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Which illustration platforms should you be using?  | Episode Transcript

Intro

Welcome to the Self-taught Illustrator podcast. My name is Natasha Polozenko, and I am here to prove that you do not need a formal training or background in art to make it as an illustrator. So listen up and get ready to be inspired, encouraged, and uplifted in your illustration journey.

Let’s do this!

Hello everyone, Welcome back. Today I am pumped to talk to you a little about illustration platforms. Which ones should you be on? which are best to help grow and bolster your illustration practice? Now, this is a big topic, and of course, everyone is different. everyone’s illustration practice is unique. So it will take some reflection on your end to figure out what’s right for you. But, as a general guide, I would like to outline the considerations that you should be putting into these decisions. Ultimately I want to make sure that you’re on the right illustration platforms for you. The platforms that will help you grow in the way that best serves you. Let’s get started!

So many illustration platforms, so little time

Let me start by saying, there are so many platforms out there. Too many if you ask me! When it comes to the more social media-focused platforms we have Instagram with its posts, stories, reels, and live functionalities. Tik Tok, Snapchat Spotlight, Twitter, Twitch, Linked In, Facebook, Pinterest, and Youtube (and that’s just to name a few!). Some platforms are geared more towards visual creatives such as Behance, and Dribble. And then there is a whole host of freelancing platforms for creatives looking to get hired. Platforms live Fiverr, Contra, Upwork, etc. So yes, there are a whole lot of platforms out there, but don’t let that overwhelm you.

More is… more?

Now, this may be an unpopular opinion, but I believe that when it comes to platforms, more is more. Before you shout this episode off, let me explain! There is a huge benefit in being as prolific as possible when it comes to illustration.

Shelf life

The first reason for this is that different platforms have different shelf lives. Now, what does that mean? Ok, so Instagram for example, is an amazing platform to be on as an illustrator. But, unfortunately, your posts have a very short shelf life… When you create a post, there is a short period of time that it is “live” and circulating on people’s feeds. After that short period, it gets buried in your grid. On the other hand, a platform like Pinterest, gives your post an indefinite shelf life, meaning today, people could be viewing, pining, and sharing a piece that you created years ago. So that’s all to say that posting on more platforms, will give you more bang for your buck, helping one illustration live on longer. 

Meeting your audience where they are

Secondly, different people and different audiences hang out on different platforms. Making use of a few different platforms can help you bring attention to and grow your other platforms. For example, people who discovered you on youtube will most likely decide to jump over and follow you on Instagram, and vice versa. It’s a good way of casting a wider net and meeting your audience where they are.

Reuse and adapt for different illustration platforms

And thirdly, in some cases, there is really no reason not to be on more platforms. Something that I like to teach my students is this idea of juicing every illustration to the very last drop. So what do I mean by this? Basically, when you create one single illustration, I want you to reuse and adapt that same illustration for as many platforms as you can. So, at the very minimum posting that original piece to multiple platforms. So let’s say you post the same image to Instagram, Pinterest, Behance, and Dribble. There is really no reason why you can’t do this, it’s a super minimal time investment, and it’s just a matter of getting into the habit.

To take it one step further, you could also adapt and re-work your illustrations into other formats. So what I mean by this is that you can take your original piece and turn it into a quick educational, or entertaining clip for something like Reels, TikTok, or Youtube. Obviously, this is a heavier lift in terms of the time and skill required to make a video, but it can be super simple. Sharing a time-lapse, some sort of how-to, or a quick story can be reasonably easy to do, and the benefits of being on these platforms are huge!

Cater to each platform

It’s important, however, to make sure that you use create specifically for the platform you are using. What that means is that you pay close attention to the requirements and features of each platform. For example, if you are creating for Tik Tok, work at a 1080 x 1920 size to make sure your video fills the entire screen. And use the text functionality and trending music. The reason for this is that the Tik Tok Algorithm is in charge of which posts are and are not promoted. And the algorithm is not a person deciding which pieces of content are good or not. The algorithm is Artificial intelligence, so it’s going to scan your video to understand how engaging it is, so using text and trending music is going to increase the likelihood of getting featured on the for you page.

Now, it may be super tempting to take your final Tik Tok video and share that to Reels. But Instagram does not like content that is recycled directly off other platforms. Do not use your final Tik Tok videos on Reels, the Tik Tok watermark signals Instagram to not promote your Reels. Be sure to use as many of the Instagram functionalities to create your videos. Unfortunately, Reels is not as intuitive and streamlined when it comes to its editing features. I personally always create my video content in After Effects, after which I add to Tik Tok and Reels adding the music functionalities of both those platforms.

