The “Quiet” Strategy to Book Premium Clients With Less Than 1K Followers
Sat Jan 31 2026
You don’t need 10K followers. You don’t even need 1,000. If you’ve been holding off on going “all in” with your social media management business because you think you need a big following first… this is your wake-up call.
In this episode, I’m sharing the quiet strategy to book premium, high-ticket clients — even if you’re brand new and barely have a presence online. These are the same methods I used to go full-time as a social media manager, and what I’ve taught to hundreds of students inside the Dishing Up Digital School.
Spoiler: your follower count is the least important thing. Premium clients aren’t looking for virality — they’re looking for someone who gets results, builds trust, and makes their life easier. That can be you (even if you’re just getting started).
🎧 We’re covering:
- How to build a client-booking portfolio (even with zero experience)
- The exact places to network to find clients who pay well
- Why growth ≠ income (and what to focus on instead)
- Case studies from students who’ve booked $2K+ clients with less than1K followers
If you’re ready to ditch the Instagram follower pressure and start landing real clients in 2026, let’s dive in.
💕 Thank You to Rella for Sponsoring this video
Use code ELLEN for 10% off your subscription:
👉 https://getrella.com/?via=ellen
Students mentioned:Julia - https://www.instagram.com/social.vitality/Jade - https://www.instagram.com/jade.mc.neil/Liv - https://www.instagram.com/lilastudios.nz/Mackenzie - https://www.instagram.com/thesparklestrategy/Alex - https://www.instagram.com/alaskasocialco/
xx
Ellen
________________________________________________________________
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30% off the planning template I use with the code ELLENM30: https://productivitymethod.com/ELLENM30
Camera: https://geni.us/iPjpAt
Lens: https://geni.us/kNkJOx
Full list of tools & software I use: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/tools
🤯 //FREE TRAINING SERIES//
0 to 7 figures: enter your social media manager era!
https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/private-podcast
💻 // WORK WITH ELLEN //
Join the Dishing up Digital School: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/Dishing-up-Digital-School
Join the high level mastermind: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/the-lfg-mastermind
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Buy Ellen’s book: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0473664798
📲 // SOCIAL MEDIA //
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📧 Sponsorship enquiries: team@dishingupdigital.com
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You don’t need 10K followers. You don’t even need 1,000. If you’ve been holding off on going “all in” with your social media management business because you think you need a big following first… this is your wake-up call. In this episode, I’m sharing the quiet strategy to book premium, high-ticket clients — even if you’re brand new and barely have a presence online. These are the same methods I used to go full-time as a social media manager, and what I’ve taught to hundreds of students inside the Dishing Up Digital School. Spoiler: your follower count is the least important thing. Premium clients aren’t looking for virality — they’re looking for someone who gets results, builds trust, and makes their life easier. That can be you (even if you’re just getting started). 🎧 We’re covering: - How to build a client-booking portfolio (even with zero experience) - The exact places to network to find clients who pay well - Why growth ≠ income (and what to focus on instead) - Case studies from students who’ve booked $2K+ clients with less than1K followers If you’re ready to ditch the Instagram follower pressure and start landing real clients in 2026, let’s dive in. 💕 Thank You to Rella for Sponsoring this video Use code ELLEN for 10% off your subscription: 👉 https://getrella.com/?via=ellen Students mentioned:Julia - https://www.instagram.com/social.vitality/Jade - https://www.instagram.com/jade.mc.neil/Liv - https://www.instagram.com/lilastudios.nz/Mackenzie - https://www.instagram.com/thesparklestrategy/Alex - https://www.instagram.com/alaskasocialco/ xx Ellen ________________________________________________________________ 🔗 //LINKS (ad affiliates) // 30% off the planning template I use with the code ELLENM30: https://productivitymethod.com/ELLENM30 Camera: https://geni.us/iPjpAt Lens: https://geni.us/kNkJOx Full list of tools & software I use: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/tools 🤯 //FREE TRAINING SERIES// 0 to 7 figures: enter your social media manager era! https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/private-podcast 💻 // WORK WITH ELLEN // Join the Dishing up Digital School: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/Dishing-up-Digital-School Join the high level mastermind: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/the-lfg-mastermind SMM template bundle: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/offers/DwKaVUZd Buy Ellen’s book: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0473664798 📲 // SOCIAL MEDIA // Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellenmackenziee TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ellenmackenzieee 👩💻 Ellen’s business: https://www.ellenmackenzie.com/ 📧 Sponsorship enquiries: team@dishingupdigital.com