How to make your photos go viral (like a virus):
What is ‘going viral’?
Think of a virus. It spreads. It usually is spread through organisms, or person-to-person.
Why go viral?
First of all, I don’t think anyone can control how to go viral or not. However, there are certain things which can increase your probability of going viral.
I think if you have a really important message, theme, or idea you want to communicate— it is good to (try) to go viral.
If your idea has soul, importance, and depth — you deserve to spread your photos with as many human beings as possible.
Nobody knows anything
Don’t listen to me. These are just my personal theories and thoughts. I have never made a photograph that went viral — although I have made some blog posts that have gone viral.
So I will try to cross-over some of these concepts and ‘cross-pollinate’ them — hopefully providing you some interesting and useful ideas:
1. Don’t share boring photos
The biggest mistake we think about making our photos go viral: we think all our photos are interesting.
Truth be told — most of our photos are boring. Mine included.
You cannot expect boring photos to go viral.
The biggest mistake we have is that we think all of our photos are beautiful and amazing. Just like how new parents think their children are so beautiful, clever, smart, and cute (most of them look like half-ripe apes).
Psychologists call this the “IKEA” effect. The concept is that when you build your own IKEA furniture, you think it is a work of art— because you put so much sweat, muscle, and frustration into it. The same happens to our photos. We think just because we made the photo, it is inherently good.
For me, I try to figure out whether my photos are boring or not by the following:
a. Let the photo marinate for a year
It usually takes me at least a year before I can emotionally distance myself between me and my photos. Within a year, I can see the photos like they belonged to someone else.
So I can judge my photos with more uncompromising sincerity.
b. Ask your friends to ‘kill your babies’
To me, all my photos are my babies. I will never wish harm upon them.
But if you want honest feedback from your friends, peers, and fellow photographers you trust— ask them:
Please, help me ‘kill my babies.’
Then they will tell you straight-up what they think and feel.
c. Do you feel emotion from your own photo?
Last tip: when you look at your own photos — do you feel an emotion in your heart and soul? Do your photos punch you in the gut? Do your photos make you cry, smile, laugh, or feel emotion?
If not, don’t expect your photo (or photos) to go viral.
2. Provoke
Going to the prior point — you want your photos not to be boring— but you always want your photos to PROVOKE.
To provoke: to stir some emotions into your viewer. To provoke them to see the world differently. To provoke their heart, their minds, and their world-view.
Photography is all about capturing your own reality, and sharing that reality with others.
So whatever you do, try to say something with your photos.
For example, my most popular project is the “Cindy Project” — essentially documenting my life and love with Cindy, my life partner (also wife).
For me, I think the project is strong because it provokes the sense of nostalgia, it provokes the thought of death (she and me will die one day), and it provokes the viewer to appreciating their loved ones.
I know for myself, I spend too much time photographing strangers— through street photography. But honestly at the end of my life, I will not care about my stranger photos— the same way I feel about my personal photography.
I want my photos of my loved ones to exist for millennia— to inspire other photographers to document their loved ones. Because, the same fate we all face as human beings is death.
This is what inspired me to also photograph my Grandfather’s funeral — to photograph death, and to meditate on life. And how grateful I am to be alive, how grateful I am that my loved ones are alive — and never wasting a minute with them. And never being petty. And always being grateful for them.
3. Include your soul
Put your soul into your photos. If your soul isn’t in your photos; your photos will lack depth, meaning, and your personality.
How to put soul into your photos?
Simple: shoot with your heart.
That means, only photograph what is personally-meaningful to you. Of course, this won’t guarantee you going viral — but the more real, authentic, and ‘non-fake’ you are in your photography, the more likely you are to stir the hearts of your viewers. And the more likely they are to share those photos with their friends, family, and loved ones.
Too many photographers try too hard to be clever, and try too hard to make photos that will get a lot of likes. I was victim of this myself.
But now, I give a middle-finger to all the likes, comments, and social media rat-race. I still share my photos on social media, but I no longer measure my self-worth, my self-dignity, and my self-esteem through how many little red hearts I get on Instagram. Rather, I trust my own heart, gut, and soul— whether I like the photos or not.
4. Share it with the right people
If you want your photos to go viral; you need to publish them on a big platform. Like PetaPixel, Digital Photography School, DPreview, Steve Huff, Ken Rockwell, or some other popular site.
If you don’t have a following, your photos will probably not go viral.
The bigger the platform you publish your photos on, the more likely your photos are to go viral (assuming they are good, or ‘viral-worthy’).
Simple way to contact these popular blogs, and sites: Email them with 3 of your photos, and explain your project in 1 sentence. Make it simple. If the content curator likes your stuff, they will ask for more. Then they are more likely to publish your stuff.
5. No you will not become rich
By going viral, you will not make tons of money. But, you will get a few more eyeballs on you, and your work.
Unfortunately in reality and life — the most talented are often not the most appreciated. You need lots of luck, determination, the right timing, and marketing savvy and know-how. You need to know how to market yourself, you need to know how to brand yourself, and you need to know how to sell yourself.
This is the capitalist world we live in.
But honestly, don’t care whether you go viral or not. Instead, try to make photos that please yourself.
But at the same time (I always contradict myself) — strive to make the best damn photos you can. With the most of your heart, bleeding onto your sensor. Make photos that cut through reality, and present your own version of reality. Make photos that uplift your own soul, and the souls of your viewers.
Be strong, and have fun.
Always,
Eric
Learn more: Photography Entrepreneurship 101 >