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holytheoristtastemaker · 5 years ago

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Social media platforms are excellent places to showcase your best work and promote yourself as a creative. Your online presence could help you to secure a new job, gain freelance clients or creative collaborators, as well as build your professional reputation.

But with so many social media platforms to choose from, how do you know which ones to use? To find out, we listened to the advice of a range of creative professionals including artists, photographers, designers and filmmakers. We learned what they like about each social media platform and why you might find each one useful for displaying elements of your portfolio (for more portfolio inspo, see our graphic design portfolio post), or maybe something else.

We used their answers to list the most useful social media platforms for artists and designers right now. (Note that we haven't included video sharing app TikTok, but you can read all you need to know about it in our guide to the TikTok app.)

01. Dayflash

Greg McMillan's work on Dayflash

Never heard of Dayflash? You're not alone. But right now, it's rapidly gaining popularity amongst creatives. And that's because the iOS app, launched last year, basically works like Instagram used to. In its own words, there's "no algorithm and no more missing posts from your friends".

Co-founder Rupali Renjen tells us that, in her view, "Photo sharing platforms unfairly use algorithms to dictate which followers get to see a user's posts. And as they push users to spend more time on stories from friends, long-form videos and shopping, all so they can make more money on ads and business accounts, less and less time is being spent on creators, which is taking away visibility and opportunity".

You can post full resolution photos, no algorithms, always genuine engagement, no bots

David Castillo

And creatives do indeed seem to be responding well to the new platform. "I love using Dayflash," says New York photographer David Castilllo. "You can post full resolution photos, no algorithms, always genuine engagement, no bots. And I love the aesthetics of the interface."

Scott Terry, a Chicago-based creator and ambassador for brands, agrees. "It’s pretty great because you can post full frame and high resolution, unlike Instagram," he points out. And there's video, too.

"For me personally, I love being able to show my work as I’ve made it, rather than being compressed like on Twitter or Instagram," says filmmaker Tyler Palmer. "And even with little following, my work still gets seen."

LA-based photographer Torenzo Perry is also a fan. "I personally love the app because it focuses more on the content, and less on the likes and views," he says. While Greg McMillan, an iPhoneographer and co-host of the Tiny Shutter podcast, admires both the app and the philosophy of its makers. "They have it figured out as to what a social platform should be and how it should work," he enthuses.

And it's not just photographers who are fans. Take Brazilian character artist Danielle Pioli, who uses it to share her illustrations and comic strips. "I really like Dayflash," she says. "Since I began using it, it has improved a lot. Not only the usability of the app but also the quality of the content inside it. I see this app as a new trend for visual artists of all kinds. It's easy to use, pretty straightforward, and fun.

02. ArtStation

ArtStation is a must for 2D and 3D artists

Launched in 2014, ArtStation may not have changed a great deal over the years. But it remains the place to post your profile for professional 2D and 3D artists, especially those working in the games, film, media and entertainment industries, or those aspiring to do so.

As we reported in our article how to get a job as a video games artist, recruiters nowadays don't just encourage you to post your work on ArtStation; they expect it. Some artists still hold back from doing so, because they don’t want to engage in what they see as a popularity contest. But by and large, recruiters don’t really care how many likes or followers you have; it's purely about whether or not they like your art, and if it fits what they're looking for.

“We’re interested in artists who produce the sort of work that we can use; that’s it," says Kevin McDowell, art director for Creative Assembly's Total War series. "So make sure it’s visible to us, and don’t worry about the numbers.”

03. DeviantArt

Katy L Wood's work on DeviantArt

Launched in 2000, DeviantArt has more of an amateur, hobbyist feel to it than ArtStation. And so while you're less likely to get commissions directly through it, it's a better platform for putting your art in front of your peers and getting feedback.

People tend to come and go from DeviantArt over time, and author and illustrator Katy L Wood is no exception. "DeviantArt was the first social media site I joined, about 13 years ago, when I was a teenager," she recalls. "It was a huge part of my growth as an artist, due to all the amazing free resources it had, from tutorials to brushes to stock. Plus, back then, DeviantArt had a great community. People really talked and interacted and had fun."

Eventually, though, she felt the community had started to wane and turned her attentions elsewhere. "However, in the last year I've been working my way back into using DeviantArt, especially with its delightful rebrand," she says. "I came back primarily because DeviantArt is straightforward. There are no algorithms to game, it's well organised, and it's supportive of every type of art and writing I do."

