#045 Capturing Genuine Content Your Consumers Want

UNLOCKING CONTENT MAGIC

In this exciting episode, your trusty guides, Visual Content Wizard (Strategist), Hannah Maymon and the Creative Dynamo (Manager), Allison Gates explore the concept of capturing genuine content that resonates with consumers.

“You don’t want to try to find stock photos that could look like your brand, when you can just take pictures of your space and your people.”

- Allison

Biggest Takeaways From This Episode

Here are a few things that stood out to us:

• Understanding Content Captures: Content captures involve creating an authentic library of photos and videos that reflect a brand’s identity and culture. This content can feature employees, the work environment and more.

• Selecting the Right Photographer/Videographer: The process begins with finding a photographer and/or videographer who can capture the essence of the brand.

• Creating a Shot List: Developing a shot list helps ensure that content captures are well-planned and organized. It provides a blueprint for what to capture during the session, including candid moments that reveal the true culture of the business.

CONCLUSION

Content captures are a crucial tool for businesses to create authentic and engaging content that resonates with their audience. By working with skilled photographers and videographers and carefully planning shot lists, brands can showcase their uniqueness and connect with their consumers on a deeper level. Whether conducted on-site or virtually, content captures provide valuable assets for storytelling and brand promotion.

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Transcript

This text below is a straight up audio transcript of the episode. In our humble opinion, we think the audio podcast sounds much better in its original form. We have not edited the transcription below so there are indeed some grammar errors (some quite funny, in-fact).

INTRO (00:02):

You don't have to be a millennial to be socially savvy. We believe anyone can join generation social media, and your journey starts now. This is the Generation Social Media podcast by Chatterkick.

Hannah: Hello and welcome back to Generation Social Media Podcast. My name is Hannah and I'll be your host for today. I'm here with Allison, our Creative Manager, to discuss the topic of capturing genuine content that your consumers want. We all know that creating content is essential for any business, but how can we ensure that producing content that truly resonates with our audience? That's where content captures come in.

So let's start with the basics. What exactly is a content capture?

Allison: So a content capture is a way to capture the uniqueness of your brand, and you're essentially making an authentic bank of photos or videos for, um, your specific brand. And it [00:01:00] can feature your people, your, the environment, the work you do.

It's kind of like why would you wanna try to find stock photos that can look like your brand when you can just get photos of your people, of your, of your place, of your workplace, and really showcase exactly what it's like to be there or to work with you. Right? So content capture. When we, when we go to an onsite content capture, That's what we're doing.

Allison: We're capturing photos, videos, um, any of those small moments in between that can really tell, um, the story of your, of your brand.

Hannah: Great. So let's move on to the first step of the process, finding a photographer and or videographer. How do you find these must-haves in searching?

Allison: So Chatterkick has, we call it our creative network.

It's a network of awesome creatives, and they specialize in, in [00:02:00] different kinds of, um, creating. So we have editors, photographers, videographers, um, and many other creative people. And as a content capture comes up, we will look at the needs of the client. What are they looking for? Are they looking for video, are they looking for?

Photos, um, and who would be the best fit out of our creative network? So we have several different, um, people that we work with and all equally talented and awesome. So it's not like, like, who is the best choice for this? But it's just who's, who would be the best fit for this client and has, you know, the best eye for capturing.

Allison: Those little moments, like I said. And that's one thing that is kind of tricky because you wanna go in with a plan, but you also want to be like, able to be kind of nimble and move and, um, [00:03:00] if you see something happening, you are able to capture that. So, um, having someone who, uh, is awesome at what they do, but also able to go with the flow is, is definitely, um, a must have.

Uh, on our side we always have a Chatterkick person join the content capture as well. And that's for a few different reasons. Um, so we can have them talking with the client, um, handling that relationship and really, you know, making sure that they're feeling good and feeling comfortable, making sure that we're capturing everything that they want, um, in the moment too.

And then, uh, also we typically, I mean, we'll have our, our phones too and, um, to get some of that smaller stuff we could grab like a, a quick live photo. So we can do a lot with that later when creating content, or maybe we'll get a behind the scenes photo [00:04:00] of our, uh, you know, creative network partner.

Allison: Getting some shots of something. So then we can, um, use that for chatter kit content too. Um, since it's part of our process. Uh, but we also want to make sure that we come in with like notes. Um, it's mm-hmm. Amazing. The, the different bits of information you can get during a content capture. Like in the in-between, like between someone getting their headshot and what they're talking about.

Sometimes it's like, that's the story that you wanna get. So just even taking a notepad along and, um, jotting down some of those things of like, oh, so and so has worked here for forever. They're the best at X, Y, Z. And it really helps with creating that content moving forward. So you not only have the awesome photos and videos that our partner was able to, to, uh, Capture, but then now we have the story that's connected to that too.[00:05:00]

Hannah: Mm-hmm. Kinda gives it that more authentic feel.

