The Simple Secret to Successful Mini Sessions as a Newborn and Family Photographer
Mini sessions are one of those things that many photographers have very strong opinions about.
Some, like me, love them and do them every year as a special event for their clients; some absolutely hate them.
If you are in the “I Hate Mini Sessions” camp, listen up. I’m writing this post for you!
Will mini sessions hurt my regular business?
No! Well, not if you do it right!
I know that a lot of photographers stay away from mini sessions because they worry that offering a short, less expensive version of their services will keep clients from booking the longer, more expensive packages they offer and, in the end, hurt their business.
Minis help meet the needs of ALL of your clients!
The truth is, mini-session clients and full-session clients have different needs and are looking for different experiences.
Offering full sessions and well-timed minis can actually help grow your business by meeting the needs of both types of clients.
You see, full session clients love (and need) a long session. They want to spend the time making sure everything is perfect. They don’t want to feel rushed. They are planners. They are coming to you to create heirlooms, not just to get a few photos.
Mini-session clients, however, want something quick and easy.
They are the people who worry that their kids will have a meltdown in a full session.
They are the clients who call and say, “I only want one or two photos for the holiday card.”
They are frantic, busy parents who are afraid that they’ve missed their chance for family photos again this year!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a client sigh at the end of a mini session and say, “I knew my kid could only handle 15 minutes! That was great.” Or, “Thank you so much. This year has been so busy that this is all I had time for!”
Understanding that the clients who want a quick, easy photo session are a different version of your ideal client is really important when planning and marketing your minis. Knowing how your mini-session client is different from your regular client gives you the opportunity to create something special for them and something profitable for you.
Make your minis special!
The secret to creating a profitable mini session event is to make your minis special!
They must be different from your normal package to meet the needs of your mini session clients!.
One way to do this is by making them much shorter than your normal sessions.
My normal sessions are an hour long. And my mini sessions to 15 minutes!
The significantly shorter time makes it easy for parents who are nervous about committing to a longer session, who are afraid their kids can’t hand a full hour, or who just want one or two photos from the day to book!
Also, I only offer my mini sessions once a year, over one weekend in the fall.
That is it.
Keeping them limited in this way provides an opportunity for those people who have put off booking their photos.
It creates urgency, which is a good motivator for busy parents and last-minute planners.
This is the biggest mistake I see photographers make when marketing minis
The biggest mistake photographers make when it comes to min session is this: they offer them throughout the year.
This is a mistake because it eliminates scarcity and turns your minis from a special event into your lowest priced package.
And that, my friend, will hurt your business.
Instead, work on creating buzz and excitement around them.
Mine have become a tradition that I look forward to every year. My clients love them, and so do I.
Now is the time to start planning your fall mini sessions
Another big mistake I see photographers make is waiting too late before planning their minis.
The best time to do mini sessions is in the fall when families are looking to get their photos taken for the Holidays! That means that now, August, is when you should be planning your event. And them start marketing in September!
My minis generate 8k to 10k each day!
Minis session can be incredibly profitable. Mine routinely generate around 30k over a three day period. And I’ve see many of the people I’ve taught my method to get the same results!
What to learn more? Follow this link to get my course The Mini Method.
In this class you’ll learn how to:
Plan successfully
Price for profit
Effective marketing stratagies
Day of workflow
How to turn your Mini’s into a list building event!.
