I’m sorry but… Cara won’t kill Instagram. Nothing will.

I can't tell if some of my takes are boiling hot or lukewarm lol. Thank you to Squarespace for sponsoring the channel :) squarespace.co...
💌 My email newsletter (currently rebranding): kelseyrodrigue...
I really do wish the developers behind Cara the best, and I hope they succeed. But let's face it -- the odds are stacked against them.
The dustpan of history is littered with the corpses of apps just like it, and there's no reason to think that it can actually replace Instagram for a majority of artists.
🌿 MY LINKS & STUFF
💕 Buy my art!! prints, merch, blankets and more:
www.kelseyrodr...
My 1:1 Mentorship Program: www.kelseyrodr...
💬 Join the Discord: / discord
📖 RESOURCES FOR ARTISTS
How I'm learning art online (use code KELSEY20 for 20% off!)
sentientacadem...
💌 BEST email marketing tool for artists*: www.beehiiv.co...
📚 My art book collection: bookshop.org/l...
🎨 How I plan my paintings: milanote.com/k...
⚙️ GEAR & FURNITURE ⚙️ referral / affiliate links
○ Desk & Chair From Fully: bit.ly/3U8xJXt
○ My monitor stand and fave desk accessories: bit.ly/3fr5e8A
○ Main Camera - Sony FX30: amzn.to/3ZxxKYH
○ My lens filter: www.moment.8oc...
○ Where I get my music from: www.epidemicso...
Email for business inquiries ONLY: [e-mail]
* Referral or affiliate links in this description allow me to gain a small commission off of any purchases you make through the link, at no extra cost to you. It's a great way to support the channel :)

[@KelseyRodriguez]

Btw -- I'm hosting a three day virtual workshop in a few weeks (July 12-14) to help artists write a custom business plan! If you've been feeling overwhelmed at the thought of getting started this event could be for you: www.kelseyrodriguez.com/the-artists-business-blueprint

[@mf--]

Cara is an artstation replacement and not an instagram replacement. Need non-artists to be on it in order to be in the same comparison as Kelsey addresses directly at 12:40.

[@ArtByEmilyHare]

Exactly, it was never trying to be an instagram replacement

[@M_k-zi3tn]

Nah it's also not an artstation replacement. Artstation is now such a big part of the industry.

[@ecupcakes2735]

YUP. cara was a direct response to artstation allowing AI data scraping and AI art. the users umping platforms is merely a reaction to instagram announcing AI data scraping. which came years after cara was already in development. nobody said cara was supposed to replace Instagram.

[@stephenj2014]

Ugh Art station ... *Oh look, the 9999999th concept rendering of a spaceship that looks like yet another toaster oven with thrusters*

[@ruekurei88]

@@stephenj2014 It's an online portfolio for recruiting artists by various art industries pretty much(job recruitment is literally built in). It's not really for regular users to browse. So it doesn't matter if it's the billionth rendering of a spaceship, it matters to the people looking to hire the artist, or for other artists.

[@ArtWench]

🤣🤣🤣 Cara isn't killing Instagram. Instagram is killing Instagram. GenAI is killing Instagram.

[@allaganqueen]

for real, IG killed itself. 🙄

[@ELTABULLO]

"Lazy millennials are killing poor billionaire businesses 😢" -Forbes

[@xmaryHXCx]

This

[@Waspinmymind]

Neither of those are necessarily killing Instagram. It’s more complicated than that.

[@stephenj2014]

GenA.I is killing the creative end of the internet as a whole. I've basically bailed on all the Facebook traditional art groups as it's just one self congratulating doorknob after another posting A.I """""artwork"""""" and and the comments section spamming heart emoji's

[@AdamDuffArt]

Your opinion is very timely Kelsey. I'm sharing my own - supportive - response to Cara tomorrow. I too very much support Cara, but it does need some tweaks to be an "Instagram Killer"

[@mutemidorianimations8745]

Oh hey it's you

[@jpeckdraws3932]

Love your channel man 😀glad to see you here

[@artloveranimation]

Cara will be good for artists to find other artists to stay in touch with, and has a portfolio page so art directors can find us. But it's obviously not for promoting/selling stuff because we need non-artists to buy from us since it's a wider demographic

[@UnderTheMoon3]

You don’t NEED non artists to sell art things Major art supporters are…. Artists ! For example I’m an artist and I always buy merch from other artists or support their kickstarters And I commissioned many artists before and I plan to do so again when I have a better salary Sure artists do have non artists fans that do all those but to say you won’t sell enough in an artist centered social media is false, I do think it’s easier for artists to buy from artists

[@user-wd9tx4mx5q]

Like the person above said, artist are buyer too, Who's gonna buy an artbook? It's artist or art enjoyer Who's gonna watch this kind of videos? It's mostly artist Who's gonna commission you for a character design? Mostly OC artist 😂 It's either artist or big company, and Cara provided that

[@peirogi8871]

Yeah i've always found the opinion "but non artists arent there!" to be VERY weird. Im also in a different creative industry and you really do not see that opinion in any other creative space. Where did that come from? Did people come to that opinion on their own?

[@victoriaveeart]

@@peirogi8871 I don't think its weird, its just acknowledging that the people artist primarily target are usually average consumers. artist 100% look for other artists yes, but in the grand scheme of things the public will always be a bigger audience. whenever I have sales 95% of the time its from a regular consumer. thats why cara won't work overall its more of a niche social media. from a business standpoint, you have to think where does the average consumers (or your target audience) naturally spend their time on besides work and family? the core social media apps are what everyone has on their phone, even the people who are not online a lot will have an account. cara would mainly be known from other artists through word of mouth, people who are chronically online and invested in the social media space which isn't the average consumer.

