I think it really depends on what purpose you want social media to serve for you. I use it for community. In that sense, Instagram and Substack have worked for me. If you're using it to look for work/increase your visibility among people who may hire you, that may be more of a wild card and more frustrating. Instagram has been the best for me in terms of engagement, but I have been able to find a community here on Substack as well (even though it truly does feel like I'm shouting into a void). When I started illustrating again, I didn't even bother to set up a Facebook page. Engagement has been dead there for years (I know through my previous ventures).
Staying on the radar is my main concern. I've never got that much work via social media directly, but some of my most exciting jobs did come through that way. It's the freelance way, I suppose. When I'm busy I want free time to develop new work, and when I'm free I worry I'll never work again and need to get a bit of traction.
It's definitely about finding the special blend of platforms. Every time I think I find it, something changes, and then I struggle as my brain doesn't like having to start over.
I see! I actually have gotten my biggest jobs through Instagram as well, even though I don't expect anything from it. 😆 Have you read Raj Kaur and Tasha Goddard's posts about social media? They're pretty good. Raj mentioned that she looks for illustrators on Behance and Pinterest more than Instagram.
I personally can only handle one and possibly two platforms at a time, so for now I'm concentrating on Instagram and Substack.
I do hear you about that conflict between wanting work and free time. I have tried to carve out more free time for myself so I can work on my personal projects alongside my current book project, but I'm starting to feel pinched (moneywise) and feeling the need to look for work!
I hope you find a good balance of what works for you, social media and workwise!
I think leaning into what gives you joy is the first thing, or at least connects you to people that you love. I also believe an email list is essential and should be the place you send all your followers from social media to in case you ever decide to leave a platform. That list goes where you go.
You talk sense! I'm so scared of email lists, you know! I need to get more comfortable with this notion. I can manage Substack, but I'm so wary of annoying people.
I don’t think you’ll have to worry too much about annoying people especially through email. The people that sign up did do because they saw something in you that made them give up one of their previous assets—their email address. Most don’t do that lightly.
This is difficult, isn't it? I'm like you, prefer not to put my face on camera. In December I started posting regularly (daily) again on social media but with the mindset to just show up and not think about the likes and follows you gain. But you can only do that for so long, at some point you want to get some traction and grow engagement.
I currently taking the week off of Meta platforms joining the Meta ban and honestly it feels good to be away from those platforms and just focus on Substack and Bluesky. Bluesky seems to be expanding their apps and will soon be launching a more image/video based version (Flashes) that runs the content from Bluesky so that could be great.
But yes, hard to know right now exactly what is the best way to get your work seen and connect with followers...
That is the thing - the way engagement and growth have been stunted is demotivating. The ads and marketers have taken over and it's all gone wrong. My Insta feed especially has been ruined. It used to be full of work from the art/illustration community and now I have to search that stuff out.
I didn't know about Flashes - hopefully it will be fun and not so much of a time-suck that it becomes a chore.
Using Substack more is definitely an option I can explore too - thank you.
I think it really depends on what purpose you want social media to serve for you. I use it for community. In that sense, Instagram and Substack have worked for me. If you're using it to look for work/increase your visibility among people who may hire you, that may be more of a wild card and more frustrating. Instagram has been the best for me in terms of engagement, but I have been able to find a community here on Substack as well (even though it truly does feel like I'm shouting into a void). When I started illustrating again, I didn't even bother to set up a Facebook page. Engagement has been dead there for years (I know through my previous ventures).
Staying on the radar is my main concern. I've never got that much work via social media directly, but some of my most exciting jobs did come through that way. It's the freelance way, I suppose. When I'm busy I want free time to develop new work, and when I'm free I worry I'll never work again and need to get a bit of traction.
It's definitely about finding the special blend of platforms. Every time I think I find it, something changes, and then I struggle as my brain doesn't like having to start over.
Facebook is so hard to crack!
I see! I actually have gotten my biggest jobs through Instagram as well, even though I don't expect anything from it. 😆 Have you read Raj Kaur and Tasha Goddard's posts about social media? They're pretty good. Raj mentioned that she looks for illustrators on Behance and Pinterest more than Instagram.
I personally can only handle one and possibly two platforms at a time, so for now I'm concentrating on Instagram and Substack.
I do hear you about that conflict between wanting work and free time. I have tried to carve out more free time for myself so I can work on my personal projects alongside my current book project, but I'm starting to feel pinched (moneywise) and feeling the need to look for work!
I hope you find a good balance of what works for you, social media and workwise!
I think leaning into what gives you joy is the first thing, or at least connects you to people that you love. I also believe an email list is essential and should be the place you send all your followers from social media to in case you ever decide to leave a platform. That list goes where you go.
You talk sense! I'm so scared of email lists, you know! I need to get more comfortable with this notion. I can manage Substack, but I'm so wary of annoying people.
I don’t think you’ll have to worry too much about annoying people especially through email. The people that sign up did do because they saw something in you that made them give up one of their previous assets—their email address. Most don’t do that lightly.
This is difficult, isn't it? I'm like you, prefer not to put my face on camera. In December I started posting regularly (daily) again on social media but with the mindset to just show up and not think about the likes and follows you gain. But you can only do that for so long, at some point you want to get some traction and grow engagement.
I currently taking the week off of Meta platforms joining the Meta ban and honestly it feels good to be away from those platforms and just focus on Substack and Bluesky. Bluesky seems to be expanding their apps and will soon be launching a more image/video based version (Flashes) that runs the content from Bluesky so that could be great.
But yes, hard to know right now exactly what is the best way to get your work seen and connect with followers...
That is the thing - the way engagement and growth have been stunted is demotivating. The ads and marketers have taken over and it's all gone wrong. My Insta feed especially has been ruined. It used to be full of work from the art/illustration community and now I have to search that stuff out.
I didn't know about Flashes - hopefully it will be fun and not so much of a time-suck that it becomes a chore.
Using Substack more is definitely an option I can explore too - thank you.
I have the same question myself, I’m not entirely sure what we’re meant to do if organic reach isn’t the way.