“When should I start advertising my mini-sessions?” If I had a dollar for every time I heard this question!

I know mini-sessions can be HUGE money-makers. But it hurts my heart to see photographers who have stunning photos struggle to book their minis because of the way that they’re advertising. Just a few little tweaks, and they’d be fully booked!!

Most photographers don’t like that scary “M-word”…MARKETING! Unless you have a marketing degree, advertising probably doesn’t come naturally to you. But that’s ok!

Today I’m sharing my 3 biggest tips for marketing mini-sessions so you book them out ever time!

1. Plan ahead

I can’t stress enough how important it is to give yourself time to fill your spots. Unless you have a huge client base, you probably won’t fill all of your spots in a day. I like to give myself about 6 weeks to market my minis. If you’ve never shot a specific set of minis before and need promo shots to post, make sure to take those before the 6-week mark. 

Every January I like to sit down and plan out all of my minis for the year. It’s a general overview plan of what I’d like to shoot, and I adjust as needed as the year progresses. (Obviously my 2020 plan got a little messed up, but that’s ok!) Once I know about when I’d like to shoot, I count 6 weeks before and mark that time to start advertising. 

2. Expand Your Audience

Once it’s time to start advertising, posting to your Facebook and Instagram pages ARE NOT ENOUGH!! Instagram guru, Jasmine Starr, teaches that only about 4% of your followers actually see what you post. (That darn algorithm!) So if that’s the only place you’re posting, of course people aren’t booking! They aren’t seeing it!

It’s SUPER important to advertise to a larger audience. Posting in local facebook groups and partnering with local businesses (think pediatrician offices, hair and makeup artists, boutiques, etc.) are great places to start for free! If you’re good with Facebook Ads, that’s another great way to expand your audience.

3. Create Scarcity

I think this one’s the most important step! People want to book with someone who looks busy. It’s just a little shopping psychology. So when I’m advertising, I like to use phrases like, “only a few spots left,” “space is limited,” and “book now before they’re gone!” to create that scarcity and sense of urgency. 

This is also why I only open up one day at a time. When I’m planning ahead, I could plan to do 4 or 5 dates of minis. But instead of offering all 5 dates as an option, I open one date at a time so it looks like a lot fewer spots are available. Gotta love a little psychology!

More Resources:

• Free Mini-Sessions Class – Learn all about timing, pricing, and marketing your minis in this 1-hour class!
• FREEBIE: 12 Profitable Minis Theme Ideas
• Mini-Sessions Facebook Group

You may also like…

“4 Key Emails to Send Mini-Sessions Clients”

“How to Up-Sell Mini-Sessions WITHOUT IPS”

“Mini-Sessions Shooting Workflow”