To Groupon or not to Groupon – that is the question. At least that is one of the questions going around photography forums in the past few months. Groupon offers an amazing opportunity but it also presents some very real challenges. I thought I would present my experience with Groupon in the hopes of helping people get a better understanding if it is a good choice for them and if so, be successful in their efforts.  One thing – I’m not going to discuss the details of my contract with them.  If you want more information on those details then please contact the folks at Groupon.com.

First and foremost, I have to say that my experience with Groupon has been fantastic. From the very beginning when I contacted them last November to when my ad ran and finally to when they sent me my payments, the staff at Groupon was fabulous. They have a great program and execute it very well.  I’ve gone from just a handful of clients to 150+ and my photography improves each week from shooting so much.  Plus I just booked my first wedding so I am extremely happy.

I contacted Groupon in November shortly after I went full time with my portrait photography business. I obviously needed clients and thought that Groupon offered a solid opportunity. The name of the game is that you have to offer a smokin’ deal – something that their customers would recognize as a great deal, even if they don’t buy it that day. For photography, that means photo sessions for $50 to $75.  In return, you get to reach thousands of extremely motivated buyers.   Groupon customers are mostly professional and there are more women than men.  There are super bargain hunters but generally the groupon-er is a pretty good customer.    And there are a lot of them – businesses regularly sell hundreds and sometime thousands of coupons in 24 hours.

So here lies the crux in the groupon decision. Yes you can book yourself solid for months, but only if you extremely discount your services. This is especially challenging for a one-man show like myself. Photographing, processing, uploading and selling prints from a 100+ sessions is no easy task.   And you probably need to do much of it yourself since the $50-$75 price tag won’t cover outsourcing services like Shootdotedit.

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