Being a skilled photographer isn’t enough if no one sees your work. Talent alone won’t bring clients or make a living. If you want to turn photography into a business, you need marketing. Without it, even the best photos won’t generate income.
Coming to you from Keith Cooper, this practical video breaks down why marketing is just as important as skill when building a photography career. Many assume that great images will attract clients naturally, but that’s rarely the case. The video emphasizes that successful photographers understand their audience, know how to reach them, and make sure their work solves a problem. Social media can play a role, but relying on it alone is like gambling—some win, most don’t. Instead of chasing viral success, consistent marketing efforts lead to steady work. The most recognized photographers built their careers through years of effort, not luck.
The video also highlights a common mistake: treating marketing as an occasional task instead of an ongoing process. Many think they can promote their work for a week, then forget about it for months. That approach doesn’t work. Marketing has to be woven into everything you do, from your website to how you present yourself to potential clients. Cooper points out that even famous photographers don’t rely on reputation alone—they actively manage their brand. A polished website or impressive social media following doesn’t always mean a photographer is thriving. What matters is whether their work brings in repeat business, which is often a better measure of success than follower counts.
Understanding your target audience is essential. If you don’t know who your ideal clients are or what they need, getting hired will be much harder. For example, an architect and a marketing team might want completely different types of images, even if they’re both working on the same project. Cooper stresses the importance of tailoring your work to your client’s needs instead of just shooting what you like. The better you understand your audience, the easier it is to attract and retain clients. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Cooper.
If you would like to learn more about the business of photography, check out "Making Real Money: The Business of Commercial Photography With Monte Isom!"
That's exactly right. You need to know what they want, their product, understand their process and hierarchy. In other words, who does what and who you can get fired from making a mistake. If that person goes, you will most likely go too. Also you have to provide consistency in every aspect including being on time. Mentally, it's a super stressful exercise because the elements constantly change from staff to upper management new directions and you are on your own to determine what they are changing and adapt to it on the fly. I didn't know until very recently that my body has an extremely high and near constant resilience level. I think that's why I have managed to keep my most paying and regular clients for over 25 years despite an absolute 100% replacement of the staff over that period of time. Basically you adapt to them and if you can't, it's not for you. Your personal work has no value here, knowledge is what they want.