Which illustration platform is right for you? 

So by now hopefully I’ve convinced you of how important it is to be prolific in your work. Being on as many platforms as you can. But! before you jump in and start posting to every platform under the sun, it is still important for us to understand what is right, and most appropriate for us, and the kind of illustration practice we are looking to create and grow. When it comes to Illustration, Instagram is the bare minimum.

As of the time of this recording, Instagram is still an extremely important platform in the illustration world. It is a place where clients and customers will find illustrators to engage and work with. It’s a place where illustrators connect with the peers. And it is a place where you can build a following and fan base. Instagram is still the standard when it comes to creating a social media presence. I always highly recommend utilizing Instagram and all that it has to offer to help establish and grow an illustration practice.

Considering your goals

All that being said, we know that there are a whole host of other platforms out there. And now I want to finally get to which ones you should be on or at least considering in your own practice. Now, when it comes down to it, your platform choices all depend on the goals you have for yourself. Think about what it is you are trying to do or achieve through your illustration. What does your ideal practice look like? who are you serving? Who are you trying to attract? Take a moment to really reflect on these, and formulate a list of platforms that will help you best reach and achieve your desired goals, customers, clients, or followers.

Examples

Now, let me provide some examples that can really help illustrate this idea. So, if your goal for your illustration practice is to get freelance work, and land your dream clients. You may want to focus more on the platforms where these people you are trying to attract usually hang out and find their talent. So, of course, Instagram is a must… But Dribble and Behance are widely known and recognized as platforms where illustrators are found and hired. You may also want to explore freelancing platforms some big general ones are TopTal and UpWork, and a reasonably new platform that is growing in popularity is Contra. Having an up-to-date profile and body of work on these kinds of sites can be helpful if you aren’t already receiving a steady stream of inquiries from clients.

Another example is if you want to build your practice around education and teaching other illustrators what you know. In these cases, platforms that support video like TikTok, Youtube, and even Pinterest can be great places to help you disseminate tutorials and lessons. You may even want to consider a teaching platform like Skillshare as a way to reach and teach more people. Think about where the people you are looking to teach are searching for tutorials and answers, and focus on building your presence there.

Hopefully, this gives you a better idea of which platforms you should be focusing on, to help you establish and grow yourself, in a way that feels aligned with your overall goals and purpose.

You don’t own these platforms!

Now, as much as I am a fan of utilizing all the amazing platforms and opportunities that the internet has to offer. The truth remains that we do not own these platforms! as much as we may want to focus on growing our Instagram, Tik Tok, or whatever else. These could all be gone tomorrow, Instagram could shut down, the algorithm could change. We’re all renting space from these platforms. That’s all to say that let’s not put all our eggs in one basket, or focus too much of our energy on these platforms. As I mentioned before, diversify where you show up on the internet, being on a few platforms means that if one goes down, then your other platforms can help you re-establish, or at least keep in contact with those followers.

Last but not least, I want to stress how important it is to have your own website. While you don’t own any of the platforms that you may be on. Your website is a place that is securely yours. At the end of the day, we want all of the various platforms that we’re on to point towards our website. Your website is like the home base. It should have a way to view your illustrations, there should be a clear “about you” page, a call to action (how to work with you), and a simple contact page.

Your email list

In addition to your website, you can also grow your email list. Your email list is also something that you own, it’s a group of followers who have decided to stay up to date with you, and have agreed to receive updates, and the occasional email from you. In my opinion, an email list is even more valuable than an Instagram following, this is a group of people who represent your true fans. Some of my best conversations and interactions have been through email conversations.

Whether or not you decide to go down the email list route or not. At the minimum, you need to make sure that you have a website to act as your home base, that all the various platforms point to.

Outro

Alrighty, So that’s it, for now! Thank you for tuning into the Self-taught Illustrator Podcast where we prove that you do not need a formal training or background in art to make it and thrive as an illustrator. 

I hope This episode was helpful to you, and that it helped you get a better idea of which platforms are right for you and your illustration practice… Drop me a DM @nataszko, that’s nataszko on TikTok or Instagram to let me know! I look forward to bringing you more illustration tips tricks and nuggets of wisdom. So, until next time. Bye for now.