social media Archives - Liron Yanconsky

Visual Artist? How to Build a STRONG Social Media Following |Liron’s Podcast 127

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

Why LinkedIn is so Important for Artists | Liron’s Podcast Episode 106

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

Today I’m talk about LinkedIn and its HUGE IMPORTANCE for artists who want to build long-term success.

Here’s a quick summary of everything I talk about…

1. Why Did I Start Using LinkedIn More?

As you know, I love to take my inspiration from a variety of source – both in art and in business. And one of the entrepreneurs I appreciate the most is GaryVee.

He talks a lot about the current importance of LinkedIn. It currently has great organic reach (reminds him of the early days of Facebook), and it’s a platform for BUSINESSES.

2. Why Is LinkedIn Important for Artists?

Businesses are more powerful than individuals in many senses. I believe it’s extremely important to build relationships with them as an artist.

Reaching out to art brands, as well as powerful people in your field and OFFERING THEM VALUE will help you in the future.

3. What I Currently Do + Results

I currently spend time reaching out to CEOS, owners and other employees of brands I appreciate and love their products.

So far I received some products to try out, as well as started corresponding with some owners and giving my insights about my local market.

I don’t know exactly what these connections will lead to in the future, but I love helping them in whatever way I can right now.

I do think it’s important to be authentic and actually reach out to brands you have some connection with (in my case, I LOVE the products of the companies I reached out to).

4. LinkedIn is Important to EVERYONE

I think everyone can benefit from making connections with successful businesses and people in their niche, NOT ONLY artists.

And I’ll take it one step further – I also recommend people who are EMPLOYEES to do the same (my friends who work in programming, for example).

Conclusion

I hope this makes you give LinkedIn a serious try, and actually network.

Even if you’re shy – it’s in writing! Which makes it easy. Take these steps to increase your odds of success as an artist in the future. You won’t regret trying.

Here’s where you can reach out to me:

TikTok – @Liron.Yan

YouTube – Liron Yanconsky Art

LinkedIn – Liron Yanconsky

Pinterest – Liron Yanconsky

Instagram – @LironYanIL

Twitter – @LironYan

How to REALLY Grow on Social Media as an Artist | Tips for 2019 – Liron’s Podcast Episode 87

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

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

The Future of Art – Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality | Liron’s Podcast – Episode 70

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

In this episode I want to talk about the future of art, as well as AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality).

The last couple of decades have brought with them amazing technological advancements. And these seem to accelerate.

This has the potential to change the art world, and provide amazing tools and services for artists.

Art Business Survival 101

In order to survive and thrive as an artist and as an art business owner – you have to be aware of technological & marketing trends.

I’ve been making serious efforts to keep up with technology so far. This means doubling down on LinkedIn marketing, having a podcast, the IGTV platform and many more.

I’ve been following Gary V for a while now, and watching him reminds me on a regular basis to pay attention to what’s going on in the world.

This led to significant success on IGTV (I have videos there with over 700K views). It also led to significant success in selling my courses using FB ads.

And now I spend a lot of time thinking about what’s next in store for us as business owners and artists.

Augmented Reality for Artist

This is the ability to show imaginary objects in real life. The best example for this would be Snapchat’s and Instagram’s filters.

You can use them to change the look of your face, or to add different elements around you (like the sunshine effect, the clouds and much MUCH more).

This can grant amazing capabilities for artists. Two things come to mind as I think of this.

1. Guidance and assistance for creation purposes.

I see many apps that use augmented reality to scan an area (a wall or a paper), and “project” on screen drawing guidelines. So when you look at the paper through your phone you can tell where to draw each line.

Kind of like a digital projector.

2. Idea generating tool.

If you can see anything as if it’s really there in real life, this is potentially an incredible tool for generating ideas for artwork, as well as inspiration!

Virtual Reality for Artists

This is the real deal.

VR will allow us to basically be anywhere we want, and feel almost like we are really there. To what degree is unclear, some say it will be 95% convincing (which is insanely high).

Having the ability to visit anywhere and everywhere without actually moving may significantly impact the travel industry too.

But in any case – imagine you can step into a virtual version of the world and see any place you want. And actually feel like you are there.

Imagine stepping into IMAGINARY worlds, film-based universes and the likes. That’s incredible.

