A couple of weeks ago, I said referrals are not a marketing strategy. And the second I said it, I thought, “Well, technically, they can be, though.”

If you know anything about me, you know nothing is black and white in my head. I am constantly challenging even my own thoughts (it’s exhausting).

I stand by the fact that most business owners are not using referrals strategically. They’re depending on them to work quietly in the background without a referral program, a way to nurture those relationships, or anything beyond crossing their fingers.

But if your best clients really do come from referrals, where does your digital marketing fit? Why are we spending time on Instagram and investing in fancy websites if those platforms aren’t technically where our best clients originate?

The answer is that word of mouth has gone digital. That makes a strong online presence for photographers part of the referral process, whether you realize it or not.

“I’m Going to Send You Her Instagram” Is the New Referral

One of my girlfriends recently texted me and asked for the name of someone we had met at a networking event. She wanted to invite her onto her podcast.

I knew who she meant and responded, “Oh, yeah, Kristen. I’m going to send you her Instagram.”

And suddenly, it all clicked. Kristen was still being referred through word of mouth. Someone who knew her had a positive experience and passed her name along to another person. But the referral didn’t immediately lead to a booking or conversation. It led to her Instagram, where the person receiving the recommendation could do her own digging.

Referrals used to start and end with a name: “You should book this person. I had a great experience with her.” Now they often end with a link to someone’s Instagram or website.

That digital presence is officially part of the referral process.

Your Potential Brand Photography Clients Are Looking You Up

My very best clients have come to me through referrals, and I don’t want that to change. They’re the best.

But I also cannot remember the last time I got onto a discovery call and the person didn’t mention looking me up first. Even after someone refers me, potential clients binge my Instagram, read my website, and sometimes listen to this podcast (if you’re doing that right now.. hi!).

The time between someone hearing my name and getting on a call with me is often short because trust builds quickly through the online reputation I have intentionally curated.

Word of mouth isn’t dead. It has simply gone digital, and your brand needs to adapt to that.

What Are Your Photography Referrals Finding?

It is genuinely great if most of your clients come through referrals. But what happens after someone recommends you?

Are potential clients finding someone they can quickly and easily trust? Or are they finding someone who has been ghosting Instagram for six months and whose website still says “family photographer”?

Those experiences do not communicate the same message.

Every referral is looking, checking, and deciding whether they trust you enough to take the next step. Sometimes they can make that decision immediately. Other times, building enough trust takes much longer.

A strong online presence for photographers helps shorten that gap between hearing your name and feeling ready to reach out.

Brand Photographers Need to Look Like They Understand Branding

This matters for brand photographers almost more than anyone else. We are selling a branding service, and it is bold to assume someone will hire you for branding if it doesn’t look like you have your own shit together when it comes to your brand.

Hot mess is not a strategy.

A lot of creatives believe they get a pass because they’re artists. “We’re creative, so we’re allowed to be a little chaotic, right?” But as a brand photographer, you are much more than an artist. You are also a strategist and creative director. That is part of why you get to charge what you charge.

When I hire a brand photographer, I want someone who understands business and marketing. I want someone who knows what works—or is committed to figuring it out—because that’s exactly what I’m asking her to understand about me and my business.

You don’t need a formal background in branding or marketing. You do, however, have to be willing to learn through your own business, education, and experience. Call me crazy, but I think that willingness is the bare minimum for a business owner.

Curating Your Brand Is Not Inauthentic

You might be wondering whether showing a more polished, strategic version of yourself is fake. Can’t you just be yourself? Can’t you show the messy version?

Curating your brand is not pretending to be someone else. It is choosing which version of you supports the results you’re working toward.

I talked in the previous episode about Million Dollar Maddie—the million-dollar version of you. She is not an entirely different person. She is simply someone who decided she wanted a certain result and then went after it.

Your brand is also much more than a logo or font pairing. It includes:

• How you appear
• What you put into the world
• How you show up on client calls
• How you dress
• What your website looks like
• The experience of working with you
• What someone sees on your Instagram

Your brand is a living, breathing thing, and it is curated. You are not creating a fake identity from nothing. You are deciding what belongs in your public brand and what gets to remain personal.

What do you want people to experience? What do you want them to perceive? What parts of your life matter deeply to you but don’t necessarily belong in your brand?

You get to make those decisions.

Branding Is Not Something to Save for Later

Too many photographers treat branding like a nice-to-have—something they will finally prioritize once they have more time, more money, or reach some arbitrary milestone.

You have to flip that thinking because a strong brand is what helps create those results. It allows you to charge more, book better clients, and eventually outsource so you can gain the time freedom you’ve been craving.

If you’ve been waiting to build your brand until you have the time and money it is supposed to produce, that is backwards. I know that can feel uncomfortable, but it is also necessary.

Referrals are not the enemy. An untouched, ignored, six-month-stale digital presence is the problem—even when most of your clients come through word of mouth.

Turn More Instagram Attention Into Inquiries

If you want to increase your inquiries, book better clients, or attract higher-paying clients, I want you inside my upcoming masterclass, Invisible to Inquiries, on September 10.

We’re going to talk about how to go from invisible to visible online so you can book more clients specifically through your Instagram content. The goal is to make sure the time you spend marketing your business is no longer wasted.

You can register at maddiepeschong.com/masterclass or sign up here!