I'm Looking For A Better Social Media Place

Your local Pub

I am curious too. Pinterest is also down on the pipe...Maybe FAA/Pixels are the best places after all.

Bluesky works a lot like Twitter. I joined a few weeks ago, and my posts already get more engagement than my Twitter posts even though I only have about one-fifth the followers. You need an invite code to join, but they're not too hard to get. I have a couple of invite codes, so send me a message if you want one.

So this Bluesky is something derived from Twitter?..I've checked on Google and the FAQs...and one can join only by invitation.

"Facebook which works for me, but many groups have gone private and they can't share which limits who can see it."

I disagree with this. There are 10 million groups on Facebook, with 1.8 billion people using them monthly. When I see posts like this I think they unnecessarily discourage people.

There is nothing wrong with searching for places to advertise, but I would not be too quick to write off Facebook. It is still the dominant SMP platform out there.

I find it hard to believe with 10 million groups, anyone has hardly scratched the surface.

Facebook is the largest social networking site, with over 3 billion people using it monthly, according to Statista. This means roughly 37 percent of the world's population are Facebook users. Facebook's direct messaging spin-off app, Facebook Messenger, boasts 931 million monthly active users.
https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+the+largest+social+media+platform&rlz=1C1RXQR_enUS1042US1042&oq=what+is+the+largest+socil&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCQgBEAAYDRiABDIGCAAQRRg5MgkIARAAGA0YgAQyCQgCEAAYDRiABDIJCAMQABgNGIAEMgkIBBAAGA0YgAQyCQgFEAAYDRiABDIJCAYQABgNGIAEMgkIBxAAGA0YgAQyCQgIEAAYDRiABDIICAkQABgNGB7SAQg3NjA3ajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Facebook Statistics – Revenue, Users (+ Everything You Need to Know in 2023)

According to a Techjury survey, 71% of U.S. adults say they use Facebook. This figure has remained relatively constant since 2016. This makes Facebook the most used social platform in the U.S., apart from YouTube, which 81% of U.S. adults admit to using.

In 2022, Facebook had 179.65 million users in the U.S. The number of Facebook users in the U.S. is forecast to grow to 260 million users by 2027.

23.6% of Facebook users in the U.S. belong to the 25-to-34 age group. The second-highest share of users (18.2%) is the 18-to-24 age bracket, followed closely by users aged 35-to-44 years, with 18.1%.

https://influencermarketinghub.com/facebook-statistics/#:~:text=Number%20and%20Usage%20of%20Facebook,moderators%20running%20active%20Facebook%20groups.

The link above gives an in-depth set of stats on Facebook

Yeah, Bluesky is a Twitter clone. It doesn't have clickable hashtags, but it has feeds that work in a similar way. You can sign up to get on the waitlist for an invitation code, or you can get a code from a current member. I think I get one code a week that I can give to other people so they can join.

How popular is bluesky?

My appeal was granted after I removed that part, but its like walking on a dental floss tightrope, i'm not sure if the other tags are OK or not.


The thing about facebook is - I don't need to join a million groups, most of those don't have pictures, many of those have no spamming rules, and 80% of them have under a 1000 people on it. I find anything under a 1000 is too little as only a few may ever click on it. And the groups i'm on have a very tight niche of what I can post. So the stats don't mean anything to me when many of the groups are for gay couples looking for a room in the michigan lake whatever area. A lot of them are set that way. Garage sale groups erase anything that isn't a garage sale.

Groups in the past where they could share things, my stuff got lots of hits. Now its a ghost town.

Millions of groups has no meaning if they don't fit my subject, and aren't in my language, and if they have no traffic and aren't ever updated, they don't have value. And art only groups has nothing but a stream of endless images, I don't know how many buyers would thumb through that and also know its for sale. So all the stats in the world won't convince me, as I post to different groups every day and I keep track of all the hits I get. Or if they simply erased the post without a warning.


Social sites that need special access never do well long run. Pinterest has been a wasteland for me. Mostly I don't want to waste my time posting stuff just to find out that either its another dead zone or I get limited, kicked out or something for breaking a rule I never knew existed.


----Mike Savad

Bluesky is smaller than Twitter, but it's a growing site with good engagement, and the art community is pretty strong.

