Platform Building: Clickbait vs Meaning

In an attention-based economy, how do creatives honorably and effectively build an audience, platform, and artistic presence without resorting to sensationalism or grandstanding?

Too many believe that the only path is making outlandish claims (you will get a gallery show if you do this…), market conflict (you will never get a gallery show if you…), or some other form of clickbait. The world is saturated with this strategic approach to winning people’s attention.

Obviously, it works.

But is it necessary?

Can we build a presence and audience and platform by focusing with intensity on content and creative work that offers meaning?

Betsy Lerner offers a great example. She gained a large audience by reading her cringey teenage diary entries on Tik Tok. Fun. Curious. Unique. And creative.

Questions for Listeners

* Have you leaned toward clickbait? (“I have in the past,” James admits.)

* Did it work? (“Nope,” James says.)

For Further Exploration

Betsy Lerner: A new start after 60: I read out my old diaries online – and my youthful secrets went viral

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