It’s officially the end of October, and also Inktober! If you’re an artist, an aspiring artist, or simply know someone who likes art, you’ve probably heard of Inktober. This month-long challenge encourages artists to draw one ink drawing each day in October and share it on social media using the hashtag #Inktober. Back in 2009, an artist known as Jake Parker created the challenge to motivate people to actively practice and improve their techniques. For those who need a bit of inspiration, prompts are provided online. Given the enthusiasm behind the challenge, it’s no surprise that social media data on Inktober is applicable to related industries, such as paper, ink, art supplies, and even digital art.
Inktober Highlights
To give you a visual image of what Inktober looks like, we used our platform to surface Inktober’s top-performing pieces of content.
Here are some of our personal favorites.
We could spend hours admiring the talent of these artists, but let’s get down to business.
Social Media Data on Inktober 2019
Like art itself, Inktober is a global movement that transcends language and cultural barriers. Our Twitter heat map found that Inktober is most talked-about in the United States and Europe, yet also present on each continent, including South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
Our social media intelligence platform analyzed the top 10 languages used in online content around Inktober.
While English was used most often, Spanish, Somali, Portuguese, and French rounded out the top 5 languages of Inktober. This seemingly simple information gives crucial insight into the location and language preferences of those interested in art and its accompanying materials, such as ink, paper, paint, and even digital art software and tools. It forms the basis of a strong marketing campaign, like which language and countries to target.
Who are these Inktober artists?
We used our social media platform to see the age and gender breakdown behind Inktober 2019.
Two-thirds (67%) of social media users talking about Inktober are female, while only one-third (33%) are male. The challenge is most popular among people aged 18-24, followed by those aged 25-34. This tells companies that Inktober is useful when trying to reach younger adults. On the other hand, if you are trying to reach an older demographic, an Inktober campaign will not produce desired results.
Where do people share about Inktober?
We analyzed the platforms where people share about Inktober.
Over three-quarters of online conversations about Inktober happens on Instagram! Twitter is the next most popular platform for Inktober, while a small percentage is found on forums and Reddit.
Using Social Media Data To Find Art Influencers
Art influencers have created a large following of fans who love their art. We used our platform to discover the top 10 Instagram influencers of Inktober.
The top 3 influencers are loish (@loisvb), the official Inktober account (@Inktober), and Heikala (@Heikala). Companies selling paper, ink pens, art materials, and digital art software should take advantage of the fan base and talent of prominent art influencers. The naturally engaging nature of art allows the influencer to showcase his or her skills while bringing attention to the qualities of your product. The art itself speaks for your product.
Similarly, we should also pay attention to art influencers on Twitter. Here are the top 10 of Inktober.
See a familiar name? Joseph Gordon-Levitt participated in Inktober while simultaneously promoting his creative platform, Hit Record. Companies can similarly adopt this strategy and take advantage of community-wide movements that are relevant to their industry.
Are Inktober Participants Keeping Up Throughout the Month?
Turns out, not really.
Signals, our trend detection software, found a 70% decrease in mentions about Inktober between early and mid-October. Therefore, if a company develops an Inktober marketing campaign, we advise that it begin during the first week of the challenge, when participation and volume are highest.
Nonetheless, we applaud these talented Inktober participants!
Social Media Data Drives Actionable Insights For the Paper Industry
Today, we’re looking at Inktober and Moleskine together to show you how social media data drives insights.
Let’s look at this post on Reddit.
After this artist shared an ink drawing on his Moleskine notebook, other Reddit users quickly inquired about the quality of the paper.
The artist quickly responded with knowledgeable information about Moleskine paper. He commented that although there is no bleeding through the paper, there is ghosting. This single post provides Moleskin with valuable insight into future product development.
This user goes on to recommend another Moleskine product, the Art Plus, which has thicker pages. He also mentions that Jake Parker (the founder of Inktober!) uses a Moleskine Cahier without any problems. This tells us that these products are well-loved by the art community.
Finally, this user gives one last tip on what to avoid while using his Moleskine notebook: fountain pens. Considering this feedback, Moleskine can work on developing notebooks that are compatible with fountain pens. Social media data allows companies to uncover consumer preferences and unmet needs in the market.
Let’s look at a similar example.
From this example, we can see that micro-perforated sketchbooks and paper might be worth considering for future development.
Furthermore, we learn that people often inquire about the paper, pens, or art materials used when sharing their Inktober drawings. Companies shouldn’t underestimate the trust developed within online communities and how it affects consumer behavior. Recommendations, warnings, and tips are taken seriously.
Stand in the Gap
Social media data allows companies to find the best messaging. Let’s look at an example. The following Twitter user emphasized the everyday materials that he used for this drawing, such as his Staples pen.
Moleskin should take advantage of its existing household name and establish itself as the perfect middle ground between novice and professional artists. The messaging should push that Moleskine’s paper is the one that’s familiar, well-known, and trusted for artists. People don’t need to be professionals to get started. Social media data helps companies to find easily overlooked insight on what the right messaging should be.
Incorporating Social Media Data Into Your Strategy
A quick analysis of social media data can provide your company with compelling industry insights. With a few clicks, you can understand the beliefs and attitudes among the communities of your target audience and reshape both your marketing strategy and product development roadmap. Discover insights from your own social media data here.
