Chris Simonite's Cubo-Weirdism Blog! A Blog about Chris Simonite's Art by Chris Simonite. Who the Hell else?

In this week's post I thought I'd ask for your help. I do a fair amount of research into how best to promote my social media accounts, with a specific focus on Instagram. I always post on Facebook as well, but I get little traction there. Having said that I have been advised that I'm more likely to make sales on Facebook because it skews older and older people have more money. That makes sense to me, but the flip side is, more people go on Instagram to look at art. So I guess my first question might be, to those of you who are in the know: what is your opinion on this?

Now I'm likely to continue to focus on Instagram unless a very compelling case is made for Facebook. I don't know why, maybe it's partly an ego thing, but in the absence of sales, it's fun to watch my Instagram following grow. Also, I have made sales through Instagram, and I'm not sure I've ever made any through Facebook. The other thing is, all of the research I've done suggests that Instagram is indeed best for visual artists. But anyway, now you know my bias.

Maybe I should tell you a little about the research I've done. I am a member of FASO (Fine Art Studios Online) which is the company through which I have my website. I often watch marketing videos and read their blog in order to pick up tips. I also sometimes watch somewhat random YouTube videos made by artists who have supposedly learned or figured out all the tricks to posting on Instagram. I even spent a substantial amount of money to take an online course with an artist who has a very large account and claims to have cracked the code of Instagram's algorithm. And that person, along with the folks at FASO suggests that artists should not place ads through Instagram.

One of the reasons they advise against that is that they have a an unsubstantiated suspicion that Instagram shadow bans you if after you place an ad. The theory goes that if they think you have money to spend on ads, they'll hide your posts till you spend more. So here is my experience with ads. If I'm not mistaken I have promoted one post on Instagram and I promoted it twice. I spent a grand total of 30 dollars Canadian on the "promotions." I chose a post that was already doing well and that featured a painting I really thought had a good chance of selling. Spoiler alert: it didn't sell, though it did get some interest.

I mention this because I've been thinking of trying some ads again, partly because I did a deep dive to see how my posts did after the last time I advertised. And I would say they were up and down as usual. There does not seem to have been a significant change. I didn't spend a lot on the ad, and I gained a significant number of followers. The thing is, if I spent any more, I would definitely feel it wasn't worth it if I didn't make any sales. So that is where I hesitate.

^{Vincent Vega, 11" X 14", oil on canvas, 2022.}

Someone recently suggested that I should time my ads with the release of a movie or TV show to hit it at the height of it's interest. Which means, I suppose I could wait until 2024 when there is likely to be a 30th anniversary release of Pulp Fiction to post and boost this painting of Vincent Vega from that movie. Okay, I'm posting it today, but I suppose, if it or my painting of Jules Winnfield don't sell by then, maybe I should post them again. May together in one post, and then boost it?

Do you have any other thoughts of how I could strategize my ads? Please feel free to comment here or on social media!