Navigating social media is more confusing than ever. Once thought of as ubiquitous and compulsory for every working artist, the future of social media marketing is in doubt. This is welcome news for many artists, who can find managing their networks and audiences over multiple platforms exhausting.
Different technologies and options are rushing to fill the gap. Substack is becoming the hangout for anybody who calls themselves a writer. Many artists are focusing on smaller audiences, but deeper engagement through channels such as podcasts. Still, these put artists on the international stage, forcing them to compete with content-makers overseas.
South Australian creative Stephanie Taylor is attempting to break the mould with ArtBranch, a purpose-built website for Australian artists. The site is in beta with just 40 artists on board, but Taylor has a bold vision.
“We’re creating a space where artists are visible, not because they play the content game, but because their work matters,” says Taylor. “We want people to find a photographer in their suburb, a poet for their event, a face-painter for that fifth birthday party or a muralist for their community centre – without scrolling past 500 overseas ads first.”
What Taylor’s offering isn’t entirely new. Networking sites built only for artists have been around for decades (DeviantArt is among the oldest). But ArtBranch’s point of difference is its focus on local communities. Taylor says the site is built deliberately without algorithms or pressure to engage. “Every feature is designed to empower visibility without overwhelm,” says Taylor.
While the site is now in beta it has plans to expand throughout the year. Still, ArtBranch will face challenges familiar to any new platform: how to grow a user base without diluting its core values, and how to sustain itself financially in an online environment where attention is a rare and often expensive commodity. Building a community outside the gravitational pull of social media giants is no small task – but perhaps that’s exactly why it’s worth trying.
Read: What can arts organisations do if their audiences abandon Facebook and Instagram?
Whether ArtBranch can become a true alternative for Australian artists or will remain a niche haven for a select few remains to be seen. But in an era where many creatives are burned out by the endless hustle for clicks and clout, ArtsBranch is likely the first in a wave of new ways for artists to build their networks.
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