Discourse in Magic How to Grow Your Instagram Following for Magicians with Jeremy Griffith
You know him from his incredibly popular videos The BC Shuffle and The Instagram Sessions. Jeremy Griffith has popularized social media magic in a way no one else has. His start in magic was similar to many people – an uncle bought him a magic set when he was just a kid. His dad had been a magician’s assistant when he was young and booked Jeremy into a magic class when he was in middle school. In high school, he attended the West Coast Wizards magic camp for four years in a row. From there he dropped out of magic. But when he turned 30 he got back into it with Instagram providing a gateway. Jeremy works very seldom as a professional magician. He runs the family software company with his twin brother as his day job.
Jeremy has developed a new way of performing magic online. And along the way, he has devised a philosophy about how to become successful in the online world. One of those is an emphasis on consistency.
You can’t let up for a month and expect everyone to come back. The other lesson is that you have to remain creative and not rest on your laurels. Because Instagram video only allows 15-second uploads that don’t leave you with a lot of time. Everything you do has to be flashy. Instagram is a very cool and simple platform. Jeremy chose to use Instagram only because it fit well into his busy life. He doesn’t think that’s necessarily the best model for everyone.
There is a misnomer about performing on the internet that it’s easier. But that’s not the case. Because the audience is so sophisticated about video editing it’s more difficult to create a believable effect online. Jeremy ran into this problem right away when he was uploading pictures and videos of effects that could easily be explained with Photoshop. It takes a while to build up the trust with your audience that your effects are real. If your audience thinks that you are faking it you lose all sense of trust. A perfect example of this is the Jibrizy controversy. Jeremy thinks using technology to achieve an effect makes it much harder for other magicians to succeed online because the audience is becoming more cynical. He thinks that the magic community should be working to both maintain and raise the bar in terms of quality.
Jeremy has had a number of opportunities to pursue endorsements. He is totally independent. But he has the luxury of having a whole separate career. Because of that, he became a purist about sponsored content. He has a clear conscience whenever he posts anything because he knows no one paid him to say it. If you are going to promote something you should be using it. If it’s not something you know and love, you’re just selling out. That said it is possible to do sponsored magic successfully and honesty. Jeremy says if you are going to go down that road you have to find a way that doesn’t diminish your intrinsic value.
Jeremy has designed several decks of cards. Vitreous was a labor of love for Jeremy. Recently, his father passed away and the deck is a way to honor his Dad. The deck looks like a piece of stained glass. Jeremy studied theology for many years and he based the deck on the stained glass he saw while visiting the Nantes Cathedral. The other deck is the Royal Reserve which is based on the Republic No. 2 Deck.
What do you want to ask our audience?
Is there anything that still makes you feel that magical moment?
What do you want to tell the audience?
Don’t give up on that Ferrari! We’re facing a lot of challenges. Magic ebbs and flows but don’t give up on that moment.
What was your favorite part of the episode?
Jonah was really moved by Jeremey’s story of designing a deck of cards to honor his father.
Tyler was inspired by the idea of shaping an Instagram presence by using the restrictions of the medium.
Jeremy liked the idea of always interacting with the world you’re in. You’re not alone or in a bubble.
Who should we have on the show?
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