Zea Mays Printmaking/Social Media for Creative Professionals

Social Media for Creative Professionals

  • 7 left

Having a presence on social media is an important tool for artists in today's world.  But how to set up and maintain your social media can be daunting! Join Chrissy of Spark Box Studio for this course designed to help you navigate the ever-changing landscape of social media.

In this course, we'll dive into the core social media platforms, exploring their strengths, weaknesses, and target audiences. From Facebook to Instagram, Pinterest to LinkedIn, you'll learn the ins and outs of each platform and discover strategies for leveraging them to your advantage.

We'll also cover tips and tricks for using social media effectively, whether you're networking, building relationships, establishing your creative brand, conducting research, or managing visual content.

Here's what you'll learn:

  • How to communicate with and know your audience.

  • How to create a social media strategy tailored to your goals and objectives.

  • Understand different social media platforms and how to use them.

  • Identify the various paths within digital marketing and understand their unique strengths.

  • About analytics, engagement and growth.

This class is delivered as weekly videos to watch on your own time, and weekly open office hours to ask questions, get clarification and troubleshoot.

Registration is $195. Includes access to all office hours Zoom sessions, access to video tutorials for 3 months, downloadable video transcripts, slide decks and supplementary materials.

Color portrait of instructor Chrissy Poitras.

About The Instructor

Chrissy Poitras is a multidisciplinary artist, an arts educator and co-owner and founder of Spark Box Studio- an arts organization based in Prince Edward County, Ontario, CN. She teaches at OCAD University and taught at Loyalist College in their Fine Art programs. She is a graduate from the Queen's University Bachelor of Fine Art Studio program.  Her work spans traditional painting and printmaking, mural work, public installation, resource sharing and collaborative exchange. Themes of her work centre around ideas of place - whether that be through the invention of abstracted environments, creating augmented reality or highlighting the beauty of our natural landscape.

"I found the course to be an extremely thorough survey, with many on-point and prescriptive examples. Each session was tailored to the participants' specific areas of interest, and included extensive opportunity for discussion and Q&A. Chrissy Poitras covered nearly every social media platform, explaining their primary audience, navigation, and key advantages of each, including Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn and some of the emerging channels as well. 

She didn't just tell, she showed: As Instagram is (arguably) the most popular platform for artists, she demonstrated how to plan, film, and post stories, reels, posts, etc., that draw attention from "The Algorithm." She also covered analytics to measure our social media impact which I found to be particularly useful. 

But she also went further and conducted a thorough social media audit for each student. Chrissy's audit was comprehensive and provided me with actionable feedback that gave me an understanding of the actual impression I'm currently presenting, and suggestions about how and what will enable me to create a social media presence that better meets my objectives. I highly recommend this course to artists. It's quite simply the best social media course available." - Mary-Helen Horne, 2025 Participant

Contents

Office Hours and Instructor's Notes

Chrissy Poitras will hold office hours via Zoom on Mondays, January 26-February 23, 6-8 PM EST.

Finding material in Podia.mp4
Office Hours Zoom Link

Week 1: Introduction to Digital Marketing and Navigating the Digital Marketing Landscape

  • Understand the various paths encompassed by digital marketing.

  • Explore the Digital Marketing Umbrella and its key components.

  • Understand the basics of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Email Marketing, Content Marketing, websites and Social Media Marketing Fundamentals.

Zoom Recording: Week 1 Office Hours, January 26 2026
Slide Deck: Social Media Marketing for Creative Professionals
Video: The Digital Marketing Umbrella
The Digital Marketing Umbrella: Video Transcript
Week 1 Exercises
Handout: Research and Gathering
Handout: Social Media Personal Audit (PDF Format)
Handout: Social Media Personal Audit (Word Format)
Collaborative Worksheet: The "Why" Chain
Printmaking Example of The Golden Circle 1.png
Printmaking Example of The Golden Ciricle 2.png

Week 2: Understanding the Social Media Landscape Part 1

  • Learning the importance of different social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter

  • Acquire practical skills in creating a business page and utilizing Insights for audience analysis.

  • Explore components of an effective post & SEO for Social Media

Zoom Recording: Week 2 Office Hours, February 2 2026
Slide Deck: Week Two Office Hours Presentation
Slide Deck: Understanding Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok
Video: Understanding Social Media Platforms
Understanding Social Media Platforms: Video Transcript
Video: Setting Up Facebook
Setting Up Facebook: Video Transcript
Video: Setting Up Instagram
Setting Up Instagram: Video Transcript
Video: Creating an Instagram Reel
Handout: Instagram Features Blueprint
Video: Instagram Stories Q&A
Video: Setting Up Twitter
Setting Up Twitter: Video Transcript
Video: Setting Up TikTok
Setting Up TikTok: Video Transcript
Video: Effective Posts & SEO for Social Media
Effective Posts & SEO for Social Media: Video Transcript
Week 2 Exercises
Handout: Target Audience Spreadsheet (Excel Format)
Handout: Target Audience Spreadsheet (PNG Format)

Week 3: Understanding the Social Media Landscape Part 2

  • Learning the importance of different social media platforms: Pinterest, Linkedin, YouTube

  • Acquire practical skills in creating a business page and utilizing Insights for audience analysis.

  • Branding & Goal Setting

Slide Deck: Week 3 Office Hours Presentation
Slide Deck: Understanding YouTube, Pinterest and Linkedin
Video: Setting Up Youtube
Setting Up Youtube: Video Transcript
Video: Setting Up Pinterest
Setting Up Pinterest: Video Transcript
Video: Setting Up Linkedin
Setting Up Linkedin: Video Transcript
Video: Branding & Goals
Branding & Goals: Video Transcript
Week 3 Exercises
Handout: Content Mix Spreadsheet
Collaborative Worksheet: Only is Better than Best
Zoom Recording: Week 3 Office Hours, Feb 9 2026

Week 4: Elevating Your Social Media Presence

  • Understand the tactical use of major social media platforms.

  • Learn social content strategies, tips, and tools for effective online presence.

  • Conduct a quick review of major social media platforms.

  • Tips for crafting compelling and shareable content.

Zoom Recording: Week 4 Office Hours - Google Analytics
Zoom Recording: Week 4 Office Hours - Google Search Console
Zoom Recording: Week 4 Office Hours - Instagram and Pinterest
Zoom Recording: Week 4 Office Hours - Bulk Pins
Zoom Recording: Week 4 Office Hours - Collage Pins
Video: Content Ideation
Video: Content Research
Video: Content Elements
Video: Copywriting Basics
Video: Content Strategy
Video: Planning and Scheduling
Week 4 Exercises
Handout: Sharing to Stories Graphic

Week 5: Social Media Metrics: Navigating Analytics and Ads

  • Understanding the Strategic Use of Ads

  • Exploring and gaining insights on analytics

  • Tips on scheduling posts & utilizing media design tools

Slide Deck: Digital Advertising
Video: Digital Advertising - Objectives & Expectations
Objectives & Expectations: Video Transcript
Video: Meta Ads
Meta Ads: Video Transcript
Video: Google Ads
Google Ads: Video Transcript
Video: Overview of Analytics
Overview of Analytics: Video Transcript