Free shoots as marketting tool

I just had a brief exchange with a photographer claiming to be experienced with engagements shoots yet who was currently offering engagement shoots for free in order to 'update [his] portfolio'.

I asked him why he didn't just use images from paid shoots for his portfolio. His response--and I'm paraphrasing--'free shoots open up a group of paying clients that I normally don't have access to'.

Question: Presuming he isn't just starting out in photography and desperate to build a portfolio, what do you think about the technique he is using from a marketing standpoint ?

I'd ask the same question you are. I'm full time and free shoots do have their place, which is charity and even holiday promotions (there was one linked on here in the past few years that they did a day of free shooting and landed clients off it - free family portrait or something with an 8x10, kind of an up sell is the goal of it). However, in this case I just don't buy it. I don't need to go shoot games for free to update my portfolio, can do that with the clients that already pay me. In this case it makes no sense.

If you're working, you don't need free shoots for a portfolio, unless you're changing your game.

I'm doing a project right now that will result in a different direction for me. I'm doing some sessions that will result in a gallery show. It's "free" in that I'm not charging the subjects, but if they want any of the images for themselves, they will have to buy them. The gallery show is of a subject that's of interest to a local art group that has been a commercial client of mine for some years--they're excited about the project and will give me publicity and gallery space.

sounds desperate...

When I lst entered the Portrait Business I hated the word FREE, it has no value. I do like the word "Complimentary" though. Now that I've been around for awhile I'm learning that sometimes FREE can be a very good marketing tool if used correctly.

Maybe free engagement shoots leads to paying wedding shoots.

I think he's a very smart photographer!

PosNeg wrote in post #11369450
Maybe free engagement shoots leads to paying wedding shoots.

I think he's a very smart photographer!

Smarter would be including the engagement shoot in the signed contract for the wedding shoot.

RDKirk wrote in post #11369605
Smarter would be including the engagement shoot in the signed contract for the wedding shoot.

Nope. That means he has to have SOLD them on the wedding first.

Smart is using the free engagement shoot as the lead in to the studio. Then, when and if they are satisfied, you close the sale on the wedding, because trust was developed.

I suspect the couple that went for the free engagement session is price-driven enough to dial back to zero when they start shopping for a wedding photographer.

RDKirk wrote in post #11369636
I suspect the couple that went for the free engagement session is price-driven enough to dial back to zero when they start shopping for a wedding photographer.

Don't pre-judge.

PosNeg wrote in post #11369656
Don't pre-judge.

Part of business planning.

even smarter would be to CHARGE for it... then maybe discount it off the wedding price...

smarter yet, is, QUIT paying to take photos of other people, because that what most of you are doing.

gravy graffix wrote in post #11369833
even smarter would be to CHARGE for it... then maybe discount it off the wedding price...

smarter yet, is, QUIT paying to take photos of other people, because that what most of you are doing.

There you go.

This approach 'can' be effective, but it is not for everyone. Once you set the bar, you have to have the balls to charge a fair price for the wedding, or future shoots. If you use a free shoot to earn business later, that later business needs to make up for the free shoot. This is where a lot of people won't be able to close the deal. There are a lot of great photogs out there that are horrible sales people. In the end, they lose out because they can't close the deal for the paid shoot.

In my opinion, the two things that must develop for this type of marketing to work would be quality product and relationship. If you build a solid relationship and delivery a good quality product, the paid gig will not be hard to sell. If you fail to build the relationship or fail to deliver a quality product, the paid gig won't happen. The client will just go elsewhere and you will have wasted your time.

gravy graffix wrote in post #11369833
even smarter would be to CHARGE for it... then maybe discount it off the wedding price...

This!

that being said... we do FREE session giveaways every now and then as contests but we don't do it expecting to get return clients out of it. Just something we do for fun.

What does it benefit us other than engaged followers of our company? Sometimes nothing and sometimes new clients that see the photos we did for the contest winner.