The digital landscape is a great place for artists of all disciplines to showcase their work. Social media platforms make it a little easier for smaller creatives to gain recognition and respect in their industry. This means that choosing the right platforms to display your talents on is a vital part of your journey to success. However, selecting the perfect channel for you could be tricky because there are an overwhelming amount of options available - each serving its own purpose.
Despite popular belief, you don’t need to have an account on every platform to build a solid following. In fact, opting to only make use of one or two could be highly beneficial for your brand in the long run.
Not all social media platforms may be useful to you, your art form or what you are trying to achieve. Choosing a platform that suits your niche will help you build a community, and avoid wasting time pushing out content to users who are not part of your target audience. By focusing on a select few platforms you’ll be able to:
Shape Your Personal Brand
Gain Credibility
Reach the Right Audience
Remain Grounded
Shape Your Personal Brand
The social media platforms you choose play a huge role in the shaping of your personal brand. For instance, if you’re a writer with a passion for politics, you might want to establish your online voice on Twitter first, as it is a space that encourages discourse. Your ideologies and thoughts could attract like-minded people to engage with your content, which will likely result in the growth of your online community.
Gain Credibility
Having too many social media pages could lead to inconsistent posting, which will reflect badly on your brand. Social media goes far beyond likes and followers. You have to use your content as a way to prove your worth as a creative, while aiming to meet your long term goals (i.e. booking more gigs, or selling your artwork). If you’re a visual artist, you can do this by using Instagram to document your creative process and growth. This provides your audience with a window into your passion and expertise of your craft.
Reach the Right Audience
Focusing on one or two platforms ensures that you are using your time and resources to reach the right audience, in an effective way. This means you should show off your work in spaces where your target audience is active and engaged. Your platform has to make sense for your creative niche. If you're a DJ who is looking to livestream your sets, consider using Twitch. The site is built to host long-form livestreams and the users are interested in content of that nature.
Stay Grounded
What many don't realize is that creating, editing and publishing on social media is extremely time consuming, and sometimes emotionally taxing. Making use of only one or two platforms will help you keep track of what you are trying to achieve online, instead of focusing all your time and energy on altering content to fit each of the platforms. So if your goal is to network and build a community, you'll be able to engage with your followers, potential clients and creative collaborators in a meaningful way.
As a creative, you have to put lots of thought into how you present your work to the online public. The great thing about social media is that you are bound to find your tribe somewhere on the internet. The key is to make sure that the platform you choose helps you achieve your brand objectives. Check out our creators guide for tips on how to navigate the digital world as a creative.