I will be watching this. I use facebook, instagram, pinterest and twitter (X) but dont' seem to get much action from any of them. Facebook is probably slow for me because I only use autopost when I post on Instagram. Twitter is nothing but bots anymore and pinterest doesn't seem to be doing much for me either. All seemed to be much better in the past. I also have a blog, but it seemed to be stale, too, so I haven't updated it in a long time. Perhaps I am just burned out on social media. A lot of work without much return. Probably my own fault.

I get tons of views from mastodon, but few click the picture, I assume I get about 10 hits per each one, basing it on how many favorited it etc.

Its a matter of which one should I focus my attention on. Because they are all soooo boring.


----Mike Savad

Have you tried Instagram at all? I started using it,, as well as LinkedIn, but I am very sporadic about posting. An artist on here who sells very well uses Instagram heavily, so it must work for some people.

Oh yeah those two also. I have those.

Instagram is a pain and there is no link back to the store last time I checked. But I checked years ago.

I post sales to linkedin but never figured how to use that site.


I think one has to engage with people and show interest in whatever life they have. And I could never get into that.


----Mike Savad

What Floyd said.

I post to FB, X, Instagram and Pinterest and when I look at my stats in my Etsy shop the only one that shows up is FB and sometimes Pinterest.

People who like your art and have found you on FB will see your posts on your page. That is aside from groups where you may get followers. I find Instagram difficult to use and not having links is ridiculous but I do get followers and you never know who is going to copy and paste your link.

The main issue I have with FB is the endless requests for NFTs.

I seldom use Pinterest and do nothing on Instagram but Facebook and Twitter do produce results. My internal server stats on my blogs and Google Analytics both show about an 85-15 split for Facebook vs Twitter results. I consider that pretty good considering Twitter is much less time consuming as Facebook for posts, engagement and follow-up.

RE:...Bluesky

To me, that name is rather unfortunate.

I keep pronouncing it like the term for beer, " Brewski"

Mike, Linked in has a lot of art groups you can join and post to. Some are even geared toward selling and reaching art collectors. I haven't seen much engagement there though but I also don't spend much time posting either. I don't have time and I am not a real social kind of person...

I never figured out how to do the groups there. I tried once, but just got lost.


----Mike Savad

I'm not sure where I'm getting my views, but I have over a million of them now. And I wasn't able to upload anything for over a year until today. I suspect a combination of 1 piece that went viral on facebook, a graphic statement piece that I let someone use for her book, my blog, and brick and mortar sales where I'm using this as my website now. But who knows. Is it possible to ever know? How can you tell if the views are coming from Pinterest or some other place?

My sales seem to mostly be concentrated on about 5 pieces, so I suspect the former three I listed (which are really just like "found objects", or statement pieces that someone relates to, and not marketing strategy at all on my part). I use social media for a little advertising, but sparingly and without my interest in it.

Maybe it's Google more than anything.

IG may be a problem at this time of year. By that study the hashtags. The hashtags are limited to the top tags. It is like IG closes down the tags to just anyone at this time of year. It makes the hashtags very weak to use to market.

Mike, you could try saying something about a creative process - that actually got a reply on Mastodon. So did replying to someone else's art who asked for comments (only do that on Mastodon if someone asks, though). As far as Twitter/X, people seem to enjoy hearing personal opinions.

I am trying Twitter/X, Facebook, Mastodon, or Youtube, but it is slow. Part of the issue is the large userbases, and the promotion of accounts by popularity.

It helps if you know people off-platform that could follow and interact with you (at least every once in a while) on-platform - real engagement, even if it's just something simple. For instance, if you show your friends an image of your work on your phone and they ask a simple question, or even just say they like it, do the same thing but on social media.

I actively avoid LinkedIn (always have) so I have no idea as far as that.

I tried Stack Exchange (computer-related things, not art), but it was an enormous amount of time to just interact. It seems to mostly be for someone who actively uses it a lot every day.

I'd like to point out that Mastodon doesn't have many common rules, the rules are per instance. It can take a bit to choose the right instance for you. I ended up avoiding multiple art themed instances due to various reasons. Before I chose one, I also looked at the moderated servers for the ones I was considering - be sure to read the reasons as well. The instance-specific information should be able to be found under the "learn more" button on the main page of that instance. Also, I have noticed that Mastodon users seem to be a little skittish of following for some reason.

I don't know if there is a specific better place, it's just that each platform works in its own way.

