How to Navigate Social Media for Illustrators
FREE Social Media Diagnostic Worksheet
It can be tricky to “get noticed” as an artist. Mainly because the path to success will look different for everyone. Each definition of success is perfectly calibrated to each individual artist. The stakes could be high or maybe a bit more humble. Either way, it can be a loooong road to the top! Sure, I’ve heard the anomalies. There are artists and illustrators that got discovered over night, apparently! They took the helicopter straight up. But…how? Did they post on the right social media apps and got a ton of followers? Did they have an amazing newsletter? Was their website professional enough and easy to navigate? Did they just get lucky? They had to show their work in some way to get noticed in the first place. Yet, no matter how “they” did it, no one else would be guaranteed success if they were to follow in their exact footsteps. As artists, we are required to blaze our own trail and in today’s world we’ll most likely be blazing it digitally.
These days, getting “noticed” is an art form in itself. It's how we connect with each other. It’s what we choose to share with the world. It’s what we give back to our community. It’s how we tell our story and the products we sell. Now, more than ever, it’s happening online via a post, a video, direct message, blog, ticktock, website, newsletter, or in some form of pixels and codes. Which means there’s a massive amount of voices and images out there in the worldwide web.
I’m not one to brag or to gloat. I am not cut out to be a loud, pushy salesman. “Kill em with kindness” is my best line of defense against a tough client. It’s true, I have a hard time tooting my own horn or winning at a shouting contest. Put me in the back of the room and I’ll quietly win everyone over with my quirkiness and jokes. So, where does that leave me when it comes to sharing about my art online where it feels like you need to be doing back flips and cartwheels all the way to the top.
In my opinion, the social media platform you choose is irrelevant and whether you are tech savvy or not doesn’t seem to really matter. You can always learn a new skill or at least do the bare minimum to show up regularly. Plus, a new social media platform will pop up any minute now to stump us all. The world and your goals are constantly evolving, so we must focus on what is really important.
I believe, what REALLY matters is our personal story and connecting with others in an authentic way. More then ever, we need to be kind, genuine, and generous with what we are creating and feeling. That’s the real magic people connect with.
We do nothing for the world if we keep our art and process locked away where no one can see it. We inspire and encourage no one if we are not talking about our art. Talking about how it was made, why it was made, and why it matters. With that in mind, we should share our creativity with as many people as we can! Having a clear message for the world and sharing it often is the key to getting “noticed”. Our stories make sense to someone else out there. Someone might hear it and think, “Wow! That makes so much sense to me! I needed to hear that! I need more of that in my life!” And it doesn’t have to be flashy or maybe it does, but only if you want it to be. Even if you’re sharing it quietly from the back of the room…it matters!
What we need to do is kindly navigate our story through the tangled noise to where it needs to go…to those that NEED our brand of magic.
This post is a part of a monthly post by the illoguild - this month we are discussing the topic of “The Art of Connecting on Social Media”.
Map YOUR Digital Story
I happen to love road trips! I love seeing the changes in elevation, plant life, and weather. I love when we stop at a rest stop or in a random town to stretch our legs and double check where we are at. I enjoy looking at different maps. Especially ones that have a label that say “you are here”. It’s fun to follow the path where we are going and marvel over how far we’ve already traveled. It’s fascinating to see all the ways we could have gone to get “here”.
What if we did that with our digital lives (and real lives in general)? What if we not only rested our bodies and took a mental break from work, but also checked the map of our goals? Give ourselves time to take stock of where we’ve been, where we are, and where we are going. I encourage you to take some time to do it. Why not? It doesn’t have to be long. It can be 10 min or maybe you’ve been working awhile and you need a longer pit-stop to reset. Use a blank sheet, use a page in your journal, or use the Social Media Diagnostic Worksheet I’ve made for you.
Take a minute to scroll back through some of your feeds on social media, flip through your sketch book, or look at your portfolio whether it’s physical art or in digital form. I guarantee you’ll see a trail, pattern, or missing items.
Now run a Social Media Diagnostic Check:
Where ya been?
What apps, online platforms, or physical locations do you currently use to share about yourself? This is everywhere you hang out online to share about your art, books, classes, or products.
Do you feel that you are successfully sharing in these places and why? How would you grade yourself? Do you feeling like you are posting enough? How often? Are you showing behind scenes and details about you? Would someone get “you” right away or would you have to explain a lot?
