As social media apps continue to evolve into behaving like every other social media app, is there any place left for creatives to go to display their work? Instagram, SnapChat, TikTok, Vine etc., had what in common with each other? Creatives adopted it first before it went mainstream and then looked like every thing. Social media for creatives is now a losing battle and it begs the question where do creatives go next?
Creatives have always had to fight for a slice of the pie when it came to social media apps. When they found something that provided them with more eyes on their work, it usually ended up going mainstream and now the posts are mostly people selling marketing schemes to make money quick.
Social media for creatives such as photographer, videographers, artists etc. were the perfect way to amplify their work. Instagram was all about photos and now it looks like TikTok. And Twitter, well Twitter is crashing faster than a Y2k bug with Elon Musk behind the wheel,
There is no place left for creatives in the social media realm. Any leverage they might have had has now vanished faster than the scammer who wants you join their webinar to learn how to flip houses.
What now for content sharing? Where can creatives go?
Yes, there are websites like behance, dribble, 500px where they can post their work but there potential clients aren’t on those sites. They’re on social media, but social media for creatives isn’t what it used to be.
You have to fight through all the paid ads, the rigged algorithms, the scammers, the political hate and every thing in between just to get a chance to be seen. It’s a daunting task and more often than not it’s not worth the stress or anxiety. And lets not forget all the bots that have infiltrated social media.
Creative types have no real choice but to keep trying to get their voice heard in social media, but it’s a losing effort. If you’re not twerking in a thong, a celebrity or someone try to sell a get rich scheme you’ll be hard pressed to find your content making an impressions.
Social media has become less about being social and more about amplifying the false lifestyles and the hateful political rhetoric. A far cry from what it was intended to be, but here we are.
When Meta’s Threads recently emerged as an alternative to Twitter the creatives flocked there. They raved about how the photos looked better there than on Instagram and how easy it was to sign up.
The question is how long before the ads, the bots and the same content is shared on every social media app?
Where then for creatives?
It feels like being a creative is a heavy cross to bear when all you want to do is gain an audience for your work. They’re not asking for much other than an opportunity for their voice and work to be seen. What happens when there is no place to go for these creatives? I’m afraid we’ll find out sooner than later.