[@Waspinmymind]

@@user-wd9tx4mx5qIgnoring large audiences of people who aren’t artists that buy from small businesses. You’re directly being ignorant in an unhelpful manner.

[@StrawberryRaine]

I honestly really love Cara BECAUSE it's an artist only community. I don't expect it to replace Instagram, but instead use it as a supplement. Insta is where I want to build my audience and promote my work, while Cara has felt like a cute little community to look at other people's art to get insperation and actually see what other artists are up to. I don't LIKE Insta, but I think both apps have their place.

[@KelseyRodriguez]

I think that’s a really good way to look at it!

[@meiimacca4054]

​@@KelseyRodriguezthat's how a lot of people look at it.

[@MagdaLenaS2312]

Ngl I'm kinda tired of ppl comparing Cara to instagram and if it's gonna replace it for good... I don't think it was ever intended to be IG replacement... If any, then Artstation alternative. It just so happens that they also added social feed which is really nice, but I still wouldn't call it "new instagram" Also forgot to add that not every artist is doing stuff for individual clients... Those who were already using sites like Artstation or even Behance, were ppl who were more interested in companies and connection with other creatives. Not every app needs the common ppl there. Not every artists makes the BRAND^tm. But ofc for those who do focus on their brand and following from regular folks, Cara might be not enough.

[@huymaivan8671]

Cara was never mean to design to kill Instagram, so please dont give people false impression about Cara. If anything it mean to work like Devianart or Artstation. Even Devianart or Artstation start as a place for artist only at the beginning and look how big those thing grow now.

[@crystalrose5693]

@@sm7Vx chill

[@dan_mnght]

@@sm7Vx It literally isn't lmao

[@rodrigoalvarezavendano3905]

I don't think there is even a reason to be an Instagram killer, the purpose and demographic is different. If Cara works as a safe place for artist if "Normies" want to look for them they will know where to look at, and that is probably enough.

[@jessicajovel7162]

Normie here, picking up again art after many years, and believe me... normies don't know where to look, I don't think people that don't have that much interest into art have any idea of that this is going on, much less of the existence of Cara Although, the audience that creators already have will know since the creators will announce that they're migrating

[@charlieloffler4713]

Respectfully. This video misses the point: Artists leaving Instagram is a statement and a significant protest. Of course people who depend on it will cling onto it, but will only do so begrudgingly: same thing happened with Deviant art. The tide will change precisely because it will affect these artists. And once Instagram starts to steal personal photos and music and videos from people. Regular folk will start to abandon it too. Meta's Achilles heel is that it already invested millions into these machine learning programs so they have to implement it to get a big return. Which people who use it will eventually be turned off by their own posts being regurgitated back at them as frankensteined abominations😂. It's going to get much worse with the direction these A.I. vampires are going. I believe that artists will always find a way to thrive. But being complicit to outright theft at such a massive scale isn't something we should just let happen. People should go to alternatives and use glaze and nightshade.

[@Hsvdm_89]

Well put. Thank you.

[@KelseyRodriguez]

I really do see where you’re coming from here and I’m on your side when it comes to being anti-AI and wanting a better community for artists, but leaving IG isn’t a meaningful or sustainable form of protest if it’s hurts your bottom line more than it hurts theirs. The art community is big but it isn’t so massive that some people leaving for Cara would actually have enough impact to force internal corporate change. If 10-15% of artists on the platform left for Cara, I doubt it’d even affect Meta’s bottom line by a fraction of a percent. I hate to say it and I know this will be unpopular but- I think we’re overblowing the size and impact of our community. And if those artists that leave don’t have a plan to find new customers, they’re screwed. I don’t think people should accept these changes lying down, but there are more effective ways to protest that DO actually have economic impact on Meta while not hurting our own bottom line.

[@elysesimpson2207]

@@KelseyRodriguez staying on a platform just so you don’t lose your numbers is not fighting back. Saying twitter is still active like it’s not half incentivized bots at this point. Bottom line you know what helps artists make money? Not having their artwork stolen by GENAI

[@I_am_Lauren]

At this point Instagram seems so negative that I'd like to get off of it completely. I don't use Instagram to sell my art but to look at other artists and keep up with artist opportunities. Instagram is not a safe space for sensitive beans like myself. I deleted my Facebook a few month's ago and I never think about it. It's great! haha

[@Erinba]

Nice one! May I ask how you sell your art outside of Instagram?

[@tundraillustration]

​@@ErinbaDo you use other platforms like Etsy for selling? Thanks!

[@teddybearmei8713]

Honestly with how bad it's gotten I've stopped using it and I think alot of people are doing the same if not cutting out social media entirely

[@kanachiaki]

I dont get why people keep saying Cara is trying to be a replacement for Instagram, it’s not! Cara’s goal is to connect artists and be more like a mix of Artstation/deviantart/twitter where to share your portfolio safely. Nobody is trying to replace Instagram but now it’s nice to have a choice where to have art online for artists who don’t want to sell their art necessarily.

[@Hsvdm_89]

Yes!!!!! Exactly

[@daneesia]

Yeah! In recent years, I've wanted to start posting art on Instagram, but my problem was that I didn't like the overall environment/culture of Instagram and I became even more uncomfortable with it as this Meta AI stuff started becoming more pervasive (even on WhatsApp, for crying out loud 🥲). I haven't tried Cara as yet but I've been meaning to since I don't really need all the marketing and flashy stuff that IG has to offer; I just want somewhere that feels safe for posting my art. Art Station feels too professional and Deviantart just... doesn't feel like the cozy Deviantart that I liked in the past (not that either of them is* bad, just not very suitable for my purposes, I think). _* Edit: minor rewording_

[@GhostCatFromHell]

Cara won't kill Instagram, but maybe it can become popular enough so that Instagram feels the pressure and starts to consider some changes.

