Why I chose to stay with Online Article Content

You may have noticed that I’m not as active on Instagram or other social media platforms anymore. That’s not by accident; it’s more of a deliberate choice.

I started creating online content back in 2008 with MalaysiaAsia, long before “content creation” was even a term people used seriously. Back then, I saw what was coming—the shift from traditional media to digital—and I committed to it early, because I started computers even earlier, in the mid-80s!

What many don’t know is that I was also ahead of the curve on social media. I joined Facebook in 2006 and Instagram in 2010, when hardly anyone was there. In those early days, social media was real. No algorithms, no inflated egos, no paid engagement—just genuine sharing and connection, which was how it should be.

Then things changed……

The Massive Change of Social Media from 2015

By around 2015, social media had evolved into something very different. It became a numbers game—followers, likes, and the illusion of influence. I saw firsthand how accounts were artificially inflated, how entire ecosystems emerged to sell popularity, and how clients (at the time) were misled into believing that bigger numbers equated to greater credibility. Sadly, I think, some still think so.

I dealt with this directly in my work. I saw accounts jump to 100,000 followers within weeks to months, with almost no real engagement. I had clients asking if these people were “famous.” It didn’t take much to see what was really going on.

I could have played that game, but I chose not to.

Instead, I doubled down on what actually matters: written online content.

Alongside this, bird photography has been a serious passion of mine for over 20 years, which led to the creation of Birdwatching Asia in 2018. But even then, I made a conscious decision to step back from chasing social media trends and focus on building something more meaningful.

Since 2018, I’ve developed five niche websites, and since 2022, I’ve gone even deeper into long-form, high-quality written content. And more recently, I’ve stepped back from bird photography to commit to this direction fully.

Why?

Because content—not popularity—is what lasts.

The Rise of AI since 2023

With the rise of AI, this has become even more relevant. Most people don’t realise that AI depends heavily on existing online content to generate answers. Since early 2024, I’ve been studying how this works and testing my own content across multiple platforms.

The result? My articles are being picked up, referenced, and linked by AI systems. In many niche areas I cover, my work consistently appears in search and AI-generated results. That’s real visibility—and real value, especially to clients who engage my services.

And clients who understand this are now coming back—not for social media numbers, but for content that performs, ranks, and endures.

Let’s be clear, when people want information, they don’t go to Instagram. They go to Google. They search. They research. And increasingly, they rely on AI-driven results, which Google itself has disclosed are now almost 80% AI-generated results. On top of that, many are using ChatGPT, Gemini and other AI platforms to conduct their regular searches.

That’s where I currently focus my work.

Chasing Social Popularity vs Providing Real Content

So no, I’m not chasing likes, followers, or trends to be ‘socially popular’. I’m building something far more sustainable: content that informs, ranks, and continues to be discovered over time.

For those who don’t know, I’m also a certified SEO strategist and writer since 2010. In today’s online landscape, that’s critical. You can create great visuals, but without strong written content, your reach—and your longevity—is limited.

I come from a background in photography, video and television production, from the analogue days through to digital. I’ve learned every part of this the hard way. And that’s exactly why I’ve chosen this path.

So if you’ve been wondering why I’ve been very quiet on social media—that’s your answer.

I didn’t stop creating.

I just stopped chasing noise—and started building value.