2021 was really the time to be a creative small business. It was so much more lively and bursting with creativity. Now, in 2024, most of the small businesses I followed then on Instagram (IG for short) have moved on or can't dedicate as much time to their craft because, for example, they started a new job. I understand that life happens, though I can't help but feel a bit of melancholy that lingers in the virtual space that once was bubbling with joyful creations and exciting ideas. I've spent time sifting through accounts that have been more or less consistently active to try and revitalize my feed which has helped bring back some of that 2021-era vibes, but only to a certain extent.
It doesn't help that IG have changed so much within that time. The algorithm is a mess and the push for AI this, AI that just adds unnecessary bloat that no one asked for. I'm not seeing some people's posts and they're not seeing mine. In 2021, it was easy to get 50+ likes. These days, I'm lucky if I even get 10. Not only that, the lack of interactions have dropped significantly. It's hard to know what people like or feel about my work when there's barely any interactions on it (ie a comment or share). The app's environment feels almost alien-ish and unpredictable as time goes on.
Unfortunately in this day and age, small businesses are at the mercy of social media apps. Without them, it would be quite hard to promote your business. And if the apps are no longer being used in the same way with users abandoning them for something else (or for no alternatives at all), you're left with an audience barely hanging by a thread. I joined another app, TikTok, too late in most people's terms. And with it being banned in a matter of time, I'm stuck with a small window of opportunity to promote my business and art with the community there.
In addition to all this, times are tough right now, so people have opted for simpler lifestyles. I recently came across an "anti-overconsumption" trend going around where people have tired the influencers and constant in your face selling tactics of you should have this and you should have that. How do you promote your small business when everyone wants to spend less? When your audience don't exactly need what you're offering? How do you make your art matter in this world anymore?
It's an ever changing environment in which you learn to roll with the punches. Who knows how many years my small business has left? Nonetheless, I trudge on through these times of uncertainties and unpredictability like so many other small businesses are. We can only hope for the best.
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