[@Waspinmymind]

Not happening instagram is owned by Facebook. It’ll have to reach billions in revenue to even touch the two. And it has a small dev team. Reaching that many might just crush them in the process. Be realistic here.

[@rebekah1362]

@@Waspinmymind Instagram wasn't realistic to someone at one time. It's not impossible. Look at how many people started using Affinity as a replacement for Adobe. A significant number of illustrators and businesses completely embraced it. It takes time and persistence but it's definitely possible and not unrealistic. It's early days. There's a saying, "Don't despise the days of small beginnings."

[@carultch]

I just imagined your comment in Daria's voice.

[@ArtByEmilyHare]

As others have said. Cara was built as an art station alternative, it is not trying to be an instagram killer. This is to be found by art directors, not everything is about entrepreneurship, some of us are freelancers looking for gigs.

[@christopherjohnson9167]

Then what’s the point? Artstation/deviantart already exists.

[@meiimacca4054]

​@@christopherjohnson9167it's full of bots and ai accts now. No one wants that.

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thank you for sharing your very practical thoughts. After being a full-time artist for the last 5 years, I think the number one way to sell art is to build relationships in person. Good old-fashioned socializing. People want to buy art they have a connection to and it helps when there's a connection with the artist. Most of us are introverts and sometimes I need to kick my own butt to get out of the house... but getting out there works, and the conversations can even inspire new art.

[@ingrida1121]

It is literally impossible to grow on instagram. I used to have 50-100 interactions on my artwork first few years of me posting, and after recent instagram changes ( like not able to search for recent posts, instead of just getting the most popular posts, even with #, people can only see most popular posts) artists are not able to reach people, and now I barely get 1-2 interactions per post. So it is all good if you already have following after those changes happened, but for new artists that just started posting, it is just posting in to the void, because instagram does not show new posts to new people. So knowing your target audience on instagram doesnt matter, if you cant even reach that audience. Even the people that follow artists barely have those artist posts showing up in their feed.

[@krispjeanseamz]

I think this is an important conversation. I agree with you that we need to understand what these platforms actually do for us. I love Cara for the purpose it serves and that I've been working on: connection with other artists. For the business side of things, I'm shifting my focus to licensing, commissions, and local/in person events. To do this, I need to build a network, and I love Cara for that. Getting to talk with artists at my level as well as industry pros about their work and their experiences has helped me tremendously already. So no, it's not going to kill IG or any big platform. But I don't think it's meant to. Love your take on this! Thanks Kelsey 😊

[@SkwithOv]

if artists are all moving to cara, that doesn't mean everyone else is... and if it's only artists, they're not going to get anywhere near as many views or sales as they were before :(

[@bluebay1031]

A lot of artists don’t use Insta to directly sell their art though??? At most, they link to their *actual* shops and online stores in the bio of their profile, which is something most of us do on *every* platform we’re on. Posting art on Insta was mainly about having a consolidated and accessing format for sharing work without having to go through the trouble of making your own website. It was basically a more interactive version of ArtStation. So while a lot of people will be losing out on the views that Insta provides, that’s really all they’re going to be losing, and even then it’s only going to have a massive impact if you either have Insta as you’re main or ONLY platform for art, or if a sizable chunk of your audience only follows you there. I’m not saying there’ll be no repercussions for leaving, but they aren’t nearly as dire as you think.

[@teddybearmei8713]

I've been telling my normal friends and family to get it and I suggest you too ! It's a great way to get them on the app and it is useful for them too as their images will be protected.

[@DudenamedSoo]

There is a lot of truth in what you say but I'm hoping something happens to diversify the internet again. I really don't like this repeating cycle of gatekeepers. We went from cable to netflix, but now we are back at square one, because streaming services are essentially cable. In the early 2000's, forums helped us find like minded individuals and websites were basically "digital mom 'n' pop" shops. Now its all consolidated down to around 5 to 10 websites. When it comes down to buying stuff online I don't think its good that it gets narrows down to amazon or esty. I don't disagree on your points on reaching people today as a artist, but more people need to give a chance to new stuff for the sake of tomorrow.

[@SpaceBandit666]

When I think about this, I think, Im going to go search something and see where it takes me! (Just like I used to back during the early interwebs) and then I get overwhelmed at the amount of ADS that get pushed to the top, shopping, BUY BUY BUY SELL SELL SELL. The niche cool internet is still out there, its just a pain in the ass to dig through.

[@ELTABULLO]

Clickbait, no one moves to cara because it will kill the billion user Zucc-media, it's because we're sick of it and is legitimately the better option.

[@SpaceBandit666]

I don’t know who started saying that shit because no logical person believes that.

[@crystaleldridge3988]

Safe from Ai maybe, but I got hit up by a scammer this morning wanting to use my work for NFT's. And there doesn't seem to be a "block" option that I can see.

[@elysesimpson2207]

She doesn’t even have a CARA account so it’s not like she knows what the community there is like anyways

[@osanneart9318]

TBH I don't care about whether or not Cara (or any other app) kills instagram. I just want something different than instagram. Killing instagram isn't the point, I have no interest in some sort of imagined david-vs-goliath-looking revenge. I just have no interest in instagram anymore, and am glad an alternative has been offered that does (seem to) have my interest at heart.

[@maila319]

So glad for pointing this out. When I first heard of rumors saying Cara is killing Instagram, I looked it up only to find out that it's a niche community which made me confused on why a niche community would kill a giant platform that has a far wider reach and more diverse than Cara.

