- We all know people who seem to spend every hour of the day
posting on Facebook, tweeting,
and uploading images to Instagram.
I'm not sure how they have the time do their actual jobs.
I hate to admit it, I'm jealous of people
who have this skill.
You may not have the time to post every hour,
but being involved in online social media,
such as Facebook and Twitter,
is another way to reach your audience.
Let's step back in time.
Before the Internet, there were only a few outlets
for graphic designers to be seen.
There were magazine like CA, Print, and Graphis,
three or four books each year,
competitions from AIGA and the Art Directors Club,
and the Aspen and AIGA conferences.
The path to fame was set.
First, you were noticed in a competition.
Then a magazine would do a story on you,
followed by a speaking engagement at an AIGA conference.
Then the Aspen design conference
and being included in a design book.
Then, you were a famous designer.
This kept a the stable of star designers
small and tightly-controlled.
But online media opened the doors to everyone.
Now a project posted on Twitter or Behance
can spread like wildfire across the globe.
The old star system has given way
to a much more democratic way.
But it still requires good work and diligent effort.
As I mentioned, Facebook is a great place
for the personal touch.
It's where someone can learn more about who you are
outside of your professional life.
This is good.
A personal connection is stronger than purely business.
That being said, there's personal and then there's TMI.
I know it's tempting to post about a wild night
that ended in jail, but stay close to the brand personality.
Facebook skews younger than LinkedIn.
These viewers may not be the ones that hire you
for the giant project, but they are great as a network.
I think of Twitter as a good companion to Facebook.
I use it to drive traffic to my website,
promote a project or event.
The most successful tweets are informative
with social value.
Tweets with images increase the chance to be retweeted.
Instagram and Pinterest are great places
to share inspiration,
things you find beautiful or simply enjoy.
I stay away from boards that are purely self-promotional.
I can go to someone's website if I want to see the work.
I want to see what someone sees in the world
and what inspires them.
Or find some amazing photograph, piece of art,
or design I've never seen before.
The maze of social media is now its own business.
I have a good friend who is a genius at this
and has a business focusing purely on social texture.
If you're a brand like PNG or Disney,
you'll need to hire someone to do this for you.
But you're not a giant corporation.
Post what you want when you can.
You don't need to lose sleep over not doing it enough.
Frankly, I'm a little suspicious of my friends
who are posting everywhere on the hour.
Stay away from things that you wouldn't share
with your grandparents, and you'll be fine.