Creating enough content for your social media can be a real pain in the ass.
I'm not even talking about captions. Just creating enough footage for your feed and stories can be stressful. It can feel like something you don’t really have time for. For many people I work with, content is one of the biggest bottlenecks in their business.
But it doesn’t have to be. Content doesn’t have to be a lot of work. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s just something you have to do. Posting something is better than not posting.
A lot of people just make it way too complicated. I know the feeling, because I used to do this too. I used to freak out all the time about creating content and showing up on social media. I was always overthinking and never posting enough. I thought every photo I posted had to be taken by a professional photographer.
But posting super polished photos and slick videos has always felt off to me. It doesn’t feel authentic.
As time has gone by, I’ve learned to lean into my authentic self. I started posting a shitload of unprofessional content. And I started getting far better results.
So today I'm going to talk to you about how batching footage can help take the stress out of content creation.
Ready? Let’s go!
Document, don’t create
It sounds obvious but you need make sure your content doesn’t bore your audience to death. If most of your content is just talking on camera, you’re doing it wrong.
Your content needs to look and feel exciting. You need to use different angles. Some parts should be sped up and some parts should be slowed down. And consider adding a voice-over to your footage to spice it up, or music to capture the energy of your day.
You can do all of that without talking to the camera. So change your mindset from finding new things to talk about on video to documenting what you’re already doing. This is something I learned from Gary Vee: “Document, don't create”.
In some ways, it’s similar to “Show, don't sell”. I like both of those concepts, because they challenge the idea that there’s this huge obstacle you have to overcome. Instead, focus on what you are already doing!
The way I apply “Document, don’t create” is basically through documenting what I do throughout the day and saving it, so I can use it in my content later down the line.
Time-lapses are great for this. They’re easy to make and people love watching them.
I have tripods set up all around the house and basically film whatever I’m doing. That way I can easily turn this footage into a TikTok or Instagram Story about how my day went.
Creating your B-roll
Making time-lapses is just one example of how you can make B-roll (secondary footage).
I try to create B-roll the entire time. I capture moments and piece them together to tell a story. Sometimes I film stuff that looks crappy now, but that’s perfect to show my transformation in two years’ time.
I've trained myself to constantly record stuff on my phone and to let go of the idea of making perfect videos. You’re never going to be 100% happy with it anyway. But you will really regret it later, if you don't have any content from what you were doing.
For example, I’m currently working on my book. If I would only start thinking about content as I’m about to launch the book, it would be too late to get footage of me actually writing it.
You would miss the moments where my book was still a collection of post-its. Or the time I went to the seaside by myself to work on the book and I was eating way too much. You wouldn’t get to see the blood, sweat, and tears that went into it.
But people are interested in that. Seeing how hard you worked to write the book will make people want to buy it. You could show what you’re doing real-time in your Stories but also include the footage later down the line in a promotional video.
So basically just record everything. Not sex – we’re not making porn. Don’t do that. Unless you have consent and that's what you want to do, then you do you. But the point is you want to capture what’s happening as much as you can.
A little help from your friends
You don’t have to do all of this alone. You can call in help.
I was with a friend recently, sitting in the car and I asked her if she could make a video of me driving so I could use it later to start one of my videos with. And she was like “Oh, you don’t even have to ask me anymore. I’m just going to beat you to it and film everything you do from now on”.
It can add so much energy and personality to your footage. When I’m with my best friend and business partner, Jessica, we always create a shit ton of content for each other. Because we’re so comfortable with each other, we’re constantly making jokes. So when I’m with Jessica, you really get to see my funny side.
Believe me, I don’t ask everyone. Not everyone understands. But that’s why it’s so important to communicate properly. Explain what you need and why it’s important.
It’s really not a big deal asking for a bit of help. And in my experience, people are always happy to help once they truly get what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.
It’s just such a shame not to create content, because you feel awkward asking for help or because you think your environment doesn't really get it. I see so many people struggle with this. But it’s something you just have to get over.
Often I not only find that my friends enjoy helping me, but they’ll also ask me to take pictures or videos for their own content – personal or business. Just make sure you don’t set high expectations and that there’s no stress or pressure. You’ll always be happy you have footage.
Done is better than perfect.
If you find it difficult to show up on camera, my team and I have created the Start To Video training to help you feel more comfortable on screen and make better videos. Watch it for FREE.
Watch this episode on YouTube, or listen via iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and search for episode 132 of The FastForwardAmy Show.
Leave a Reply