The 70/20/10 rule
70% of your acquisition time and dollars should go to Google search visibility + at least one curated photography marketplace (Chromafolio, Thumbtack, The Knot). These are the channels where someone with intent to hire actually shops.
20% to referral systems: post-delivery email asking for a specific referral; partner with venues, planners, and florists with reciprocal recommendations; have a clear referral fee or credit policy (yes, this is allowed — disclose it).
10% to social. Yes, Instagram is required for portfolio inspection; no, it does not drive paid bookings at scale. The photographers crediting Instagram are almost always running referral systems or have a Google footprint they're discounting.
Google SEO basics for photographers
Three pages every photography business should have: (1) a city + service page ('Wedding photographer in Austin'); (2) a comparison or alternative page ('Austin wedding photographers compared'); (3) an FAQ-rich pricing page. These are the queries with commercial intent — i.e., the searcher has their wallet out.
Avoid the 'beautiful portfolio + nothing else' trap. Visual portfolios rank poorly on Google because there's no text for the crawler. Add 200–400 words of context per gallery + a session-type page.
Marketplaces that actually convert
Curated photography marketplaces convert higher than general services platforms because the searcher is already in the right frame. Chromafolio bundles a leads marketplace with the gallery product so the photographer doesn't need separate accounts. The Knot is highly trafficked but commodity-priced for weddings. Thumbtack drives volume in large metros but pulls pricing down.