The Social Media Trap: Why Artists Should Stop Following the Crowd

You're following the followers.

If 100 people head down one path and 101 get stuck, why follow? Yet many artists do exactly that.

Every day, I see complaints on social media about low followers, few likes, and stagnant pages. If everyone’s struggling on the same road, how can it possibly lead to success?

A question I often see is: “If your posts get zero likes, would you keep posting?” My first instinct is, “Yes, of course,” but then I pause—why bother? If creating brings you joy, why seek validation from others?

This game takes time. 10 years, 20 years, however long it takes. There’s no real competition because most people quit within five years anyway. It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon. Artists don’t have expiration dates. As long as you have the drive, you can keep creating.

And the only thing that can really kill your drive is social media itself.

Stop following the crowd. To succeed, think differently. Invest in platforms you own, not ones that own you. Social media drains your energy and makes you work for it, not for yourself.

And if you’re paying a marketing agency but doing more work than they are, ask yourself: Why hire them in the first place?

Social media is a rat race. Step away and build something on platforms that last.

(Posted on Threads on 6.12.2024)

#ArtistsStopFollowingTheCrowd