Mike, I wouldn't give up on Mastodon. I find it to be much more engaging that Brand X. The vibe on Mastodon is much friendlier than on X where everyone seems to be uptight about something. If you don't like the rules of the server you're on, pick another. I'm on the mastodon.sdf.org instance which is pretty easygoing, open minded, and without a lot of heavy-handed policing. My profile is https://mastodon.sdf.org/@MrToyMRY. Good hashtags are the key to getting noticed across the wider Fediverse. My only complaint (if you could call it that) is that posts are shown in reverse chronological order, rather than served to individual users based on their viewing habits. So the shelf life of a post is pretty short.

With FB, my profile is pretty much locked down but I have a public post that says something like "Have you seen photos posted you'd like prints of? Visit the site below to browse and order prints*

That way if I can't put a link to the site in the post, people can easily find their way to the site to but stuff if they click on my FB profile. If people really like what you post I suspect they'll click over to the FB profile if there is not a link in the post and maybe even if there is.

I find Facebook still the most useful.

I doing the others IG, M, P, TW, just because sometimes work too, and returning customers find me there, I think not because they see my posts, but they remember.

Twitter, is totally dead for me, I just post, and I think as I don't do anything else, nobody see my tweets, and do nothing with them.

I am fed up on all the increasing scam emails, and fake messages, and nft, and all that crap, seems nobody real anymore, and I am very very suspicious with every new custom orders, because of this flood of scammers.

I would hate to start a new one, as I cannot keep up with the existing ones. I should be social on all, but who has the time, check all the feeds and to chit chat and share retweet, boosts for the sake of being more visible.

I would prefer a social media, where you dont need to talk, just post, and where you don't need to repost, and people would find the posts only by hashtags.. and still would work :)

I found people just copy my methods when I describe things in those terms. But does engagement of replies help in some way. Like I asked a questions - does this area still look like this today? Or do you remember your first job or something like that. Would that bring in more general people or something?

I'm not giving up on mastodon, but it sure isn't impressing me anyway.

One of my issues now is, this server has a lot of other languages on it. Hard to weed them out. Is there a way to see just your own language?


----Mike Savad

I have complained to Facebook about how jerky the feed has become. No help.

Right now, the only social media site I'm on is Twitter. I advertise my art by working it into conversations in a relevant and (I hope) entertaining way. I have gotten a few sales (at my other art-for-sale site) doing this, but, of course, I'd like to sell more. The issue is how much time I can put into networking. Just messing around in Twitter takes a lot of time. Doing an expanded version of that - a "networking system" - every day...how would I manage it?

(BTW, just to be clear, I'm not putting down this site when I mention selling more at my other site. I advertise my work here too, but I just don't sell as well here. I don't know why.)

If your SM page and online store is comprehensive enough I don't know what dialogue is necessary. Except of course if a potential customer has some uncovered question.

Depends on the clientele. Buddying up means contact online with like minds.

That can be part of entrance into sales. Like touching base. Collecting emails. etc

I have done little to nothing with it honestly.

If you are using BlueSky I created a feed for AYearForArt use hashtags: Art #artshop #artstore #AYearForArt

thank you Iris! great idea!


@JL I say if Twitter is working for you then focus on that. Decide how much time each week you want to spend marketing and also try a post scheduler like the free Buffer account, you can schedule up to 10 posts at a time and make them look like they were not automated. Then you can spend all your marketing time at once and stay focused. Then just check your X account for replies and reposts to interact with people.

Mastodon has been working for me so I focus on it more than the others. I am on X, Linkedin,Mastodon,and bluesky. I don't count Pinterest as social media but I am on there also. I think a lot of my sales from a different platform come from Pinterest. I don't think it works as well for my FAA sales.

@ Iris … I just joined Blue Sky today … is there a thread where everyone shares their addys? Did a search, but couldn't find it here …

btw: here's me: https://bsky.app/profile/loisbryanphotog.bsky.social

Hi Lois! I started a thread for sharing bluesky addys! :)

@shelli, glad you changed the acronym you had there, I saw the before version... I'm thinking, what? Huh? Oh blue sky...

I actually came by to make fun of that.

----Mike Savad

I was afraid I was too slow on that one Mike... LOL


I hope the site doesn't end up deserving that acronym though.

It might.

