#social media advice

[sambeawesome]

How you take photos of your art matters! It's the first and main impression people have when they see your work. And if you take it in a dimly lit room on your bed with the flash, I promise you, you're not doing it any favors! Let's talk about photographing your art! 📷

☆Read it here!

Ko-Fi | Twitter | YouTube | Art Tutorials & Resources

[sleepimali]

Hi ☀️

Do you have any suggestions/tips and tricks for small artists? like how and where to include links, how often to post etc. most of my art just goes under the radar :/ especially when it has links attached. Thank you and have a wonderful week 🍄

Hi! I'm still not a very big artist myself, and I'm probably not the best person to ask for things like these as I'm still learning, to be entirely honest. But if I can help a little, I'm happy to! It's hard to give you any truly helpful advice without knowing your actual situation, but there are some general things you can do. (Long post ahead! It probably even contains some things you didn't ask for, but that I think are important because social media can be such a mental health hazard, and because I have no chill when it comes to things like this.)

In terms of technicalities with posting:

Try to post at the time people are most likely to see it. If you need some help with that, you can usually search online for information.

How often you should post depends on you as a person and what you want to do. I know a lot of people say to post daily, but as an artist that usually becomes unsustainable quickly. So I would say post on a schedule that works for you, not on the supposed "ideal" schedule. Good art usually takes time and energy to make, so don't stress too much about how often you should post. Posting on a regular schedule can help, especially in the beginning, because that means people will know when you post new work and may even have an incentive to seek it out once your post time rolls around. But make sure it's one that works for you and gives you the time to make your best work! Remember that having quality posts is better than having a large quantity of posts.

Related to the point above: Don't just constantly try to make new things to feed the algorithm, although making new work is also important. Bump your posts so that they're seen more, especially if it's something your proud of. The way to do this vary from platform to platform, but for Tumblr the reblog button is your friend. On Twitter you can retweet, but it's usually better to add a comment in a thread or quote retweeting. Sometimes even reposting. On Insta…. Insta is a pain, ngl. You can post and then share the post to your story later or something. For how often to bump, I guess I'd say a morning bump and evening bump are good for Twitter at least, and similar for Tumblr. And then bump every now and then whether it's a few weeks or a few months later. Insta is a bit different though. At any rate, you know the saying "work smarter, not harder"? This is that. Make use of your full body of work, at least all the pieces you still enjoy.

Try to get people to engage with your post: Ask questions that would be fun answering, ask for feedback, meme, etc.

Think about what people like when you make your art. This one is a bit tricky though, because you want to be seen for what you personally do and like, right? But sometimes it can be helpful to think about what "sells". For an instance, a lot of people got their start doing fanart. In my case I only started getting more attention once I started drawing animals. People also like things they can personally relate to. Here's the thing though: Make sure it's something you also like! And try not to get trapped in it for the sake of your social media presence, because it might be a slippery slope to finding yourself unhappy later on if you feel trapped drawing one thing only.

On a similar note, it helps to participate in trending hashtags if you want to get more eyes on your work. (I've mostly done this on Twitter, so I don't know if that would work for Tumblr and Insta though.) For an instance, if you know that Portfolio Day is coming up and you're seeking work, that's a great one to start with! Some people have started making calendars for planned hashtags, so that's a good thing to look up.

For how to attach links: Again, this varies depending on the platform. For an instance, the Twitter algorithm HATES links, and people are more reluctant to retweet them unless they like and want to support the artist first. It's usually more helpful to make an engaging post and then put the link in a reply threaded with the original post. On Tumblr, I just try to make links visible but non-intrusive. But to be honest, I'm still re-learning the ropes here, especially as an artist with a business. On Insta, well… You can probably tell I don't like this platform huh :') But yeah, it's helpful to have a linktree or website to gather your links in one place that you can link to in your bio, and as far as I know you'll have to put your links in your stories because URLs in regular posts are for paid posts only. :')

While we're on the topic of links: Try to make sure you have pinned posts for your social medias so that all your links are easily accessible if people want them. (This is something I need to get better at myself lmao)

Still on the topic of links: You can always attach a link to your art posts if you have prints, stickers, commissions, a Patreon, etc , but don't expect too much from links on posts that are meant to be focused on art, especially when you're still a small artist. They're more there in case anyone's interested, but I think it's also pretty important to have them there if you have anything to promote. Bigger self promo posts probably will not gain as much traction unless you have something to promote that people REALLY want, but those are also usually where my sales come from personally. Also keep in mind that what's important is that your actual following that cares about what you do see those self promo focused posts - not necessarily the the word being spread, although that is great too. I'm still personally looking for a good balance between these types of posts, but I think it's something you eventually figure out as you go.

But with all of thos said, here are some even more important things:

Make friends. And I don't mean network for clout. I mean network with people because you want to know them, like their work and because you find them fun and respect them. Make genuine friends and meet people who you are happy to support and who will support you in return. We're all much, much stronger together!

