Senior Series | Topic 2: Develop Your Ideal Senior Product Line
Find out which products are right for your specific brand and client base
Part of being an in-demand senior photographer is offering premium products. With two different sets of opinions, the senior’s and the parent’s, you’ll want to find a balance that pleases everyone.
Choose Your Products
For each product you consider, ask yourself the following questions:
- What is this product’s perceived value?
- How much of my time and effort are required?
- Does it fit my brand?
- Is it in demand for my market?
Wall Displays
Parents will probably have the most decision-making power in this category. They are likely to choose a classic wall product, like a Framed Print or a Gallery Wrap. Offer them the best of both by including a Premium Gallery Wrap with a Float Frame in your most valuable collection.
Appeal to seniors with alternative wall products they’ve never seen before. Metal Prints, Wood Prints, Image Blocks, Bamboo Panels and Standout are all displays with their own unique character. Explore these options and see what best fits your brand.
Books + Albums
Since all of their senior images can’t go up on the wall, an Album or Press Printed Book is the solution that lets them take all their images home. A book or album tells the story of who the senior is in that moment in time, allowing them to fully express themselves through their images.
Photo Prints
Prints are an essential part of the package. Wallet prints are especially popular for high school seniors. Include additional small prints in your packages — 4x6, 5x7, and 8x10 prints, for example. With higher investments from your clients, you can add more prints as gifts. When clients know your print prices, they appreciate the value of your gift.
Value Added Incentives
Don’t discount your work. When you offer discounts, clients look for more ways to save and the focus turns to cost. Instead of lowering prices, offer more value.
Use product incentives to move your clients up to the next level of investment. Offer items they can’t get otherwise. Think Wood Boxes, Image Boxes, Small Framed Prints, Image Cubes, and Mini Books. Or browse the Inspiration Guide for product ideas that fit your brand.
“You must have samples on display in order to sell them”
Senior photographer Dan Frievalt talks about offering distinct products and displaying samples:
Digital Files
There are a lot of philosophies on selling digital files and you’ll need to decide what’s right for your business. If you choose to sell files a la carte, price them at a premium to match the value your clients place on them.
You can also use digital files as a purchasing incentive. How? Offer them only with your top package or two so your clients get much more value with their files. Or offer digital files of only the images they’ve selected for product purchases. They can get the most files by purchasing a book or album.
Another option is to offer a USB Drive with a few files sized for social media. You can add it to your packages or gift it to your clients at the sales meeting. Add your brand to the files and encourage seniors to post and share!
Whether or not you choose to sell files, you can set up an online gallery through one of our Integrated Services partners. After your clients have finalized their purchases, you can share the link to their gallery and they can make additional product purchases from there. You can continue to make sales after your work is done. Anything your clients order from their gallery can be produced by WHCC and shipped to them directly.
