I’m going to be totally honest with you… when I started lettering and putting my work on social media and Instagram, I had no idea what I was doing. But there are a few key things that I’ve learned that are pivotal in having a successful social media presence for hand lettering.
AUDIENCE
The first thing that you’ll want to consider is who your account is for. Do you want it to be something that you use to get your lettering noticed or is it just a fun thing that you do on the side and you want your close family and friends to see what you’re working on? I’m going to go out on a limb and say that if you’re reading this, it’s because you want to get your lettering noticed by a wider audience. That means that you will need to focus your account on one thing… lettering.
People need to know what they’re going to get when they follow your account. If they saw the awesome lettering that you do, they don’t suddenly want to see a photo of what you’re eating for breakfast or the crocodile slippers that you’re wearing. That might be cute every so often, but it also might make them pause, reassess if they actually want to see that “extra” stuff and leave. And that’s not what we want!
If you’re just wanting to entertain your family and friends, then post whatever you want. You know they have to keep loving you anyway (at least, that’s what I like to remind my family and friends).
ACCOUNT
This leads back to the first question that I asked you about your audience. If you are going to be focusing on lettering, I highly suggest creating a new account that is separate from your personal account.
I didn’t do this because I started out just sharing my lettering with my family and friends (all 44 of my followers), but when I switched to just sharing lettering, those people who signed up to see pics of my kids wearing underwear on their heads or kissing worms (true story – that’s what my youngest is into these days) all unfollowed me. I tried not to be offended when my friends unfollowed me, but let’s be honest, they weren’t my audience anymore. They didn’t want to see photos of lettering regardless of how many flourishes I used.
Create that account that is only for your lettering. That way, people will know what they are signing up for and they will be able to predict what will be coming their way. They’ve signed up to see lettering and that’s what you’ll be giving to them.
ATTENTION
If you want attention, you need to show up. And show up consistently. Don’t pop in here and there with days or weeks in between and then wonder why you aren’t gaining followers. People have short attention spans (me!) and they won’t remember you if they haven’t seen anything from you in a few days.
This is a bit of a double edged sword because you have to commit. But it is also the best thing that you can do because you’re committing to producing lettering every day. And do you know what happens when you letter every day… you get better! And getting better will gain you more followers! It’s a super awesome cyclical process.
SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO NOW?
Head on over to your favourite social media platform and create your new account. In the profile blurb, proclaim to the world that it will be all about lettering and then post your first lettering photo. If you don’t know what to post, how about opening with the word “Hello” or your name? Both of those will introduce you and all of your lettering awesomeness to the world.
And then do that again tomorrow and the next day and the next. (Obviously you shouldn’t keep writing your name or the word “hello” over and over again but I’m sure that you figured that one out yourself.) That consistency in expectation and content will help new people find you and know what they are signing up for.
18 Comments
I'm going to assume that you're here because you love calligraphy, hand lettering and art... or maybe you just want to know more about it. Either way, you're totally in the right place!
xo
Amanda
Join over 5000 others who have learned to letter (and more) with these lettering courses
This is great thank you! Showing up really is so important! And hard when you’ve got 4 littles- but I’m doing my best. It’s fun:) How many hashtags should be used for a post?
Use all 30! Otherwise it’s like going to an all you can eat buffet and only having salad. Fill that plate up!! Just don’t put the 30 hashtags at the end of your post. After you post, click on your photo and add a comment with all of your hashtags. That way it won’t always be sitting there in people’s faces when you really want them to focus on your picture and written caption.
Hi, Amanda! Great post! I was wondering… My name is quite different and I usually get to use it without alteration in almost every social media… Instagram was like that @naone, really simple and anyone can find me with no trouble at all… I was thinking about focusing only on calligraphy and lettering but I still post personal stuff… Do you think I should consider erasing all the personal stuff and open a new account just so I can post them? Or open a new one just for work?
(And sorry for any mistakes here, I’m Brazilian and still struggling with English hahah)
Hi Naone,
You could always think about starting one called Naoneletters or something like that so that you have a place to focus on your calligraphy. Think about what your followers are signing up for and try to tailor their experience. I still post a few things that are personal but the images still have lettering in them because I know that’s what the majority of people follow me for. Hope that helps!
xo
PS – Don’t ever worry about apologizing for your English! I have nothing but the utmost respect for anyone who can speak more than one language!!
Been following you on Instagram for a while! Didn’t know you had a website. I love the aesthetic, looks so good!!
Thank you so much Ann!! It’s been a work in progress and I’m so excited about it!
xo
Amanda
Thank you for your hard work and inspiration! 🙂
It’s my pleasure!
Hi! I found you on IG and have really enjoyed your inspiration. Maybe I’m dumb, but I can’t seem to find this list of hashtags? I’m on mobile if that helps.
Hi Carolyn,
Not dumb at all! There’s a box at the bottom of the post where you can enter your email and the hashtag download will be sent to you 🙂
xo
Amanda
I just found it! Thank you Amanda.
Thanks, Amanda! I am really enjoying this journey with you. This is exactly what I needed to grow my audience. I can’t wait for the intermediate classes!!
Hi Amanda, thanks for your generous sharing on how to combine one’s love for calligraphy and business way for earning a living. I have been doing commercial design for years and recently start to fallen in love with calligraphy. I just wonder if I could make it commercial in the future in order to make this passion sustainable. I think I will open a new account in IG and Facebook, but do you think I should have a blog/website and update frequently as well?
Hi Tiff!
I would say that a website is an absolute must. Even if it is just super basic. It gives so much more credibility if you have your own site.
xo
Amanda
Thanks a lot Amanda!
What a great article, Amanda! Your list of hashtags is a MUST!
Thanks, Amanda! I just started lettering for fun – a total pen and paper baby!! But, as is human nature, I of course want attention and to feel the love. Thanks for the tips!
Thank you so much for this post. I found you on Pinterest and now I will be following you on your blog and IG. Thanks again!