Don't stress too much about social media. I know it's easier said than done, but as someone (I can't remember who) once said: The only way to win the social media game is to not play it. If you put too much of your sense of self worth or expectations into it, you're going to have a BAD time. So step away when you need it, and celebrate all your wins no matter how small. (And on that note, take people's advice with a grain of salt. For an instance if you hear anyone say you should consistently meet a certain target with your engagements to be considered successful, run. Do not listen. Trying to keep up with those is only going to get more and more unmanageable as you grow, so it's like setting yourself up for a constant sense of failure.) Also know that social media is not the end all be all for your work. There are other ways to make yourself known too, if that's what your goal is. There are tons of successful artists who don't have a huge social media presence!

Let things take time and manage your expectations. Of course it hurts when your art isn't seen, or when a piece you put your whole heart into doesn't do well, and that's valid. But don't let that hurt consume you. Keep at it and focus on making the best work you possibly can, in the most joyful way you can. Cultivate your passion for your art by making it as enjoyable as possible, even during those days when it just isn't. After all, you're making art for you, right? Make art for yourself first, and your audience second. That way it's much easier to manage your emotions surrounding it all, if you know at heart that you like what you make, or that you're at least getting there.

So, that was a lot, but the final thing that's super important in this is to have some distance to what you do. Trying to keep up with all these things at the same time can and will exhaust you if you don't take care of yourself. So please start with the steps you feel you can personally take and don't worry about the rest until you feel like you can incorporate more into your routine. I hope this is helpful. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead too, Anon! 😊

[genericpuff]

Hello, sorry to bother you. My English is not very good. Anyway, I make LO edits and I would like to post them, but I already have a drawing account on Instagram, do you think it's better if I create a separate account to post these edits? Or do I post it on my own drawing account?

Your English is actually pretty good, no worries there!

To answer your question, that's pretty much up to you! I do my LO stuff separately because I have a lot of other stuff that I did prior to doing LO edits (and still do). Like, my main account on IG is now primarily for tattooing (my day job) and my main comic stuff isn't anything LO-related so I created a separate penname for my LO stuff. So I do it that way to accommodate my own needs and preferences as to what I want people to see depending on the page they're following (people who follow me for tattooing aren't interested in my LO and non-LO comic work so I keep everything on its own dedicated accounts). It's a lot to manage though and probably not preferable for everyone, I have my own system after years of managing social media accounts and art pages so I'm sorta just used to balancing them all.

If you already have a following on your main IG that's specifically for your original work, then I'd recommend yes, make a separate account. But if LO edits is something your main audience is interested in then doing it all under one is fine too! It really just comes down to what sort of audiences you're managing and what you're trying to achieve with your accounts. And even if you do make them separate, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to cross-post between your accounts/merge audiences unless you want to keep them completely anonymous from one another. Though I started this account with the intent to remain pretty anonymous, since doing art stuff I've had people become more interested in my original work hence why I now cross-post between this and my main.

So yeah! Do whatever suits you, your goals, and your audience :) And if it doesn't work the way you like and prefer a different route, change it up! Nothing's permanent, just try stuff and see what fits :)

[worfs-glorious-hair]

Yes to the above and one of the reasons I love tumblr is that you are agreeing with a tumblr lore post, you are scrolling down to reblog it and seeing that you are reblogging from Neil Gaiman” <— king behaviour

got told at lunch "you feel like Tumblr Incarnate" and i had to tell them i've been here for 13 years and counting. i was here three years before dashcon happened. i saw the mishapocalypse. i survived the gigapause. i've been here longer than the shoelaces post. i've been here since it was hipsters versus fandom and i played both sides extensively by overdoing the sepia filters on everything and making my own flashing galaxy gif edits for my fandom posts. i'm every tumblr. it's all in me

[fungi-maestro]

Happy tdov to fat trans people. 🏳️‍⚧️ Biggest thing that helped me as a trans kid was seeing older fat trans people. There were a lot of really irritating "advice" posts going around early in my time on the internet with a lot of misinformation in them, but one that I constantly saw (in addition to people claiming you should wear your pants rediculously low or only wear button ups) were posts saying you had to lose weight to transition. Can confidently confirm that is completely untrue. 👍

[stephobrien]

Also, if they’re actively being an asshole, you can block them so they can’t show up in your comments or reblogs, and so they can’t use your profile to find other targets.

I never know how to say this without sounding condescending but when it comes to social media you can simply choose not to be around people who make you unhappy.

[teagosworld]

I’m saying this with love and the experience of being there myself, if you find yourself spending hours researching and documenting the every moment of a person you don’t know, that is a sign that you’ve got to log off.

Keeping track of a strangers every online interaction. Using that information to speculate about their personal lives and relationships. Writing “Call out” posts with extremely serious accusations with little to no evidence. Log off. I promise you that doing literally anything else would be better for your mental health and overall well being.

[mewsmagic]

Here's a lil comic strip about how you can protect your art before sharing it to the public!!!

Against AI and against art theft too!

Click on 'read more' to see the extra tip I mentioned at the end!

Geez been working on this since the Meta AI things blew up but I only finished just now!!