Allison: Right, right. Like, it's not just a photo. It's the, it's the story behind the photo and like why it matters and why anyone, you know, viewing it on any of the brand social channels or even on their website, like why should they? Why should they care? Kind of having that little bit of extra information that we can insert into copy, um, really helps.

Hannah: Mm-hmm. So once you found the right photographer and or videographer, it's time to start brainstorming your shot list. So how do you create one of these lists internally?

Allison: So we've done it a few different ways. Sometimes we'll collaborate, um, like we'll jump on a call and we'll, uh, have our, our clients join.

Sometimes, sometimes we'll do it exclusively internally. Um, and basically what we're trying to do is almost make like a, a wire frame, like a blueprint of what we are hoping to capture. [00:06:00] Um, and that can be, you know, is this, is this. A moving shot. Is this a still, you know, is this a photo? Is this just the like feeling we're trying to capture?

Allison: A lot of times we'll be at content captures, and it may be the first time that we've been at a location, so we don't know. You know, is it possible to get this shot? But we might include it on our list just so it's still top of mind when we're there. And again, Being able to be kind of flexible and nimble to say, oh, like this didn't work.

Allison: But we can still do, you know, a, a really cool time-lapse video from this angle and, um, stuff like that. So it's a shot list is really important. 'cause you don't wanna just walk in there and be like, What are we doing today, right? That feels very, it can feel very chaotic, but if you go in with a shot list, with a plan, with an outline, and even if [00:07:00] you know, the plan changes slightly while you're there, you know, that you have captured, you know, the, the type of culture shots you wanna get or you're able to get, you know, some of those, uh, more detailed shots that.

While you're in the moment, content captures, although they might be like, some of them are half days or even full days, and that time flies by and mm-hmm. Um, it's, you would think that you would be like, oh, I won't forget that. But having that list is so helpful, um, to make sure that you're, you're capturing everything.

Allison: 'cause the, the. Worst thing would be is if you got back from, you know, a four hour content capture and you're like, oh my gosh, we forgot this entire section that we were hoping to feature in a campaign. So and so,

Hannah: I know personally I have created the shot list for some of our clients. And some of the best ones are the ones that you get people engaging with the camera, whether it's right, [00:08:00] waving, thumbs up, just smiling, interacting with other employees. Those always seem to go over really well.

Allison: Yeah. Well, and I like the the moments too, like where you say, Hey, can you, Can you look or if you get a group shot, like group shots of, of uh, uh, like team members at a business are always really great, but it's, it's that photo, but then it's like the half a second after too when everyone relaxes and then they're actually smiling because it's funny, the, the, um, everyone, you know, when they know a camera's around, they forget what to do with their like hands.

And their face. They're like, what are these things?

Hannah: Yeah.

Allison: And so, um, having that, that video hang on for just a couple extra seconds so you can get those, like few seconds of them like laughing and like exhaling and breathing, you know, and kind of feeling like they can be themselves. Like those are the moments, or the [00:09:00] non pose moments honestly are what, you know, are, are really great too.

So, um, a lot of times we'll try to, um, As, as like, awkward as it may feel like we'll be like, just keep working. We're, we're not here. And we'll just try to kind of hide around a corner or, you know, be pretty, um, you know, as quiet as possible and just try to get some of those photos as people actually working and interacting with each other.

Um. Mm-hmm. And, and a lot of times that's, those are the moments that are, are really great. It's the. It's the, um, exhale moment. Mm-hmm.

Hannah: The ones when they're least expecting you to be there taking a picture of them.

Allison: Yes. Yes.

Hannah: Not sure that you're there.

Allison: Yeah. Or like the genuine reactions, someone genuinely laughing, someone genuinely looking excited or, or, you know, genuinely concentrating on what they're doing.

I mean, it's, mm-hmm. It's funny, those teeny tiny [00:10:00] changes. Um, you can spot that, like someone can spot that, a user can spot that. Um, just like they can spot a, a stock photo. Mm-hmm. Um, someone can spot if, if someone is looking uncomfortable in a, in a photo or video, it's, it's like a shoulder thing. They scrunching.

Hannah: Right. So, so why is a content capture so important?

Allison: A, a, well, a content capture is super important, especially if it's, you know, It's supposed to be showcasing your brand. And so again, like you don't wanna try to find stock photos that could look like your brand when you can just take pictures of, of your space and of your people.

And I think one thing that's been really interesting lately is just kind of the rise of, um, AI and mm-hmm. How things are moving so quickly, but [00:11:00] AI. Images, um, have a very specific look. Yes. And so, although they're super cool, it's kind of blows my mind. It's really amazing what AI can do. There's still value in real photos.

Allison: And mm-hmm. And I think, you know, as different brands are use, utilizing AI for different reasons and in different ways, um, again, people will still be able to pick out like, is this a real picture of a person? Um, and you know, is this actually what, um, the, it's like to work at this business? You know, we do a lot of, uh, uh, Content for recruiting campaigns and things like that.

