Strategies for Growing Followers as an Artist

Aug 25, 2024

Notes on Growing Followers as an Independent Artist

Introduction

  • Topic: Importance of followers for independent artists and brand promotion
  • Followers as a gauge of audience response to art and brand personality
  • Reminder: Followers do not determine an artist's worth or skill level

The Challenge of Losing Followers

  • Many artists, including the speaker, experience losing followers or plateauing
  • Key reasons for this trend:
    • Shift towards short-form content on Instagram
    • Increased workload for artists creating both art and videos
    • Instagram's algorithm not promoting infrequent posts
    • Presence of bots and spam accounts affecting follower counts
    • Frustration with Instagram leading to account deletions

Personal Experience of Losing Followers

  • Personal anecdote: Losing followers starting November 2020 through September 2022
  • New job in animation reduced time for personal projects
  • Shift to simpler, minimalist comic style led to a decline in engagement
  • Experience with a unified aesthetic on the feed that polarized potential followers
  • Challenges of posting frequency (once a week) and engaging content

Turning Point in Growth

  • Realization of the need to promote and market a personal book project
  • Renewed efforts to grow followers starting January 2022, with visible results by September 2022

Strategies for Regaining Followers

  1. Increase Posting Frequency

    • Posting one main comic and one supplemental piece (like a reel) per week
    • Focus on lower-effort pieces to supplement main work
  2. Reconnect with Original Audience

    • Analyze what attracted initial followers and focus on those themes
    • Rotate content themes (funny, wholesome, serious) to maintain interest
  3. Diversify Content

    • Break away from a unified aesthetic to attract a broader audience
    • Incorporate reels and personal insights to show personality
  4. Create Shareable Content

    • Focus on relatable stories and experiences to encourage shares
    • Post snippets of comics on stories to engage different audiences
  5. Cross-Promotion

    • Utilize other platforms (e.g., YouTube) to promote Instagram content
    • Share comics and link back to Instagram on community posts
  6. Utilize Hashtags Effectively

    • Use a mix of standard and specific hashtags for each post
    • Include hashtags relevant to the comic's theme (e.g., cats, relationships)

Conclusion

  • Acknowledge the frustrations of losing followers but emphasize the importance of persistence
  • Instagram remains a valuable platform for artists to share work and connect with the community
  • Thank the sponsor, Caseify, and encourage viewers to check out the products

Final Thoughts

  • Personal growth is more important than follower count
  • Stay proud of the art created, regardless of social media performance
  • Encourage artists to adapt and find strategies that work for them