I don't know about you, but I am keen to embrace new technology, new ways of working and open to ideas from many sources, but ... social media in general pushes me out of my comfort zone.
I suppose I find it slightly intrusive or a little odd to converse with a group of people, most of whom I have never met. It is perhaps the introvert in me that is pushing against this (not so) new norm of social interaction. I'm also more than a little sceptical as to the benefit of social media. As with many artists, I can't seem to fathom which of my posts are likely to get the most engagement or earn me new followers (genuine ones I mean). It is a perpetual game of trial and error, following an everchanging rule book and often times just going with what feels right. I know that the only way for me to truly embrace social media for the long term is to not see it as an administrative burden but as a way of connecting with people who are genuinely interested in my work and that is something I am always happy to do.
It is also very difficult for me to know how much of my work is generated from social media. It seems that commissions are often generated from an accumulation of social media posts, although mostly, my collectors do not seem to engage with them. It has caused me to reflect on my own behaviour. To what extent I engage on social media. I refuse to fall into the superficial traps of social media: buying followers is a definite no in my book! But also, I will only say things I mean and engage genuinely. The best advice in this (and in life), is to be authentic, your true self. It seems so simple, and I think it actually is, but we have created a rather frenetic world where so much social interaction is online that people frequently adopt an avatar persona online whilst seeming to lose touch with who they actually are. I am yet to be convinced that the new Meta algorithm is able to fairly identify authenticity. All I know for sure is that the more I use social media, the more sales I make so I guess something is working somewhere, even if analytics don't give me all the answers.
Even with my doubts, I know that social media is a necessary part of my tool box for reaching people and sharing my work with them, which can only be a good thing in itself. Nevertheless, I am not the kind of person to put all their eggs in one basket and will happily continue to forge relationships with independent galleries who I believe are so important at promoting their artists and forging connections with collectors that go far deeper than an occasional post, story or real ever could. For me, the hybrid model of selling via my own website (www.traceythorntonart.com) and social media, as well as through my gallery partners, who are also able to give an added level of reassurance to the more inexperienced collector, is absolutely the way to go … and, should the world fall out of love with the world of social media, the old way will surely pertain.