[@miroircosmique]

It's a david vs goliath issue at this point. I don't think it needs to kill anything. It can blossom into its own space and attract the type of people who appreciate it for what it is. Instagram will kill itself lol.

[@anabell.21]

Its not about killing anything, its about having a safe space for artists.

[@jeanbot]

I don’t think anyone is hoping that Cara will KILL IG, but I think it’s a space that is more artist friendly. ALSO, CARA HAS AI PROTECTION BUILT INTO IT.

[@Rhaxma]

Its not tho, that's just a statement from clickbait youtube videos. Ofc cara ain't killing IG. The main focus on moving to Cara was Meta's AI issue, which this video kinda misses the mark on. You briefly touch on it but didn't offer or talk more about the real solutions, which was just either Glazing/Shading before posting to IG.

[@KelseyRodriguez]

I plan on making a video about Glaze/Nightshade because I’m a bit skeptical about the claims they make in their academic papers, so I just skimmed that topic in this video for a reason

[@meiimacca4054]

Of course she didn't because she has to break up her points into more videos for more clickbait and interaction.

[@meiimacca4054]

​@@KelseyRodriguezwhat aren't you skeptical of? Personally I'm skeptical of your actual care and concern as an artist over being a business person.

[@xmaryHXCx]

Once again we artists are shown that society actually hates us, or at least maybe not society they may not respect us but big boy corpos definitely hate us. I think all this algorithm and AI nonsense was put in place to put a stop to career seeking artists so they can “get a real job” no, they don’t want us to chase our dreams they want us to be apart of this hellish system forever. Okay I’m sorry I’m ranting but that’s just how I feel… and it hurts because creatives are the ones that made these platforms so big!

[@kats4606]

I hear you! Its so frustrating...whatever they keep throwing at us, it makes me more determined to succeed as an artist out of spite 😆 To 'cheat the system' as it were...

[@kalilavalezina]

They probably feel indifference more than hate. Artists are usually slow-producing creators (because art takes time to make), and in that sense, not ideal for the app, which demands a constant stream of input from users. Hence, the more you post, the quicker you grow. This pressure to produce is detrimental to most artists and bad for our mental health, but probably works well for creators who can produce several videos a day. In my view, IG is a sh.thole now, it's an app for ads. If artists can't post regularly enough (and with hook-based content) they are less valuable. It's a weird space and I think it will eventually fade away and be replaced. I don't think society hates artists, I think non-artists are generally indifferent. We are taken for granted, but so is everyone else. Where I go online, good art gets a lot of love from the general public, if indifference is not present as well. Living your life thinking you're hated is probably not going to help you find success as an artist (said with love).

[@rrdcreates]

Cara gives me Behance vibes - just a platform to show your work for those looking for it specifically...more of an echochamber of other artists and gives the opportunity for possible collaboration and networking. Since most people in your audience will be looking at major platforms to merch and content from you, putting all your eggs in the Cara basket seems like you'd just be performing for your peers, not paying customers.

[@WalterCReel3rd]

- nothing will kill myspace - nothing will kill napster - nothing will kill yahoo - nothing will kill deviantart - nothing will kill Twitter - nothing will kill Instagram

[@KelseyRodriguez]

honestly i hope i’m wrong

[@WalterCReel3rd]

I'm just going to say this: it's important to have the audacity to punish hosting companies for abusing and outright stealing your property. Letting them claim your work is the EPITOME of using social media incorrectly. Far far beyond artists not knowing how to market. Frankly, the way this argument is framed misses both points.

[@SmillyDonut]

To be fair, twitter is still alive and its decline is due to Musk's actions, not another platforms. Deviant Art is also not dead. It has its users as it always has. So, this is a moot point.

[@teddybearmei8713]

You forgot about vine 😭

[@adamthorntonillustration9281]

Hi Kelsey, Thanks for another great video, and to Squarespace's wisdom to sponsor you. Really informative. I do feel that many artists don't understand the fundamentals of marketing, and understanding who their customers are. It would be so useful to them to learn. Interestingly though, I feel that's Meta and Adobe's problem too. I know this wasn't the main point of your video, but I'm not sure if we artists actually want to kill Instagram by going to Cara. I don't anyway. I'm still into wasting my life watching funny videos. TBH, I don't think that artists leaving Instagram will really have much affect on them. With all that's been going on recently with Meta and Adobe, I feel that artists are leaving not only because of the daylight robbery of their artwork, but also because of the way they have been treated. The blatant arrogance of the individuals who run these companies, that made these decisions and executed their plan, has been the nail in the coffin for many artist's patience. I'm sure many artist's who rely on these companies for their living, and have decided to stay, are just as disgusted. It just comes down to relationships. We tend to forget that we are not individuals in a relationship with a company or app, but we're individuals in a relationship with other individuals that work for these companies. Companies are merely a collection of people and Adam Mosseri, who runs Instagram, clearly has no customer service experience - he's been a designer his whole working life. If you've been in a relationship with someone who makes bad choices yet, because you were naive when the relationship started and your subsequent familiarity just made you reluctantly tolerate them, there will come a time when their behaviour and disregard for your basic needs becomes so intolerable that you just leave them, if you are able. And that's what's happened with Instagram. As Martin Owens said recently in his video 'AI in Inkscape (an Adobe response)', there was nothing stopping Meta and Adobe saying to its users, "hey, we've got some new technology we think would be useful. Here is a link where you can voluntarily upload your art to help train our machines - but only if you want to of course". But the people who run those companies made the choice not to behave in that way.

[@nephtaliejalbert]

This video was a good reminder of how I can make it but without Instagram.

