About 3 years ago I was watching stories on Instagram and one photographer posted about how their engagement on their posts went way down suddenly. They were devastated. They talked about how they felt like they were doing something wrong or that they weren’t doing enough. This really stuck with me even after all these years, and I still think it’s an important and relevant topic to discuss.

We all need to remember that your worth is not measured by how many likes you get on a post.

Those likes can be produced by robots.

Someone might like your post just so you can like their post back.

They can follow and unfollow you just to selfishly grow their following.

Don’t let those likes lie to you about your value in the photography community.

When you get a like on a post it’s natural to feel excited.

There’s this sense of accomplishment and approval.

But when you don’t, you might feel like your photos aren’t good enough or you start to compare yourself to other photographers.

Why does so-and-so have 14K followers and I have 400?

In the long run though, having a following of actual people who support your work is much more important than a number.

I know some photographers who don't even use Instagram and they have a flourishing business, or some that have an account but don’t have a large following, and they’re still booking their ideal clients.

Later in 2019 Instagram gave the option of hiding the number of likes on your posts. This came about because people were feeling insecure about their social media presence and noticing the impact on their mental health.

Stay true to YOU and have confidence in your work. You got this!