Is my Instagram too dead to grow?

I've seen a lot of posts on twt/x recently about how instagram is the best way for digital artists to grow a following.

I will first admit that I'm not the best about staying consistent and posting. I have lull of no art to post and then period of time where I have a bunch of content. I also have to juggle commissions which aren't optimal to post because I don't like how the look on my feed and that mean the content I am making cannot be used on my socials. Add to the fact that I really disliked how, early on, I had to use my phone to post on instagram rather than on desktop made it so that I avoided it entirely.

Now to my main concern I've had my Instagram for over 7 years, and I'm looking to branch out my social media presence and try to gain a follow to promote my art and commissions. However I'm worried that I can't grow anymore because insta has labelled my account dead or whatever and will refuse to promote it. When I do post I get a like or two from friends, and that's it, with only 1-2 views outside my followers (friends).

I really don't want to make a new account because all my handles on other sites (twt/bsky/etc) are the same and making a new instagram account will mean I need to use a handle that different from my own.

ANY tips insights and advice on this matter would be lovely. I really hate posting on social media and abhor the fact that I need to battle all this to make a living from my work.

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Belly_Butchershite•16 days ago•1

Have you tried Threads and connecting your Instagram there? I've seen some great artists posting their and linking their Instagram pages.

wesdacar•16 days ago•1

I would not assume the account is permanently dead. I would treat it like you are training a tiny audience from scratch again, but with the benefit of keeping the same handle.

For an artist, consistency does not have to mean finishing new portfolio pieces every week. You can make a simple rotation from work you already have:

  1. finished piece or crop of a piece
  2. 10 second process clip
  3. before/after, sketch to final
  4. one small note about the idea, tools, or constraint behind the piece
  5. commission-safe detail, if the client is okay with it

If posting from the phone is the friction point, use Meta Business Suite from desktop and schedule a small batch when you have energy. I would aim for 2 to 3 posts a week for 6 weeks, not daily. After that, judge by saves, profile visits, and non-follower reach rather than likes from friends.

Also, your older followers not engaging is normal after a long quiet period. A new account might feel cleaner, but the handle consistency is useful, and Instagram can still test newer posts if people start saving or sharing them.

Rich_Specific_7165•15 days ago•1

Account is definitely not “dead”

I think you just have to keep posting in that specific niche with threads on top of that. Threads is newer so Instagram pushes it out significantly more and there is less competition on there. Definitely worth a shot.

Also focus on stronger hooks on your videos/posts. I have made a free toolkit which has templates for this and works for any niche. Link is in my bio if interested.

owskimedia•15 days ago•1

No such thing as instagram attaching a dead account flair to your account. Your followers don't see your content because they followed you years ago and in that time have followed hundreds of other accounts so your content is at the bottom of their feeds. You need to focus on gaining new followers. Using your profile you should engage with the followers of other digital artists. It will take a lot of time but it will work and you profile will grow

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