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