grow on social media Archives

In today’s episode I’m sharing my take on how to build a STRONG social media following, specifically for visual artists.

I first want to provide 2 disclaimers:

This is from my own personal and limited experience.
I’m using harsher terms than usual to drive home the point, but it’s your responsibility to find what works for you (: There is NO one right way.

The Hard Truth About Building a Social Media Following

Here’s the thing – I get asked about this topic so often with the undertone of “how can I get this done easily?”.

The answer is – you can’t.

This takes time, effort, concentration, strategy and actually CARING about your potential audience.

And even more so – there aren’t any shortcuts – this will take away from your creation time, from your other work. The only way around it is to pay someone to do it for you, and EVEN THEN you have to be involved to a large degree to dictate the direction and make it work.

Bottom line – there are no free meals. If you want to succeed you’ll have to put in the SERIOUS work it takes.

So Many Platforms for Artists

There are SO MANY social media platforms, with so many focused on VISUAL content. We visual artists are at a huge advantage in many ways.

And with some creativity you can also utilize video platforms and even audio content, just like this podcast!

2 Pillar Principles for Success

Here are the two main principles in my opinion:

Consistency
Listening to your audience

Both are extremely important. No one builds a true social media following without posting consistently. It’s simply a must, in my opinion.

Look at all the accounts you follow – any of them just disappear for a year or a month? Most likely not…

Frequency Does Matter

Yep. I attribute a lot of my YouTube channel’s growth to my posting frequency being higher than the average (3 times a week). Most creators in my niche post once a week or even once a month.

For several times in the past I’ve posted as many as 7 vids a week! But that was a little insane and I lowered it to my current frequency, which works really well for now.

Never Stop Posting

I know I’m using harsher terms than usual, but this is really how it works to some degree. People who build a strong & engaged audience never stop posting.

It’s simply a part of what you do.

This doesn’t mean you can’t take breaks at all, 100% of the time, but for the most part, it never stops. Or at least it continues for as long as you want to preserve your audience and keep the interaction going.

I hope I haven’t discouraged you haha. Feel free to reach out to me using any of the places mentioned below, and let me know if you have any follow-up questions.

– Liron

Instagram – @LironYanIL

TikTok – @Liron.Yan

YouTube – Liron Yanconsky Art

LinkedIn – Liron Yanconsky

Pinterest – Liron Yanconsky

Twitter – @LironYan

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Art, creativity and the art business. In this episode we’ll talk about what it REALLY takes to grow on social media as an artist, and how to do it FAST!

This episode is actually based on a YouTube video I published a short while ago. Here it is!

As a quick note – I’m taking a very MACRO approach to this. I’m giving you the general guidelines I found work for me, and the overall approach and strategy.

Another note – For more specific tips on INSTAGRAM, be sure to check out my LinkedIn or Medium post on the topic.

Here’s a quick summary of the tips:

How to REALLY Grow on Social Media – For Artists

1. Choose your platform.

Every type of art will better index on different platforms. As a visual artist, I’m focusing on YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Different types of art will find different homes.

2. Learn the rules.

Every platform has its own rules and best practices. Doing them can really help you with local growth. Another distinction for some new insights I gained – don’t let the platform rules dictate your actions or truth. Do what’s right for you, while following the best practices as much as possible.

3. Put in the work

That’s the first, second and third most important part. Post A LOT. Interact with others. Live on the platform. Learn and constantly innovate. Gain inspiration from others. And post A LOT (;

Also – be consistent, that means a lot for the audience following you.

4. Be Patient

Growth takes time. It may sometimes seem like you are putting so much work, with zero results to show for it. You don’t want to be delusional – so make sure you put out good content that HELPS / ENTERTAINS your audience. But if you’re really doing that, all you have left to do is be patient.

That’s also the time to mention – be grateful for the following you DO have. Reply to comments and messages and be there for them.

Conclusion

I hope you found this one helpful! Trying to dip into some meta topics that will help not just in the artistic sense – but also in building a brand and a business around your art.

Let me know if there’s anything you want me to talk more about (art or non-art) or elaborate on.

Here’s where you can reach out…

Liron Yanconsky

YouTube – Liron Yanconsky Art

LinkedIn – Liron Yanconsky

Pinterest – Liron Yanconsky

Instagram – @LironYanIL

Twitter – @LironYan