If you are an illustrator, collaborating with other artists can be a great way to showcase your skills, expand your network, and create unique projects. However, to make the most of your illustration collaborations, you need to promote them effectively on social media. Here are some tips on how to do that.
Not all social media platforms are equally suited for sharing your illustration collaborations. You want to choose the ones that have the best features, audience, and engagement for your goals. For example, Instagram is ideal for posting high-quality images, stories, and reels of your work, while Twitter can help you reach out to influencers, publications, and potential clients. You can also use platforms like Pinterest, Behance, or Dribbble to showcase your portfolio and link to your collaborators' profiles.
It's safe to choose the platform you'll like to share your work on before creating it. This helps you understand how to structure your content that fits the particular platform you intend using. This saves time and increases the chances of having an effective collaboration on social media.
When you collaborate with other illustrators, you are not only presenting your individual style, but also creating a joint brand identity. This means that you need to have a consistent and coherent visual and verbal message across your social media channels. You can do this by using the same colors, fonts, logos, hashtags, and tone of voice for your posts, stories, and bios. You can also create a landing page or a website for your collaboration, where you can share more details, testimonials, and contact information.
Promoting your illustration collaborations on social media is not just about posting your work, but also about interacting with your audience. You want to build trust, loyalty, and curiosity among your followers and potential clients. You can do this by asking for feedback, answering questions, sharing behind-the-scenes stories, and hosting live sessions or Q&A's. You can also encourage user-generated content, such as reposts, reviews, or fan art, and reward them with shoutouts, discounts, or giveaways.
Another way to promote your illustration collaborations on social media is to collaborate with other creators in your niche or industry. You can reach out to bloggers, podcasters, influencers, or magazines that share your target audience and offer to create content for them or feature them in your content. For example, you can write a guest post, do an interview, create a tutorial, or host a giveaway. This way, you can expose your work to a wider and relevant audience, and also establish your authority and credibility.
Finally, you need to track and measure the results of your social media promotion efforts. You want to know what works and what doesn't, and how you can improve your strategy. You can use tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, or Instagram Insights to monitor your traffic, reach, engagement, conversions, and revenue. You can also use surveys, polls, or feedback forms to get direct input from your audience. Based on the data and feedback, you can adjust your goals, content, and tactics accordingly.
Let your audience in on the process. Let them know the progress of your collaboration which will create a strong desire in them for the final work. Appearing as simple as possible to your audience builds a strong community for your brand. Also, create a storytelling experience for your collaboration on social media. Explain how you came about your ideas, the mistakes, redos, and what was the missing ingredient (if any) to get the final outcome.