Have a plan for social media and internet use Why Do You Share Your Photos Online?
Self-reflections, goals, and being honest with yourself.
Originally Published on Medium.com, 01-Oct-2025.
Edited for website posting. All images © Jeff Goetz.
I joined Instagram two or three years ago to keep an eye on my teenage son when he joined. I had no plans to post anything — and I didn’t. Doomscroller? Nope, I rarely even opened the app.
Then, I retired from engineering, and my wife suggested I start posting my photography as it could be fun and perhaps there would be a way to monetize it in the future, such as affiliate links or selling prints. So, in December 2024, I made my first Instagram post.
As you can see from my stats above, I’m not exactly a prolific user.
Fast forward to summer 2025, and my wife asked me,
“Why are you posting to Instagram?”
Huh?! I thought we talked about this. But, she wasn’t asking me ‘why’ so much as
“What are your goals?”
That question and its answer are what keep me focused on how I try to use social media and the internet.
If you’re honest with yourself when answering this question, it can help you set your expectations and the effort level you put into it.
Read on for my thoughts and answer.
The Beginning
Initially, I had grand ideas of building a following and using affiliate links to share products I liked to earn commissions. I signed up for Amazon’s Affiliate program, being totally ignorant of their requirements. I’d just figure it out.
After my initial period, they shut me down, and rightfully so. I was not even close to meeting their requirements. I posted a few photos, and I had my Medium writing (on a similar follower count). I was nowhere near what Amazon expected.
Had I read the terms before signing up, I wouldn’t have even bothered. Chalk that up to one more person signing up for something online without reading the user agreement!
Talk about crashing to reality. Ouch.
Today’s Reality: My Observations On Instagram
There’s a little bit of everything on Instagram. Here’s my two-minute summary.
The Good
By keeping the folks I follow focused on a few key interests, my Instagram feed is fairly clean of nonsense. I clear my browsing history periodically to avoid sprawl. And, I discovered the ‘not interested’ button and I’m not afraid to use it!
I like posting photos that others may also appreciate or like. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a small bit of validation when folks like a photo. It’s nice to feel appreciated. Comments are even better to see what folks think. So far, no trolls have entered my comment area.
I like connecting with fellow photographers and enjoy seeing their work. It’s great to get new ideas for my own projects.
I like learning photography techniques and post-processing methods — color grading seems like a trend for posts right now, along with Lightroom Classic presets to achieve different looks.
I like the advertisements and promotions for various photography gear and software. However, I am not quick to buy anymore. I have plenty and need more time mastering what I have.
The Bad
It’s too easy to doomscroll on Instagram, and those few Earth minutes turn into Venus minutes. I admit I’ve sat down ‘for five minutes’ to check in on Instagram before starting another task, only to find I spent 30 minutes doomscrolling with nothing to show for it. Ugh.
It’s also too easy to push yourself to try to compete for people’s attention and clicks if you let it. I do want to share content regularly so folks may see things they like, but I was grateful when a friend told me about scheduling posts.
Now, when I’m ready to post something, I’ll schedule two or more posts to occur on certain days. Folks get to see some content regularly, and I’m not stuck logging in to post every day or so. That’s a cool feature I need to use more often.
To tackle doomscrolling, I no longer look at it before bedtime (hello Venus minutes), and I removed the app from my phone. I think by removing it from my phone, I treat the Instagram app on my iPad as a tool to do my uploads and check-ins, but not so readily available.
The Ugly
A fellow photographer recently posted a video highlighting this new product he bought. He is a super nice guy, but his video was painful to watch. I felt bad for him.
I realized that could be me. I’m not much of a salesman, so I doubt I would build a rapport with viewers where they would flock to buy whatever I was promoting. So, affiliate links are likely not my thing.
That’s easy to say now, as I am nowhere close to meeting the Amazon affiliate program requirements. I don’t see myself going that route, but never say ‘never’.
And My Goal?
My goal is to share my portfolio with folks who appreciate my photography and may eventually purchase a print, card, or product.
I’d like to generate annual revenue that exceeds my modest expenses to make a profit. That’s going to take time, as I’m picky about what I post for sale, and online is a competitive space. Thankfully, I have time to reach this goal, and I’m enjoying the journey.
Steps I’m taking towards my goal:
- I’m reviewing my catalog of over 76,000 digital photos I’ve taken since 2001 to find photographs worthy of sharing. I’m being picky, so I think the ones worth sharing will be from the last few years or so.
- I’m continuing to take photos I like.
- I post when I have time. I have my day job (husband & father). Photography is part-time right now.
- I’m posting photos, usually with a short story to share why I took the photo. Perhaps it helps the viewer feel like they are present in the moment when I took the photo.
- I am being intentional and deliberate in my photography, and as mentioned, I’m being picky about what I share.
Much like my Medium writing, I post photos when I feel like I have something to share, not to meet a quota. I’m not following a frequency of posting to get the algorithm to share my work.
I won’t go ‘viral’, but you’ll see something genuine.
Hopefully, you like it. Maybe you smile or pause to enjoy it a bit longer. Perhaps, you’ll buy a print.
Either way, I’m good with that.
And what about you? Why do you share your photos online?
Being honest with yourself about expectations and goals can help you enjoy the process more than stressing over likes, comments, and follows. I found that to be true with Instagram and also Medium articles.
If you’re a photographer, keep pressing that shutter button!
Enjoy Life and Thanks for Reading,
-Jeff
This article is a bit ‘cart before the horse’ from a marketing perspective since my website update is ongoing now and my Fine Art America site is still being populated. So be it. But, if you’re interested in my work, check out my Fine Art America site and my Instagram site.
On each of those platforms, just like Medium, you can follow me or comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Originally Published on Medium in the Full Frame publication. To read more of my writing on medium, click here.
Copyright © 2025 Jeff Goetz. All Rights Reserved.
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