04. The Dots

Work by Joanna Kosinska on The Dots

Launched in 2014, The Dots is an online professional network that aims to be "LinkedIn for creatives". And it's had a fair amount of success in doing so, attracting companies such as Google, Burberry, Sony Pictures, Viacom, M&C Saatchi, Warner Music, Tate, Discovery Networks and VICE to use it as a recruiting tool.

There are lot of other things you can do on the platform besides just waiting to be offered a job, though. These include connecting with other creatives in your field, checking out people's side hustles, responding to requests for collaborations, keeping up to the latest events and more.

It's very much a case, then, of what getting out what you put in. And unlike LinkedIn, every page you interact with is beautifully designed.

Currently, most creatives seem to use The Dots as part of a self-promo mix, rather than focusing on it exclusively. Yorkshire-based freelancer Joanna Kosinska, for example, says: "I will post my work pretty much anywhere where I can gain traction, including The Dots, Behance, Dribbble, and Creativepool.

"As a graphic designer and photographer, I have to put my name out there. So any platform that makes it easier to find my work is my friend, and I'll gladly invest time to create a profile and share projects."

05. Dribbble

Work by Laundry on Dribbble

Launched in 2009 by Dan Cederholm and Rich Thornett, Dribbble was never intended to be a straightforward portfolio site like Behance. Its specific angle was about teasing out small glimpses of what you were working on, when you were unable to share the whole project.

Dribbble has since evolved beyond web and mobile app design to take in icon design, branding, animations, prototypes, illustrations, graphic art and other disciplines. But there's still a focus on informally sharing small screengrabs (known as 'Shots'), rather than setting out big and detailed images in an organised and carefully annotated way. As Albuquerque-based web designer Jack Harner puts it: "Dribbble feels more like a community than a portfolio site."

That doesn't mean it's just designers talking to designers, though. The platform now actively helps companies such as Apple, Airbnb, Facebook, Google, Dropbox and Slack to hire designers, and many clients use it to find people to commission.

"Dribbble has been a great platform for us to generate new business especially within the tech industry," says PJ Richardson, partner at Los Angeles design studio Laundry. "Very graphic and illustrated work seems to play the best, but we've also gotten new clients because of what we post there as well."

For others like Nicola Jones, aka Hello I'm Nik Design, Dribbble is a place for posting work that doesn't fit in your main portfolio. "This is where I put my personal project illustrations, which is something I’d like to do more, so if I ever get any illustration enquiries I point them there. Illustration is more of a side thing for me, as I do brand and marketing design before all that for clients."

06. Behance

Work by George Kofi Prah on Behance

Behance is the closest thing on this list to a pure portfolio platform, but with a social aspect plugged in. Founded by Matias Corea and Scott Belsky in November 2005, the company was acquired by Adobe in 2012, and its reach has since become enormous.

Unlike, say, Dribbble or Instagram, Behance offers a way to show more of your work than just a single, eye-grabbing image. As motion designer and 3D generalist Jesus Suarez explains: "Behance is great for sharing the making of and behind the scenes aspects. It allows for more complete look at the project."

Of course, you could do all that on your own website, but the social aspects of Behance means that it's worth posting stuff there too, if even you're just duplicating the same content.

It is an ideal place for us to share the behind-the-scenes and case study aspects of our projects

PJ Richardson

And that's exactly the approach Laundry takes, says Richardson. "Our Behance basically mirrors our company site," he explains, "but because it is so shareable and other creatives go to Behance for creative inspiration, it is an ideal place for us to share the behind-the-scenes and case study aspects of our projects."

London-based illustrator, designer & photographer Tim Easley takes a similar view. "I use Behance for full projects alongside my website, because there’s a decent chance of being featured there, which brings in a lot of views," he says. While Cliff Nowicki, a web designer based in Michigan, USA says. "I use Behance because it's super easy to just put something up online."

07. Instagram

Tim Easley's work on Instagram

The rise of Dayflash (number one on our list) is a sign that a few people's love affair with Instagram is waning. But overall, Instagram remains far and away the most popular visuals-based social media platform today, and for most creatives, a presence of some sort on the image sharing platform remains a must.

"While, Behance is great for sharing and getting your work in front of professional eyes, I tend to use Instagram mostly," says George Kofi Prah, designer at New York and LA branding agency loyalkaspar. "It's the perfect tool for creatives in the way that Spotify is for musicians.

