So, shit hit the fan with the platform you were publishing your work to.
Lately it’s felt like there aren’t any reliable places for creators to share their work and that the whole internet is going up in flames. Well…you’re right. It is. And it’s squarely because the egos of the rich and power hungry are rearing their ugly heads. But, that’s no reason for you to stop trying to get your work out in the world.
So here’s 3 essential tips for artists/creators trying to regroup and build their presence on other sites
1). HAVE A BUSINESS EMAIL
This will be your most reliable form of contact online and should be your go to when it comes to contacting you about your work. Even if you use methods like Google Forms, Ko-Fi, or any sort of external site to take commissions, it’ll always be a good idea to have an email like this as a backup especially now with so many sites being hostile to creators.
2). CAST AS WIDE OF A NET AS POSSIBLE.
If your work is on multiple sites, it’s that much more likely people will see your work. Apps like Postybirb and sites like Buffer can help with this immensely. Since they let you post your work to multiple sites at once. And this doesn’t just extend to image hosting sites. Posting links to your work in discord and Reddit servers, and posting your timelapses on Youtube and TikTok can all help to build your presence. You shouldn’t be relying on a single algorithm to boost your work. You must become your own advertiser. Finally, and most importantly,
3). MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A WEBSITE OR CENTRAL HUB.
In the current state of the net, it’s more important than ever for people to know where they can find you. You probably already have a linktree or Carrd if you’re a creator, and while those work best as a way to let people know where people can find your work on different sites, having a full website of your own would be ideal. Since you can have a one stop shop for people to see all of your creations and updates about things like your work schedule, commissions availability, events you’re travelling to, TOS and Pricing changes, and so on. Having your own website also gives you much more flexibility compared to simply publishing your work to a social media site. If you’re working on a long form story, like a web comic or mixed media narrative, you can tailor your website to the needs of your story instead of having to create something with the parameters of another site in mind. I cannot make any promises about where the internet will go over even the coming few months, I just hope that, with these tips, creators won’t take too much of a hit as for them to be unable to sustain themselves in their endeavors. Because their work is more than just the sites they post to, let alone their followings.
With youtube's new ID requirements, this video is a much needed addendum https://youtu.be/T-celP3mhPc