Now imagine you can control the time of day, light and shadow conditions of the scene, mood, atmosphere etc.

We’re talking endless opportunities and endless inspiration for artists.

Hell, we could even create VR art and VR museums.

The Possibilities are Endless

Gary V says we are about 20 years away from that, so there’s still time. But I want to make sure I’m on top of it once it’s here.

This also means, by the way, that tons of new jobs may open in the fields of 3D art, sound and perhaps even touch / sensory fields.

So plenty of things to look forward to (;

But with that being said, let’s go back to our time, and look at today’s artist.

Artist Corner

Today’s artist is Ron Ranson. He was a British watercolor painter, who painted in what I see as the classic British style.

I love his colorful portrayal of nature in his landscapes.

Ron Ranson actually passed away at in 2016 at the age of 92. It seems like he left a serious legacy after him, and lots of students and artists praising his contribution to the watercolor world.

Here’s a nice tribute article written for him: Ron Ranson Tribute

And here’s a YouTube vid to check out, to see his painting process.

Also, an artist that paints in a very similar style (and was probably influenced by Ron Ranson’s work) is Steven Cronin. You can check out his work here: Steven Cronin

And Here’s where you can find me

Check out my YouTube Channel – Liron Yanconsky

Or ask me questions on Instagram – @LironYanIL or Snapchat – @LironYan3

I hope you enjoyed this one. Take care, and we’ll talk again really soon,

— Liron

Huge YouTube Research – Growing Channel in 2019 | Liron Yanconsky’s Podcast – Episode 66

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

I’m doing a huge YouTube research endeavor to figure out how to create better content that reaches MORE people.

I’ll keep this short, as I want to create a more detailed post on LinkedIn & Medium.com on the topic.

But here are the main things I learned.

Excellent Video by Derral Eves

So I watched this video and gained some valuable insights in regard to my own videos, and in general.

The new Creator Studio Beta – YouTube’s new Creator studio is INSANELY helpful.

They developed some relatively new features that I really like. The way they present the CTR (% of people clicking your thumbnails) is really smart.

I also loved how you can watch the retention graph alongside your video. This means that if you are rambling in the vid, you’ll probably see a drop of viewers on the graph.

The importance of thumbnails and titles – I always knew how important these are. But now I understand that in an even deeper level. As Derral mentions, some of the creators he works with spend hours coming up with their titles and thumbnails.

These provide you the chance of being discovered. And YouTube rewards videos that have a high CTR (and a high retention rate, which brings me to my next point).

AVD (Average View Duration) and watch time are everything – Ultimately YouTube wants to make money. If you can create content that gets a lot of clicks, and gets people to binge watch – that’s the best.

This is why it’s highly recommended to create playlists (like my The Paint Show and Painting masters). These are series that people enjoy consuming one by one.

Huge YouTube Spreadsheet

This is a project I’ve been working on in the last couple of weeks.

I created a huge spreadsheet with 50 or so YouTube channels, and different criteria (like video length, views %, likes to dislikes ration and a bunch of other more unique elements).

I am filling the table up, with hopes of finding different correlations between things.

For example – do channels that have NO INTRO perform better when it comes to views %?

There are a lot of things I want to test out, and hopefully this will be a good tool to do just that.

IGTV VS YouTube

IGTV is Instagram’s platform for video. Unlike YouTube, IGTV is vertical, and everything is based around that.

So far IGTV has been really good to me. I went all in and started posting tons of videos there, and it’s paying off.

Some of my vids reached as many as 600K views, and these accelerated my growth on Instagram as well.

So this is another platform I’m hopeful of. But I’m also aware that YouTube isn’t going anywhere soon. Plus the views there are more high quality, in the sense of more people who want to actually learn how to draw and paint.

Artist Corner

Today I talked about Randall Sexton. Randall’s a California-based oil painter. I love is impressionism and style.

His color choices are rather unique, I haven’t seen many artists paint like that. As always, his street scenes are my favorites. He has one I love in particular, of a van / trailer with a smooth reflective texture that he portrayed beautifully.

You can check out his work on his website: https://www.rcsexton.com/

And Here’s where you can find me

Check out my YouTube Channel – Liron Yanconsky

Or ask me questions on Instagram – @LironYanIL or Snapchat – @LironYan3

I hope you enjoyed this one. Take care, and we’ll talk again really soon,

– Liron