CHRISTER JENSEN - AUGUST 29, 2022
Why I am changing focus
In October 2020 I started a weekly series called ‘Hello Monday’, which I shared in carousel posts on Instagram. Today is the 100th episode of the series!
The purpose behind this series was to share tips as well as my own experiences and learnings with all my followers on Instagram - and maybe even inspire one or two people. During the 100 weeks, I have received many kind words, motivational feedback and a lot of you have even shared your thoughts on photography, experiences and tips. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!
Nevertheless, now it is time to change focus and this is why:
My original goals
When I started to post on Instagram I set a few goals for myself, which I have now fulfilled. These were my main goals:
1. Find my own style and niche within street photography.
2. Build up some sort of confidence in what I am doing.
3. Share weekly few tips and other inspirational content pieces which could potentially help other photographers. My own experience is that you spend too much time watching YouTube videos with often only a few key learning points - why not read about these instead?
4. Join a group of other fellow photographers in Oslo in order to gain inspiration and friendship (thanks Oslo.SPC).
5. Get an audience of 500 followers (which was the number of followers one of my friends had).
_____
100 x “Hello Monday” posts
What I learned over the past 100 weeks was the following:
1. The way I share my written content in carousels is not the best way to do it (with the first “page” being a photo…but this choice was deliberately made to ensure a clean-looking grid).
2. Videos or Reels are the way most people want to digest tips and other educational / inspirational content.
3. Every time I share a Hello Monday carousel post, my reach decreased a lot (!) I have never figured out why…
4. However, I did end up with a lot of written content that I can use elsewhere e.g. on my website.
5. Going forward I will find out how to share tips and written content in another way. Hence, the Hello Monday series in its present form will end as of today.
_____
Setting new goals
Going forward I will focus much more on the theme of actually getting prints out and in this transformation phase I will redefine my ambition to include the following:
1. Update my existing website. I use Adobe Portfolio which is free in any of Adobe’s subscription plans.
2. Connect a shopping cart to my website. I use Sellfy which offers a free shipping cart with up to 10 physical products.
3. Select a number of photos that are eligible as physical prints. Ensure to have prints at different price points.
4. Create a physical / digital photo book (zine) showcasing my street photography.
5. Narrow down other possible ways of selling physical prints and other digital products related to photography. I have identified a handful of potential clients and I am reaching out to other people to get tips on how to approach them.
