Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard that Elon Musk has forked out a healthy $44 Billion to buy Twitter. And while Musk apparently only planned to add some new features and improve the platform, some users are already looking to jump ship due to the changes to verification (including a much-maligned paid-for option).
All this has prompted some Twitter users to seek some alternatives to the app – and that's where we come in. Twitter is an important tool for any creative, as it allows us to communicate with each other and share our work, but if you'd rather not support its new owner, then perhaps some of the alternatives below would suffice. We've rounded up some of the best social media platforms that'll suit any creative, no matter what your medium is.
But before we dive in, if you're looking to enhance your social media experience, then why not treat yourself to one of the best laptops for battery life? Or if you'd rather do your browsing on the go, then make sure you check out our roundup of the best smartphones.
01. TikTok
- Sign up to TikTok
If you haven't already heard, TikTok has taken over the internet. TikTok is responsible for several trends that filter down to the likes of Twitter and Instagram. With over a billion users, the app is swarming with creatives, and because of its unique algorithm, there's a chance you could even have your work go viral.
Many artists use the platform to take part in creative trends (you can catch up on some of the best over on our guide of the best TikTok trends for creatives), share their work and even create videos outlining their creative process. Whether you're a graphic designer, potter, calligrapher, photographer, musician or videographer, you'll fit right in over on TikTok.
02. Instagram
- Sign up to Instagram
The likelihood is you've already signed up to Instagram (it's 2022 after all), but if you haven't, Instagram has stories, reels, live streaming and IGTV features, making it a one-stop-shop for creativity. The photo-sharing app has over 1.3 billion users in 2022 and has grown a diverse community of creatives since it was first launched back in 2010.
Even if you choose not to share your work on the Gram, then there are so many wonderful accounts to follow that can help inspire your projects (why not start with the Creative Bloq Instagram?). It's a far more visual alternative to Twitter, meaning that it's a great platform for artists to share their work.
Plus, we've written several guides on how to navigate your way around the app, like how to edit videos for Instagram and how to download Instagram photos, so you never have to get lost on the platform. We also have some guides on the best VSCO filters and the best Instagram font generators to give your Insta an extra bit of edge.
03. Counter Social
- Sign up to Counter Social
Counter Social is the no-nonsense alternative to Twitter. The platform follows a similar format in the sense that you can share 500-character posts, but the app has no ads, bots, internet trolls and a "zero tolerance to hostile nations" according to the site. In fact, Counter Social actually crashed due to high demand, so it's safe to say that already the platform is proving to be pretty popular.
The platform has many interesting features like Counter Share, Emergency Radio Traffic meaning that you can tap into radio frequencies, and CoSocial conferencing where users can have private conferences online (much like Zoom).
But for the creatives, the feature that will probably come most in handy (aside from the app's ability to share media), is the COSO groups. The COSO groups are communities you can join or build based on your tastes and preferences. This is a great place for creatives to network and share work, opportunities and even hacks.
04. Substack
- Sign up to Substack
Substack is a little more tailored platform that will best suit creative writers. According to the Substack website, the platform "Makes it simple to start a publication that makes money from subscriptions". On the surface, Substack is an email newsletter platform, but actually, it's so much more than that with its option for users to blog and podcast too.
Substack offers loads of tips, support and guidance for both writers and readers. It specifically targets bloggers, podcasters, finance writers, food writers, comic creators and local news writers on its website, meaning that whatever you want to talk about, Substack has your back.
The nice thing about Substack is that because it's a newsletter platform, the work you create will go straight to your followers via email, meaning that it won't get lost in the curfuffle of a timeline (like on Twitter). Not to mention the fact that it's a free platform that also has the potential to pay you for your creativity via your subscribers – what a bonus?
05. Mastodon
- Sign up to Mastodon
Mastodon is probably the alternative to Twitter that is most similar. It follows the same format of 'micro-blogging', but it has adaptable policies called 'Mastadon Instances'. When you first sign up to the platform, you're asked several questions about what you would care about appearing on your feed (NSFW, spam, links to illegal content etc). And depending on your answers, you can then join an 'Instance' that is specifically tailored to your content preferences.
With each server having its own moderator and rules, it means that you can be sure that your feed is made completely for you. So if you're a creative looking to share your projects and network, then make sure you make your way over to some of the more creative instances.
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