The gallery editorial calendar: what to publish, when and on which channel

01Why an editorial calendar is indispensable

The first benefit of an editorial calendar is regularity. Social media algorithms favour accounts that publish consistently. An Instagram account that publishes three times per week over six months will build a more solid audience than one that publishes ten times in one week then disappears for a month. Regularity creates habit in the audience: followers know they will find new content at predictable intervals, which encourages them to return and progressively strengthens engagement.

The second benefit is coherence. An editorial calendar forces the dealer to think about communication as a whole rather than publication by publication. It enables verification that different channels carry a consistent message, that each exhibition receives full coverage (announcement, teaser, opening, content during the exhibition, review), and that the entire annual programme is reflected in a balanced way in online communication.

The third benefit is anticipation. Producing quality content takes time: writing a newsletter text, photographing an exhibition, filming a studio video, composing a blog article. The editorial calendar identifies these needs in advance, enabling the planning of photo sessions, artist solicitations for interviews, and text preparation without urgency. The dealer who plans communication avoids the stress of last-minute publications and produces higher-quality content.

02Identifying the relevant channels for a gallery

Each communication channel possesses its own characteristics, audience and codes. The dealer should not attempt to be present everywhere but should select the channels where their collectors and target audience are found, then invest sufficient time and resources to excel there.

The gallery website is the foundation of online presence. It is the channel the dealer controls entirely, without depending on an algorithm or third-party platform. The site blog is the ideal space for long-form content: articles about artists, curatorial texts accompanying exhibitions, market analyses, in-depth interviews. These pieces of content, when well indexed, attract organic traffic from search engines for months after publication.

The email newsletter is the most effective channel for retention. Unlike social media where only a fraction of followers see each publication, an email arrives in every recipient's inbox. The open rate for art gallery newsletters, when well designed, typically falls between twenty and forty per cent, a figure that social media posts cannot match. Galerie Nathalie Obadia sends polished newsletters informing collectors of new exhibitions, upcoming fairs and news of represented artists, maintaining a direct link with its community.

Instagram remains the most relevant social network for art galleries thanks to its visual dimension. The carousel format allows presenting multiple views of an exhibition or several works by an artist. Stories offer a channel for ephemeral content: behind-the-scenes hanging, fair preparation, studio visits. Reels enable reaching audiences who do not yet follow the gallery through broader algorithmic distribution.

Facebook retains usefulness for event promotion and reaching an older audience that often constitutes the core purchasing clientele. Creating Facebook events for openings generates registrations and automatic reminders that contribute to attendance.

LinkedIn is a relevant channel for galleries working with corporate collectors, companies acquiring art for their offices, or art advisors whose professional network is found on this platform. Publishing substantive articles on the art market and corporate collection issues positions the dealer as an expert in this specific domain.

03Structuring the calendar around the programme

The exhibition programme constitutes the editorial calendar's backbone. Each exhibition generates a content cycle that unfolds over several weeks. Two to three weeks before the opening, the gallery announces the exhibition: the title, the artist, the dates, a teaser visual. This announcement is adapted across all the gallery's active channels. One week before the opening, a teasing piece deepens the theme: an excerpt from the curatorial text, a video of the artist in their studio, a work detail that sparks curiosity without revealing everything.

On opening night, real-time coverage on Instagram stories and Facebook posts creates a digital event that extends the physical one. Opening photographs, visitor testimonials, images of the artist before their works produce authentic content that absent collectors consult with interest. In the following days, more considered publications present individual works with texts that allow online collectors to appreciate them in depth.

During the exhibition's run, the calendar provides regular publications that maintain visibility: exhibition views, close-ups of works, artist quotes, extracts from reviews if the exhibition receives any. A more developed blog article can deepen the artist's approach or place the exhibition within the context of the gallery's programming. The monthly newsletter includes a feature on the current exhibition with visuals and links to available works.

04Planning non-exhibition content

The editorial calendar must not depend exclusively on the exhibition programme. Between exhibitions, during summer closures or during weeks without particular events, the gallery must maintain its online presence with content that nourishes the relationship with the audience.

Profiles of represented artists constitute timeless content that can be published at any moment. A recurring series — one artist per week or fortnight — creates an editorial appointment that familiarises the audience with the gallery's roster. This content can take the form of text accompanied by work visuals, a short video filmed in the artist's studio, or an interview published as text on the blog and as visual content on Instagram.

Educational content about the art market attracts an audience that is not yet collecting but might start. Articles or posts explaining how to choose a work, how to read a price in a gallery, how to start a collection, how to navigate an art fair: these pieces position the gallery as an accessible and welcoming interlocutor, which lowers the entry barrier for beginning collectors.

Behind-the-scenes content humanises the institution and creates a feeling of proximity. Mounting an exhibition, receiving works, preparing for a fair, discussions with artists: these moments, shared authentically, remind followers that behind the gallery are passionate people whose profession is to guide them in discovering and acquiring art.

Key moments in the art market — fairs, biennials, major auctions — offer publication opportunities that do not require original production but demonstrate the gallery is in step with sector news. Commentary on trends observed at Art Basel, a photographic report from Frieze, an account of a remarkable sale: these pieces strengthen the dealer's credibility with their audience.

05Setting publication frequency by channel

Optimal publication frequency varies by channel. On Instagram, three to five feed posts per week and a daily stories presence constitute a sustained but sustainable rhythm for a gallery with a dedicated communications person. For a gallery without a communications team, two to three posts per week and stories during key moments suffice to maintain a visible presence.

The newsletter should be sent one to two times per month. A weekly send is rarely justified for a gallery, except during particularly busy periods such as fair weeks. Regularity takes precedence over frequency: a consistent fortnightly send is preferable to a weekly one that pauses during holidays.

On the website blog, one article per month constitutes a reasonable goal that nourishes organic search ranking without exhausting gallery resources. This article can coincide with a new exhibition opening, giving the gallery content to promote across other channels.

On Facebook and LinkedIn, one to two posts per week suffice. Duplicating Instagram content is acceptable on these platforms provided the format and tone are adapted to each network's audience.

06Integrating planning tools

Several tools enable materialising the editorial calendar and scheduling publications in advance. A simple shared spreadsheet, organised by week with columns for each channel, suffices for galleries that prefer simplicity. Specialised platforms such as Later, Hootsuite or Buffer enable pre-scheduling social media publications, freeing the dealer from the constraint of manual daily posting.

The ideal planning tool allows visualising all planned publications across all channels, identifying empty days that break regularity, and verifying that each exhibition receives balanced coverage. This overview is the editorial calendar's principal benefit: it transforms communication from a daily chore into a structured process that produces measurable results.

Artedusa partner galleries naturally integrate the platform into their editorial calendar. Updating their Artedusa profile, publishing new works and highlighting current exhibitions on the platform constitute an additional channel that benefits from a qualified audience of international collectors. This channel, which operates continuously and depends on no social media algorithm, offers a stability that galleries appreciate in an ever-evolving digital landscape.