Plus, the biggest mistake I see photographers, videographers, and other creatives make when trying to build their business.
This isn’t the first time I’ve talked about the biggest mistake I see when it comes to how photographers, videographers, and other creatives market their businesses. In fact, I’ve seen this all over the place in my more than two-decades-long career in the photography industry.
And that’s relying on reactive marketing versus proactive marketing techniques.
And side note, if your eyes glaze over when you hear someone mention the word “marketing” then that’s really your first mistake. If it behooves you to replace “marketing” with “ways to get more clients” then please do that. But either way, shifting your focus in this way is pretty much guaranteed to change your business for the better.
So what is reactive marketing?
That means only responding when something happens. Your website, for the most part, is a reactive marketing tool. You spend a lot of time building it, but you only engage with prospective clients when they contact you. You have to wait for someone to engage with you.
Most social media is reactive marketing too. You post content to multiple platforms and then you wait for people to see it and then you wait some more for them to engage with it. You don’t communicate until they’ve initiated contact.
Sort of makes you rethink the entirety of your business when you look at it from this perspective, doesn’t it? If this is you, let me be clear: it’s going to be incredibly difficult for you to build a sustainable business.
What I often notice with photographers who struggle to grow their business is that they rely heavily on reactive marketing strategies. And honestly, it’s easy to see why.
As photographers, we likely weren’t taught to be proactive in our marketing techniques. We were taught that if we had a great portfolio, could be counted on to create exceptional work, and had a solid work ethic, that would be enough to draw clients in. But we find ourselves confused and dismayed when we achieve all those things–and yet new clients aren’t reaching out to us.
This is where we need to put our business hats on and finally learn how to market ourselves proactively instead.
This means that you are the one starting a conversation with a prospective client in the hopes of landing business.
Maybe you create mailers to send out (how vintage), create email campaigns, make funnels on social that invite people into conversations, or directly reach out to prospective clients through phone calls or knocking on doors (very retro!). These are all examples of taking a more proactive approach.
I can feel your fear now: “But James, I don’t want to come across too pushy, sales-y, or overbearing.” I hear you. But also? I know there’s a way to do these things that feels authentic to you and doesn’t feel pushy at all. In fact, it’ll feel more like simply building relationships when you find your sweet spot.
In the last few weeks, I’ve been reaching out to past clients–literally people I had worked with anywhere from five to twenty years ago. Not once did I ask any of them to hire me again. I wanted to reintroduce myself and see what they’d been up to the last few years. And you know what? A lot of those conversations led to sales. Sales that wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t reached out to say hi.
You don’t have to abandon your website, social media, or referrals–they still play an important role. But if you want to consistently grow your business, you can’t rely on waiting for the phone to ring or your DMs to light up. You need to take the lead.
The key is balance: combine the credibility of your reactive marketing with the momentum of proactive outreach. Start conversations. Reconnect with past clients. Introduce yourself to new ones. Find ways to be present in the minds of the people you want to work with–before they even know they need you.
Marketing doesn’t have to feel gross. It’s simply about making it easy for the right people to find you, trust you, and hire you. And when you shift from waiting to initiating, that’s when your business starts to grow on purpose–not by accident.
Marketing Support for Phoenix Photographers Who Want More Clients
If you’re a photographer or creative professional in Phoenix looking to book more clients and grow your business with purpose, let’s talk. As an experienced Phoenix photographer, I specialize in helping fellow creatives move from reactive to proactive marketing strategies that drive real results. Book a consultation today and discover how to build a photography business that consistently attracts the right clients—without waiting around for inquiries.
