I have been posting a bit more on my Instagram. Previously it was supposed to be an “influencer” account that would pair well with my Twitch channel, but at the moment, I am mostly posting both my recent and past work.
https://www.instagram.com/usaokay/
There are some things I am learning about Instagram, which of course the social media is super different from how the likes of Twitter and DeviantArt work. From what I’ve noticed, Instagram is more of a supplemental site, while the way to properly grow an audience is trying other social medias.
Weirdly, I noticed some accounts that so far only posted 5-10 artworks would have 50+ followers, compared to others who have 100+ artworks and around 50 followers. Maybe it’s not a matter of posting consistent updates, but also interacting with the community. Perhaps even giving commissions and having your work featured in Youtube videos a go too.
As I mentioned in my Submitting to Website post, the Instagram Source Filmmaker and Garry’s Mod portion of the community mostly consist of Team Fortress 2, Five Nights at Freddy’s, and Splatoon fanart. I can only surmise that children would regularly be on Instagram, looking up the latest fanart or memes.
My TF2 fanart and comics would get faster likes than my other submissions. My account would even get followed by TF2 fans and artists. Compared to my fanart of non-cartoony stuff, like Call of Duty or my Servers webcomic, would barely make a blip on anyone’s radar.
What I want to do is to set expectations for what people should expect from my Instagram, which is a unorthodox method.
Like my DeviantArt and my portfolio, I don’t explicitly focus on one pop-culture brand, mostly because I am a fan of a wider array of things. Focusing on brand diversity is better for me to creatively learn how to deal with lightning, blocking, and color depending on the appropriate artstyle. I am not knocking on those who only make FNAF, TF2, Splatoon, or Halo stuff.
I have made the mistake of focusing on reposting my old TF2 work, which I feel may lead some of its fans to think I only make and potentially will still post anything TF2-related. I would love to post my Servers content, but I am still considering on how to tackle this since I plan to re-remake Parts 2 and 4.
I come to accept that a centric community may be disappointed I will only put out maybe a couple fanart of the brand they love. However, like I said, I want to diversify myself.
When submitting these artworks and comics in Instagram format, it takes a bit of a learning process, especially with regards to how a majority of its users would first see a new work.
A majority of my comics that follow a traditional layout (example) would never work in Instagram, but shorter, Sunday newspaper-like comics will.
The core issue with such involve readability. For most of my old comics, I cannot post each panel individually without sacrificing the image quality, so some of those old works would be posted in full, creating an unreadable format on both PC and phones. Tablets are fine though.
I have been experimenting with other comics, including some that barely requires any words and those including larger words that can easily be read on any device.
For incredibly longer works, such as Team Fortress 2 Originals: Pyro & Bear, it would be better to advertise a link in the bio (as many other Instagram brands advertise their crap) and provide a preview of its pages in the gallery.
A lot of the most popular webcomics on Instagram would consist of a slideshow format (example), showcasing a panel that would hook the reader in. Only then when they swipe left on their device, they would see the next panel. The process would repeat til they finish the intended storyline.
These webcomics are usually short, containing up to nine panels, with some either being an ad for merchandise, the artist’s website/Patreon, or asking readers to follow for more updates.
When trying to find accounts of other artists who post their work elsewhere, I was disappointed to discover that they would either lack an account or don’t see Instagram as another hub to share their work (example).
Instagram isn’t really for everyone. When I asked some people in the r/SFM Discord whether if they want to post their work in that social media site, they declined, citing micromanagement and that specific social medias are for personal use. Fair enough.
Through that, I feel that some people don’t want to carry the constant expectation of pumping out content every single week or month. In my experience where my DeviantArt updates are annual, I am used to it.
Instagram, to me, is to help cultivate an audience for a limited time. I personally feel it cannot be updated forever and it won’t just focus only on artwork and comics.
Social media, along with making artwork, helps to teach me how to properly advertise any sort of work and trying to find the best kind of way to cultivate a specific expectation with the audience. Having your work in a lot of social media sites is the best way to get noticed by someone, somewhere.
Right now, I am focused on posting my old work since it is a new audience, after all. It is also best to work on a schedule, so I won’t end up posting everything I have to offer as fast as possible. This would help me to further engage with the audience, potentially get more followers over time, and give me time to work on new stuff.
At the time of this writing, I would try to post my work on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, around 5-8 AM PDT. The schedule may subject to change depending on a variety of factors.
So, with my Instagram account going forward:
- Showcasing new blog posts.
- Either it will be my personal thoughts on books/games/movies, or what I learned from making comics/artworks and the internet. Very educational.
- Either it will be my personal thoughts on books/games/movies, or what I learned from making comics/artworks and the internet. Very educational.
- Potentially me, out and about in the real world.
- Unlike the early submissions where I visited a Sony event or me playing the Nintendo Switch in a flower field, I may limit this stuff in Instagram stories, which is an optional limited-time affair. This helps to engage with the audience, even though I am sure some people would be off-putted by seeing a real person who makes these artworks.
- Unlike the early submissions where I visited a Sony event or me playing the Nintendo Switch in a flower field, I may limit this stuff in Instagram stories, which is an optional limited-time affair. This helps to engage with the audience, even though I am sure some people would be off-putted by seeing a real person who makes these artworks.
- Re-reposting old work.
- Some of the old stuff, like my earlier SFM creations that barely made a blip, would get a second (or third) chance at life through a new audience; potentially those people who couldn’t be asked to simply scroll far down in my gallery.
Ross Siev's blog 
3 thoughts on “Instagram”