Which Social Media?

Dave V. asks: "If you were an artist just reaching a point where you wanted to use social media to get your work in front of the public, and could only take time to post to 2-3 platforms, which would they be? Off the top of my head I’m guessing the blog, Facebook, and maybe Instagram, but I’d be interested to know your choices and the reasoning behind them."

I would put Instagram first for artists. Decide what aspects of your art life you want to share, and keep your feed focused on that main topic. I'd list YouTube second, but I would only recommend YouTube if you really enjoy making videos. Videos are time consuming to produce, and not everyone is set up to produce them on a regular basis. Followers offer a lot of feedback on those two platforms, and you can grow your following if you offer consistently interesting material.

If you like to write, I'd recommend blogging. Keeping a daily or weekly blog is a great way to think out loud and to share a two-way conversation with a group of peers. My books are based closely on writing I did for my blog. Blogs get less traffic than they once did, but don't worry about numbers. When it comes to comments, quality is more important than quantity. I think of Twitter and Facebook as a form of microblogging, a place to echo an excerpt of the material that I share on the blog.

Facebook is also great for creating groups. Our Sketch Easel Builders group is a lively place where almost 2,000 members exchange ideas on home-built easels.

Don't forget Pinterest, which is a good place to create a portfolio of your images. I've heard that ArtStation is good for concept artists, but I haven't dabbled in that platform. Bottom line is that whatever platform you use, make sure it's something you really enjoy and not some marketing obligation. It will only sustain your interest and attract followers if you're genuinely having fun with it.
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Have a look at my 2016 post: Sharing Art on Social Media