I get the first draft of things because I follow the discussion, and as long as its short I get to see it. Between that and tooting, i'm not sure which is weirder.


----Mike Savad

Just stopping in to say how dashing and debonair you are looking these days.

Thanks. I was messing with inpainting in AI, still need to work on it more. It does make it a lot faster building these.


----Mike Savad

I've wondered about the validity of many social media sites. I have too many and its exhausting trying to keep up with them all.

As odd as this is going to sound, Google + was really the nicest social media site around and nothing yet has been able to capture the magic it held.

From my experience, there aren't and real viable options and the organic reach for platforms such as Facebook and Instagram is practically non existent. Twitter isn't much better. Although I have an Instagram account, I don't bother with it much anymore because getting any traction is like pushing water uphill. Rather than rely on social media to get my work noticed I am looking at getting it in to shops and exhibitions instead.

Yes, Robert, I agree and really miss that G+!

I started using Tiktok. When I started I didn't expect anything, but my business is having a total break-through thanks to Tiktok. I have a waiting list longer than a year now with all the people interested in a drawing/commission.

Considering TikTok's history, I would have never guessed it would work with selling art...

To put a link on TikTok you need to fork over your Social Security number.

You can link IG or YT for free without a link but the more clicks the less business you get.

I’ve had some decent viewer numbers on TikTok, to get around the link issue, i created a QRCode and pinned it, that’ll do for now.

Has anyone else noticed when posting images to Instagram that it creates a video/reel…

If people learned the difference between vertical and horizontal reach, market penetration, structuring ad campaigns, and how to launch and maintain one, they would learn that being on as many social media platforms as possible is NOT the right approach.

It is not about how many platforms you are on. It is about how well you learn to use the ones you use and how to effectively structure what you post to the specific platforms you use.

I ran into someone I did not trust at all. A scammer of the first order. He looked at my IG and said no way I am clicking on your link, he saw too many hackers in his day. He is only 28.

Lesson learned. I took my website off my FB page and IG profile. I put up my NFT platform links to the collection. I am expecting direct traffic to my NFTs. The stats for the page are interesting. People seeing the ads are going to my FB page mostly. In the NFT world, everything is about avoiding being hacked. The direct links are more popular. The FB page insights show link clicks. I am expecting a major increase in who goes to the platforms. The people who click on the ads to go to the page are part of my retargeting ad campaign.

I agree with Floyd, i only have 4 Social Media sites, but i’m more focused on my FB presence than the others, Mastodon does offer lots of bot visits which helps with my image order here and google searches, but i don’t think there is many buyers on there. My main strategy is FB, i’m still and probably will be still learning for the foreseeable. I do watch more of what others do, others who i see sell well.

My strongest presence sadly is on Twitter/X. I have blue sky now and we'll see how that goes. In all honesty, I have way too many social media sites and spent too much time building them only they have them belly up over the years and have time wasted.

Seems like a no win situation.

If I could figure out a way of doing it without bankrupting me, I would build something on the lines of what Google+ was, when social media sites were actually sociable.

Fb is the primary driver imho. Part of the issue I have see. Is that there is some sort of a block with connecting the log onto FAA and Fb. The Log north fb never works. That discouraged people. Other than that is it the one source that has driven sale. IMHO

You don't need the connection between FB and FAA.

The best and most sure way to get exactly what you want is to post directly to FB and X, for that matter.

I never used the connection when it was working. It would reformat the post and put the FAA or Pixels link in the post instead of my AW link like I wanted.

I think they are (were) a false sense of security. It's a great idea that never really worked the way it was intended.

It is interesting to use the FAA or Pixels links that a larger company brands. People do not like random odd links. Limited trust.

Today I happened to get fewer FB page link clicks. All numbers should be lumpy. But those I did get went right to my NFT platforms in much larger numbers than going through my website to the NFT platforms. I changed the links from the website to the NFT platforms as page links.

Multiply that or better results by 30 days for the coming month...plus returning visits and easily over 1500 potential customers many returning will land on the NFT platforms with an interest in the art. That is around FB's claimed conversion rates.

I just rejoined X (Twitter). I lost nearly 4,000 followers when my two accounts got suspended, but after a few months away i created a new e-mail address and signed up.

Feel free to follow me, i’ve followed lots of my old comrades by using the buy into art hashtag.

New name @DougCreativeGuy