Photography packages make it easy for both a photographer and a client to plan a shooting so that everybody is content. However, preparing a profitable package isn’t that simple, as there are some nuances to keep in mind.
This guide covers the process of creating photoshoot packages and setting prices so that you can have a smooth start. You will learn what to include in a package, how to arrange items, and how to meet your earning goals.
No matter how extensive photography packages you have if they consist of elements that are of no interest to your clients. To play it safe, you’d better analyze your previous activities and define those services that enjoyed high popularity among your audience. So, while creating a profitable photography business plan, you need to list the most frequent client requests you received last year and build your strategy around them.
You can start a photography business with no money by examining the present-day market and determining popular photography trends. For example, people who are going to tie the knot usually want not only a photo session but also a wedding book, which may serve as a basis for your package. Or, if you regularly work with mothers-to-be, you have probably noticed that they feel very enthusiastic about having several backdrops at a maternity photo session, so make such an offer the centerpiece of your package.
As for portrait shooting, I have found out that most of my clients want at least 1 large photo to put in a frame and display at home, and several smaller images to share with relatives or carry in a purse. That’s why, my photoshoot packages always include these elements.
When defining photos packages prices, you can create a 3-tier photography plan, including basic, in-between, and premium options. If you think that the range of your services exceeds 3 categories, you can add as many as you want.
For example, if you specialize in wedding photography and combine several genres, you may want to make a package with a corresponding division. However, don’t go overboard as offering too many options can confuse or even scare off your clients.
In fact, according to the book “Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value” by William, if you manage to segment your services into 3 packages and price them reasonably, you can increase your total revenue by up to 300%. By properly bracketing the central package and relating it with the top one in terms of value and cost, you can boost your earnings by 10-20%.
Though there is usually a central element in all photography packages, you can entice your clients with other offers by including add-ons. This can be anything that is naturally related to your services – prints, extra shooting time, more edited images, non-standard manipulations, etc. Of course, you need to learn how to price photography prints and all other add-ons you provide.
Since there are no restrictions on what additional services you can offer, feel free to be creative and add offbeat variants such as instant images or the funniest moments of a photo session in a video. All in all, by proposing add-ons, you can not only interest clients but also increase the total cost of an order.
Make sure your photoshoot packages are neatly arranged and easy to grasp. No one likes navigating numerous lists of services for 10 minutes in a row, so you’d better opt for a laconic yet informative structure. The same is relevant for pricing.
I’ve seen lots of photography package pricing samples that look very perplexing. They include a glut of fluffy words in every package and the same options are repeated over and over again. People feel annoyed by the “beating around the bush” tactics and will address your rivals in the end.
So, you need to keep descriptions prices (5 words max) and stagger the list of services based on each package. For instance, a basic package can include 1-2 services, while the middle package will consist of 2-4 services, and the high-end package can cover 3-5 services.
Photography package names can either make or break your branding and organization. I highly recommend choosing an individual name for every tier to remove possible confusion. If this is your first-time making packages, you can choose something simple like basic, standard, and ultimate.
Some photographers choose such names as platinum, silver, and gold, while others take a step aside from common terms and name their packages based on photography style and branding. Though there are no strict rules on how to name packages, you should remember that all titles must build a logical tired system.
From time to time we all have to deal with unpredictable situations and solving issues is so much easier if we take care of safeguards in advance. Not to put your business at risk, you should prepare such things as wedding photography contracts and photography insurance.
Of course, drawing up a contract for a short photo session may seem like a daunting task. In this case, you can settle for some default policies included in every package. Thus, you will instantly inform clients about precautions you take, while there are studying the package content. Typically, such policies touch upon weather, cancellations, additional expenses, and extra shooting time.
It is a common practice nowadays to share reviews of former clients about the services offered. Such an approach is beneficial for everybody engaged. Undoubtedly, you want to establish trustworthy relationships with your clients, and doing so becomes easier if you provide access to the comments of people who purchased your photoshoot packages.
Reading what other people think about you as a photographer, potential clients can better understand whether you are the right person for them. However, when arranging reviews, stick to a clear segmentation. Thus, if you conduct wedding, portrait, and newborn photo sessions, you need to create separate sections with reviews for every genre.
Creating a portfolio using website builders for photographers like Wix or Squarespace is a proven way to reach more people and advertise your services. Thus, if a person is googling “photographers in my city” or “photography packages in my city”, they will see your website in the list of results.
This way, they will head to your website and can learn more details about photos packages prices and a whole range of services. At this point, you should invest more time and money into search ranking marketing. If you don’t feel like grappling with the task on your own, you can address SEO services for photographers and have everything done for you. Anyway, all your efforts will go in vain without a proper marketing strategy, so don’t skimp on this stuff.
Never seize a chance to encourage people seeing your services to take the next step and make an order or purchase something. The best way to do so is to include a call-to-action on the website where your photography packages are presented.
For example, if you are offering a newborn photography package, you can leave a message like “If you want to save the sweetest moments of your baby growing up forever, drop me a message and I’ll help you with that”. Add a contact button right below the words.
An undue number of fields in a contact form can also take a toll on your business. People don’t like getting through the maze of menus, so keep everything moderate. Have a look at contact form examples on other photographers’ websites to have a better idea of what will work.
Financial aspects probably cause the most severe clashes. In order to prevent possible confrontations, you should clearly set your photos packages prices and describe what is included in every package, so that clients can easily calculate the sum they have to lay out. All hidden fees that may appear along the road will ruin not only 1 shooting but your reputation.
In addition to declaring prices, you may dwell on turnaround time, payment methods, and everything that requires clarification. Sometimes, it makes sense to go further and broach a subject of your photography philosophy and ideas behind your images.
There are lots of discussions about what influences the cost of photography packages. To keep your pricing fair and understandable to clients, you need to pay attention to the following constituents:
Define the price for every service and add a profit margin to end up with a reasonable fee. Keep in mind that a price list for photographers should include profits of at least 35% of your gross sales to make your business profitable, when pricing your sessions and packages according to a PPA Benchmark Survey.
The price of photoshoot packages is dependent on the duration of the shooting. It also affects the number of edited images you’ll send to your clients. Short photoshoots usually last approximately an hour. In this case, you are expected to deliver less than 10 edited photos and can charge under $100. If you plan to work for 2-3 hours, you should edit between 15-30 shots and charge between 200-300 dollars.
Remember to include the cost of editing in the price of photography packages. The amount of editing should increase with every subsequent package. For example, the basic package should include only color improvement, standard – color improvement and retouching of 10 shots, and the ultimate package – more retouched images and several complex manipulations.
Make sure to include the sum you pay for photo editing software for photographers into the total cost. If you collaborate with somebody, who performs photo editing, you need to consider these expenses as well.
If you want to be a prolific photographer with an extensive clientele, you should build a rapport with all existing categories of people. This involves setting different prices for different packages. While some people have no financial limitations and can afford to purchase photography packages with all add-ons included, others are more constrained in their banking capabilities and will probably choose a less encompassing offer.
For example, analyzing wedding photography prices, you’ll notice that most photographers have 3 pricing tiers – low-priced/affordable, mid-tier, and higher-priced/premium package. The same applies to any other sort of product. For instance, when iPad first appeared in stores, the 16GB model was $499, the 32GB variant cost $599, and the 64GB iPad had a $699 price tag.
Few buyers bought the cheapest option being tempted with a mid-tier model that had more storage space. You also need to show clients what they will get purchasing a specific package. People have an inner desire to receive more goodies and your task is to provide them such a possibility.
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