If you’ve ever photographed Santa Sessions, you already know they’re something special. These aren’t rushed mall photos where kids get sixty seconds and parents cross their fingers. These sessions are an EXPERIENCE! Which is why professional photo albums pair so well with these timeless portraits. In this blog, we’ll share 4 great sales tips for Santa Session Albums.
Seasonal sessions with Santa feel warm, intentional, and full of holiday magic. Kids get room to hang out with Santa, not just sit next to him. They bake cookies, read stories, and whisper wish lists. Handwritten notes, whispered wish lists, and a big bag of gifts are all part of the scene. With all the magic that unfolds, there are bound to be more than a handful of must-have images. These memories belong in an album!
Getting Ready for Santa
If you are thinking about capturing all the wonder of a Santa Experience Session, you’ll have to begin with a plan. There are some great workshops and videos out there on getting the marketing and logistics down. Marketing starts early for these seasonal sessions, which bring in annual clients, new faces, and a nice amount of revenue. Behind the scenes, you’re planning a lot more than a backdrop. You’re designing a set that can lend itself to a variety of different activities and interactions, finding a Santa that authentically fits the bill, and creating an experience that kids and parents will enjoy.
The flow of each session, the props, the greeting, and how Santa connects with each family so the experience feels natural and emotional. It’s cozy and controlled all at once, and parents feel that from the moment they walk in. The result is a collection of images that are so much more meaningful than a single holiday card photo. They’re storytelling frames full of joy, anticipation, and childhood innocence, the kind families want to hold on to, revisit, and display proudly each season. Photo albums can be the best way to show off these images, and with our 4 great sales tips for Santa Session albums, you’ll have options that clients will love.
Action Plan for Marketing
Starting a marketing campaign earlier than you might think helps secure enthusiastic families and gives you time to prepare a thoughtful set, workflow, and delivery plan. Booking usually begins early because parents plan ahead for holiday activities.
- August
Announce and build an interest list. A “Santa’s Coming to The Studio” email and social post with dates and a list of activities. Create a wait list to encourage people to plan ahead. Use the 4 great sales tips for Santa Session albums to create a collection that families will be excited about. - September
Open booking to returning clients and waitlist first. These are your VIP and could earn you some referrals. Share sneak peeks of set images and share clothing suggestions. - October
Public launch and final push to fill remaining spots. Don’t be shy about emphasizing the limited offer to create urgency. Introduce your Santa, show off the set, and share your collection of curated printed products with sample images. - November
Session dates and quick product turnaround for holiday gifting. Share reels and behind-the-scenes on social media to create a little FOMO, and start a VIP list for next year.
Basic Logistics to Plan
If you are just getting started with Santa Sessions, getting some stable building blocks in place will ensure you are prepared and have a successful season.
- Session Length
Mini sessions often run 10-15 minutes. Premium sessions may run 20-30 minutes for a more immersive experience. Be sure to have buffer time for the moment that doesn’t go as planned as well as straightforward communication for clients on when to arrive and session timelines. - Location
Whether you are using your studio, home studio, or an indoor venue, have a good handle on how the space will handle traffic flow as well as accommodate optimal photographing space. Lighting prop background stands, clients, Santa, and you all have to function in the space, so be sure to keep tech, comfort, and safety in mind.
- Hiring Santa
Book a professional Santa early. Look for someone who is patient, great with children, and understands the tone of your brand. These can be long days for the fella in the red suit, so be sure you are allowing for breaks and meals when scheduling. - Support Team
You can’t be in all places at once. A greeter, someone to corral the kiddos, and a parent wrangler can all be helpful in assisting you throughout the day. Having a calm, seemingly unrushed, enjoyable session can’t happen if the multitasking photographer is frantic. - Editing and Delivery
Plan for speed. Families want their images and products quickly for cards and gifts. Consistent settings, lighting, and posing can help accelerate the editing and delivery process. Remove “I’ll fix it in post” from your vocabulary. Have presets or actions in place for giving your images the look you want in the click of a button.
Why Albums?
