Social Media is a Skill
I would like to think I’m a somewhat decent cartoonist. I’m humble enough to realize that there are some truly talented, hardworking people that make my work look like mere scribbles by comparison. I’ve spent years working out my style, learning how to draw digitally, and trying to pin down that elusive concept which is humor.
I also know that I’m some random dude on the internet that hasn’t been posting for very long and has posted very infrequently until lately. I’m not expecting a million customers at this early stage of my cartooning career. Still, I am absolutely dumbfounded how some social media accounts for cartoonists have thousands of followers and strong readership when their product is… subpar.
I know humor and art are subjective. I am not above criticism myself. I am grateful for the supporters I currently have. But if I am going to make cartooning a career, I need a much wider audience and customer base. If anything, it is humbling for me to accept that the comics I view as subpar reach further and connect with more people. They clearly have something I don’t.
And while envy is a poison to happiness, I would be a fool to enter into a business field and not observe trends and best practices. And here’s the thing: I am a decent cartoonist, but an absolute amateur when it comes to social media. Being an independent cartoonist goes so far beyond just drawing funny pictures. It’s about building communities. Getting exposure. Understanding algorithms.
Fortunately, I subscribe to a school of thought that I can do anything if I am willing to dedicate time to it. Social media is a skill. It can be observed, learned, and mastered. So that’s what I plan to do.