Digital Marketing for Creatives

(Record scratch. Sound of a coffee mug being set down too hard on a desk.)

Okay. Look.

So I was talking to this writer friend of mine the other day-you know the type, brilliant, sensitive soul, has a novel in a drawer that would emotionally eviscerate you in the best way-and I asked them, “So, what’s the plan? How are you getting this thing out there?”

And they got this look. This pale, haunted, thousand-yard stare. Like I’d just asked them to explain blockchain while simultaneously doing their taxes. “Ugh,” they said, the word dripping with a kind of spiritual exhaustion. “The… marketing part. I just want to make the thing. The selling part feels… gross.”

And I get it. I GET IT. You didn’t spend years honing your craft, wrestling with demons on the page or the canvas, just to become a carnival barker on social media. You’re an artist, not a brand manager. The idea of crafting a “call to action” or figuring out an algorithm feels like putting your soul through a meat grinder to make a slightly more appealing sausage.

But here’s the thing I told them, the thing that made them squirm in their chair: That brilliant, sensitive thing you made? In a drawer? It’s just a diary. It’s a secret. It’s a conversation with yourself. And if you believe it could connect, could mean something to someone else out there in this chaotic, noisy, heartbreaking world… then not telling them about it isn’t integrity. It’s a different kind of vanity. Yeah. Think about that!

Marketing isn’t selling out. At its least-worst, it’s just pointing. It’s signposting. It’s standing on a street corner going, “Hey. I made this thing over here. It’s about that feeling you couldn’t name. If you want to look, it’s right here.” Sure, the street corner is now digital and covered in flashing neon ads for stupid boots, and you have to shout. But the core act isn’t corrupt. It’s completion.

You built a room. Marketing is turning on the light and unlocking the door. Otherwise, what was the point of building the room?

So yeah, it’s a drag. It’s awkward. It feels like putting on a suit made of someone else’s skin. But do it anyway. Do it badly. Do it in your own irritable, authentic voice. Because the alternative is silence, and silence is where art goes to die. And we’ve got enough of that.

Let’s get into the painful, practical details. I’ve been looking at some interesting statistics. You know the type of statistics that fly so far under the radar it’s practically digging a trench.

So, in some recent research, it transpires that 70% of Americans are still using Facebook. (If you’re not American, the theory will still stand). So despite so many people moaning about Facebook and talking about quitting the platform, a huge chunk of the population are still using it. Why is this important? Well 70% of a countries population is a huge number, and even if you are moving in a super-niche market I think a good chunk of your target audience are still on Facebook, and theroretically so should you. Because you need to be where your target audience are. We can get excited about all these new social media apps and platforms, but is your target audience actually using it?

In this research it was shown that 84% of adults use YouTube, with nearly half of that number using it daily. Surprisingly, YouTube leads Netflix, Disney, Roku and all other streaming platforms in regards to the share total of TV usage in the US. Almost 75% of TVs ship with YouTube pre-installed. Again, your target audience are probably using YouTube and you probably should be. Imagine, your content streamed directly into your target audience’s living room.

Once we get beyond these two platforms, the social media landscape splinters like a dropped plate at a nervous dinner party, and now you’re supposed to be cheerful on six different pieces at once, smiling as you bleed from your palm. Instagram is the only other platform used by half the adult population. If your selling art or anything visual, you need to be on Instagram. Suppose you make art that gets hung in the reception of offices? Then maybe some LinkedIn action will be helpful too.

The point I’m making is that you can’t assume anything on social media. You need some research. You need the stats. You need that information to find your target audience and promote to them there. There is no point wasting your time selling at an empty market place.

Why am I telling you this? Well, I think finding your audience is one of the most critical aspects to your social media plan. And you do need a plan. You need a plan like a bear needs a map out of the woods, which is to say you don’t-until you’re just walking in circles, smelling your own fear, and everything looks like the same goddamn tree. So in the New Year. Yes, 2026! I’m publishing a digital marketing guide speciafically for creators such as yourself. A handy guide to point you in the right direction to your target audience, and then once you find them we’ll look at how to market effectively.

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