Santa Experience Sessions capture the excitement and wonder of the season. They are cozy and imaginative all at once, and both kids and parents feel that from the moment they walk in. The result is a collection of images that are so much more meaningful than a single holiday card photo. They’re storytelling frames full of joy, anticipation, and childhood innocence — the kind families want to hold on to, revisit, and display proudly each season, which is exactly why albums pair perfectly with Santa sessions.
The effort that goes into creating and attending Santa Sessions is a lot. But it’s SO worth it. All the joy and excitement, those tiny micro-moments are everything, and they unfold in the space you have created for them. When you think about it, this type of storytelling begs to be printed. A single holiday card or one framed print is lovely, but it only shows a sliver of the experience. An album allows you to give families a narrative — a beginning, middle, and end to their holiday magic. It’s the difference between “We took a picture with Santa” and “We had an experience with Santa — and here’s the story.” A professional photo album tells that story beautifully!
4 Great Sales Tips for Santa Session Albums
1. Variety Is the Golden Ticket
Santa Experience Sessions have a lot going on in a fairly short amount of time. In addition to some posed pictures with Santa, there is a lot of storytelling going on. In order to have the right kind of image for an album, it’s important to get those consecutive action and reaction images along with variation in angles and perspective. Posed portraits are great, and parents like to see kids looking at the cameras—but those images are not all going to make it into an album.
It’s also important to cull the images so that decision-making is easy. Be the expert and narrow down the surprised looks and smiles so that it’s easy to fill an album with great images. Storyboarding how the session will look laid out in an album design may help when capturing and when thinning the number of images down.
2. Pre-Sell Albums
Including an album with the session set the expectation for where the images are going to be displayed. Different types of sessions could be paired with different styles of albums. Here are some session collection ideas.
Holiday Lights
Trim the tree with Santa and check out his magical bag of gifts. This session is 20 minutes long and includes an 8×8 Keepsake Book with 15 images. $$
Santa is Coming!
Your session includes one activity and a visit with Santa and his magical bag of gifts. Choose, cookie backing, ginger bread house making, or a cozy story reading time for your activity. The session will run 30 minutes and includes 1-10×10 Keepsake Book (the Zookbinders EZ Book,) and 20 images. $$$
The Santa Experience
Your Session includes two activities and a visit with Santa and his magical bag of gifts. Choose cookie baking, gingerbread house making, or a cozy story reading time for your activity. The session will run 45 minutes and includes 1-10×10 Legacy Album with a red leather cover (the Lustre Book from Zookbinders) and 25 images. $$$$
3. Include Albums in Collections
Once clients see their images, offer collections with options to customize. We’ve got an example for customizing a collection to start with. Of course, you can expand on different collection levels and options for upgrades and add-on sales.
Santa’s Workshop Memories $$$
Choose one product from each category.
- An 11×14 Metal Print OR an 11×14 Canvas Print
- 20 Digital Images and a 10×10 Legacy Album with (Zookbinders Luster Book) OR 20 Digital Images and 10 – Double-Sided 5×7 Photographic Prints in a Folio Box
- 25 Folded 5×7 Holiday Cards OR 2-Metal Ornaments.
4. Keep It Simple
Of the 4 great sales tips for offering albums with Santa sessions, this one is the easiest. Make a plan for your Santa Experience Sessions logistics. All participants get the same two activities, one of which is sitting with Santa. Select 20 Digital Images to deliver and include them in a 10×10 Legacy Album (Zookbinders Lustre Book) with a photo wrap cover. Offer options to add smaller-sized replica albums as gifts.
5. Secret Pro-Tip
Here’s a bonus tip. You don’t need a Santa. Of course, the man with a big bag of gifts does attract a scene, but he’s not essential. You can do Christmas or Winter Season sessions that cater to a wider variety of clients. Having similar shared activities like cookie making, tree trimming, or even festive pajamas can add a different demographic to your client list. And these 4 great sales tips for Santa Session albums can be transferred to all types of events and sessions throughout the year.
Get Started!
Ready to elevate your Santa Experience sessions and turn them into unforgettable heirlooms for your clients and consistent revenue for your business? Start planning with these 4 great sales tips for Santa Session albums and build it into an annual holiday tradition. Done right, from the very first touchpoint, your clients will treasure the experience and the keepsakes, and your holiday season will feel more purposeful and profitable than ever.
