Chase business
Marketing yourself as a chaser
Building an audience is one thing. Building a brand that gets you paid work is another. Here is the marketing playbook.
The essentials
- Portfolio website (personal domain).
- Signature style.
- Professional email.
- LinkedIn presence.
- Instagram and YouTube.
- Business cards.
- Watermarked images.
- Consistent name across platforms.
- Media kit.
- Speaker bio.
The portfolio website
Domain
yourname.com preferred over social handles.
Platform
SquareSpace, Wix, or Wordpress. WordPress if serious.
Hosting
$5-$20/month.
Structure
Home, Portfolio, About, Services, Contact.
Portfolio pages
By category: chase, damage, structure, lightning.
SEO
Alt text on images. Meta descriptions. Sitemap.
Analytics
Google Analytics or Fathom.
Contact form
Not just email link.
The image portfolio
- Pick your best 20-30 images.
- Ruthlessly cut mediocre ones.
- Consistent color grade.
- High resolution (4000+ px wide for web display).
- Include location, date, description.
- Metadata: your name, copyright.
- Watermark discreetly.
- Different pages for different subjects.
- Update seasonally.
The About page
- Who you are.
- How long you've been chasing.
- Certifications (Skywarn, etc.).
- Media appearances.
- Awards.
- Your story.
- Personality glimpse.
- One professional photo of you.
The Services page
Photo licensing
Rates by usage.
Chase tour guiding
Rates by day/week.
Consulting
Hourly rates.
Speaking
Rates by event.
Video work
Rates by project.
Prints
Sizes and prices.
Chase logs
For research clients.
The Contact page
- Contact form.
- Professional email (not gmail).
- Phone (business line).
- Response time expectation.
- Media inquiries handling.
- License request handling.
- Response within 24 hours ideal.
Business cards
- Simple, high-quality.
- Name.
- Phone and email.
- Website URL.
- Instagram/social.
- One striking image.
- Hand at conferences.
- Include with print orders.
The media kit
- PDF of your credentials.
- Bio (short + long versions).
- Headshot (high-res).
- Portfolio highlights.
- Past media appearances.
- Speaking topics.
- Rate card.
- Client testimonials.
- Contact info.
- For potential clients and press.
Networking
ChaserCon
Annual chaser conference.
Local NWS office
Coffee hours, spotter meetings.
AMS student chapters
University connections.
Chase Facebook groups
Regional community.
Twitter/X weather community
Real-time engagement.
Local emergency management
Public safety connections.
TV meteorologists in your market
Media relationships.
Camera club or photography meetup
Industry adjacencies.
Getting media work
- Cold pitch to network assignment desks.
- Provide clip during active outbreak.
- Follow up.
- Build relationship with specific reporters.
- Be available when they call.
- Deliver on time.
- Fair pricing.
- Get contracts in writing.
- Track invoicing.
The specific media buyers
- Live Storms Media (broker).
- AP, Reuters photo desks.
- NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox assignment desks.
- Local TV newsrooms.
- Weather Channel.
- Discovery / Nat Geo (documentary).
- Specialty websites (Space.com, Wired).
- Book publishers.
- Textbook publishers.
- Trade magazine publishers.
The tone of your brand
- Serious and educational — or fun and entertaining.
- Editorial — or personality-driven.
- Community-focused — or individual-focused.
- Pick a lane.
- Consistency matters.
- Match tone across platforms.
- Adjust for audience but keep core.
The years-long build
- Overnight success is rare.
- 3-5 years to establish brand.
- Consistency matters more than any single moment.
- Quality over quantity.
- Community respect > follower count.
- Content compounds.
- Old work still gets discovered.
- Be patient.
- Keep chasing for love, monetize as bonus.