Holiday Mini-Sessions: How to Price, Package, and Promote for Maximum Profit

Ready to make the most of the holiday season with mini-sessions? In this blog post, I’ll walk you through the complete strategy for pricing, packaging, and promoting your holiday mini-sessions to ensure you maximize profit without sacrificing quality.

1. Why Offer Holiday Mini-Sessions

You want to leverage the seasonal demand for quick, high-volume shoots while utilizing the still semi-warm months. I am a photographer in Wisconsin, we are BUSY shooting family portraits in October, but towards the end of October things slow down. The weather is still decent until December-February when it usually turns bitter cold. I recommend scheduling holiday mini-sessions at the beginning of November so you have enough time to edit and return the images to your clients while there is still time for them to order and mail out holiday cards.

By offering holiday mini-sessions you can attract new clients who may end up booking full sessions later. Mini-sessions also generate additional income during the holiday season; which tends to be the start of a photographer’s slow season. You can use that additional income and revenue for holiday expenses OR to save it and use it to get you and your business through the slow season ahead. My January -April tends to be slow for photo sessions in the midwest.

2. Structuring Your Holiday Mini-Sessions

The point of the mini-session is to be MINI, so keep these sessions short, typically 15-20 minutes, I’d say 20 minutes top! You also want to limit the number of photos or deliverables you provide to your clients, i suggest starting at 5 edited images for your basic package. You can then offer additional images for additional money. You could charge $10 or $20 per each additional image they want to buy. You could also sell them the entire edited digital images for say, $500 or another price that fits your business needs and ensures profitability.

Next, choose a specific theme or backdrop and keep it simple and consistent. You could do a Santa theme, Tinsel theme, Northpole, etc. offer select dates/times for your mini-sessions, and make sure there are only a couple of days you are offering the shoots. This will create a sense of urgency for your clients to book.

3. Pricing Your Holiday Mini-Sessions

I LOVE pricing, and when it comes to pricing you NEED to factor in your time, equipment, editing, and ALL overhead costs of your business and this specific photoshoot. Are you hiring someone to dress up as Santa or an Elf? You need to include that in your pricing. Factor in your utilities, rent, time, editing, and profit.

You can offer a special holiday price, just make sure you don’t underprice your work. You are valuable, you are good enough, and you need to charge accordingly.

Consider creating tiered packages with add-ons like extra images, prints, or albums for your clients. Make sure that your least expensive package is what you are willing to walk away with in terms of money, but offer more for more payment! Ensure your pricing aligns with the value you are providing while maintaining profitability.

PRICE= COST (all biz cost, overhead, time) + INTENDED PROFIT

If all of your costs equal $200 and you want to make a 50% profit, you add $100 (50% of $200) so your base price for the mini-session is $300.

I would love to help you figure out your tieres, pricing structure, and profitability.

Head to https://www.jesswaynecoaching.com/ to work with me!

4. Creating the Perfect Mini-Session Package

Offering different packages or bundles will allow your clients to upgrade and get what they want. You can start off with a:

• Basic Package: Short session, few edited images, digital downloads

• Mid-Level Package: Add-on features like prints, holiday cards, or additional images

• Premium Package: Include products such as framed prints, custom albums, or all-inclusive packages

  Encourage upsells by offering these options at booking!

5. Promoting Your Holiday Mini-Sessions

Do you have an email list? No, start one today! Your email list will be so beneficial to have in the future and now.

• Email Marketing: Send targeted email campaigns to past clients and your mailing list

• Social Media: Use platforms like Instagram and Facebook to promote, sharing sneak peeks or behind-the-scenes content

• Limited-Time Offers: Create urgency by offering early-bird pricing or discounts for a limited time

• Collaborations: Partner with local businesses (e.g., florists, event planners) to cross-promote your sessions

6. Managing Your Workflow

Set clear guidelines for booking, including non-refundable deposits and cancellation policies. You don’t want a bunch of clients or even one client to book a coveted mini-session spot and then cancel on you. Using scheduling tools to help you manage multiple bookings efficiently is key. I suggest batch editing to save you time and ensure faster delivery for your clients. Plan for quick turnarounds, especially if clients want these images for holiday cards.

7. Enhancing Client Experience

What makes you and your business stand out and different? You could provide styling tips or guides to help clients prepare for the session. I know this is what I struggle with as a a mom getting my family ready for family photos, ‘what to wear’. By offering a guide or assistance you will serve your clients well! You could also offer personalized touches like holiday-themed props or cookies and snacks. Heck, bribe those kiddos during the shoot with the promise of Christmas cookies for doing a good job! Always follow up after the session with additional offers for prints or full sessions!!

8. Maximizing Profitability

You can upsell products or services (e.g., prints, holiday cards, albums) after the session. Talk with your clients about buying these for easy Christmas gifts for Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and other family members. You can also offer gift certificates for future sessions as holiday gifts. Retarget satisfied clients with promotions for upcoming family or portrait sessions in the new year…get their emails and build your email list!! If social media were to go out or your account gets shut down (I know people who have had this happen to them) you can’t easily get your followers/clients back. If you have an email list with their name and email you have them on YOUR platform!

9. Avoiding Common Pitfalls

• Don’t overbook and overwhelm yourself during the busy holiday season this leads to burnout, trust me you don’t want that!

• Ensure your pricing covers your time and costs, even for “mini” sessions

• Maintain your brand’s quality and consistency, even in shorter sessions, think ahead and ASK your clients at the mini holiday session WHAT other mini sessions they would love to do, (eg. Valentine’s Day, back to school, Easter, Spring, Sunflowers, St. Patty Day…)

10. Post-Holiday Strategies

• Keep in touch with clients to encourage repeat bookings for future events or sessions

• Use feedback to refine your mini-session offerings for the following year

• Evaluate the success of your pricing and promotions to adjust for the next holiday season

Holiday mini-sessions are a great way to keep the momentum of fall sessions going. You want to head into the winter months with as much cash in the bank as possible to help cover expenses during your slow season. Be sure to reach out to me with any questions. I would love to connect with you!

xoxo

Jess Wayne