other amplifies."

Art PR crafts an artist identity that isn't dependent on trends

Dobroslawa Nowak, Founder at Offseen

"The idea that an artist should choose whether to focus primarily on traditional media or social media exposure isn't the right way to put it. The point is not to focus heavily on any of them, as both extremes come with downsides. We're looking for the middle ground. As art professionals, our job is to navigate the ways that enable artists to get where they want to be.

Let's say we have a popular painter who isn't associated with any gallery and doesn't look for other ways to promote themselves because their Instagram account grows exponentially, and purchase offers keep coming in regularly. They are content with the way things are evolving; however, when the number of offers drops, they reach out to the PR specialist. What went wrong? There are several risks to this situation. For starters, humanly as it is, social-media-fed artists get addicted to applause. Media constructed on direct social connections thrive on emotions. It's like an addiction; at a certain point, we find ourselves needing a certain number of likes to come in solid. An artist following an algorithm is on the straight way to let their artistic authenticity fade, and this is the beginning of the end. Moreover, a reputation built on social media is volatile. One misstep can lead to cancellation or lasting reputational damage.

Traditional media, on the other hand, can help mitigate the issues mentioned above. Art PR should craft a consistent narrative and artist identity that isn't dependent on trends, but it doesn't mean it shouldn't use social media as a means to an end. Social media helps achieve artistic goals, such as getting invited to interviews, being featured in art publications, receiving reviews, and eventually becoming part of critical discourse. After gaining initial social media attention, it's wise to explore the possibilities of press, podcasts, newsletters, and institutional programs. Long-term relationships with journalists, curators, and institutions can begin on Instagram, but they should then be expanded beyond it. On one hand, you want to reach followers, but then you need to find out whether collectors, critics, and curators are among them."

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