[@StormEscape]

I don't think Cara was really designed to kill Instagram specifically, it's in a niche & it knows that. So should everyone drop every other platform? No. However, I do think people should support these new platforms as much as possible because it's only as much of a fad as we let it be. To make a change, we need to start being more proactive in support & showing long-term interest in these new platforms, every big company was once small. I wish the best for every artist. I suggest that people don't just "choose", they have a presence on both. Artists should base how active they are on each based on what gives them their desired results rather than other people's opinions. Some people will make a successful career completely by selling to just artists (that's where I've made most of mine), some will sell to mainly non-artists and others, to both. Like you said, it really depends on your consumer demographic, the demographic you want to have, but also the type of art you do.

[@ChantelleArts]

Cara is very different from instagram, but instagram sure is making some bad decisions and I get why people might feel that they can't post there anymore ❤

[@OgieSifter]

I like cara not for th AI stuff, it was like finding deviant art for the first time. I dont like looking at it like app killers its like finding the new app everyone posts on. I always find new artists and network in a more fun low pressure way, not that theres pressure its just a chill vibe on these satellite sites thats more just artist hubs to organize with other artists, the idea of just having artists as your audience as your goal sounds bananas though. At least on Cara i feel like its just a jam studio where we talk work approaches and shitting on AI in every other posts. Like an artist alley at night. Not bussling but you dont care you just mostly wanna talk shop and eat by your stall while you draw. Great for weekends but a night market will not Give me the growth to compete against corpos alone.

[@huymaivan8671]

Yeah, feel like you met your first lover once again.

[@GoingApeCostume]

I'm thrilled with Cara as a cosplayer. I often look for images to recreate in 3D with artist permission. Pinterest has been my go to for this, usually linking back to Artstation or Tumblr....but it's so so so full of AI. Cara has made it easy for me to search for non-AI costume design images and talk to artists directly!

[@misswomble]

I'm keeping both we can find new artists to connect with on Cara

[@SpaceBandit666]

Honestly, I see it as a breath of fresh air. Im tired of being skeptical if something is ai on IG and Pinterest, I just want to appreciate art and get excited about someone’s process on making a piece that resonated with me. Cara is my place right now, to explore art for the sake of art!

[@Jaderabbit3485]

It's frustrating how monopolized some of these areas feel. I think long term I'm going to quit Adobe for my personal use but as a graphic design student looking for a corporate job being adobe savvy still feels like a must 😢

[@thecalicoartstudio]

At this point, I think it is smarter for the artists that can do it, to have your own website and emailing list and hop on KZbin as a chosen platform. The possibilities here are endless and with some networking with other creative people, I am sure everyone can thrive! I am, to ber 100% fair, looking forward leaving instagram as an artist once for all (and maybe even with my personal profile, because I don't like the idea that my personal posts will be feed in an Ai program, at all) and I know it's a scary jump, but yes, it's all in the planning and knowing where your potential customers are (or experimenting, if, like me, you are a totally new artist, with zero experience and audience!) Thank you for being so transparent with your opinions, as always, I love the value you are offering to the community!

[@KelseyRodriguez]

I 10000% agree with that take. There are certain communities (like the high end art market, for example) that I expect uses IG more than other social platforms, but I think KZbin can be really great platform for artists!

[@BarbaraClayArtisticsoulwithin]

I love Instagram. I am a legally blind artist, and my style is pop cubism. I really did not want to be on Instagram at all at first because social media can be addictive and distracting. But I got the best advice ever, and it actually worked. The advice that I got was to give value first, then receive. What I do on Instagram is look at amazing art and encourage the artists. I give genuine comments on the art that I really love. For one, looking at other artists work gave me loads of inspiration. Then I started to get likes, comments, and sales. The advice that I got worked. There are thousands of artists that are on the verge of quitting. I give value by encouraging other artists to keep going. If I can keep going as a blind artist, I know others can keep going as well. I am a few days away from starting my own KZbin channel. I want to teach those who are visually impaired to do art and love art again. All of this requires a mind shift. Success will come when you give value first and then receive.

[@SkwithOv]

good luck with your youtube channel!!

[@BarbaraClayArtisticsoulwithin]

@SkwithOv Thank You 😊 ❤️

[@pppotatoes]

This is more to your points at the end, but one thing that really grinds my gears (because i want artists to succeed and stop wasting their time on tactics that won’t work) is the amount of professional artists who are primarily trying to sell to consumers constantly making IG reels specifically to complain about having to make short form content… or that their art never gets seen… or just complaining about IG in general. Like that’s a good convo starter if you want to target other artists. But not when you’re trying to sell prints to a casual consumer!?! I want to just shake them and be like “your audience will not care about this!! stop wasting your time complaining about IG and just make a cute reel!!”

[@Kathysart]

WOW! You really lifted me today! I had never thought of the perspective you shared in the way you shared it. I feel enlightened! So my first step is to create my products. Then? I think I’m going to contact you for launch help. You are wonderful! Thank you. 🍃🌸🍃

[@nicolasb.henry294]

Cara won´t kill Instagram but...nothing is eternal and those tech com must learn to be more respectful. The good times comes to an end for them. I will open an account at Cara while keeping my Instagram account but I will publish my work first on Cara. In the meantime I have always used Instagram as an extension of my business cards and website.

[@daviid_ee]

this video hit a soft spot because I learned a while ago that I was doing instagram wrong. That said, IG is still my source of income and I cannot justify moving away from it. Cara is just not a solution, like you just said, when it only focuses on artists.

