3 Tips For Getting Promo Shots to Advertise Your Mini-Sessions

Business Tips, Mini-Sessions Tips

September 1, 2020

As you prepare for your mini-sessions, one of the most important factors to your minis booking are your PROMO PHOTOS! (The photos you’re going to be using to advertise your mini-sessions.)

If you’ve never shot at your minis location before, or you’ve never used the set-up you’re going to be using, it’s very important to go out and take some promo shots before you start advertising. With solid promotional photos, you’re WAY more likely to book out your mini-sessions faster.

There are a few key things to keep in mind when you’re shooting your promotional shots. Get these 3 things right, and you’ll be setting yourself up to WIN! (Ok, so it’s not a competition, but I’m an Enneagram 3…EVERYTHING is a competition against myself!)

1. Plan your set-up

I know most people hear “mini-session” and automatically think you have to have a huge fancy set-up with tons of props, but that isn’t always the case. Sometimes props are totally called for like for Christmas minis or Valentine’s Day Minis, but in the case of Fall Family Minis, a beautiful location will work just fine!

(Especially during Covid season, most people are opting to do fewer props so there is less to sanitize between sessions.)

Whether you choose to go with an elaborate set-up or something simple, plan ahead and gather everything you’ll need to shoot your promo shots. You want to get as close to the actual set-up you’ll have for the minis as possible. If you later decide to add in a prop or two, that’s no big deal. But people need to know what to expect for their own photos when they see your promo shots.

2. Find a model family

It’s SUPER important to have a real family in your promo shots! People that are looking at booking with you want to be able to see themselves in your photos. If you just post a photo of the location or the set-up, they’re less likely to book with you.

I like to use past clients for my promo shots because it’s a great way for me to bless my loyal clients with some free photos. If you don’t have past clients, you can always hold a Model Call! Share a photo of your location or maybe one of your own family and tell people you’re looking for a model family for some upcoming mini-sessions. I typically include the images in exchange for their time, but you can limit the number of images if you want.

Make sure to mention that they HAVE to follow your style guide!! I am VERY specific with my model families about what I’d like them to wear. I can’t have them showing up wearing all buffalo plaid or jeans and a t-shirt. I make sure they will be dressed up to match the rest of my work, and wear pastels or neutrals to match my style.

If you get an overwhelming amount of interest, start collecting emails!! You can choose one family out of the bunch to model for you, and then add everyone else to your email list so they get notified when your minis go live. Works like a charm!

3. Shoot with the end in mind

When you’re actually shooting your promo shots, make sure to shoot with advertising in mind. Get a good variety of angles, candids, and posed shots to give yourself more than enough to work with when you actually start advertising. I typically treat it like a normal mini-session and get every shot I’d usually get just in case I need them.

It’s also a good idea to get some close-ups of any special props you may be using so people can see the pretty details. It’s always better to have more shots than you need so you don’t have to go out and shoot again for advertising’s sake.

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Ready to rock your minis?! I LOVE cheering other photographers on as they prep for mini-session season! As you’re prepping, take a photo and tag me on Instagram @rebeccaricephotography so I can be your loudest cheerleader!