If you’ve ever thought, “Once I hit 10k followers, brands will start lining up to work with me,” I’m here to lovingly call BS. While visibility can help, a big following is not a requirement for getting paid brand deals as a commercial photographer or videographer. I built my six-figure creative business working with brands like Target and Sephora without ever going viral — and I’ve taught dozens of other creatives to do the same.

Here’s the truth: brands don’t care about your follower count nearly as much as they care about your ability to deliver strong, on-brand content that connects with their audience and sells their product.

Whether you’re just getting started or trying to land higher-budget campaigns, here’s how to start working with brands — even if your following is still growing.

1. Focus on Your Portfolio, Not Your Feed

Your Instagram grid is not your portfolio. It’s a highlight reel. If you want to work with brands, you need a clean, professional portfolio that speaks to the kind of clients you want to attract.

If you want to shoot skincare, your portfolio should feature clean product lighting and beauty-focused content. If you want to shoot for lifestyle brands, you need to show storytelling, emotion, and real-world context.

No portfolio = no proof = no pitch.

🔥 Want help building a portfolio that actually books brand work? Check out our in-person experience, Portfolio Building Day, where we shoot with top models and real products so you leave with a client-ready portfolio in one day.

2. Create Your Own Spec Work

This is the biggest cheat code. You don’t need to wait for a brand to hire you — create the work as if you were already hired.

Pick a product you love (bonus points if it’s in your niche) and shoot a mini campaign for it. Include close-ups, lifestyle moments, and vertical and horizontal crops. Pretend you’re delivering final assets to a real client.

Then post it to your website or social media and tag the brand. It shows initiative, style, and proof of execution.

Even better: send the assets in a cold pitch email to the brand’s marketing team. That leads us to the next step.

3. Learn How to Pitch Like a Pro

Most photographers wait for brands to come to them. That’s not how it works at the commercial level.

Pitching is a skill, and it’s one I teach all of my students. Your pitch should be short, specific, and client-focused. Don’t send paragraphs about your passion for photography — brands care about what you can do for them.

Here’s a simple formula that works:

• Who you are
• Why you love the brand
• What you want to shoot
• How it will help their goals
• A link to your portfolio

And yes, you can 100% pitch brands with spec work. I’ve landed paid projects off spec work alone.

4. Understand Brand Budgets and Usage Rights

This is where most creatives undercharge — or don’t charge at all. You need to know the value of your work beyond the shoot day.

When a brand hires you, they’re not just paying for your time. They’re paying for licensing and usage rights. Where is the content going? How long will they use it? Is it for social only or national ads?

You don’t need a business degree, but you do need a solid understanding of commercial pricing.

Not sure how to calculate usage fees or what to charge? I built a tool to make it easy. Use the Rate Calculator GPT to confidently quote your next job without leaving money on the table.

5. Build Relationships Behind the Scenes

Most brand deals don’t start in public. They start in the DMs, in an email, or from a referral. Focus on building genuine relationships with brand founders, creative directors, and social media managers.

Comment thoughtfully on their posts. Share their launches. Be a real supporter — not a clout chaser.

And don’t underestimate the power of a strong follow-up email after an initial pitch. Persistence (with professionalism) is part of the game.

You Don’t Need a Big Following. You Need a Big Vision.

The photographers and videographers who win brand work are not always the ones with the loudest voices online. They’re the ones with a strong body of work, a clear point of view, and the confidence to put themselves out there.

If you’re ready to land consistent brand clients and grow a profitable business doing work you love, I’d love to support you inside The Prolific Program — my year-long coaching experience for photographers and videographers ready to go pro.

Let’s build the creative career you’ve been dreaming of. No viral reel required.