[@timtoongamer]

Great video, lots of valid points. The thing I've noticed with some newer platforms is that for example when Mixer 1st hit the scene and streamers where moving over there from Twitch there was(most notable 2019) this huge push to cancel Twitch, then when KZbin was starting to do their exclusive contracts with Streamers from Twitch the same push to bring Twitch down happened again. Now more recently with Mixer defunct plus in addition to newer streamers coming up on Twitch and big streamers returning to Twitch that mindset seems to be gone. I'm not saying Twitch or any other platforms doesn't have its issues and there's always room for improvement but the way ppl want to jump on bandwagons to cancel a platform when a new one emerges just confuses me. Glad you mentioned Clubhouse cause I think what's hurting that platform is that you can't archive the content and can only listen when the creator is live which mightve worked during the lock downs but with the world opened back up agian ppl can't always tune in at an exact time. Anyways great video with great info

[@Inkwell]

Great video, I can't agree more. I feel like every time the Art community rejects a major platform for one of these new platforms they unintentionally become more disconnected from the audience they had previously gained, reinforcing there distaste for that major platform.

[@bxwieknxfe]

While I see validity in this concern, and it’s definitely been the case for plenty of these platforms, I really don’t see artists (at least the ones I follow) who intend Cara to be the new Instagram. I see artists just excited to meet other artists and network with them, and a lot of people comparing it to early DeviantArt! I think the timing just really matched with a lot of people leaving Instagram due to their awful policies, and since they found a new platform at the same time, it’s easy to link the two. But everyone I personally know is just happy to have an art community again! Of course, that could just be my circles, and I don’t speak for everyone, but I know I’ll be forced to stay on Instagram for my business, and I can live with it. Cara is just a little art haven for me :)

[@bxwieknxfe]

Also huge fan of your work Dustin! I’ve just started hitting the in person art market scene, you’ve been a huge help!!

[@Inkwell]

@@bxwieknxfe ahhh thanks, best of luck at your events!

[@artrabum]

Very smart perspective. Esp with the hashtags and stuff. Most artists don’t realize they shouldn’t be targeting artists. I saw a few artists give farewell speech as they left for cara. I hadnt heard of it but knew they were not thinking about it right. I’ve always thought even when trying to sell a painting in an actual store, don’t target galleries that sell art. Target stores that don’t sell art so you’re the only artist there. Then make pieces that cater to their clientele

[@abba9881]

haven't expected such a cheap clickbait from you. especially in a such a turbulent time. unsubsribed.

[@violetorange-xh5po]

Can you explain how this is a clickbait?

[@teddybearmei8713]

For me i have been enjoying cara, i dont really care if instagram dies or not, i personally dont like it regardless. Just happy theres somewhere for us where we can post our art and be sure that its safe for the most part. I have been following the journey of its creation and i think that zemotion has been putting so much money and time and effort into it. I dont think its supposed to kill anything i just think its meant to be just a safe space for creators :3 I am really excited to see what it becomes because right now I'm loving it

[@lauritaeart]

always looking forward to hear your thoughts on stuff !! also did not expect the part of you speaking how we've been using insta in the wrong way all this years XD it makes so much sense it hurts. Thank you always for bringing nuance to the conversation and specially for the pearls of wisdom 💡⭐

[@AudreyGaleArt]

You’re so right! You talking about hashtags on instagrams to fit with your target audience totally clicked with me and I realize now that I’ve been approaching this all wrong. I’ve heard for years about finding your target audience as an artist, but you’re the first person who’s actually given a good example of how to apply this to REACH that audience. I’m definitely going to be switching things up and looking into your workshop.

[@RebekkaHay]

IG now charges you to be seen at all, they e become the yellow pages - IG is in self destruction mode.

[@vampireantihero]

I like how you did a deep dive into this. It is really well put and well thought out, with a lot of good things. I do disagree with the thought of not having a presence on Cara, for whatever my two cents are worth. :) I don't necessarily think Cara is trying to kill Instagram-- it's been around a lot longer than this and came after Jingna's work was stolen by a photographer (that the thief won a contest with). I know for me, I just want somewhere to post that doesn't have the pressure to sell. Not every platform needs to be integrated into our business prospects. I want somewhere where I can connect to other artists, where I can have discussions that don't need to lead back to a sale. Yes, I'm running a business, but my business posts can go on other platforms, with my work glazed and nightshaded. I personally like Cara, not for the business aspect but for the community aspect. I love what you talked about with getting into other communities that coincide with what you like to do. I'm an author and an artist, and I'm trying to break into book covers so I've been showing those things in author spaces. I think this is great advice. At the end of the day, it's all going to come down to people alchemizing the solid marketing advice that you give into something that works for them. I haven't jumped ship off of meta yet, but I haven't posted artwork on insta, either. Threads seems to do well for me. I hope that people can ultimately find some solid footing in these crazy, unsteady times.

[@CozyCabbit]

I still haven't seen non-artists (casual art enjoyers) talking about going to Cara, so it's still hard to see it as something other than an artist only platform. I only see it as a place that works best for people who want to work in the industry, just like Artstation, so there's not much appeal for a hobbyist like me to leave. Even non-artists are tired of moving platforms, so most are still are Twitter and Instagram. They don't have an incentive to leave either. Do I like the direction Instagram is going in? No, but I'm also not leaving an account I've had for almost 10 years. My reach has honestly improved 200% since artists started leaving, so that's more incentive for me to stay.

[@marek_tarnawski]

I think huge portion of artists on IG were on the platform to just be part of art community and for those jumping to Cara makes sense. For me Instagram was place just to put some rough sketches instead of a treating it as an serious marketing tool. Only after while I found some people put there only portfolio level work for specific non-artist target audience.

[@noname-nu6oo]

I'm a new business starter and although Instagram is the app to use for artists, I don't want to contribute my images for their AI meta to consume.

[@inthemakingca]

I agree Kelsey and I am also very interested in sucking less at finding my ideal customer. So far friends and family are excellent ideal customers, but I have yet to sell to a stranger.

