5 Must-Do's for a Successful Mini Session Event

Here are 5 tips you’ll want to follow to make sure your mini sessions run smoothly, and that everyone has a great experience.

1) Pick a theme. When choosing your theme, think of popular holidays, or special times and days that people like to book photo sessions for. Add to the fun by offering cute props that match your theme. For Back to School photos, you could have a chalkboard and chalk (for each child, you could write or have them write their name and grade and use that as a backdrop for their portrait), maybe even a small desk and a pile of vintage books. For Christmas, decorative ornaments, Santa hats and a small Christmas tree, etc. You can make a lot of money and gain new clients in a weekend shooting Santa Mini Sessions. If you're on a budget, check dollar stores and thrift stores- you'd be surprised at what you can find there!

(Left photo by Amie Pendle Photography)

2. Have an assistant! The assistant doesn't have to be an assistant photographer, or even someone who knows about photography. A friend, husband, basically anyone who is willing to help can have a copy of the schedule, everyone's names and contact info on a clipboard, helping you keep on schedule so that you can focus on the photography.

3. Set limits. Your time is valuable. Set boundaries to avoid confusion and to ensure you don't get taken advantage of. Keep the sessions short (approx. 15-20 minutes per client). Limit the frequency of your mini sessions; once or twice a year is ideal. Remember, the goal is to get the clients to sign up for full sessions- not to encourage them to wait for mini sessions, which can be viewed as a sale in their minds. You want your mini sessions to give a sampling of your amazing photos, and not the ONLY photography service your clients enlist you for.

4. Think Marketing! One of the main objectives in hosting mini photo sessions is to gain new customers who will book you for full-price photography services. Offer a special promotion if they book your full-price photo sessions. Let them know it is just for new mini session clients, so that they feel like they are a part of a very exclusive offer. Have a beautiful studio welcome guide on hand, featuring your portfolio, list of photography services, and content that convinces the potential client that working with you is a win/win situation. Send your mini session clients away with a promotional magnet, pen, or something similar that they will see and use often will keep you at the front of their minds.

5. Use social media to promote your mini session event. Spread the word with an online graphic that provides all the details. Share on Instagram with relevant hashtags (such as the city you live in, #minisessions #portraitphotography, #photographyspecial, and the type of session, such as #backtoschool and #schoolportraits, etc. Share on Facebook, and consider posting a boosted ad there as well. You can choose your target audience by age, gender, and area, which can be very helpful. Make sure to tag friends and family in your social media promotions, and ask them to share posts and help spread the word!

Mini Session Photography Welcome Guide Template

Book your Mini Session clients this season with the Mini Session Welcome Guide Template. Great for holiday-minis or mini sessions any time of the year. The minimalist design will fit easily into most any photographer's branding suite. Great for any genre of photography.

Photos used in the sample images courtesy of Great Heights Photography and Denise Belanger Photography and are not included in download.