"It provides access to a much wider audience than any other platform and allows me to engage with literally anyone. Using hashtags makes being discovered and finding new and interesting things a lot easier."

Ease of use is also an important factor for many. "I use Instagram, followed by The Dots, because these platforms are easier and more accessible in terms of commitment per post," says Welsh/Sri Lankan artist Murugiah. "Behance has too many fields to fill in per post!"

We need to promote our work where our audience lives

Amy Kilner

For Amy Kilner, freelance designer and founder of inspiration blog The Design Fix, using Instagram is a no-brainer. "You have to remember we're designing for our clients' objectives, not other creatives," she points out. "So we need to promote our work where our audience lives. Don’t get me wrong, I love creative sites – I run my own, after all - but it’s not where my clients are!"

Laundry follows the same logic, says Richardson. "Artists and clients alike all seem to go to Instagram for design and animation inspiration, which is why we use it," he reasons. "We've even landed projects from it and clients increasingly ask to track our work there. It's also the easiest to share and always has been. Additionally, it is easy to schedule posts without formatting problems."

How to change the font in your Instagram bio

Luke Manning, creative director of Pencil Studio, is primarily interested in getting work shared amongst the creative community, and for that it’s been Instagram and Twitter that have been the most effective, he says. "Our own posts have been picked up shared by popular design blog sites and we’ve even had direct contact by brand owners via sharing our latest projects," he explains. "I like Behance and how it works, but for us it is yet to be fruitful beyond having a place to store projects."

And if you're wondering how to be successful on Instagram, we've got a guide packed full of pro tips on how to increase Instagram engagement.

08. LinkedIn

Work by Ben the Illustrator on LinkedIn

Even though it's had a total rebrand, LinkedIn doesn't immediately grab you as being a useful social platform for creatives. But art, design and filmmaking are businesses like any other, and many creative pros say they're making good use of LinkedIn regardless of what it looks like.

Take Frank Suyker, aka Mr Sugar, an art director based in the Netherlands. "I use LinkedIn to get recurring revenue out of my existing clients," he explains. "By posting my blog posts on LinkedIn, I'm kept top of mind. And when they do have work that needs to be done, they come to me."

Laundry has also made a shift to LinkedIn recently, which it has been actively using for the past year. "Facebook used to be a great place to share work but it became cluttered with ads and not design-focused posts," says Richardson. "in contrast, the very work-focused and curated nature of LinkedIn has made it a forum to share design, animation, and behind-the-scenes content, which has garnered a lot of great attention for us."

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minnievirizarry · 7 years ago

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5 Powerful Insights an Instagram Tracker Should Reveal to Your Brand

While Instagram might have felt like uncharted territory in the past, the platform represents major possibilities for marketers today.

The numbers don’t lie. According to recent Instagram statistics, brands are hopping on board en masse as the platform approaches 1 billion users.

Meanwhile, approximately 80% of Instagram users regularly follow and engage with their favorite brands who are seeing more revenue than ever as a result.

However, a major struggle for brands on Instagram has been a lack of in-depth analytics and tracking tools versus the likes of Facebook or Twitter. Growing and scaling is nearly impossible on any social platform without understanding your presence by the numbers, right?

Thankfully, times have changed.

Having an Instagram tracker on deck (such as Sprout’s very own) can clue your brand in on some major insights that could potentially transform your social presence. Whether you’re looking for more followers, engagement or revenue, the importance of investing in analytics for Instagram can’t be understated.

But what exactly can you learn from an Instagram tracker? What burning questions should your analytics answer?

We’re so glad you asked. Here are five insights you can gain from an Instagram tracker:

1. Which Hashtags Should I Focus On?

Brands that understand how to use hashtags receive more love from their followers, plain and simple. That said, there’s a lot of room for error and improvement when leveraging hashtags for any given brand.

Think about it. Your hashtags are ultimately what make your posts searchable and crucial for drawing in new followers. Check out how Canva uses hashtags akin to keywords without coming off as spammy or salesy:

It's the weekend! Don't forget to treat yourself! 🍦Inspo and Photo by @blarejune.♥️

A post shared by Canva (@canva) on Aug 26, 2017 at 1:38pm PDT

Furthermore, branded hashtags are essential for keeping track of your marketing campaigns. Considering that 7 out of 10 hashtags are branded, creating your own hashtag is also an expectation of modern marketers.

Here’s how Photoshop uses their #PS_Summertime tag to help curate user-generated content for their feed:

Get lost in the curl with this #Ps_Summertime piece by @molham.haidar.