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

You are absolutely right 💯

[@tonidigati1481]

This is exactly why I didn't hop on Cara. My IG already has established customers following me, and Cara seems only geared towards artists. Going forward, I will use Glaze to protect my art from AI scraping (although the damage has already been done). Great info regarding the hashtags Kelsey! I'm definitely guilty of using #watercolor every post.

[@art4anj]

This is why I announced to my IG community that I won’t be going anywhere. As someone who’s doing art FULLTIME, it’s HIGH RISK for me to leave what I’ve built for 14yrs(created in 2012). It’s up to me to just do my part to protect my art as BEST as I can because that’s all I can really do about it. ALSO, I love reaching out to other creatives that are outside my niche like videographers, musicians, trad artists, gamers and so much more! I look forward to the growth of Cara BUT we can’t deny that I won’t be able to see these kinds of creators there.

[@BrandonNeely-op1xc]

Thank you for making this video and so many others in your catalog. It’s been super helpful to helping me develop my own dream business and actually have hope to do so. Your positivity but also forwardness really has helped to avoid many issues. Thank you Kelsey it means a lot to have someone out there doing what you do 🙏🏻

[@creativejargons]

100% Agree!

[@autumnsartstudio]

If consumers don't care about the generative AI parts of these platforms...then why should artists? It's gonna be a long haul to fight that no ai fight but it's like talking to a brick wall at this point when the consumers wont listen and it will only turn them off if we get to a point of raising our prices for our art just to make ends meets. My problem is it's a pain to have a to record your process just to prove that you are not using AI as part of that process, no ones gonna just take your word for it because depending on your style no matter what you put out it will be called "AI art". Someone told me to go back to traditional art without the computer because that will be the only way to get anywhere in the art sphere soon. I have severe carpal tunnel and hand numbness in both hands to where I can't do traditional art anymore. I'm not saying we should give up...but taking sides when the consumer doesn't care wont get us anywhere. If there are consumers that do care, you are a small group of people. Most consumers don't care as you can see and will buy whatever.

[@nataliasouza6444]

i don't see Cara as a competitor of Instagram, for me is a platform more similar to Behance, where artist and art directors go to have a better view of there respective market. And I know that a lot of artist prefer this kind of platforms, where you are not competing for everyone attention, but directing your efforts to the ones that are more likely to hire you for projects. I remember of an art director saying that, he would spend hours on Instagram but would only hire artist active on Behance, just because the platform seem more professional. I think similar thing will happen with Cara.

[@lunazamoraart]

I have not seen you in about 6 months, and your marketing sense has really grown. Thanks for the perspective. You are right!

[@tekilatree]

Your remarks are very valid! The one that resonated the most is when you say that an audience of only artist is not the one that make a business work.

[@lu.luxxie]

The main point I'm getting is that artists don't know how to market themselves, and Instagram is one of the best places to do that either because there is already a customer base there or more potential for a customer base. But isn't the conversation regarding this shift to Cara more about protecting artists' works and less about marketing & customer base? And if, for example, this push was successful and artists used Cara as their primary marketing platform, wouldn't that be where the customers go?

[@KelseyRodriguez]

It’s possible that Cara could get large enough and wean enough artists off of other platforms that it becomes a really incredible community, but I don’t think that would change consumer behavior. Lots of people that buy art and products from artists don’t go out looking for it, they just stumble upon it on their feed or in real life. I think artists will always have a better chance of making a sale if they are deliberate about finding their customer base, rather than waiting to be found, that’s all

[@lu.luxxie]

@@KelseyRodriguez Your take on consumer behavior makes sense to me. However, to my first question, isn't there a potential threat in opportunistically using a platform like Instagram for sales with the rise of AI? If AI got a hold of their artwork and someone sold it at a significant price reduction or for free doesn't that defeat the purpose of finding their customer base on that site? If there is no protection for art on Instagram, and they could potentially lose sales in the long run, is it really where artists should be sharing their art? If marketing on Instagram included not posting their art that would make sense so I could see that, the desire for something like Cara seems more about protecting the integrity of artists' works. Nothing wrong with casting a wide net but that means artists wouldn't be posting their art on Instagram, just redirecting their customer base to their portfolio (and with limited references for customers to decide if they really want to invest in their pieces).

[@elwirastadnik]

Well, we still have 500px for photographers. For those who cannot take photographs, Cara can be a salvation.

[@EarthToIndiaa]

Ok ive been off insta for about 3 months and have no idea whats going on💀

[@ManAtArmstrong]

7:09 From the moment you rolled up your sleeves til you reached the Squarespace ad, I felt like I was in a Zoom chat and you were speaking directly to me. I had to run it back and let it all sink in.

[@SmillyDonut]

Yeah. My problem was that I started Instagram as a way to connect with the local art community and local artists and I haven't been able to make the shift to trying to sell. I think I'm just stuck at the target audience phase and struggle with marketing because of that.

[@resistcontrol]

“Im not a shill for instagram”, that is exactly what a shill for instagram will say… She doesn’t think artists should quit instagram right now? lol I’ll tell you what, not only artists should leave instagram, EVERYONE SHOULD LEAVE INSTAGRAM RIGHT NOW!!

[@meiimacca4054]

That's what I'm saying!

[@Artist1974CH]

Since Instagram is a Meta product, Meta is a supporter of the genocide of the Palestinians. Mark Zuckerberg is not a nice guy what-so-ever! There are other horrible things about him, but there are shills out there who encourage people to stay with Mark Zuckerberg so-called products to help him continue to make profits by exploiting everyone. Anyone who uses Meta for business is a fool! Kelsey Rodriguez once made a video about why she quit Instagram. I checked to see if she quit Instagram, and she actually didn't. And also, I saw her having large amount of followers on her Instagram. Another KZbinr did the same thing. Most of these KZbinrs are fake and they make these videos for views and profits; and they are doing the same on Instagram. There is no telling how much extra cash they are being paid by Mark Zuckerberg to defend Instagram or Facebook.

