Online Presence Evaluation

I have cut down on the amount of social media platforms I am using this year as I felt like some of them were not worth the time I was investing in them, or I wasn't putting enough time into them for it to be useful. I have deleted Tumblr and Facebook and am now predominantly using Instagram, Behance, LinkedIn, The Dots and of course my own website.

Instagram 

• Earlier this year I went through my Instagram account and deleted any purely personal posts to keep the account strictly work-based. I was reluctant to start a new professional account as I felt I had already built up a following of people who like my work, so this was the best way around that. 
• I have managed to secure private commissions through Instagram this year which is a first for me. It shows that social media is a viable place to get work, I think people also feel more relaxed about commissioning me when the conversation is on a more personal level rather than a formal email. 
• My account is not strictly formal but I like to think it is professional enough for its intended purpose. I do want to keep elements of my personality in there through the things I write and post because I think people connect with this well. 
• I do post final artwork on there but this is the platform where I share most of my sketchbook work and unfinished pieces that may otherwise not see the light of day.

LinkedIn

• I was a bit wary of LinkedIn at the beginning of the year, it sort of scared me that professional people and potential clients could see what I was sharing and posting, but I now realise thats what its all about. 
• I keep this account strictly professional and only share content relevant to my practice. 
• I now have over 160 connections, mainly from creative fields but also from other disciplines. I am also part of numerous groups that are relevant to my practice and post content that is sometimes useful to me. 

Behance

• I feel like I haven't quite mastered Bechance yet but I have five projects on there for people to view.  I like that you can organise your work by project here because I haven't got my work arranged like this on any other platform, especially now I have altered my website. 
• I only post finished work on here.
• I haven’t received much interest on Bechance and its doesn’t seem like the kind of thing you would post to regularly as it requires a full project to be posted. I will keep persisting with it and continue to update it with new work I am producing. 

The Dots

• I have basically transferred content from my Behance page onto my The Dots page because the structure of the site is quite similar. 
• I haven’t fully figured out how to make the most of this site and I have received very little interest on my projects. It is still early days though and maybe I will start to make connections as I continue to build my profile.