INSTAGRAM AND THE BATTLE FOR ATTENTION : 4 YEARS LATER: Why Don't you like my Work ?

4 years ago to this date, I asked you, ‘Why don’t you like my work?’ The question was related to Instagram and our battle for attention.

 

Since that time, we have seen a lot of developments in the world of social media. Instagram pretty much said they are no longer a photo-sharing app but brought us Threads instead. TikTok is on the verge of going away, and countless new apps have come onto the market, offering us new ways to engage with a worldwide audience.

 

We all like to complain about social media and the computer algorithms, but we also have to remember that many of us probably never would have had careers without it.

 

When I first started, none of this existed, and you relied on the gatekeepers seeing your work or, if you were lucky enough, an agency would hire you to do work for them.

 

I, for one, would not have had half the exposure were it not for social media.

 

Is it perfect? Far from it.

 

The last time I wrote to you, my Instagram account was sitting at 45,000 followers, which had taken me a few years to reach. In the past four years, it has risen from that to just over 250,000, with about 90,000 of those gained in the past year.

 

This was far from easy to do and required hours a day of producing content. Some of it was just getting lucky on a particular day and a reel spiked which created a surge in my other content.

 

Sometimes it has nothing to do with the content at all. I have posted a reel before and hit 1.4 million people and tested it a few months later and it goes to 100K. So was it the content ? or just getting lucky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I want to share with you the work that brings me joy and truly reflects who I am as a photographer. I’ve lost count of the people who have asked, ‘Why don’t you shoot in color?’

 

The short answer is that I do.

 

However, do I need to share everything with people on social media? No. I prefer to showcase this work on my website.

 

While social media has its merits, it can never compare to viewing a print, whether on a large monitor or in a book.

 

On social media, the best way I’ve found to tell stories is by using Carousels. I genuinely enjoy the design aspect of this and collaborate closely with @theletterist to bring you the best work and design possible.

 

Its tough to show certain kinds of images on Instagram,  they often get lost on the feed on a small phone screen. I typically use a good eye catching image that translates on the phone then show the other images in the carousel. 

 

Its always interesting that when you ask people which images resonate with them the most, it will often be the ones in the carousel. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I always make an effort to respond to everyone. If someone takes the time to write a nice comment or send me a direct message, the least I can do is express my gratitude. In the past, I’ve met people at events whom I didn’t know, and they’ve said, thanks for taking the time to respond to my question.

 

Consider this: Would you rather respond and have them appreciate it,or say "I wrote to you and you ignored me."

 

 Admittedly, keeping up with messages can be challenging, but it has led to some incredible opportunities for me. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of years back, I noticed that my Instagram account was being negatively impacted by the algorithm. I had gone from gaining 200 followers a day to losing 10 a day. Initially, I questioned whether my work had really gotten that bad, but I soon realized that the decline wasn’t necessarily a reflection of my content quality. For many of us, social media isn’t just about sharing our work, it’s a crucial part of our livelihoods. We rely on it to promote our work and generate income.

 

The lesson learned? Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Diversify your presence by posting on multiple platforms and building audiences there as well. Consider the example of TikTok users who invested significant time but now face potential business losses due to changes in the platform. Ultimately, we shouldn’t allow any single company to control our ability to pay the bills. Stay nimble and adapt to changing circumstances.

 

Remember, adapting to the evolving landscape of social media is essential for long-term success! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used to get annoyed at why my work was not getting out there, or why portraits get less attention than say an abstract shot but now I just post them anyway.

 

You do find yourself playing a game of chess with the algorithm though. If I was to just post portraits everyday then my feed would probably cease to exist. What is it about portraits that people do not respond to ?

 

You have to find a way to make social media work for you and remember that it’s just a tool and a great one at that. 

 

How many of you would I have not met or had conversations with were it not for social media. Am I going to let the computer take over my life, hell no.

 

I always finish every post with “The experience of creating an image is more important than the final result. “

 

Never has this been so true!