Mini Sessions, Are they really worth it?

Over the last year or so I have watched countless photographers advertise mini sessions. I am not always sure of the response or if they actually end up doing these mini sessions. With some I am positive that they do because I see the photos that they post on Facebook and they are constantly updating their clients until the day of the event and even after so that everyone knows when they are going to be getting their pictures. But every time I see it I wonder, is a minis session really worth it to the client.

For example I see some photographers who charge $275 for a 20 minute session and the client gets 5 digital images, and may or may not get the option to buy prints or at least print rights for an additional charge. However these same photographers charge $325 for a full one hour session and have multiple options for packages that are either prints or digital downloads or both. The difference in price and product in my opinion is just not enough. Let me explain.

Lets say this photographer is going to do a total of 8 hours for mini sessions. So that equals 24 sessions in the allotted time. Based upon the sitting fee alone that means that the photographer is going to make a total of $6,600 for that 8 hours. Now lets say a second photographer books 8 one hour sessions during the same time frame and at regular price of $325. Just in sitting fees alone this photographer is going to make $2600. Admittedly not near as much in sitting fees as a mini session. However this photographer processes their clients photos and holds an in person sales session with each client. The average for each session spent on product now jumps to $500. So for 8 sessions the photographer has now grossed $6,600. 

In both cases the photographer ends up making the same amount of income. However the first photographer has only 20 minutes to work with each client versus a full hour, and they end up working with a total of 24 clients. Where as the second photographer only works with 8 clients, and produces the same amount of income in the same amount of time. 

So where is the benefit of a mini session? The reason that I ask is because I am honestly not sure. From what I have noticed from other photographers is they put in the same amount of time editing the 5 images that they give the client of a mini as they would a normal session client. The only real difference that I have come across is that with a mini session there is less of a chance of an in person sale meeting. This seems to be negated because the client is only receiving 5 images and typically they are digital and it seems that once the digitals are delivered there is no longer contact with the client. 

In essence what I see is a loss of personal touch between the photographer and the client with a mini session. Please understand this is what I see from the outside, so if this is not the case I would love to hear some input. I know there are a number of people that use mini sessions with in their business models and I am sure that they work, but I just do not understand how. Are these sessions used to draw in new clients? Are they meant as a promotional action? Are they to keep clients coming back? What is the true purpose of a mini session? And the even bigger question is, are they really worth it to the photographer and to the client? 

I cannot wait to hear or see your answers about this particular topic! This is a very interesting and important topic for me.