A post shared by Adobe Photoshop (@photoshop) on Aug 31, 2017 at 9:50am PDT

It also pays to uncover new hashtags relevant to your audience and brand beyond your own. Community hashtags such as #motivationmonday and #workoutwednesday can help expose your brand to fresh faces who otherwise might not interact with you. Here’s a prime example from the official English Premier League Instagram using the #throwbackthursday tag:

Since netting against Liverpool in 2012, @10aguerosergiokun has scored in all five #pl matches he's played against the Reds at Etihad Stadium . #tbt #throwbackthursday #premierleague #aguero #mcfc @mancity

A post shared by Premier League (@premierleague) on Sep 7, 2017 at 5:44am PDT

Plenty of variety, right?

Whether you’re trying to figure out which hashtags to use or how often to use them, an Instagram tracker eliminates the guesswork. For example, Sprout can inform users at a glance which hashtags are receiving the most love from your audience.

From determining which types of tags resonate most with your followers to avoiding using the same tags again and again, an Instagram tracker keeps you from playing guessing games. In other words, you always know which hashtags to use based on your business’ data.

2. What the Perfect Time for My Brand to Post?

Time is everything when it comes to social media. This rings true when determining what time of day to post and how many unique photos you should push per day too.

Perfect timing is a two-way street, though.

Posting infrequently means fewer opportunities to engage your followers and bring in new ones. On the flip side, posting too often could label you as a spammer. Finding that sweet spot in terms of frequency means understanding the best practices of your industry and the best times to post on Instagram, respectively.

Many major brands do well with just one carefully-crafted post per day, still receiving plenty of “Likes” and comments. For example, daily posts are commons for ecommerce brands like ThinkGeek who consistently push products and deals to their followers:

From Hoth to hearth. Star Wars Wampa Cave Snow Globe

A post shared by ThinkGeek (@thinkgeek) on Sep 6, 2017 at 1:23pm PDT

However, some brands and industries such as beauty and fashion regularly post three times or more per day. Brands like Victoria’s Secret and H&M, who are among the most popular brands on Instagram, are notorious for this:

We're halfway through the week. Here's a great outfit to wear during the weekend! #HM❤️

A post shared by H&M (@hm) on Sep 5, 2017 at 11:03pm PDT

Posting less frequently is fair game depending on your goals. Larger brands like Arby’s who are known for their humorous and creative posts obviously put a lot of work into their content. As such, their hungry followers don’t mind waiting:

Seat belts, everyone!

A post shared by Arby's (@arbys) on Sep 5, 2017 at 9:02am PDT

But what does “ideal” timing and frequency look like for you?

With the help of an Instagram tracker, you can experiment yourself and see what times your posts typically garner the most engagement. Furthermore, Sprout’s Instagram scheduling better ensures you can stick to a timing schedule without sweating about being glued to Instagram 24/7.

3. Which Types of Posts Are the Most Popular?

In terms of the types of content you can publish on Instagram, there’s often much more than meets the eye.

Literally.

While Instagram might be viewed as little more than a place to post memes or snapshots of cocktails, it’s a prime platform for promotional content. In fact, Instagram users spend the most on products purchased through the platform versus any of the other major social site.

Of course you can’t just go blasting product photos and expect traction. Brands are expected to diversify their content accordingly. With the help of an Instagram tracker, brands can hone in on the exact promotional posts that win over followers. At the same time, you can phase out non-performing post types and only focus on what’s driving your engagement upward.

For example, user-generated content is absolutely crushing it right now as regrams are among the most popular types of posts on Instagram.

Not only do such posts show off your followers, but they also provide opportunities to let your fans promote your products and brands on your behalf. oVertone’s feed is almost exclusively UGC as fans are constantly willing to submit their own photos and leave positive feedback on those same posts:

@gscarolinelbr: "Custom hair painting by Caroline (pre-lighten) and incredible pastel pink conditioner by #overtone."

A post shared by oVertone (@overtonecolor) on Sep 6, 2017 at 6:57pm PDT

Analytics are key to effective UGC campaigns as you determine who your brand evangelists are, what types of posts get people talking and what products are most popular on Instagram. The same rules apply to other types of content including text-based posts, contest posts, videos and everything between.

