If you have ever felt overwhelmed by how loud and crowded it feels online with the constant posting, optimizing, and trying to stay visible, you are not alone. Over the past few years, I have found myself quietly moving toward something slower, more personal, and more sustainable: analog marketing.
This shift started with my newsletter, The Firefly Letters. It became a space where I could be more honest, more thoughtful, and more myself than anywhere else online. That small decision to write more intimately led to something bigger: a deeper interest in creating real, human connections that extend beyond the screen.
That’s when I made the shift from marketing as a performance to marketing with intent. In today’s episode, I’m sharing some of the ways I go analog in my business and what that looks like for this year. Listen in as I highlight a few ways you can incorporate analog marketing into your own business!
A Creative Reset for Family Photographers
Ready to reconnect with why you started and fall back in love with your business? The Photo Fuel Retreat is an intimate, in-person experience designed for family photographers who care deeply about storytelling, sustainability, and doing work that actually feels good. Think of it as your space to slow down, think deeply, and build real connection—with your craft, your values, and a small circle of like-minded creatives.
Why Analog Marketing Feels Right
Online marketing certainly has its place, and it can be powerful. It is also fast-paced, competitive, and often exhausting. Analog marketing is not a rejection of online tools. Instead, it is a conscious choice to focus on building trust, fostering genuine relationships, and creating memorable experiences.
These are four analog marketing strategies I have been using in my business that feel aligned with my values, and they are actually working. I hope they give you a few ideas of your own.
1. Handwritten Snail Mail That Feels Personal
There is something powerful about receiving a handwritten note in the mail. It signals care and presence. I send postcards and notecards to clients I have loved working with, families I want to reconnect with, or people who come to mind for one reason or another.
Don’t get these confused with promotional messages or marketing. These notes are simple acknowledgments that let clients know that I see them and I’m here.
I use beautiful cards that don’t have my logo or marketing language splashed across them. Sometimes I include a local coffee shop gift card or a note recalling a memory from a previous session. These cards often end up on refrigerators or bookshelves, and that physical presence lingers in a way a digital message rarely does.
Even if you only write three or four cards a month, this can be a meaningful and memorable touchpoint in your business.
2. Local Gatherings That Build Real Trust
Hosting small, in-person events has been one of the most refreshing ways I have connected with people recently. These gatherings are not complicated or highly produced. I have hosted simple things like a book swap on my back porch, a wine night at a local patio, and even a pumpkin painting morning at a neighborhood park where kids were welcome.
These meetups are not about selling, but they instead focus on conversation and presence. They work because they are built on trust. I send the invitations through a private email list for safety and intimacy, (I don’t recommend blasting them on social media). That keeps the tone personal and the setting relaxed.
In-person relationships grow faster and more naturally than digital ones. Even if you are an introvert, gathering with three or four people in a cozy setting can lead to genuine connection—and you never know when it will lead to future work, too.
3. School Photography That Introduces My Work
One of the best ways I meet new families is through outdoor school photography. It is not traditional or posed. I use natural light, focus on personality, and approach it with the same mindset I use during full family sessions. The beauty of this work is that it allows people to experience my style and approach before ever reaching out for a session of their own.
It is a form of service first, and marketing second. If parents love the way I photograph their children, it opens the door for future sessions, referrals, and a sense of familiarity with me and my work.
If you are curious about doing this kind of work, make sure you’re on the waitlist for my school photography course.
4. In-Person Retreats That Speak for Themselves
Of all the things I do in my business, hosting retreats has been the most transformational—for both myself and the photographers who attend. These small, intentional gatherings provide space for honest conversation, shared meals, and real learning.
There is something about being in the same room with like-minded creatives that accelerates growth and builds lifelong connections. I don’t have a massive online following, but I also don’t need one. When people have an incredible experience, they talk about it. Their stories become the most authentic form of marketing.
Rather than chasing trends or constant content creation, I focus on depth and service. Retreats allow me to be fully present and create something meaningful, which naturally generates interest and excitement for future events.
Analog Marketing Is Not About Going Backward
Choosing analog marketing is not about rejecting the digital world. It is about valuing presence over performance and creating experiences that people remember, big and small. These approaches may not scale in the same way as viral reels or targeted ads, but they create loyalty, trust, and genuine connection which converts in just the right ways for a local, personal business.
If you are feeling burned out by the fast pace of online marketing, it might be time to try something slower and more rooted.
Find It Quickly:
01:37 – Embracing Analog Methods in Marketing
04:22 – Introduction to Photo Fuel
04:47 – Analog Marketing Method 1: Snail Mail
08:41 – Analog Marketing Method 2: Hosting Local Gatherings
17:10 – Analog Marketing Method 3: Outdoor School Photography
20:08 – Analog Marketing Method 4: In-Person Education Retreats
Mentioned in this Episode:
School Photography Course Waitlist
You might also like:
Episode 56: The Missing Link to your Photography Marketing with Michelle Franzetti
Episode 54: Seasonal Booking and Creative Growth in Family Photography with Lyndsay McNiff
