Week 2 Recap: Video Is King
Wow, another week has flown by in my 100-day block printing project! I'm officially 10% of the way there, and I'm thrilled to have you along for the journey. 🎉
This week has been an eye-opener, and I've learned some valuable lessons about the world of social media. But before we dive into that, here's a quick recap of the week's blocks:
Day 6: The Puffin 🐧
Fun fact: Puffins swim with their wings!
Day 7: The Wild Rose 🌹
Day 8: The Saguaro Cactus 🌵
Day 9: The Lobster 🦞
Day 10: The Roadrunner 🏃♂️
Fun fact: Roadrunners can run up to 20 MPH - but that’s not fast enough to outrun a coyote
Now, let's talk about what I've discovered in Week 2:
1. Video is King!
Throughout Week 2, I experimented with various types of content, and one thing became abundantly clear: video reigns supreme on both Instagram and TikTok. My video posts consistently outperformed static images by a LONG SHOT, drawing in more views, likes, and engagement (you can see the stats below).
2. The Power of the Algorithm
My first semi-viral post was a short video showcasing the cactus print. It looked almost identical to my other videos, but it took off unexpectedly. Based on my observations, I'd guess a few factors contributed to its success:
Short and Sweet: The video was concise (7 sec) and got right to the point
Strategic Timing: I posted it around 7 am EST, a time when many users are active on social media.
Music Picks: I chose music from the "suggested commercial audio," which was similar to the simple music I'd been adding to my other videos.
Consistency: I can’t be sure, but I feel pretty confident that having 10ish consistent days of posting was the main contributing factor.
And a bonus insight: The video I posted the day after the semi-viral post was almost completely ignored, but the cactus video kept circulating for much longer than any of the other posts I made.
As I continue this project, I'll be keeping these lessons in mind and I’ll continue experimenting with different content types and strategies. Here are the Day 8 (viral-ish cactus video) and Day 10 (super ignored roadrunner) side-by-side:
Week 2 on Social:
I focused more on Instagram this week, and it shows! The single semi-viral video there made a huge impact - and interestingly the same video posted at the same time went nowhere on TikTok. Here’s the stats for the last 30 days:
Instagram
Accts Reached: 18.9k (+1111%)
Followers: 4040 (+0.2%)
Accts Engaged: 533 (+363%)
TikTok
Accts Reached: 4.7k
Followers: 14
Accts Engaged: 149
Pinterest
Accts Reached: 327
Followers: 2
Accts Engaged: 35
Insta Weekly Growth
Social Media Notes:
Since my Instagram account was already established, it’s rolling along much more easily and quickly, but I’m impressed with TikTok’s reach despite it being new and I know from experience that time invested in Pinterest will be worth it in the long-term. I’ve decided not to add content to any other social media for the moment. Looking forward to seeing the stats change!
Stay tuned for more updates and exciting block prints in Week 3! 🎨
Yours in creative community, Sarah K
TL;DR
Week 2 Highlights:
This week’s blocks were: A Puffin, Wild Rose, Saguaro Cactus, Lobster, and a Roadrunner
Video content is dramatically outperforming static images
This week’s cactus block video went semi-viral, highlighting the importance and far reach of consistent, short, and well-timed content
