The creative world is a very different place today than it was even a couple years ago – that’s the beauty, but also, the difficulty of it. There are more avenues than ever for getting your work out there and yet, it can feel like the system is rigged, or like you need to embark on a whole new career as an influencer to do so.
At Everpress, we believe in grassroots creativity more than anything else, which is why we want to demystify the process of making money from your art. One of the most commonly debated themes among the creative community is how much time and effort should be dedicated to one’s social media presence – whether doing so is bastardising the creative process, and how essential it is to monetising your art. We broke it down to a few practical questions and actionable steps, to help you on the way.
Is the only way to generate engagement for my art to become a social media personality myself?
No. If you feel comfortable with appearing on video or want to get yourself out there, go for it. But if that’s not your bag, there are lots of ways to create videos where the focus is your art, not you. And, in either scenario, video content is a great way to take people into your creative universe (without needing to focus on yourself): share your inspiration, films or photos you like, work from your community or from your design heroes. You don’t need to suddenly become an influencer, but it does help to have a clearly defined vision you’re excited to communicate to others.
And why do I need engagement to sell my art anyway?
Again, you don’t necessarily – and we don’t believe that the constraints and operations of social media should ever get in the way of creativity. But it is undeniable that artists who manage to monetise their art (without institutional backing) often do so with the help of their social following. Think about it this way: your socials are your built-in network – something that historically, artists have always had to rely on. Leveraging your networks isn’t ‘dirty work’ or ‘selling out’ – it’s making use of resources you already have, thereby allowing you to stay independent and completely in charge of your output.
Do I need to make Reels/TikToks?
You don’t need to. But the social media landscape is constantly evolving, and, the truth is, newer formats will often be favored by the algorithm – and might just attract attention because of their novelty. The format of TikToks and reels can also be more dynamic and better suited to creatively display your art – while it can seem daunting at first or like an added chore, playing around with video content might just bring new sources of inspiration to your process.
Are there any failsafe ways to guarantee engagement on my video content?
Using trending sounds or video formats, dynamic, fast-paced videos, and a strong creative style/voice are all good places to start. And, as we said above, it is worth spending time on developing your own aesthetic universe that sets you apart from your competition.
On a more technical level, if you collaborated with someone, publishing content as a collaborative post immediately boosts the amount of eyeballs.
It is also a good idea to stick to a regular posting schedule for a while – continuously posting video content rather than doing it in one-off bursts or in an ad-hoc manner will train the algorithm in your favour.
What are some good examples of video content from Everpress creators?
Tara Korzad having girl dinner in her girl dinner tee.
Kessels Kramer displaying their tee celebrating World Mental Health Day in this simple but effective format.
Allan Berger ‘s mesmerising glimpse into his visual universe doubling as promo for his tee.
Musician Joya taking you into the process of designing her Sunflower tee.
Explore our Creator Toolkit for tips on launching your campaign, promoting your tees and more and learn about making a viral-inspired tee here.