1.35 billion Instagram users in 2023
That is a LOT of content. A lot.
And in order to be seen in that huge mass of info and imagery, you need to make content that stands out.
So how do you stop that scroll? How do you attract your audience?
Without compromising on who you are or what your business or brand is all about?
(you don’t have to dance or lip sync, you don’t – unless you want to. And then you should!)
They say content is king.
I’d like to counter that and say the proper content in front of the correct audience is QUEEN.
Because that’s the ideal mix.
The content you create hits the feels of your perfect audience who will then convert into customers.
Or cheerleaders. Or both. Both are ideal. We love those Humans!
Let’s go over some of the items that you may need in order to get that professional brand photoshoot to work for you.
I’ll also list some tips if you’re in the DIY camp and simply cannot shell out the coin for professional help right now.
Budget:
Having a budget for photography and video is crucial, even if you are going to go the DIY route.
If you can’t afford a full day or multiple sessions a year to create consistent and solid content – consider investing in some eye-grabbing headshots and/or hero shots to help tell your business story.
For full DIY you’re gonna need some items to make some great at-home images/video and apps.
“Stacey, I don’t have thousands to invest right now.”
I get it. A lot of beginning companies/organizations and product launches won’t have that budget.
Not yet.
(hang on, you’ll get there!)
You can expect to spend anywhere from 4k to 15k for a full deck of kick-ass professional content.
That’s usually split up between a few hours on the low end to a few days worth, usually (tho not always) including still photos, video snippets and mixed media, on the high end.
You may not be able to swing that right now, and that is ok.
One idea is to reach out to a photographer or two whose work you love.
See what that photographer can do with your current budget.
You know what that number is (and if you don’t go over your numbers!)
You know the max amount you can feasibly spend.
Share that info with the photographer you’re connecting with.
Dancing around that number does nothing for you.
A photographer you love might have an option at 1695 and if your budget is 1500 – there’s a great possibility of meeting somewhere in between, with some tweaking.
(be prepared for a photographer to remove items to lower that final cost – photographers aren’t going to simply offer a discount for discount’s sake)
If you don’t tell the photographer your max budget they can only guess and certainly can’t help guide you in any way.
Some may assume you’ve got 100 bucks to spend (which is okay!) – but if that is the case and you tell them that right off the bat?
They’ll be able to tell you –
a) “here’s what I can do for you”
or
b) “sorry I can’t help but maybe I can offer someone who can”
I’d rather a professional I trust recommend another professional at a lower price point than try to find someone without any guidance.
“Okay but I don’t even have 100 to spend. I need to do this on my own for right now.”
It’s good you know this. And for the most part, you can probably use what you already have on hand!
DIY PhotoShoot Suggestions:
Camera:
You probably have a smartphone or a tablet. Those babies take some pretty decent-quality images and videos.
Lean into using what you have. I always say the best camera is the one you have on hand.
If you’re looking to purchase used professional gear, you can check out BHPhoto.com and KEH.com
I have purchased many a new and used item from both of these sources and they can absolutely be trusted.
Photo gear is not cheap. And if it shows up online as an unbelievable steal? It’s most definitely fake.
Beware.
While you may find some gear on Etsy, eBay and Poshmark, please be aware they may not be in the best shape and if the price is too good to be true? Watch out.
Lighting:
You don’t really need fancy lighting – use sunshine. Use a table lamp. Use a ring light. Use the flash on your phone. I’m not kidding. Use what works and what you have handy!
If you can get your hands on an led video light, you’ll have a solid little light that can help you illuminate your products, your work environment or yourself. You can even get some with modifiers to soften the light.
Again, I’d recommend bhphoto.com to buy these items.
Sometimes Best Buy will offer some great deals too. Or Target.
It doesn’t have to be pricey. I have a cute portable led video light that’s dimmable and came with a back-up battery. Easy to travel with and works in a pinch when needed. I might have spent 25 dollars on it years ago.
It’s still going strong.
Neweer gear is usually a bit cheaper, cost-wise, than some and they are a really solid company with amazing products. Check out their offerings too (I have bought those from Amazon before but tend to support my local camera shops first)..
Without good light, your images are going to fall flat.
There are loads of You Tube videos out there on how to DIY light.
Absolutely learn what you can about proper lighting.
Perspective –
Another DIY tip I have is to change up your camera perspective!
Don’t only shoot a product, person, or scene straight on.
That’s a very average way of viewing something, the way our mind’s eye sees things on the daily.
Change that perspective up and you will make people stop to see what’s going on in your images/videos.
Look at an item from below, on the side. Grab detail or close-up shots. Any perspective that’s slightly out of the box is good here.
But do watch out for warping your subject matter or using certain angles on Humans. It can cause faces and products to look a bit ‘fun house mirror’ like.
Which can be fun in some instances!
Play around!
The best teacher is the result you see on your phone or on the back of your camera.
Relationships
One of THE most important elements of any business and audience building is the relationships you create.
You may have not so professional gear or results in the beginning, but if you make something and your audience falls in love with it – it’s not the thing they are falling in love with.
It’s how you are making them feel. It’s how you relate to them that matters.
Ever notice that some restaurants may not be all that fancy looking inside but hot damn they make you feel so welcome & comfy and the food is gooooooood.
Maybe that food tastes so good because they make you feel like they are so happy you are there. That’s the love!
And then maybe you tried out that trendy new hard-to-get-into restaurant, which was nice and all, but the experience was just sort of ‘meh’.
Yea, it’s because it wasn’t about you. It was about them.
And that stinks for building relationships.
We all like it when things are about us. Not in that self-centered way but in that – ‘your feelings are valid and we care about you’ way.
You’ll go back to a place that makes you feel cared for and special time and time again, even if the decor is from the 1980s (that’s in now tho, right?!)
This is all to say, pay attention to the relationships you’re making with your audience.
Time:
Creating content takes a lot of time. One shot can take 2-4 hours of work.
And that’s by someone who is a professional at seeing and using light properly.
The above time estimate doesn’t include set-up and breakdown.
Or editing.
Or retouching.
It also doesn’t go into the brainstorming and creative juices required to come up with ideas in the first place.
Bundled all together and – content creation takes time. A lot of time.
And if you’re just starting out, you may have a good amount of time on your hands, so this is the time to use it!
But if you want to grow your business – the only way to grow is to delegate.
It’s to ask for help.
It’s to get items off of your plate so you can focus on what matters.
Rely on professionals to tackle what they know how to do best. So that you can do what you know best, which is create one hell of an amazing business!
You’ve got this! And if I can help, please feel free to reach out anytime.
xo,
Stacey
