Stop Ghosting Your Own Leads: The Follow Up System Every Photographer Needs

Picture this: A potential client reaches out about booking a session with you. You send them your pricing and information, then… crickets. Days pass, maybe even weeks, and you never hear back. Sound familiar?

Here’s the thing – while we photographers often complain about clients ghosting us, we might be accidentally ghosting them too. In today’s digital world where everyone’s inbox is overflowing, a single email just isn’t enough anymore. You need a strategic follow up system that keeps you top-of-mind without being pushy.

In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly how to create a follow up system that converts more inquiries into bookings, plus share the templates and strategies that have helped me book thousands of dollars worth of sessions.

But before we dive in—Hi! I’m Melissa, and I’m an SEO expert here to help portrait photographers finally get found by their dream clients on Google—without the technical overwhelm. Whether you need done-for-you SEO services, step-by-step coaching through my proven system, or monthly blogging strategies (like my Blogging Club membership!), I’ve got the tools to transform your invisible website into a client-attracting machine. Ready to stop being the best-kept secret in your market?

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If you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to listen to the full podcast episode where we break down all these strategies in detail. But if you’re ready to get straight to the actionable stuff, this blog post lays it all out for you step-by-step. Either way, you’re going to walk away with concrete strategies you can implement right away to start attracting more of your dream clients through search.

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Why One Email Isn’t Enough Anymore

Let me paint you a picture from a client’s perspective. My co-host Allison recently shared her experience trying to book family photographers in multiple states – South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, and Hawaii. Out of three photographers she contacted, one took days to respond and then completely ghosted her, another conducted everything through social media (making it nearly impossible to track their conversation), and the third left her hanging without clear next steps.

Here’s the reality: Everyone’s inbox is overflowing. Between email, text messages, Instagram DMs, and social media notifications, it’s incredibly easy for your inquiry response to get buried. Even my best friend recently asked if I’d been getting her texts because I hadn’t responded – and it wasn’t because they weren’t going through. They just got lost in the digital noise.

Pro Tip: Your potential clients aren’t intentionally ignoring you. They’re overwhelmed by digital communication just like you are. A strategic follow up system helps you stay visible without being annoying.

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The Foundation: Setting Up Your Inquiry System

Before we dive into follow-up emails, let’s talk about setting up a system that prevents leads from getting lost in the first place.

Use a Contact Form Connected to Your CRM

I use a contact form on my website that feeds directly into my CRM (I use Tave). This means:

• Inquiries don’t get lost in my email inbox
• I can track the status of every lead
• Everything is organized in one place
• I can see at a glance who needs follow-up

Even if the email goes to my spam folder or gets buried, I can always log into my CRM to see all my inquiries.

*P.S: A CRM is a Customer Relationship Management System and Táve is the most customizable CRM for photographers.

Create Your First Response Template

Stop rewriting inquiry responses from scratch every time. Create one solid template that includes:

• A personalized video (more on this below)
• Your pricing information
• Clear next steps
• How to book or schedule a call

Bonus Tip: Want to take this to the next level? Tave lets you create these automated sequences once and they’ll work for every single inquiry. Set it and forget it—your follow-up game will be stronger than 95% of photographers out there. Get Tave here!

Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through these links at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products and services that I personally use and believe will add value to your photography business. Your support helps me continue creating free, helpful content for photographers like you. Thank you for your support!

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The Magic of Video in Your First Response

Here’s something that sets my inquiry responses apart: I include a personalized video. Sometimes it’s completely custom for that client, other times it’s my generic introduction video where I just update the first paragraph of my email.

The Two-Channel Approach

After sending my email response, I also send a quick text message:

“Hey, this is Melissa Arlena, the newborn photographer you reached out to. I just wanted to let you know I sent over the information you were requesting. Have a great day.”

Notice how I keep it short and don’t invite a text conversation. I’m just making sure they know to check their email. This hits them in two places, increasing the chances they’ll see at least one message.

Bonus Tip: Tave is rolling out automated text messaging soon, which will make this process even smoother. But for now, a quick manual text works wonders.

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Creating Your 3-Email Follow-Up Sequence

If I don’t hear back within two days, my CRM automatically triggers my follow-up sequence. Here’s exactly how it works:

Email #1: The Gentle Check-In (Day 2-3)

“Hey [Name], you inquired with me a couple days ago. Just wanted to check back in. I know things get busy when you’re having a baby (or planning family photos), but I wanted to pop this back to the top of your email box.”

Keep it light, understanding, and brief. You can add info about scheduling a call if they have questions or encourage them to email you. I also like to share a recent blog post that maybe helpful for them to read.

Email #2: The Second Touch (Day 4-5)

“I know how crazy life can be and I’m sure your To Do list is a mile long like mine. Let me help you cross maternity session off your list! Just shoot me back a quick email saying yes lets do this and then sit back and relax knowing you accomplished at list one thing on your list today.”

Similar concept, different wording. You’re acknowledging that life happens and you’re just making sure they saw your information.

Email #3: The “Magic Email” (Day 7-8)

This is where things get interesting. Some people call this the “magic email” because it’s direct and often gets responses. Here’s my version:

Subject: “It’s #2 right?”

Recently I emailed about your maternity session inquiry…and as I haven’t heard from you, I can only assume one of the following:

1) You’re now not interested and I’m reduced to the status of an annoying piece of spam clogging up your email.

or

2) You desperately want to contact me, but you’re trapped under a pile of baby diapers and can’t reach your phone or PC.

P.S. If it is #2, please let me know and I’ll send someone round to help you out.

I keep it lighthearted and funny. You’d be amazed how many people respond with actual photos of their diaper piles, thanking me for continuing to follow up!

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Templates and Automation That Save Time

Here’s the key to making this system work without burning out: automation and templates.

My Follow-Up Schedule

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday: I check my CRM for leads needing follow-up
• Every 2 days: Automated follow-up emails go out
• After 2 weeks: Leads automatically close if no response

Template Organization

Save all your email templates with clear labels:

• “Initial Inquiry Response”
• “First Follow-Up”
• “Second Follow-Up”
• “Magic Email”

Even if you don’t have a CRM yet, you can save these as drafts in Gmail and use a simple spreadsheet to track when you need to follow up with each lead.

Pro Tip: When someone books a call or shows interest, I tag them differently in my system so they don’t continue getting the automated follow-ups. The key is having clear systems for different stages of your client journey.

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Your Action Steps

Ready to stop ghosting your leads? Here’s what to do to create your follow up system:

• Write your initial inquiry response template (include video if possible)
• Create your 3-email follow-up sequence using the examples above
• Set up a simple tracking system – CRM, spreadsheet, or saved Gmail drafts
• Commit to following up within 2-3 days, then every 2-3 days after
• Include clear next steps in every email (book a call, reply with questions, etc.)

Remember: these people reached out to YOU first. Following up isn’t being pushy – it’s being professional and making sure they get the information they requested.

Stop leaving your potential clients guessing what to do next. With a solid follow-up system, you’ll book more sessions and provide a better client experience from the very first touchpoint.

Ready to take your SEO and client communication to the next level? Join The Blogging Club for monthly blog templates and marketing strategies that help photographers like you stay visible and book more clients. Or grab our free 35+ Blog Post Topics for Photographers to never run out of content ideas again.

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