While making an actual monetary investment is a wonderfully straightforward and very appreciated way of supporting your favorite artist or small business, there are some times when you simply don’t have the funds or need for their services (at least, not at that moment). However, that doesn’t mean you can’t still offer them your support; there is tremendous value in the good opinion of a happy customer!
Here are a few ways you can help out, even you’re not looking to make a purchase:
Share the Love
Are you following your fave on social media, signed up for their newsletter, subscribed to their YouTube channel? If the answer is yes, good–now share their posts! Don’t spam your own friends, of course, but when you see a great photo, video, or thoughtful post from your favorite artist, share it. It’ll add value to your friends’ feeds, and help the person who published it get discovered.
Engage
Actual engagement or interaction–that is, commenting, messaging, and creating a discussion–is probably the best way to bolster your favorite artists’/business’ account. Go beyond simply liking or hearting posts and send them a DM or mention them in a tweet. Not only will you be building an actual relationship by asking questions, giving feedback, and really connecting, but you’ll be telling the algorithm that their content’s valuable, and it will then push it out to more people.
Write a Review
Like the two things mentioned above, this simple task will help other discover–and trust–the work of your favorites. If you purchased something from them on Etsy, be sure to leave good feedback. Then go to their facebook page and leave a glowing review. Things like this not only help their reputation, but there’s a good chance it will totally make their day.
Write a Blog Post
If you have a blog, consider writing up a short (or long) post about the small business or artist you love. Be sure to include easy-to-find links to their site, Instagram, Etsy, and/or other pages. Heck, if you want to go the extra mile, you may even ask them for a quick interview!
Offer Them Your Time, Space, or Resources
Do you have access to a venue that your artist might have use for? Do you have time to volunteer to help them at an event? Or any other resource or connection that might be beneficial? Whether it’s setting up a show or posting fliers around town, reach out to them and let them know you’re there! Even if they don’t have work for you at the moment, it’s good to know you’re willing to lend a hand.
Tell Your Friends, IRL
Not surprisingly, with the overwhelming amount of stuff on the internet, posts do get overlooked. Be sure to tell your friends, in real life, about the artists you want to support.
Can you think of other ways to support artists or small businesses without spending cash? I’d love to hear your ideas!