[@Artisteser]

Dude people say this once a week! You know how to kill Insta? Stop using it

[@chryselene]

Interesting how opinionated about all of this when you aren't even an active user of Instagram.

[@LouiseStigell]

Such. Good. Points. 👌🏻 Target audience comes first. Your own preferences second. Platforms later. In that order. Thank you for explaining this so well. 😊

[@ConifuriousTree]

How would one go about defining or finding the words to describe their target audience?

[@KelseyRodriguez]

I gave some examples in the video, I should make a dedicated video on this topic!

[@moranababic8450]

Amazing video! I learned so much and this really got me thinking more. I agree Cara is just full of artists and no costumers. Thank you so much for making such an awesome resource

[@tanishadorn6126]

I just started posting on Cara and thought the same about it regarding generating customers. It’s a nice platform to connect to artists though. Also completely agree on the hashtags, I don’t even browse #illustration or #gouache and for some reason I use those hashtags! Gotta start thinking about what I do browse 🤯

[@lunazamoraart]

We have been populating social media since 2006. Our content is not our own. It’s the price for exposure.

[@flanzella]

My video on this topic comes out tomorrow 😋 your thoughts here are so organized! Agree with you that "narrowing the internet" is really bad. I'm hopeful in the future the right solution will come along, but I don't think Cara is it.

[@SpiffyGiraffeCreations]

For a while I was posting a lot on Instagram. I haven't posted in a long time though.

[@Willpowerstudios]

everything online will become fragmented as these monopolies abuse and disregard their users. back to the drawing board for many of us. creating something new elsewhere. although they have billions of users, their algorithms mess it up badly.

[@elujinpk]

No one said cara will be the best or that it will kill instascam. I think the ones staying use ai in some capacity or like you, cant market. Creatives have left for somewhere insta ppl cant steal from us. Simple. But you think artists should just let them train cause you dont know how to build a following outside of instascam? Lol. If cara or whatever platform stands by artists and allows us to have a community where ai thieves arent welcome and weeded out...Then they arent welcome. Lol. Thats all we need. Enjoy your ai slop and your art being trained on. Thatll get you the sales right? You need to have more confidence. Ppl have made a living on art and become very well known without insta-scam. It speaks to a creatives confidence and skill in marketing themselves if they think insta is the be all end all. Its just that for them cause they dont have skills in other areas.

[@elvalediawiledth7453]

I will give you a big thumbs-up. This is the information that I needed. Thanks!

[@CarlottaART]

Thank you, Kelsey!

[@Larry-Art179]

disagree

[@wolfindragonsclothing]

As a question and hopefully you see and answer maybe. Wouldn't you say it's healthier to grow an audience of peers and other artist that can vouch for your art and then branch off to a consumer audience? Espically if you have doubts in your worm but still need that time to grow?

[@KelseyRodriguez]

I would personally suggest using two different platforms for this, because the two audiences / communities will most certainly be different. For skill development/confidence building and community I'd be looking at Discord and Cara or one of the other apps, and then holding off on trying to build a consumer audience until you feel like your art skills are ready.

[@vladimirbellevueinnovation4835]

Thank you for this….

[@The_socialinsider]

Hey girl which platform did you create your website on?

[@KelseyRodriguez]

Squarespace! I talk about it at the very end

[@The_socialinsider]

@@KelseyRodriguez tysm🧡

[@katycat11]

Thank you for this video! I think this is the most rational view of this topic I've seen so far. 🤗

[@VinylSkillz]

I must admit your content is engaging.....i always scroll past it...but not today! Subbed!!😊😊😊

[@MollsieArt]

At best, Cara may be somewhat like a DeviantArt alternative. But unfortunately it has no community things like DA has. It also has virtually zero visibility. I made an account and posted my art and literally no one sees it. If you don't direct your audience from another platform, no one will find you. I followed 5 artists on Cara and that's all I see on my feed, the same posts over and over again from only those 5 artists. It's not a platform to be discovered on, or to find a community. And professional artists in the entertainment industries will continue to use ArtStation, where most art recruiters find artists and hire them on a daily basis. Cara has to implement more features to carve out its niche if it wants to be considered relevant.

[@KelseyRodriguez]

I absolutely agree. Cara’s still in its infancy but it’s much more of an attempted replacement for Artstation or DA than a viable marketing platform for creatives

[@cozyartsychloe]

this video was so informative and really opened my mind. Thank you!

[@Elloyuetm]

Thank you Kelsey. This video is very informative.

[@ddlcp]

At best one might get increase in their traffic as for the rest, things will go on as it's usual self until/ unless one off themselves but 'll be gradual spanning over time unless something drastic changes for better/worse. When ppl think that I'm not sure on what basis are they even saying that on. ..... kill ..... makes on sense except for few headline as negativity/conflict ezly creates discussion..

[@AsleepintheGarden777]

Thanks for the tips!

[@krystallindsey3378]

This is a great video Kelsey. Definitely need to learn about how to find my target audience and this was very helpful.

[@jayhive4884]

K will get back later

[@CillaksArt]

I don't like instagram or Cara I love KZbin. because I do vfx and animation and multimedia art :) yeah Gen Ai is killing instagram.

[@wa-et1nj]

모든털을 밀고 니트모자를 추천드려요. 싫음말고요.

[@Skywohka]

I love Insta