All Up In Your Socials
How I've gone all-in on spreading the word about Pesto Comics
The focus of last campaign was marketing.
Seeing that I don’t have an endless budget to buy ads and billboards, I have one avenue to get my name out there: social media.
After a couple months going truly all-in on a few platforms - I have some thoughts. Not the least of which is…
Social Media is Weird
It really encourages folks to bring their worst.
The nightly news learned this lesson long ago. People say they want positivity, but always have ample time to focus on the negative.
Worse yet, they boost it!
Yet, at the same time, I’ve met some of the coolest people through social media - especially since I’ve started crowdfunding comics. Lots of helpful, supportive and positive people.
That said…
Gaming the Algorithm is Hard
I’ve been trying to grow my presence everywhere I can.
It’s one thing to get your work out there on Kickstarter itself, but it helps if backers can see the person behind the work. Just putting out good content is never enough. Pesto Comics is a brand - and Adriano (me, hi!) is too.
Now I just need everyone to see it. I do that by trying to be where the people are…
Twitter (or X, for some reason)
It’s my favourite platform - or was. I like the idea of “micro-blogging” and before, ahem, someone decided to make it their personal mission to destroy it - it was where everyone was. (Or at least felt like it.)
Surprisingly, not all is lost.
A lot of creators and cool people are still on there. Particularly in the indie comics space. Some reluctantly and some who still enjoy it.
That said, every week brings a new surprise with a new feature that breaks something that was working perfectly fine last week. (This week - getting rid of headlines in links for some reason).
I’ve been on Twitter since 2009 and I’m, frankly, afraid to change the name to @pestocomics (which I’ve reserved on another account). I’ve had so many issues of late that I fear I’ll somehow break my account and lose everything instead. It remains the only platform that isn’t @pestocomics.
Instagram (& Sometimes Facebook)
Instagram continues to be an ever-evolving platform. It’s a lot of work to create engaging posts and there’s an advantage to artists over writers (like myself) on this platform.
When I have an active project and I have amazing art from guys like Valentin de las Casas and Rafael Chrestani to share, I see a lot more growth. It’s less aggressive than other platforms about how often you need to post - once a day is plenty - but the requirement to really think about the visuals makes it a measure more difficult than Twitter.
The lack of the ability to add links is a pain too. If you’re willing to pay for ads, you can do it but otherwise you’re asking folks to visit your bio to find the link. It’s not an easy ask.
Facebook is a little better in this regard, but I feel like most people aren’t here in the same way they’re on Instagram. They use Marketplace and Groups, sure, but the doom-scrolling is reserved for more modern socials - therefore I’m just using the “post this on Facebook” feature in Instagram most times.
Speaking of modern socials…
TikTok (a.k.a. the Platform I’m Too Old For)
TikTok has the lowest ROI of all the socials - for what I’m looking for, at least.
The entire idea of spending time on social media, for me, is for potential backers to find their way to active Kickstarter projects or here on the newsletter.
But TikTok users don’t leave TikTok. They just scroll to the next screen within seconds.
AND - to get any traction, you need to have similar output to Twitter, but with video! 6-8 a day minimum.
Maybe one day I’ll figure this platform out, but right now it’s just another home for Reels made for Instagram. Which aren’t nearly frequent enough to get any real growth here.
YouTube
Probably the most creator, and user, friendly of all the social media out there.
The new emphasis of shorts makes it easy to recycle the Reels, but I’d love to get something proper up here one day.
It’s not easy though. Video production is a whole different level of commitment - at least if you want to do it right.
And I do. Which is why I’m not going to go full into it quite yet - but it’s a goal.
Twitter “Replacements” - BlueSky, Threads, Mastodon
None have really replaced Twitter yet. Most are primarily posts about how Twitter is broken or not the same. They’re all missing a feature or two, making it an incomplete experience across the board.
Maybe one day something will take the place of Twitter, but right now, it feels like there’s no competition. Not until most people pick one, at least.
There is one place that is growing and I’m truly enjoying most of all…
Substack (Hi There!)
Not a coincidence I’m writing this all out on here. I’ve really been enjoying the platform - especially as a writer. Not only does it allow me to stretch my legs out a bit, but it has an audience of readers - which is pretty important when you’re trying to push comics.
Not to mention, a lot of big comic creators can be found on here: Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson, James Tynion IV, Chip Zdarsky, Brian Michael Bendis. I could name a lot more.
The one thing this platform was missing was the back and forth. Social media can feel like screaming into the void at the best of times, but with the introduction of Substack Notes (yes, yet another Twitter replacement) - I’m actually getting that itch scratched too.
It might be smaller, but the engagement is a lot higher when I post on Notes. I want to be more active on this platform.
Therefore…
I’ve restricted this newsletter to the 1st and 15th of each month (with small exceptions during campaigns). I want to keep that promise I made to everyone who signed up.
So I started another Substack newsletter. Some of you have already signed up, but if you haven’t - you can get in on the ground floor.
It starts for real TODAY.
What Am I Missing?
Is there some super popular social media I should be a part of that I’m missing? Is there something I should drop entirely?
Let me know!
Invite your friends to read Pesto Comics
One last favour to ask…and something you can get in return…
If you enjoy the Pesto Comics newsletter, it would mean the world to me if you invited friends to subscribe and read with us. If you refer friends, you will receive benefits that give you special gifts from Pesto Comics.
How to participate
1. Share Pesto Comics. When you use the referral link below, or the “Share” button on any post, you'll get credit for any new subscribers. Simply send the link in a text, email, or share it on social media with friends.
2. Earn benefits. When more friends use your referral link to subscribe, you’ll receive special benefits.
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To learn more, check out Substack’s FAQ.
Thank you for helping get the word out about Pesto Comics!
Until next time…
What’s Next?
November 1
Fun With Fulfillment
I stand on my soapbox about shipping rates.
November 15
Two Whole Decades
And why support is important.