With the help of an Instagram tracker, you can even assess often-overlooked aspects of your posts such as captions. For example, popular Instagram pages such as that of Humans of New York boast huge numbers with long-form, storytelling captions and no hashtags. Not exactly conventional, but clearly effective for their unique brand:

“My English is not good. Spoken English is very difficult. But I want to study at Columbia so I am trying to improve. I decided to come to America because of Forrest Gump. I’ve watched the movie five times. I like Forrest very much. Forrest is very simple. He picks one thing, and he keeps going. When I was young, I thought Forrest was stupid. But now I have a different view. I think people are too complicated. They complain about everything. Forrest never complains. Forrest chooses one thing and he keeps going. I watched the movie last month to encourage me. My life is hard because people don’t ever know what I’m saying. But I just think of Forrest. Forrest figured everything out because he just kept going.”

A post shared by Humans of New York (@humansofny) on Jun 16, 2017 at 11:47am PDT

Again, the possibilities on Instagram are seemingly endless. That’s why keeping stock of your content is so important. While hashtags and frequency are easier to break down by the numbers, the type of content you post requires a strong sense of awareness.

Maybe over time you learn that your followers are in love with selfies. Perhaps you text-based motivational content gets the most “likes.” Either way, an Instagram tracker can paint a clearer picture of what’s performing and what’s not by tagging your campaigns and tracking them accordingly.

4. What Do My Followers (& Competitors) Actually Look Like?

Ask yourself: how well do you really know your Instagram followers? What about competing brands in your space?

When you’re running multiple social platforms, keeping track of your followers and competitors alike can feel like an uphill battle. With an Instagram tracker and keen attention to your Instagram analytics, the task becomes much, much easier.

Important variables to note when considering your content and tone on Instagram include:

The demographics of your followers (age, gender, geolocation)

Where your followers are coming from (your website, email list or other social sites)

How often your followers engage with your content (and what they’re saying when they do)

For starters, don’t assume that your followers on Facebook or Twitter are the same as your followers on Instagram. After all, you don’t want to simply repeat the same posts over and over across all of your social platforms, right? That’s why having content tailored exclusively for Instagram is always a plus.

Also, users on Instagram tend to skew younger and female according to demographics data, which might, therefore, influence what sorts of content you push to the platform.

And finally: what about your competition?

Although chasing your competition’s follower count shouldn’t be a total rat race, it does help to understand where your numbers stack up against each other. An Instagram tracker can help you keep an eye on competing accounts without totally obsessing over them.

Sprout’s Instagram competitors report allows you to “spy” on what the competition is doing, and identify potential opportunities for your own brand.

5. How Are People Engaging With Your Posts?

Last but not least, with engagement being one of the key pieces to Instagram’s algorithm, you need to track comments and likes. The more often people engage with your content, the more likely you’ll be to pop up in their feeds.

But don’t just stop there. Make sure you’re taking the time to reply to any comments you receive. According to one of our surveys, 15% of consumers will unfollow a brand if they fail to reply to their messages.

In order to avoid losing followers due to unresponsiveness, use Sprout to reply to Instagram comments on desktop or our mobile app.

One of the biggest advantages to using Sprout to track Instagram comments versus replying directly on Instagram is you have all of your comments in a single stream. On Instagram, incoming comments are mixed in with all your other notifications like new followers or likes. And Instagram only shows your 75 latest notifications. So if you get a lot of likes and new followers, you can easily miss new comments, especially on older posts.

With Sprout, you can filter engagement to just show all your comments.

Then you can reply directly within our app and mark messages as complete so everyone on your team knows they’ve been responded to.

Are You Using an Instagram Tracker to Fine-Tune Your Social Presence?

Even though the platform is still relatively young, your Instagram presence shouldn’t be covered in question marks.

Long gone are the days where marketers can treat Instagram as a sort of “great unknown.” Through analytics tools and monitoring metrics, we can better glean what types of content encourages new followers, when to post it and how often to push out new content.

If you aren’t using an Instagram tracker, there’s a good chance you’re flying blind in terms of your social presence. Instead, take control and fine-tune your posts based on data versus guessing. Start by signing up for a free trial of Sprout to experience how beneficial an Instagram tracking tool can be for your brand.

For those of you who’ve been sleeping on Instagram analytics, what’s been holding you back? What’s your biggest struggle when it comes to locking down your Instagram presence? Let us know in the comments below.

This post 5 Powerful Insights an Instagram Tracker Should Reveal to Your Brand originally appeared on Sprout Social.

from SM Tips By Minnie https://sproutsocial.com/insights/instagram-tracker/

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