Shoott Case Study | Pilothouse Digital

Photography studio setup with a director's chair, camera gear on white pedestals, and multiple studio lights with softboxes.

About the brand

Shoott is a New York-based photography platform that connects customers with local photographers for high-quality, 30-minute photo sessions. Sessions are free to book, with payment only required after reviewing the digital gallery.

Popular among young women celebrating milestones like engagements, graduations, and family moments, Shoott operates in over 60 U.S. cities and has earned a 4.9-star average rating. After strong early growth on Meta, Shoott was looking to elevate performance on Google. That’s when they partnered with Pilothouse.

Summary of Results

+33%

YoY increase in Google-attributed conversions

-22%

Reduction in Google CPA

+26%

Meta Q1 YoY Spend

-10%

Meta Q1 YoY CPA Improvement

The Kickoff

When Shoott joined Pilothouse, they were already seeing success with Meta campaigns. Their internal team had handled Google but wanted to explore whether external support could unlock more scale and better cost efficiency.

Their Goals:

Drive year-over-year scale across channels

Reduce CPA while maintaining lead quality

Build net-new customer volume

Expand beyond seasonal performance peaks

Why Pilothouse?

Shoott wanted speed, structure, and strategic oversight, especially across performance marketing channels. After reading the DTC Newsletter and seeing our results, they reached out to put that theory into practice.

The Strategy

Seasonal Optimization

Capitalized "on demand" spikes around moments like Mother's Day and graduation.

Ensured that evergreen campaigns continued delivering outside of peak periods.

Location-Based Segmentation

Targeted campaigns by city to match Shoott’s 60+ market footprint.

Optimized budgets toward high-performing local markets.

Keyword Expansion & Optimization

Reallocated spend toward high-intent non-branded terms.

Ran keyword quality analysis to improve campaign efficiency and Quality Scores.

Branded Search Incrementality

Assessed branded campaign performance for true net-new value.

Shifted budget to the most incremental search opportunities.

Meta Performance Maintenance

Scaled Meta campaigns with creative refreshes.

Managed efficiency while rebalancing channel mix (moving from 100% Meta to 50/50 Meta-Google split).

A women having a photoshoot on a sunny day with sunflowers

Couple sitting on a wooden railing kissing under a partly cloudy sky.

Graduate in red gown tossing cap into the air with rocky desert mountains in the background.

The Results

In Just 6 Months on Google:

+33% increase in Google-attributed conversions

22% drop in CPA

On Meta:

Q1 YoY: +26% spend → +40% conversions → -10% CPA

Shoott went from testing to scaling, without missing a beat on performance or profitability.

Conclusion

Shoott didn’t need a fix—they needed a framework for scaling smart. By segmenting via location, optimizing evergreen terms, and shifting toward incremental paid search, Pilothouse helped Shoott unlock new levels of growth on both Meta and Google.

A trendy women posting with sewing machine

Bride and groom embracing closely near a pond with a stone bridge covered in greenery in the background.

"Pilothouse has freed us up to focus on other aspects of our business. After working with Pilothouse, it's really alleviated a lot of the stress that we used to hold... We can rely on you for industry expertise to be on top of how the different tools and platforms are changing."

Jennifer Tsay

CEO at Shoott

How Shoott Boosted Google Conversions by 33% and Lowered CPA by 22% with Pilothouse