Changes..

It's a bit dramatic, but that's normal here. Embrace a touch of drama. Now, listen closely. This is positive. We're on the brink of another change for the better — a transition from the old to the new, from 2023 to 2024, from Art Fabula to ART FABULA.

Welcome the new ART FABULA.

Change is what I, and the brand, need. These may be small adjustments, yet they are crucial. After three years in existence, there's no other path but evolution. I must evolve in some way.

This post is about those changes. I'll share what I've learned in 2023 and how I'm planning to implement these insights in 2024.

Let's begin.

The necessity of the community

Art Fabula cannot thrive without you, the people. Living in Sweden, with the majority of my followers in Japan and the USA, I find it challenging to connect with all my friends without establishing a community. This challenge is compounded by social media, where one is constantly battling against the algorithm.

Therefore, the community is vital. I need a space where I can engage in discussions with fans, where people can reach out to me and each other to talk about what they admire or dislike about my art. This dynamism is crucial in defining Art.

Creating a community has been a challenging endeavor. So far, the most effective method I've found to connect with my friends is through email, by forming a VIP Community around my newsletter. This approach sometimes works, but not consistently. You need to offer something valuable to the community, and sometimes all I have is my work. My biggest challenge is that I often appear too desperate in my emails, focusing solely on promoting my products when a big launch is imminent. This approach is flawed, and it results in people growing weary of me and unsubscribing from the mailing list.

So, what have I learned?

This issue is complex. I believe I need to differentiate the community from the broader audience. I plan to offer them exclusive items, discounted prices, and other appealing benefits. But it's not just about the perks. I need to engage directly with the community members. So, what's my plan for 2024?

I will conduct one exclusive launch exclusively for the VIP Community each month. These toys will not be available elsewhere. I will send only one email per month. VIP fans will also receive additional benefits and better pricing than others.

Additionally, I will have four standard releases for everyone each month. These toys will be available in the open shop for all to purchase.

I hope this strategy will help me foster a larger community. However, I'm not entirely certain at this point.

Social media

This is the significant issue at hand: visibility on social media is currently nearly impossible unless one is extremely active. If you're not consistently engaging on platforms like Instagram, X, Threads, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, you might as well be invisible. You become a non-entity.

Over the past three years, I've strived to expand my presence on these channels, but I'm still a small brand compared to those who started earlier, and I face considerable challenges in growing larger. This is a major problem, especially since, as I've mentioned before, I live in Sweden and rely on online channels to connect with my fans in Japan and the USA.

So, what will I do?

I need to rethink my social media strategy. I'll start treating each platform as a separate entity, catering to different audiences. For short videos, I'll use TikTok and Instagram to showcase the before and after processes of creating my toys. For more in-depth "how-to" videos, YouTube is the ideal channel. The Art Fabula YouTube Channel will cater to artists and individuals interested in creating their own Art Toys and Sofubi Toys.

Instagram will be perfect for sharing photos of toys, tools, and my studio. To reach my Japanese audience, Instagram will be effective, but X is the best platform for showcasing my toys and reaching broader audiences.

I'm hopeful this strategy will be effective. The key is to stay active, which is one of my main goals for 2024.

In summary, 2023 has been a year rich in learning experiences. The upcoming year, 2024, promises to be even better, thanks to the implementation of these lessons.

Let's see how it goes.

See you in 2024.