Instagram

[musket]

Have any of you ever sold anything off social media, or even had any inquiries?

I had a site from 1997-2002 that won all kinds of awards (it was as much an educational site for carvers as a sales site for me) and had plenty of traffic, but I never got a single inquiry off it. Administered and maintained for free by a falconer in the UK, but writing all the articles took a lot of time and eventually I felt it was too much work for no monetary return and my time would be better spent carving than showing off what I'd already done.

Even if I were still doing art, I wouldn't be on social media.

 

[Artyczar]

I have sold a few things from Instagram, yes. Far and few between, and I have never posted any prices or anything. Maybe once when I was having a times sale on my website, I was trying to drive some traffic from IG to the site and I sold one. But I don't use IG from that purpose. I feel like those sales were flukes. But I would like people from IG to go to my website. That would be the ideal I think. MOst people don't usually click away from there, and you can only make a live/hot link from your profile, not in a post. A lot of people make their profile like go to a link tree page so all their links show up. I guess people do go to those. I know I have to look at galleries and whatnot.

I don't like the competition of IG. It makes me feel like a loser. I don't understand how all my friends have 8000 followers and 100 likes a day, or on each post. They must be interacting on IG all f'in day! I can't spend that kind of time. I finally had to turn off the option to see how many likes people get because it was giving me a complex (you do have that option). I don't even care about "likes," but it was still making me feel bad. I can't help but to compare myself after a while because I even know I sell more than some of these other artists--how are they so incredibly popular?

So, it's a huge popularity contest, I think. Like high school or something. I only use it for promotion and because if I leave, I feel like I won't be connected to the art world at all. Everyone uses IG. I feel obligated.

I think forums are a totally different animal and not social media at all. It's a community to get your questions answered, usually. It's for inquiry and some show and tell. It's for discussion.

I do belong to some reddit groups, but not for art. I only really lurk in some subgroups and do not participate really. I have an alias too. It's just for curiosity mostly to see what the kids are up to.

I used to belong to a lot of Usenet groups back in the day for art, writing, and other things. Those days are long gone.

 

[E.J.H.]

I'm still digging ello.

I had a peek. Seems to be geared towards professionals at first glance. Found it looked a bit intimidating..

 

[16ga]

I have never tried to sell artwork.
But I used to post my woodwork on my personal facebook page and made a few sells. But I've only ever been friends on there with people who already knew me.

 

[GrantCee]

I don't like the competition of IG. It makes me feel like a loser. I don't understand how all my friends have 8000 followers and 100 likes a day, or on each post. They must be interacting on IG all f'in day! I can't spend that kind of time. I finally had to turn off the option to see how many likes people get because it was giving me a complex (you do have that option). I don't even care about "likes," but it was still making me feel bad. I can't help but to compare myself after a while because I even know I sell more than some of these other artists--how are they so incredibly popular?

This is why social media is evil.

Honest question: why continue to use something that makes you feel like excrement? I've seen the work on your website, and you're clearly an extremely talented and creative person; you don't deserve that kind of grief.

Everyone uses IG. I feel obligated.

Not everyone!

 

[Artyczar]

This is why social media is evil.

Honest question: why continue to use something that makes you feel like excrement? I've seen the work on your website, and you're clearly an extremely talented and creative person; you don't deserve that kind of grief.

I agree! But I do have a professional obligation to be on there anyway. I know my gallery wants me to have an IG presence of some sort, so I keep it up despite how stupid it all is. Even my gallery has told me how frustrated they are in comparison to other galleries! It's evil any way you slice it.

Thank you for the very nice compliment! I really appreciate it.

 

[ZenDruid]

This kind of discussion is exactly why I like CS, as well as an opportunity for show and tell. I try to read everything whether it's my niche or not. I'm learning more about papers, paints, squirrel hair brushes, rabbit glue, than I never imagined. I have a real cellphone, which is always turned off, I use it for emergency phone calls, emergency photographs, and emergency flashlight. I have an IG account but never use it. I use FB to keep track of about 5 friends, no news feed. I have a desktop PC with big screen for photo editing and all other business. One site I use for free picture storage is imgur, but haven't really used it beyond that. I keep a vanity photo website on Zenfolio, just because. People can contact me and buy something if they really insist, which is never so far Will check out ello.