Free shoots as marketting tool

I shot a free bridal session since it's not really a hot thing here. I did it just to do it. She subsequently booked me for her wedding. I'm also not above shooting hot babes on my own dollar if they'll bend to my will. You can't always do everything you want to do with a client who is paying...especially if it's outside the realm of what you are known for and sold them originally.

Think people have lost sight of the reason behind shooting for free mentioned by the OP - he was trying to update his portfolio....it was not a marketing plan really, and honestly don't see it as a good marketing plan and don't consider it "smart". Flip it around for a second, imagine the bride to be comes into your place of business and says shoot the engagement session free and she'll gladly consider you for the wedding.

Overall the idea behind it is with many things, you give people a taste free and hope they buy (it's an up-sell). However, if you're already working and getting hired to do these events you're not going to go backwards like this.

Then I was mislead by the topic title. But I agree with your point.

My rule, basically, is that if I go to the client with the idea, it's free. If it's their idea, they pay. Basically.

As CDIPhoto has stated, though, if she's really hot I'll probably still do it, as long as she'll sign a model release.

RDKirk wrote in post #11371829
My rule, basically, is that if I go to the client with the idea, it's free. If it's their idea, they pay. Basically.

Exactly! If there is one type of client I can't stand, its the one that asks for discounts before they even hire you. I have clients that order 50+ shoots a year from me and they NEVER ask for a discount.

On the other hand, if I'm coming to you and asking you to use me, then asking for a discount is OK. After all, I am trying to earn your business and maybe a first time discount will get me there.

Christopher Steven b wrote in post #11365880
-'free shoots open up a group of paying clients that I normally don't have access to'.

What group is that? The group of people who aren't willing to pay for what they want?

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #11371752
imagine the bride to be comes into your place of business and says shoot the engagement session free and she'll gladly consider you for the wedding.

I wonder in how many other jobs people pay to work?

Bosscat wrote in post #11372003
I wonder in how many other jobs people pay to work?

Any job that requires you to be an intern first....which is more than you would think.

tkbslc wrote in post #11371995
What group is that? The group of people who aren't willing to pay for what they want?

I think what they meant was that the free shoot opens them up to more clients, which in term leads to more referrals. It just wasn't written out all that well.

TGrundvig wrote in post #11372630
Any job that requires you to be an intern first....which is more than you would think.

A person interns to learn the trade. In this case, the person is not learning, but is already a knowledgeable craftsman.

RDKirk wrote in post #11371829
My rule, basically, is that if I go to the client with the idea, it's free. If it's their idea, they pay. Basically.

Same here. Pretty girls contact me quite often asking if I'll shoot them for free so they have shots to try to get into modeling "in return for being allowed to use the photos in my portfolio" and I decline each and every time on principal. Thinking that simply being pretty is a form of currency automatically disqualifies you.

TGrundvig wrote in post #11372630
Any job that requires you to be an intern first....which is more than you would think.

There's a lot of rules SUPPOSED to be followed with interns and how they are used, though many businesses break the laws or abuse the system to the point of breaking the laws but never do.

RDKirk wrote in post #11371829
Then I was mislead by the topic title.

Titles are so overrated! Who needs to re-read it before posting (obviously not me).

I get the up-sell part of it, if doing it as a marketing tool. I don't get the build a portfolio part of it if you are telling people you already work in the field you're going to shoot for free part of the marketing tool. I prefer my marketing...research pricing and what I want to shoot...create images and/or service to provide images for said things I want to shoot...promote images and/or service...people buy images and/or services...pay bills....repeat.

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #11373644
I get the up-sell part of it, if doing it as a marketing tool. I don't get the build a portfolio part of it if you are telling people you already work in the field you're going to shoot for free part of the marketing tool. I prefer my marketing...research pricing and what I want to shoot...create images and/or service to provide images for said things I want to shoot...promote images and/or service...people buy images and/or services...pay bills....repeat.

Well, OP said this photographer is experienced and doing it to update the portfolio. You can do something for 20 years, retire, then decide to get back into it again. You're experienced, but your portfolio would certainly need updated if you were retired for any length of time. Heck maybe this particular photographer is indeed in a dry spell and trying to get out of it. Maybe he changed direction in life and wants to get back into engagements after a hiatus, and feels too rusty to charge right off the bat.

We don't know the entire story really...only what OP is saying and admittedly paraphrasing.

Bosscat wrote in post #11372003
I wonder in how many other jobs people pay to work?

Sounds to me like a loss leader, really rather common in business!

I think if you look at the books, "loss leaders" normally result in the shoppers buying additional products before they leave the store...the store never suffers an actual reverse cash flow even temporarily.