Lately, I have noticed that a significant number of artists have been pulling back their involvement with social media, and some of them even have a sizeable following that must have taken several years to acquire. Thus, I wanted to share with you an analysis of the complicated relationship between artists and social media in our current time.
What is the main reason behind the complicated relationship between artists and social media?
Algorithms have ruined social media for artists and made it a great place for businesses. And while I am not mad about that, I think it is unfair for artists to exist in a world run by capitalism.
As an artist with goals that mainly include more meaningful and fulfilling work, it is really hard to keep up with posting on a consistent schedule the way most social media platforms prefer and algorithms would encourage. Content creation is a job of its own and for an artist, it is really distracting from the actual work of art they need to create.
What would make an artist with a big following pull back their presence from social media though?
It’s important to understand how the major platforms operate; At the start, these platforms are all about growth at all costs. They need to hit critical mass to be successful, so they entice you with free reach and engagement. We saw it with Instagram back in the day and we see it now with TikTok and Threads. But once they hit critical mass, the tables turn. They need to make money, after all. They slowly but surely pull back the free engagement and reach in favor of paid ads. Over time, they become increasingly pay-to-play. Posts that may have used to get you a heap of likes and engagement may now go unnoticed.
For an artist, this can leave you with a bad taste in your mouth if you have already spent a significant time and resources establishing your online presence and persona in these platforms.
In this case, how can you manage to grow as an artist on social media nowadays?
In previous articles, I shared with you my take on social media presence and how you can improve yours as an artist. So here are some articles that you may find helpful:
- Building a Creative Career: The importance of a bold online presence for artists
- Why do you need Pinterest as an artist?
- How to sell your art through social media marketing
- The challenges of running a creative business (visual arts)
Well, if you want to play the social media game, then be nimble and take advantage of early platforms. And be aware that the game changes often, so be careful about building on rented land.
You should also not associate social media with your worth as an artist. If you don’t get the same engagement that you used to, that’s probably due to the platform changing, not you.
What are your thoughts on social media? What platforms have you been using? Have they been working for you? Or have you been experiencing less and less reach?
Enjoy creating <3
