Elias Weiss Friedman started The Dogist Instagram account in 2013 to photograph dogs on the streets of New York as a passion project. Today, he’s expanded from photography to video and platforms like YouTube, photographing about 50,000 dogs.
The success of The Dogist is a result of Friedman leaning into his niche. Shortly after starting the account, The Dogist started getting press. Within a year, Friedman scored a book deal and hit 1 million followers. The Dogist now has more than 10 million social media followers.
“Whatever it is you like about the world—even if it seems a bit obscure—follow that, and you’ll find your people,” Friedman said on stage at ADWEEK’s Social Media Week.
Scaling your passion
Friedman grew up wanting to be an artist and had a darkroom in his house. He liked the idea of having a gallery but struggled with how to scale it. Instead, he started the account just as Instagram was starting to gain traction as a platform for photos, effectively creating a “virtual gallery.”
“I just had a feeling that it would work, and I think I was ready,” he said.
Plus, dogs made for authentic and candid subjects. And in photographing the dogs, Friedman found that dog owners were more likely to open up, too.
“[Dogs] have no sense of ego, and I feel like that rubs off on people as well,” Friedman said. “There’s something about being able to talk freely and share something real, fun, and identifiable with other people in the world.”
Today, Friedman sees The Dogist as the rare example of authentic content that doesn’t change. He also keeps himself from chasing new social trends by maintaining control of the content.
“I have a team of people who help me with everything and they have a lot of great ideas, but ultimately I feel like I’m still in the driver’s seat,” Friedman said.
Expanding to new platforms
Now, Friedman is growing The Dogist beyond its Instagram roots to YouTube. He’s also producing more content that features himself as opposed to being the one filming.
On YouTube, The Dogist has a series called Dogs With Elias Weiss Friedman where he walks around with celebrities and personalities like Kane Brown and Zooey Deschanel.
The switch to putting himself in front of the camera reflects how creators are increasingly turning themselves into brands on TikTok and Instagram.
“I sort of had to get out of my comfort zone, and I had to face myself in a way—that was a bit scary at first,” Friedman said. “One of the mantras I’ve been telling myself recently is if I’m having fun, then you’re having fun.”
