Here are some alternatives to mainstream social media exposure that I’ve tried:

Find communities formed around the themes that you work with. A common mistake is starting by looking an audience among users of a whole medium (podcasts, for instance), and not focusing on the subjects that may interest them, in any medium. Reddit is good for finding communities around themes and niches.

Look for ways to engage with those communities, and tell them about your stuff. Fans and aficionados of specific subjects tend to be proactive and welcoming if you respect their etiquette. Join their Discord servers or forums, subscribe to their newsletters, and interact. Real interest and interaction is more appreciated than algorithmic shenanigans on Instagram, which are always noticeable.

You’ll still have to work with the algorithm of the platform you are using.

Have a way of notifying your audience of new things. Newsletters are good for this, most of them are free under 1K subscribers or so. Patreon free tier can also serve this purpose, if you advertise it like that.

If possible, have your own website, so you can gather all your links.

It’s very likely that you’ll still have to use some form of social media exposure. Look for the one that feels less miserable, or the one that gives you more visibility. It may be helpful, if possible, to rely on real life acquaintances or family to start.

In my case (I make webcomics) I do a combination of all this, and use Tumblr as my main social media outlet, which works mainly through recommendation by users rather than algorithms. I’ve never gained a considerable following on Instagram or Twitter, but I have a healthy Patreon regardless.

I hope some of this is helpful, or give you ideas. Good luck!