Why You Must Become a Photography Blogger

Let us take back the means of production and publishing, by owning our own photo publishing platform (our website/blog), instead of just depending on Facebook-Instagram or other social media platforms.

Until you own your platform, you cannot be free

London, 2018

If you don’t own your own platform or the means of publishing, you don’t own anything. When you upload your photos to Facebook or Instagram, you technically don’t “own” your photos anymore. You’re just leasing your photo access from Facebook/Instagram, in exchange for for Facebookgram to put advertisements next to your beautiful artwork, as well as you to be advertised to.

Long-term thriving

Lisbon, 2018

If you want to thrive as a photographer and artist for a long time on the internet, don’t become trapped by the golden shackles of Facebook (who also owns Instagram). The more you build your platform on the land of another (digital share cropping), the more enslaved you will become to them, and more beholden to them.

Digital slaves

Lisbon, 2018

How is Facebook worth billions of dollars? Simple: they get you (and billions of other people around the planet) to work for free. We work for Facebook-gram all the time by uploading our photos, our lives, our opinions, thoughts, and through the information we produce by communicating with others. And Facebookgram uses all that data to sell more advertising; both to you and your friends/followers.

Lisbon, 2018

It isn’t quite 100% digital slavery in the sense that we have an option NOT to use Instabook. However once you’re trapped in the system (like the Matrix) it is very painful to leave.

Lisbon, 2018

Do you still want to be around 30 years from now?

Lisbon, 2018

The last decade I’ve seen so many social media and photography networks come and go. Flickr is pretty much dead, when it used to be king. And eventually Instagram and Facebook will lose its relevance too.

What will you do once nobody uses Instagram anymore?

Lisbon, 2018

But what will you do a decade, 20 years, 30 years from now, when all of your followers are trapped on those platforms? You’re going to lose all your social influence, clout, and power! All the past Flickr influences are no longer relevant, because nobody really uses the platform anymore. And the same thing will happen with people who are Instafamous, unless they’re smart enough to use Instagram to build their own platform, website blog, newsletter.

30 years from now

Lisbon, 2018

I’m personally playing for the long game. I want to be around 30, 40, 50, 60 years from now. I want to be around until I die. I want to follow in the footsteps of Jay Z, Dr. Dre and other artists who have been able to remain powerful and artistically prolific for 3 decades+.

Success is longevity

Lisbon, 2018

It seems this is the rule:

You can gauge your success by how long you’re relevant or influential. Preferably 30+ years.

Make your own blog

Boston, 2018

If you already upload your photos online, you’re technically already “blogging” (I like the notion of “plogging”— photography blogging— making an online log of your life activities via your photos).

So if you make your own website blog (they’re the same thing at this point), you will gain more power, control, and influence in the short and long game!

Boston, 2018

Why play the long game?

Boston. 2018

This is my thought:

The greatest glory we can achieve as mortal artists is to make artwork which lasts for a very long time. We want our artwork to benefit people who are alive, and also people into the future!

You want to make photos BEYOND yourself — to benefit future generations. Part of it is an ego thing (I think building your ego is good), and part of it is a humanity-empowering thing.

Build equity in yourself

When you start your own photography blog, you build equity in yourself. You build equity in your own name, your own personal brand/company, you get indexed by Google (SEO), and you are more likely to become more famous and influential.

How do I start my own photography blog?

London, 2018 Ricoh blur
London, 2018

To start your own blog, simple steps:

  1. Register a website/domain through bluehost.com
  2. Once you get everything setup, install wordpress.org through the console. If you need more direct instructions on how to set this up, signup for my Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship Online Course.
  3. Start writing blog posts, and sharing the blog posts on Facebook or directly to your friends on email or word-of-mouth.
  4. Use your social media networks to link to your blog, to build a larger following.
  5. Make an email newsletter (I recommend mailchimp.com) to keep contact with your fans and followers.
  6. Keep blogging

Conclusion

Boston, 2018 #cindyproject
Boston, 2018 #cindyproject

There are many keys to success— one of them is owning your own website/blog/platform.

Then continue to build your fame and influence through starting your own YouTube channel as a way to promote your own website/blog.

What should you post? Post your photos, post your thoughts, ideas, and share your own personal philosophies in photography and life.

MAKE ON!

ERIC

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