Prep for Success: Your Guide to Getting Ready for a Business Content Creation Session
You've made the smart decision. You've booked a professional content creation session – whether it's for photos, video, or a combination of both – to finally get the high-quality assets you need for your social media, website, and marketing materials. That's fantastic!
Booking the content creation session is a huge step, but the next crucial part is preparation. A little bit of planning and prep work beforehand can make a world of difference, ensuring the shoot runs smoothly, you feel confident, and you get the maximum amount of usable, on-brand content.
As your Social Media and Online Presence Expert, guiding clients through this process is a key part of making these sessions successful. It’s about more than just showing up; it’s about setting the stage for your business to shine.
Here’s your guide on how to prepare for your content creation session:
1. Confirm Your Content Goals & Participant List
Before anything else, be clear on what you need from the session. If you've planned the session with me, we've already defined the shot list and video topics based on your content strategy and what's needed for your website and social channels.
Review the Plan: Familiarize yourself with the types of photos and videos we aim to capture. What messages are we conveying? What products or services are highlighting?
Identify Participants: Who needs to be in front of the camera? Is it just you? Key team members? Do you need a stand-in 'client'? Make a definitive list.
Brief Your Team: Ensure everyone involved knows the date, time, location(s), purpose of the shoot, and approximately when they need to be ready. Share any relevant parts of the content plan with them. Confirm their availability well in advance.
For Galatea Clients: These content goals and the entire session plan will be based directly on your objectives for the quarter and the year, designed to feed your social media and website needs. I will create the initial, detailed content plan and shot list, and then we will refine it together during a planning call to ensure it perfectly aligns with your vision and requirements.
2. Outfits & Styling: Look the Part
What you and your team wear plays a big role in the final look and feel of your content, impacting your brand consistency.
Plan Your Looks: Based on the type of content, choose outfits that are professional and align with your brand's style and colors.
Bring Options: It's always a good idea to have a few outfit changes ready. This provides variety in your content without needing multiple shoot days.
Avoid Distractions: Steer clear of busy patterns, fine stripes (they can look strange on camera), and large, prominent logos (unless it's your logo and the goal is branded apparel). Bright neons can also be tricky with lighting.
Focus on Fit & Condition: Ensure your clothes fit well, are clean, and wrinkle-free. Pay attention to shoes as well!
Grooming: Plan for hair and makeup. Professional styling can make a significant difference in how confident you feel and how polished you look on camera.
For Galatea Clients: Don't worry about figuring out your shoot wardrobe alone! I will provide easy-to-follow guidance, a simple 'do's and don'ts' list, and personalized suggestions to help you select outfits that work well on camera and represent your brand. You are welcome to send me pictures of your options beforehand for specific feedback!
3. Prepare Your Space(s): Tidy & Stage
Your office or business location is often a key character in your branding story. Making sure it looks presentable helps your business shine on camera. We don't need an insane overhaul, just a focus on cleanliness and order in the specific areas we plan to use.
Identify Shoot Locations: Walk through your space and decide which specific areas (e.g., your desk, a conference room, a specific corner with good light, the reception area) will be used.
Basic Tidy Up: Focus on the essentials for the camera in the planned areas: ensure floors are clean, windows are sparkling if they'll be visible, visible surfaces are free of dust, empty all trashcans in sight, and clear off desks or countertops that will be featured. It's about being camera-ready, not a move-out clean.
Stage for the Camera: Arrange furniture slightly if needed for better angles. Ensure your logo is visible in the background if desired. Add intentional props like plants, relevant books, or neatly organized tools of your trade. Think about what's behind you when sitting or standing.
Minimize Distractions: Turn off computer screensavers or notifications. Make sure any whiteboards are clean or intentionally written on.
For Galatea Clients: On the day of the shoot, I'll take a quick sweep through the planned rooms to make sure they meet these camera-ready standards. My ultimate easy hack for clutter? Recommend tossing all the obvious desk mess – papers, stray items, etc. – into a designated box and tucking it out of sight for the duration of the shoot. Easy and simple! And if getting the space to this tidy point feels overwhelming before the shoot day, I even have trusted cleaners available to help get it camera-ready.
4. Consider Lighting (Even if a Pro Has Gear)
While a professional will bring their own lighting equipment, being aware of the natural light in your planned shoot locations is helpful for planning.
Note Window Availability: Which rooms have good natural light? At what time of day is the light best in those areas?
Identify Potential Issues: Are there harsh overhead lights that cast shadows? Are some areas very dark? Point these out to the photographer/videographer during their setup.
Trust the Pro: Remember, the production team is expert at using light (both natural and artificial) to make the space and you look great. Your job is just to make them aware of the location's potential.
For Galatea Clients: If I haven't visited your location in person before the shoot, I would love a quick video tour via FaceTime or similar app. This simple step gives me a great sense of what lighting we're working with, the layout, and potential shoot spots before we even arrive, ensuring we're fully prepared to maximize the space.
5. Gather Your Props & Visuals
Think about any items you need to tell your story or demonstrate your process.
Tools of the Trade: Anything you physically use in your work.
Products: If you sell physical products, have them clean, well-organized, and easily accessible.
Documents/Charts: Any visual aids you might reference or want photos of.
Branded Items: Notebooks, pens, water bottles with your logo.
Have all these items gathered and ready in or near the locations where they'll be used.
For Galatea Clients: Based on your content goals and the planned shots, I will come up with the detailed list of necessary props and visuals for you. If you're a new client, we will work on this together during our initial strategy session to make sure nothing is missed and everything aligns with your brand message.
6. Communication is Key (My Role)
Effective communication between you, the content expert (that's me!), and the production team is the backbone of a successful shoot.
Unified Vision: I act as the bridge, ensuring the photographer/videographer understands the content goals, the shot list, the schedule, and any specific requirements for your business and space.
Troubleshooting: I'm available to answer your prep questions and address any concerns that arise leading up to the shoot day.
For Galatea Clients: You have me from the get-go! I'll know exactly what content we need from the shoot based on your comprehensive online presence strategy. Plus, as your overall online presence manager, I can even touch base with other members of your marketing team, contractors, or companies you use (like your website designer or online ads specialist) to see if there are any specific photo or video assets I can gather for them while we're already creating content, ensuring maximum efficiency and value from the session.
On the Day of the Shoot...
Get a good night's sleep.
Eat well beforehand.
Give yourself plenty of time to get ready without rushing.
Relax, trust the process, and have fun! The better prepared you are, the more smoothly the day will go, and the more comfortable you'll feel.
For Galatea Clients: Because we've done the strategic planning and detailed prep work together, you can feel confident and relaxed on the day. Just show up ready, trust the experienced team I've coordinated, and focus on sharing your expertise and personality – we've handled the rest, making your content creation simple and effective!
Investing time in preparing for your content creation session is investing in the quality and usability of your marketing assets. It’s how you turn a good shoot into a great one, resulting in fantastic photos and videos that truly elevate your online presence.
Ready to plan and execute a content creation session that gets results for your business, without the prep stress? Let's talk!
