These client-generating strategies came straight from a live roundtable discussion with photographers, freelancers, and creatives navigating the same challenges you are.
We recently hosted a marketing roundtable here at The Hive Studios for creative entrepreneurs—photographers, designers, content creators—people like you and me trying to build something meaningful. It was a casual but powerful session. Just a group of us sitting around a table for two hours, tossing around ideas, asking honest questions, and trying to answer the one that’s always on our minds:
“How do we get more business?”
We’re all navigating the same reality—some months are packed, others are painfully slow. The highs are high, but the lows can make you question everything. So the goal was simple: figure out how to create more predictable revenue, better client relationships, and less stress.
Five major themes emerged. These are the strategies that kept coming up, the ones that sparked real energy in the room. And I want to share them with you—because if you’re a creative entrepreneur, you need real strategies that actually work in the real world.
1. Reactive marketing isn’t enough
The first thing we all admitted is that most of us are stuck in reactive marketing. You know the type: putting something on your website and waiting. Posting to your Instagram and hoping someone notices. Maybe dropping a note in a Facebook group or relying on word-of-mouth. You’re constantly reacting to what might come in.
And here’s the truth: you can’t build a predictable business this way.
Reactive marketing is important, but it’s not enough. It’s passive. It puts the control in someone else’s hands. We need to be doing proactive marketing: the kind that starts with us making the first move.
That might mean reaching out to potential clients directly through Instagram DMs. Or emailing old clients to invite them back in for a new session. Maybe it’s creating a target list of editors you want to work with and starting the conversation. Proactive marketing means you’re generating momentum, not waiting for it.
And when you start doing that, your business begins to feel less like a gamble and more like something you’re truly building.
2. In-person networking still matters
Another topic that got us all nodding in agreement was the power of in-person networking. We’re all so used to the digital hustle—socials, email lists, DMs—that we forget how powerful face-to-face relationships still are.
And I don’t mean just showing up to a mixer, grabbing a drink, and standing in the corner waiting for someone to talk to you. I’m talking about real involvement.
Becoming a member of your local Chamber of Commerce. Getting active in an industry-specific trade organization. Volunteering. Offering to give a presentation. Getting on a board. Showing up consistently, not just when you need something.
When you get involved in this way, people start to see you—not just as a creative, but as a business owner, as a partner, as someone worth hiring and referring. You become known, trusted, and top of mind.
So yeah, maybe showing up in person doesn’t feel as cool as a viral reel. But trust me, the ROI of real-life connections is unmatched.
3. Social media isn’t dead, but you’ve got to evolve your content
We spent a lot of time talking about what’s working (and what’s not) on social media these days. And here’s the hard truth: just posting your work—those clean, static images of your best portfolio pieces—isn’t cutting it anymore.
There was a time when it did. You’d post a shot and get inquiries. Now, the algorithm shrugs, and your audience scrolls past.
But that doesn’t mean social is a lost cause. What it means is that we need to evolve. People want more than pretty pictures: they want to know the story behind the work, the person behind the camera, the process, the purpose.
You don’t have to become a dancing TikTok star or act ridiculous just to get views. That’s a myth we tell ourselves when we see people getting attention in ways that don’t feel authentic to us. The truth is, you can create content that is educational, inspirational, or entertaining, and ideally, relatable to your audience. That’s the content that sticks.
Short-form video is working. Carousels are working. Thoughtful, created-from-scratch Stories are working. Behind-the-scenes clips. A voiceover of you talking through your process. A video breakdown of your latest project. A client story you helped bring to life.
You’re already a creator. Social is just another place to tell your story. But this time, for your audience, not just your peers.
4. Ads can work…if you use them to build trust, not just sell
I typically don’t talk a lot about advertising, and for good reason. It’s expensive, it’s tricky, and it often doesn’t make sense for service-based businesses. But during the roundtable, we dug into one specific strategy that does work—if you do it the right way.
The key is not to treat ads as a shortcut to sales. That’s the mistake most creatives make. Instead, treat your ads like a sequence of trust-building steps.
Start with awareness ads. These aren’t trying to sell anything. They’re just introducing you to new people. Maybe it’s a clip from a workshop you taught, a behind-the-scenes shoot, or a short-form video that offers value. People watch, they get curious, and they follow.
Then you move to lead generation ads, which are only shown to people who engaged with your awareness content. Now you offer them something valuable: a free guide, ebook, template, or video tutorial. In exchange, they give you their email.
Finally, you show conversion ads only to the people who downloaded your lead magnet. These are the warmest leads: they’ve watched, they’ve opted in, they know who you are. Now you invite them to book you or buy from you.
It’s all about leading people step-by-step. And because you’re only showing each ad to the most interested people, your costs go down. And your results go up.
5. Retainers are the secret to stable income
And finally, the topic that lit up the entire table: retainer contracts.
If you’re sick of the rollercoaster income, this is the move. A retainer means a client pays you a set amount each month for regular work, whether that’s photography, video, social content, or creative consulting.
The beauty of retainers is that you’re no longer constantly hustling for new business. You’re not guessing what next month looks like. You have consistent, reliable income coming in every 30 days.
And clients love them too. They don’t want to rehire you every time they need something. They want the simplicity of knowing they have access to you, consistently, on their terms. It creates trust, flow, and a real partnership.
We all agreed: retainers are the #1 way to break the feast-and-famine cycle and build something sustainable.
Final Thoughts: Build a Business That Works for You
This roundtable chat really wasn’t about getting down to the individual tactics that work. We wanted to understand how to get back in control. How to not let our businesses happen to us. How to build systems and strategies that support the kind of creative life we actually want to live.
So whether you start reaching out proactively, show up to that next local event, rethink your social content, test a smarter ad strategy, or pitch your first retainer client—start somewhere.
Pick one thing and go all in. Because consistent income, steady growth, and real freedom? That doesn’t come from chasing every new trick. It happens when you do the foundational work that actually works.
