Researching social media has been an interesting subject. I've been active on social media for many years now and seen the trends and websites comes and go.
Message boards used to be the main source of social media and that has evolved over the years, with content becoming more fast-paced and visual. Blogs were once a very popular way to discuss your work and the work of others and they have slowly been phased out by sites like Facebook and Twitter where you can write short form posts to get your points across.
There are also more portfolio based social media platforms where you can upload your available works, create prints on demand, even sell your illustrations on different types of products such as cards, mugs, bedding, homeware.
Each social platform has it's own algorithm, it's own target audience, demographics and style of presenting yourself.
In it's early days, Facebook was a great place to showcase my work and be seen by my family, friends and contacts from all over the world. The other online groups I was part of connected me with a range of people that I could add as friends on Facebook and continue to talk to them about my life and work. Over the years Facebook changed it's usage and pages were introduced. Initially a good thing, presenting a focused way to showcase your work and discuss it with your followers who were genuinely interested. There are also groups based on many different subjects you could join. Gradually these became less useful as algorithms changed, and posts were seen by fewer of your followers.
When Instagram came on the social media scene, that changed everything. Being able to post images relating to your work became a fun way to express yourself both personally and professionally.
Over the years the platforms have evolved with new ones appearing and many changes taking place on the platforms already in existence. Many of these changes have had a damaging effect on the reach of posts and connections with potential or existing clients, customers or collectors.
In last four years social media has become a valuable tool for artists and illustrators to use to showcase their work in a professional, consistent and clear way. Posting photos, mini videos and livestreams seem to benefit the artist in a way that is ideal for showcasing work to the right kinds of people. Connecting with other like-minded artists and with collectors and clients themselves in a way that wasn't possible years ago. Social media has certainly evolved over the years and although it is a very powerful tool for artists to use it does come with it's drawbacks. As technology changes, the ability to keep up with the trends, new platforms, new ways of posting and the battle of the algorithm all present challenges to today's working artist.
I have been posting my art videos on You Tube since it opened in 2007 and have seen so many changes over the years. It is still one my of favourite places to post about my work and connect with other artists because as a very visual person, being able to show my artwork in my art studio and talk about it, really helps to bring my message across. The landscape of video is changing a lot in recent times with Tik Tok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. I believe Facebook is also developing much more advanced tools to bring technology into people's homes with the use of A.I.
Instagram is one of my main favourite ways to communicate to my audience. I have become part of an amazing community of illustrators on Instagram and enjoy sharing our experiences, tips and just general support to each other.
Through OCA I have been part of the Discord forum for this degree and have connected with many other distance learning students, this has helped me to not feel so alone and gain support from others. It's also great way to be able to help others where possible too.
I asked the students which social media they used the most and currently most students agreed that Instagram, You Tube and Pinterest were their favourites. These platforms offer an opportunity to connect on a more personal level and create a fun environment for artists while sharing their work visually online.
LinkedIn is good for those wanting to showcase a professional portfolio to potential clients and find employment whilst also receiving up to date news on the industry. Many of us have profiles on LinkedIn to present our education, experience and skills which allows us the opportunity to connect directly with businesses and clients for future projects.
For me and other students I spoke to, we all enjoy a more down to earth approach, using Instagram, YouTube and Tik Tok to go directly to the consumer and create a more personal connection. These platforms still offer the opportunity to showcase your portfolio and be seen by companies wishing to work with you. The opportunities are quite diverse in this age of technology and I think there has been no better time than now to be a working artist and showcase your work to the masses.
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