Who is your audience? Who are you currently sharing your story with? If you share on Facebook, is your family and friends your audience? If you share on LinkedIn, is it past colleagues that see your work? What is the demographic?
Is it easy and clear to find what are you sharing or offering? Is your message easy to understand? Is your color palette and style cohesive? Do you look professional, active, and approachable?
What are your social media success stories? What got the most attention or sales? Why? How did you share it? What are past pieces you’re most proud of? What do you like to create the most and does it line up with your values? What were some of your biggest breakthroughs or learning lessons?
What are areas that need improvement? What are 4 things that immediately come to mind that could use some editing or focus?
Where ya going?
What is your biggest goal with social media? As an illustrator, you get hired from the work you show in your portfolio. For example, if you want to get paid to draw dogs, you NEED to fill your portfolio with dogs. That way, you are showing art directors you can draw dogs and that’s what they should hire you for. The same goes for whatever you’re promoting. If you don’t share it, no one will see it.
How often should you be posting and sharing? What is necessary for your goals? The more you are connecting on social media, the more likely you’ll get noticed by the right people. Algorithms show what is trending or is a popular post. That doesn’t mean you need to have a million followers or thousands of likes. It means you can’t assume one post (over a few months) will bring you tons of success. You’re looking for your biggest fans and allies! Imagine you’re in a crowd trying to make a friend that is across the room. One random whisper might not get heard by anyone, but several clear, directed shouts might turn some heads. They might even share your message and get it to where it needs to go.
Do you need to add or delete a current social media platform? Post more and across a few platforms to cast a wider net. Make sure you’re keeping a clear message across all platforms. However, you must do what feels right to you, your audience, and what feels comfortable for your current schedule. Overwhelm, doesn’t help anyone, it just keeps you from sharing regularly. If there some social media platforms that do NOT work for you, consider leaving them behind. Could it help you focus your energy better?
How can you connect more with other illustrators and artists? It’s important to not just share your own work, but connect with other people’s work. Meeting other artists online is one of the biggest things that propelled me forward creatively. Their encouragement, feedback, and support has been invaluable to my success! Could you spend a bit more time liking, commenting, and sharing with your network? Could you participate in a social media competition or prompt challenge? Commenting and connecting with others has also led to most of my illustration work. I’ve had clients find me online or had job postings recommended to me by others. We are all on this creative journey together. Why not give others a few directions as they head to their next location or at least cheer them on their way. They are usually happy to do the same for you. Even when I’m not posting regularly, I’m usually connected with my peers through messages, comments, and reshares.
What are some pieces of the process and messy journey could you show more of?What is fascinating to me, is that a lot of what we post online is only half the story. It’s like the towns you pass on a road trip, but most of the miles happen in between those towns…the sketches, the mental processing, and mistakes we make. Miles and miles of growth and they all lead to a desired destination. This is the stuff that resonates with people the most! Are there gaps in the fascinating story that you’re telling? How can you connect on a more personal level with your community or potential clients? What are things that make you interesting to someone across the world? You want people to NOT like your art. Those are the people who DO NOT need to hear what your saying, selling, or giving. That’s a good thing. You are not their cup of tea and they’ll click off no matter what you do. The sooner, the better. However, are you also losing the people who WANT to connect with you or NEED to hear your story? Make it easy for them to find you.
Where can you intentionally add in more pit stops or mental breaks? Humans have a habit of dwelling on the past and/or worrying about the future. It’s our nature. We dwell on mistakes. Wish we had done things differently. We worry about what’s next or if we are doing it right. I am constantly caught in this dizzy dance of consciousness. Every now and again you need a break. Regular pit-stops in fact. This intentional awareness is very beneficial. It gives you time to reflect, appreciate your journey so far, and re-calibrate if need be. Especially now that we live in an information age. It’s exhausting!
It’s funny writing this right now because I recently took a summer hiatus from social media all together. I just stopped posting. I needed a rest and to run a diagnostic check on my own social media platforms. After a few big projects I needed to regroup! It was totally worth it! Here I am, intentionally looking at where I’ve been and where I want to go next. Don’t be afraid to take a break from time to time. The creative journey requires rest stops to refill our tanks. Our social media journey benefits from a regular pit stop.
“For what it’s worth... it’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you’ve never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start over again.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald
This is one of my favorite quotes ( from the movie Curious Case of Benjamin Button) because it’s a reminder that the path is not set in stone. It’s okay to change direction at any time. :)
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