Susan Renee of www.kingshillstudios.co.uk in Scotland first reached out with a concern I hear more often than you'd think: Are giveaways hurting my brand?

She’d been told by another coach to stop running Facebook competitions — that it made her look “cheap” and would attract the wrong kind of clients.

Thing is, Susan had the numbers.

The bookings were coming in.

Clients were returning.

The system was working… she just wasn’t sure if she should trust it anymore.

So, I connected her with last week's guest and photography business coach, Kim Hamblin, who helped her dig into the data and reverse-engineer a smarter way to run ads that work — and, most importantly, to back herself and her business.

This interview isn’t just about giveaways or Facebook ads (though we cover plenty of that). It’s about what happens when doubt creeps in, especially after a tough year personally. It’s about the power of mindset, knowing your numbers, and staying consistent with what’s working — even if it looks different from what the “experts” say you should be doing.

Susan’s story is real, relatable, and packed with lessons for any photographer second-guessing their path.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

• Why “free” doesn’t have to mean “cheap” — and how Susan uses giveaways to build a premium brand that attracts the right clients
• How she went from second-guessing herself to fully booked — with the help of some smart, strategic Facebook ads
• The hidden goldmine in nurture sequences — and how they turn cold leads into loyal, paying clients
• What it was like to grieve and grow a business at the same time — and how it shaped where Susan’s headed now
• The big lessons from 10 years in business — including why she stopped listening to every coach and started trusting herself
• Why knowing your numbers matters more than following the latest trends or “expert” advice
• The Facebook ads trick Susan swears by — and how reverse engineering her goals changed everything
• Want return clients? It starts with delivering an incredible first experience — even if it came from a giveaway
• How she’s making newborn photography profitable and protecting her weekends
• What makes a giveaway actually lead to sales — and the key piece most photographers miss
• How a mindset shift became her most powerful marketing move
• Still asking if giveaways work? The better question: Are you guiding your leads to become clients?
• Why you don’t need a total overhaul to grow — just double down on what’s already working
• Ditch the guilt: The moment Susan stopped chasing other people’s paths and leaned into her own
• From Facebook leads to a calendar full of bookings — why staying consistent is where the real magic is
• Burnout red flags Susan’s watching for now — and how blocking weekends changed her business for the better
• Marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all — and Susan’s story proves what’s possible when you make it your own

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Susan shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, let me know by leaving your thoughts in the member's FB Group. What are your takeaways? What do you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode?

I think what I really enjoyed about working with Kim, and when I say working with Kim, we just had the one talk, the one long chat, was that she really understood the photography business. She understood what I was speaking about when I said that I didn't want to work on a Saturday. I do work on a Saturday usually, and actually, I'm all working all day…But she absolutely understood my business model, which was fantastic. – Susan Renée

If you have any questions I missed or a specific question you’d like to ask Susan or if you want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to comment inside the Members FB Group, too.

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

I check for new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive them… for several reasons.

Firstly, it confirms that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

I have over 200, 5 star Google reviews, and most of those are from people who have won a complimentary session that have come in and spent hundreds of pounds and that was all working fine. It was a change of direction I was looking for in the genre aspect. – Susan Renée

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the biggest search engines for podcasts, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help both me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

I'm very, very grateful that Kim Marie took me right back to basics… she didn't just reassure me. She made sure she looked at the numbers because it's not good enough just to think you're doing okay. You have to look at the facts. But when she took me through those and showed me how to, I did learn as well, you know, about how to reverse engineer for the Facebook ads, even more succinctly going forward. – Susan Renée

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

Susan Renée Website

Susan Renée at Kingshill Studios on Facebook

Susan Renée on Instagram

Susan Renée on LinkedIn

Kingshill Studios on LinkedIn

Episode 436: Nik Buttigieg – Change your mindset for photography sales success

PBX420 Episode: Kim Hamblin – How to build a photography business to sell

PBX625 Episode: Kim Hamblin – Photography Sales Confidence and the Business Metrics That Matter

Kim Hamblin $10k Challenge Waitlist

Leave your creativity behind when you go into the studio. Just do what works and be creative in your own time. – Susan Renée

Thank you!

Big thanks to Susan for sharing so openly in this episode. After a tough year and a wave of doubt, it was working with Kim Hamblin of Kim Marie Coaching that helped her see the truth — her numbers were solid, her strategy was working, and she just needed to back herself. It’s always good to hear from someone who’s not chasing shiny tactics but building a business that works for them. If you’ve been second-guessing your marketing, wondering if giveaways are still worth it, or just need a reminder to trust what’s working — this one’s for you. Can’t wait to hear what stands out.

I had spoken to another coach, and he had said, be very careful of running constant giveaways, because it will cheapen the brand…will make people think that you're a cheap photographer. And I really had a crisis of confidence, because I've run Facebook ads and Facebook giveaways for many years and they've worked very, very successfully. – Susan Renée

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon
Andrew

The post PBX626: Susan Renée – Are Giveaways Hurting Your Brand or Building It? appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.