How to Succeed on Social Networks â Part One: The Pillars
- A Copy from My Medium Series
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Hello! Iâm Patrice, the CEO of IAMAG, previously known as ITâS ART. I developed the first version of our website almost 18 years ago. Over the years, Iâve witnessed the rise of social networks and learned how to create a sustainable presence there, among other things.
Since its early days, IAMAGâs social presence has grown steadily, reaching a global audience of over 650K followers despite ups and downs. For more than a decade, Iâve worked with artists and studios, observing how some struggle to maintain a presence on social networks.
Your Identity before anything else
Growing an audience on these platforms is becoming difficult. However, I want to assure you that those who think itâs over are misplaced. It is still crucial for artists to invest time and energy into these networks to succeed and expand their reach. Before starting, please remember that having your website is a mandatory complementary part of developing an efficient social presence and growth for many reasons that will be explained in detail later.
However, performing well on social networks is one of many challenges. There are also a few misconceptions and paradoxes. Users expect a free product to deliver the best results, and while they want to grow their network, they often desire to stay within a niche artist community.
These issues often arise because many people need to consider how to leverage the platform to achieve their goals before using social networks. The primary question I pose to anyone seeking my advice on this topic is, âWhatâs your goal? What do you want to achieve?â This question is often accompanied by another that can be pretty shocking: âWhat do you want to sell?â
Answering these questions requires time and careful thought. Many struggle with the second question, âWhat am I âselling?â because âitâs not apparent. Even without a physical or digital product, youâre your name as if it were a brand â to get a job, grow an audience, or achieve other goals.
Letâs discuss two critical questions:
Whatâs the goal
This question should trigger many answers and serve as a starting point for brainstorming. Your goal might change after some time, but beginning a strategy with a clear explanation is essential. If your goal is merely to gain more followers or likes, thatâs not a substantial goal for an artist. You must dive deeper to understand your motivations and dreams, which will connect to the question: What do you sell?
Some possible goals include finding your dream job, publishing a book, getting noticed by a producer, working on a specific project or IP, or creating your brand. Reflect deeply to find your unique goal, often a long-held dream or part of your identity.
What Do You Want to Sell?
This is where your goal connects with what you want to sell. Once linked, these answers will define âhow to make this happenâ using social networks â a topic weâll cover in a future article, the Strategy part.
It seems straightforward if your goal involves tangible outcomes like âcreating âan art bookâ or âhostingâ an exhibition. However, in many other cases, you must accept that youâre yourself as a person, essentially becoming a brand.
For many artists, this can feel awkward or unappealing, but itâs essential if you want to use social networks to increase your presence and achieve your goals.
This may seem disconnected from how social networks function, but itâs a crucial mindset to adopt before posting differently or more strategically.
Even if this seems fundamental or theoretical, I hope it helps you somehow. Iâd love to hear your thoughts and whether youâd like to see more in this series.
Next, Iâll dive into the concept of social bubbles and social audiences to better understand future strategic directions.
