📦 Earning a following

Notes from an Andy J. Pizza Podcast

On Making Friends on the Internet

Here’s a sketchnote I did from a ‘Creative Peptalk’ Podcast episode 251

I recommend you listen to it.

And while I don’t have 20 000 followers, I have earned a few. I’m just going to go through each point with some commentary from my experience implementing the strategies here.

1. Play your greatest Hits

I’m doing it right now, sharing a social media post I made 8 months ago with a new context. Sometimes a piece of content does really well, and I’ll use it again with some update. Sometimes I will break down a bigger project into parts. In both instances I find it has deepened the connection with the audience.

2. See it as a Marathon, not a Sprint

I run, sometimes. The ability to move your body over so much ground, it’s really mind-blowing. It’s the same feeling to put out drawing after drawing and looking back and going wow, I made that. But at the same time, there’s something nice about only focusing on one small chunk of work to do today. There is an inevitability about running, if I keep putting one step after another, one post after another, I will reach my destination, but it’s going to take a while, and I can only go at my own pace. Okay, lets do it!

3. Connect

This has been a big one, over the past week Tom Froese, Rebecca Green and They Draw and Cook and others have shared my work. Because I shared their work. I did not share their work with any expectation but I shared things I thought would be a benefit to you because it was a benefit to me. It’s really quite special to put the spotlight on people you admire and have them put a spotlight on you for a moment. These people shared the work I made for or about them. Andy recommends doing this at least monthly, and if possible weekly. Forget growing the following, just the interaction is a reward in itself and the extra following is like a bonus.

4. Make share-worthy content

Hint. Hint.

5. Write on stage

This one really resonates with me because I do view the creative process that involves social media, to resemble a comedian’s process of testing material and keeping what works. I’m so appreciative of the comments and DM’s I get about the things I share or the work I make. And I pay attention and incorporate more of that in future work.

6. It’s not about me (you are not the hero of your Instagram)

This is probably the best advice for the lot. Sometimes I will use myself as a character, but what I’m really trying to do is share something with you without preaching. Ultimately if there is anything in my journey that could be valuable to you I want you to have it. This attitude has a wonderful effect of causing me to seek out valuable insights and experiences daily so I can keep sharing them. Win-Win.

Thanks for reading.