Kerrching Beats Bling Bling: Why Relevance, not Reach, is the Real Currency in Modern Photography By Damian McGillicuddy
The Gap Between Attention and Income
I was recently in a room with a talented photographer, decent following, plenty of online noise. They showed me their phone with a grin.
“Look at this… 12,000 followers now. It’s flying.”
Impressive on paper. I nodded. Then I asked the only question that really matters:
“How’s business?”
There was a proper pause. “Bit quiet at the minute… but the engagement’s really strong.”
And there it was—the gap. The gap between attention… and income. Between noise… and bookings. Between bling… and kerching.
“The gap between attention and income is where most photography businesses quietly fail.”
We’ve built a culture that celebrates attention while quietly ignoring income. But this isn’t a popularity contest. It’s a business.
Why Real Relevance Lives at the Coal Face
There’s a dangerous habit in our industry: we follow the big names, the polished speakers, the ones with the stages and slides. They tell us what works and what we must buy next.
I’ve told my mentees this for years:
“The day I stop being a working photographer, give me 18–24 months and I’ll go off the boil. Not because I’ve lost the craft, but because I’m no longer solving real problems for real clients.”
Relevance is built at the coal face:
- Handling objections
- Pricing jobs
- Losing and winning jobs
- Fixing mistakes
- Adapting and refining
- Delivering, repeating, evolving
You can’t simulate this. You can’t theorise it. And you certainly can’t package it into a one-size-fits-all formula.
The Great Social Media Illusion
For the last decade, we’ve been told: post more, grow your following, chase the numbers. Visibility matters. But visibility to who?
Likes from Vladivostok or comments from Texas feel good. Lovely. But that’s theatre—not business.
“Bling bling might feed your ego… but kerching feeds your business.”
Most photographers aren’t selling globally scalable products. They’re selling trust, experience, and craftsmanship in a local market. That means the real game isn’t reach—it’s relevance.
Stop Chasing Followers. Start Attracting Clients
The wrong question is: “Should I chase more followers?”
The right question is: “How do I attract people likely to become clients?”
Here’s a simple approach: ask each happy client to recommend you to 3–5 friends—and ask those friends to follow you.
What you’ve done:
- Created a locally relevant audience
- Built a warmer, trust-based audience
- Reached people rooted in your actual market
Suddenly, social media stops being a vanity project and starts becoming a business tool.
“The difference between bling bling… and kerching.”
The Myth of the Universal Solution
There isn’t a single formula that works everywhere. Local economy, demographics, spending habits, competition, and perceived value all matter.
What works in London may fail in Lancashire. What works in New York may fall flat in Newcastle.
Blindly copying strategies from someone else rarely builds a business. They can provide a framework—but no one can run your studio for you.
Local and Margin: The Real Levers
Success comes from understanding two things:
- Local market – this is where your business lives
- Margin – this is what keeps it alive
A large following means little if it doesn’t convert. A busy diary means little if pricing is wrong. A viral post means little if it brings no bookings.
A well-positioned, local, trusted brand delivering consistently? That’s power. That’s sustainable. That’s business.
Responsibility Over Replication
Too many photographers abdicate their judgement. They follow, copy, replicate, and hope.
“No mentor, speaker, or influencer will ever care about your business as much as you must.”
Learn from others—but never surrender your responsibility to understand your clients, area, offer, numbers, and positioning.
Built From the Trenches, Not the Textbook
Everything I teach has been tested, broken, fixed, and refined—not just in my studio, but across hundreds of others. Different locations, clients, price points, and challenges.
“The moment you stop solving real problems for real clients is the moment your relevance starts to fade.”
Success comes from clarity: market, message, positioning, and value. Not popularity, not trends, not vanity metrics.
The Future Belongs to the Thinkers
Photography isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s nuanced, local, and personal. Those who thrive:
- Build trust where they actually trade
- Attract the right audience, not just a large one
- Turn clients into advocates
- Focus on margin, not vanity
- Stay relevant by staying active
“You don’t need more followers—you need more of the right people following you.”
In the end, business isn’t about applause. It’s about outcomes. And I’ll take kerching over bling bling every single time.
Take Action Today
If you want to turn attention into income and build a photography business that lasts:
- Explore our Mentoring Programme
- Join our Photographic Webinars
- Discover the full range of Membership Benefits
Your business deserves more than likes. It deserves kerching.