Here's the extra tip I mentioned at the end:

you can use http://haveibeentrained.com to search for your images and find out if your work has been used for AI.

In there, you can choose to opt out, but AI companies are not obligated to respect it so it isn't too much of a protection unfortunately 😭

Also be aware that they are associated with AI and they did try to badmouth glaze so artists wouldn't protect themselves; which's very bad for a company that allegedly are on the side of the artists.

Also!!! There's a new type of AI that I was just made aware of last week, Copainter.

It completes unfinished work, which can be used for 'stealing and claiming it theirs', so put a cat picture in the next wips you post as well!

Funny protective measure I know LOLLLL but here's the tests for yall cynical people:

Perhaps I'll complete this comic with this info one day, but just these 10 slides took a looot of work so probably not happening anytime soon 😭

Thank you for reading everything though, I really appreciate it and hope this will help 🫶 be careful out there, privacy issues have been crazy recently!!!

[reasonsforhope]

Hope is something you learn

Here's the thing: I'm not a naturally hopeful person.

I'm not running a good news blog because I've always naturally gravitated toward good news. I'm not running a blog titled "reasons for hope" because hope is something that comes easily to me

It's actually the complete opposite. Teenage me was a giant cynic and a sarcastic pessimist and probably regarded as a killjoy, tbh. Picture a young, bespectacled, well-informed raincloud, maybe, idk. I could find a negative point to undermine just about anything

Nowadays, I'm one of the most hopeful people I know when it comes to the future - especially among people who actually follow the news

So, if you're feeling hopeless or depressed or anxious or despairing - or all and more - about the state of the world, and you're tired of feeling that way, I want you to know that you absolutely do not have to be a naturally hopeful or optimistic person in order to find hope

I got here because I struggled and clawed my way to hope, deliberately, because I needed it desperately. And the start of that path was bookmarking good news websites and checking them every day - which is why I built this blog

Here's the thing: the news, social media, and the human brain itself are all very biased toward negativity. The human brain is wired this way to help us survive things like tiger attacks - and since people are biased toward negative information, they click on it more, so negativity generates way more clicks and makes way more money.

It's a sucky, vicious cycle. But it doesn't accurately reflect reality - that's the whole point of bias.

It's actually kinda irritating that it's true, imho, but your focus really does determine (a lot of) your reality

If you want to have hope, sometimes you need to build it yourself. Even when it's so hard you don't know if you ever can. And then you need to keep building it, because the world isn't static and neither does your brain. Hope needs maintenance, just like everything else

So it's lucky, then, that human beings and the world are both generally better than we think - and certainly better than news or social media is willing to tell us

Sources Human brain negativity bias: x, x, x, x, x, x News negativity bias: x, x, x, x, x Social media negativity bias: x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x

[crazycatsiren]

Your character and personality aren't defined by which fundraiser you reblog or don't reblog on Tumblr, by the way.

Like, for reals, no social media platform is a judgement of ethics and morality.

We have lives offline.

The internet is just the internet. It doesn't determine who we are as people.

[onehundredwishesss]

How to start creating content:

• Figure out what kind of content you want to make (beauty, fashion, cooking...)

• Figure out which kind of people you want to attract (which gender, which age, where they live)

• Ask yourself why people should watch your content? What makes you different from other content creators?

• Keep up to date with the current trends and use advantage of them

• Try everything out and be patience, you're just starting out

[letsbelonelytogetherr]

People let social media posts from those "Couple" pages govern their foundations of relationship with their partners and then wonder why they're in such a dark and confused place.

[jiraigoddess]

if anyone has any tips on how to grow big on social media, please share your knowledge🩷

i post daily, i interact with people, my content is high quality...what else do i need to do?

[peapodsplace]

Hey Baba, it seems like you've been seeing a lot of yucky stuff online right now. A lot of people who aren't remembering their manners and are forgetting that there's people behind a screen. I know you like your screen time but please remember that the world isn't all like that okay? Some people are different online and forget their values and let's remember that these days, algorithms perpously show you things that'll make you upset. Yes, yes it's not very fair, is it sweetheart. Please remember to take some breaks and that the world isn't really like that. It's so important to protect yourself. Yes, silly even if you think you don't deserve it; because you do.

[charliejaneanders]

I've always hated the idea of turning a human being into a brand, for much the same reasons that I hate the concept of careers: it's gross, people aren't commodities, we all need to be free to contain multitudes and to occasionally flake out. I'm not my creative work, and my creative work is not me. Plus creating a personal "brand" inevitably turns into questions of "authenticity" which are fraught as hell for a lot of marginalized people.

How To Build Your Online "Brand" Without Burning Out (my latest newsletter!)

[animentality]

A word of advice, for all new and returning and old Tumblr travelers:

For your own peace of mind, remember you are talking AT people, not TO people here. For the most part.

You put your silly little ideas out there and if someone gets angry or starts beef for no reason or decides to be nasty, block, turn off replies, turn off anon.

Talk AT people. Not to people. Your posts are like public announcements.

You are on a pulpit, preaching to whoever stops by to listen.

But you have no obligation to respond to or argue with anyone who wanders in.