Why I recommend a content shoot to (almost) every client

It's not an expensive service, and it's not really about being "worth it" in a big investment sense. It's simpler than that, a content shoot makes your page look so much better, and it makes my job so much easier too.

Stock content just doesn't look like you

You can usually spot stock content within a second or two of landing on a page. The colours are slightly off, the setting doesn't match the business, and it just doesn't feel like the person or brand behind it. It's obvious, even if you can't always put your finger on why.

Authentic content doesn't have that problem, because it actually is your business, your space, your face, your way of working. A yoga teacher filmed in her own studio, in her own light, with her own energy, will always outperform a generic stock clip of someone doing a downward dog in a room that isn't hers.

The gap that shows up again and again

Most founders arrive with some brand photos, maybe a headshot or two. Almost nobody has proper video content ready to go, and that's exactly what short form platforms are built around now. Reels are consistently some of the best performing content on Instagram and Facebook, TikTok is video by nature, YouTube Shorts too, and video is increasingly doing well on LinkedIn as well.

A content shoot is mostly video, but it's not only video. I'll also pick up close up shots and behind the scenes photos on my phone along the way, they're not polished professional photography, but they add to the mix and often perform just as well because they still look like you.

Grace writing ideas in her content planning notes while working at a laptop during a Silver Lining Social content shoot.

What a typical shoot looks like

I don't do anything shorter than half a day now. There's planning that happens before we even get to the day, the shoot itself and then the work of actually getting that content shared afterwards, so half a day reflects that properly rather than trying to squeeze everything into an hour or two.

If you're planning to have proper brand photography done anyway, it's worth combining the two. I'll come along to that session and film alongside it, the candid moments, the process, the behind the scenes detail a posed photo doesn't capture. Two birds, one stone!

Nothing comes back edited. What you get is the raw clips themselves, ready for you or for me to use across social media going forward, however they're needed.

Evergreen b-roll, content that keeps earning its place

I call it evergreen or b-roll, footage that isn't tied to one specific post or moment, so it can be reused again and again across different formats and different topics, months after it was filmed. A clip of you working with a client, walking into your studio or setting up for the day isn't about one caption, it can sit behind a dozen different posts over the coming months.

One shoot that's stuck with me was for a client outside my usual wellness, creative and lifestyle world. We filmed for a few hours and came away with a proper bank, behind the scenes footage, the team, the building, close up detail shots, all on video. Reels have gone on to be the best performing content on their page since, and months later, we're still pulling from that same footage.

How often to book one

I recommend a content shoot every three to six months, and I wouldn't go longer than six without another one. Beyond that, content starts to feel overused and repetitive. There's also seasonality to think about, nobody wants bright, sunny, summery shots showing up on your page in the depths of winter.

If the camera makes you nervous

At Core, Content & Confidence Day, a few of the ladies taking part were a little nervous about being filmed. There's genuinely nothing to worry about. You just work naturally, talk to me behind the camera rather than performing to a lens, and I'll direct you gently as we go. No lines, nothing to learn, just you doing what you'd normally be doing or delivering your service as you normally would.

Ready to build your own content bank?

Whether you're an existing management client topping up your content or you're doing your own social media and just need someone to film you properly, a content shoot is worth building into your plans.

Have a look at the Content Days page for more on how a shoot works, or book a Social Brew Call and we can talk through what would suit you best.