How To Get Popular On Social Media As A Graphic Designer

Social media is a beast that many creatives have no clue how to tame!

Social media can be an intimidating place for artists, but the key may lie in your followers. It's easy to get lost on social platforms trying out tips and tricks of an engagement or breaking through algorithms with complicated strategies — what works? Perhaps we should go back to basics by engaging our following audience directly instead of constantly scrolling without purpose.

Over the last few years, people have developed shortcuts to get the most significant dopamine response for the least amount of effort. Social media's primary use has always been about connecting with other people. We knew this in the early days of Livejournal, Myspace and Facebook. We enjoy connecting with other people and sharing our stories. Instead of building connections, though, we started talking to people. It's challenging to make your mark on any social media platform when you have to compete with Instagram models, meme lords, and YouTube superstars.

Here are top ten strategies you can implement today to grow your audience on social media:

1. Pick two platforms that work for you.

Every social media platform has its purpose and a different native language. You need to know the difference to focus more on the platforms that will work best for you. It's better to succeed on two platforms than spreading yourself too thin on all of them. If you are like most people with a million social media accounts, it might be time to hone in on the top two platforms that work best for you.

For example, one visual and one conversational platform might be all you can handle. By focusing on Instagram and Twitter, you have one visual platform to show off your portfolio and another conversational platform to talk with potential customers and clients.

2. People engage more with WHY you created something.

Every designer has a story. The people who view your work want to know about you, so when posting personal designs, always mention what it means for you! Behind every design, there's an idea, but more importantly, behind that is the creator and their story.

3. Quantity is better than quality.

It's not just a phrase that applies to your curated portfolio or services, but rather it also applies to how you use social media and grow your following organically. By posting daily or every other day, you can slowly get more followers as they might feel like new posts are coming up, so keep in touch! Quantity is better than quality.

Don't be afraid to post what you've got! As long as it aligns with your message, there's no harm in posting whatever content is available. It may seem like you're constantly feeding the beast but don't worry; creating new content becomes easier when we lower our expectations of perfection. Sometimes done is better than perfect, and if all else fails, archive or delete old posts later on down the track.

4. Reposting your work is okay.

Let's be real. You won't always have the time to create new artwork and designs every day, but that doesn't mean you can't plan when your creative juices will flow best for maximum productivity! Plus, many other things outside of social media consume our energy, including emails or client work. So don't beat yourself up if it feels like all creativity has left the building because this is a normal phase we all go through at some point, so remember to take care of yourself first.

To fulfill your daily content commitment, worry less about making new stuff and more about showing the same work in different ways. For example, if you're selling a print, you could show the process behind it. Then, you could show the final image. You could also mock up what it would look like on someone's wall. If you want to experiment with motion, animate some elements and post them. You can easily take one piece of work and spread it across ten different posts because most people don't see your first or second post. By reposting your work, you remind people what you are up to in terms of new work.

5. Create more of what works for you.

Did you know that your followers have a say in the success of your content? The key is making sure to check your analytics regularly. You can learn what works for you by taking time monthly and reviewing analytics. It will give insight into which posts are working well and where some errors may be occurring with timing or descriptions as they appear online. All platforms have some analytics function, so you don't have to keep track of your engagement manually. Set aside a day near the end of the month and figure out what works for you!

6. Always write and speak to one person.

Writing attention-grabbing descriptions can be hard. It's normal to think, "I have nothing to say about this," but you would be surprised how much you can put in the description with this little writing trick.

When you're out with friends, you naturally talk about yourself and your day. Your stories are full of details on what you made, the challenges you faced, and the enduring highlights of the day. Why not think about the description as an email or text you're sending to a friend? By doing this, you're able to open up to your followers like your friends.

7. Give your audience a chance to be heard.

Feedback is an integral part of the content generation process. Whether you're running a business, developing your brand, or blogging for fun - feedback from people who read what you post can help paint a clearer picture about how and why to improve your posts to reach more readers on social media outlets such as Instagram or TikTok. Open-ended questions are always great ways to start because they turn into active dialogue that leads towards greater engagement overall.

8. Focus on giving back to your community.

Kindness always goes a long way. It is especially true when it comes to building your creative career. It would help if you strived to post work that provides value to your audience. Not everything you post is going to be awesome, but if you're kind and genuine, people will enjoy interacting with you, and they will gladly support you.

One way of giving back to your community is by providing tutorials or sharing resources for free. Share a trick you learned in Photoshop in your Instagram stories or offer free downloads through your website when someone signs up for your newsletter. If you have a large enough following, you can even start a Patreon or subscription service that allows you to deliver content to your audience every month. Next time you plan to launch a new product or passion project, think about how you can give things away to prepare people for the big favor. The more you give, the more you grow as an artist.

9. Put yourself in your feed.

If you're like me, you're going to hate this tactic but hear me out! Many artists and designers are introverts, so it's hard to show their faces online. When you hide behind your work, though, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to build a following. How would you feel if your friends wore a paper bag every time you went out in public? It would be weird, right? It is the same principle online.

There is a fine line to oversharing on social media without being annoying, but there is also a middle ground worth exploring. For every five images of work you post, try posting a shot from your daily life. People want to get to know you. That's why they're following you!

10. Connect after you post.

On your two platforms, you should engage daily. It would be best to try to make a real human connection either by commenting or direct messaging. Do more than just double-tap for a like or insert emojis in the comments.

Reply to every comment you get, check out the commenter's profile, and try to find ways to connect with them. Tell them what you like about their content, what you would like to see more of from them, and ask them questions. You might be surprised by how many replies you get.

There is no harm in trying to connect. The worst possibility is people will ignore you, and if they do, they're not your people. So, why not try?

Sources:
Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World by Gary Vaynerchuk
Audience Building Tips by Perspective Collective
1,000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly
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