And so we wanna showcase what it's actually like to work there showing real people working there. And I think there would be a lot of trust lost, um, if there was an AI [00:12:00] image used to showcase this is, this is our culture, but it's, it, it is. But it isn't, you know what I mean? Um, yeah. So I mean, it's right along the, the line of, uh, using stock footage, um, where it's like, it's, it's similar but it's not quite there.

Allison: It doesn't have the, it doesn't showcase you, um, mm-hmm. You know, in, in an authentic way. And so I think that that's one thing that content captures can, are really important for that reason.

Hannah: Mm-hmm. So what's the difference between a virtual content capture and an onsite content?

Allison: Um, so we've done a few of, uh, you know, virtual content captures before Covid happened and, um, when, uh, we, everyone was kind of working virtually.

Our virtual content captures increased and, and one thing [00:13:00] that I've found for those. Um, is that when we're able to kind of have a conversation, um, there we're able to get a little bit deeper. So, um, the, it, it'll be a little bit less visually dynamic. Um, but for virtual content captures is basically like when we jump on a Zoom or a Google meet, we'll have an interview with a, with a client.

Allison: We'll ask them some of those. Uh, Questions where they can go into a little bit more detail. We might even be able to, you know, connect with, uh, like a founder of the business to get kind of their story. And it's a real opportunity that we wouldn't necessarily have in an in-person content capture where, you know, they might be busy, they only have a few minutes to stop by, see how things are going.

Allison: Um, Okay. And in an in-person content capture is really where we're walking around at the business. We're getting photos of the, of the people who are working there, the products maybe, um, or services that [00:14:00] that brand is providing. And um, so it's really kind of. A difference in, you know, what is your goal for content?

Allison: Is it, if it's thought leadership, um, information, kind of like behind the scenes, insider kind of, uh, for your industry kind of info. A virtual contact capture is a really great option because it just allows that space to talk and to have those deeper conversations. Mm-hmm. Um, but then, Like you said, in-person content capture is a great way to showcase culture and mm-hmm.

And feature employees. And so really, um, you can't go wrong either way. It'd be awesome if everyone did both, right? Mm-hmm. You know? Um, but yeah,

Hannah: and I know there's different pieces of content you can use from each one. So virtual, there's kind of like the audio. There may be a little bit of [00:15:00] video. But you also get the chance to pull some quotes that may stand out to you to using content.

And then in person, it's kind of different in a way. 'cause you get the photos, you get videos, and you can get those quotes or audio bites.

Allison: Yeah, no, that's a super great point because you know, that's one thing too, if we're taking the time or the person, you know, the owner of the business is taking the time to do a content capture with us.

Allison: We wanna make sure that we're using the. What's captured, um, to the, the most that we can possibly use it to the max. Mm-hmm. And so, um, we would use that, uh, vi like the video content or repurpose it in, in so many different ways. So then that message is still coming from that person. Um, it's just presented in a different way.

And that can be for different platforms too. You know, if, if video on one and then. Um, maybe an image or some of those audio [00:16:00] wave files on another. Right.

Hannah: Is there anything else you would like the audience to know about content captures?

Allison: I wanna know from you as a, as a creator, what is your favorite kind of content to create from, from a content capture?

Hannah: Um, I would say probably getting those behind the scenes, more off guard kind of photos or videos just because they can be more authentic and kind of give that genuine feel of what the culture is like there. And then also those behind scenes videos perform really well for like TikToks or Reels and they can be kind of fun and more engaging.

Allison: Right. Cool. No, I mean, I don't know. I think, I think it's something that, um, is really beneficial for all of our clients who do that. It's something that we include in, um, most of [00:17:00] our retainer packages, and it's for that reason. Like we wanna make content that actually, um, connects and matters and is showing, um, that brand story.

Allison: And so, um, because of that, that's, you know, a content capture is typically included in a lot of our. Packages that we mm-hmm. Um, you know, when we're working with clients and, um, I mean, they're super, they're super fun. I think they're fun. And, and one thing that would be helpful too, on, on client side and to maybe get people loosened up, ready to have a camera, um, in their face is just letting their team know, like giving 'em a heads up of like, Hey, Someone's gonna be here.

Like, don't worry, it's fine. Mm-hmm. Everyone, everyone feels, you know, a little bit awkward in front of a camera, but, um, it's always, it's always great. Allison: Like, like I said mm-hmm We have such amazing partners that they know how to umm, make people [00:18:00] look awesome. And I mean, that's our goal, to tell a Yeah. The, a positive story.

We're not gonna, someone's looking like a goofball. We're not gonna use that photo unless mm-hmm. You know, unless they, like, that's their personality and it's like, yeah, share the goofball photo. But, um, that's what we're trying to kind of capture is those real moments, so,

Hannah: Right. All right. Well, that's all for today's episode of Generation Social Media.

I hope you found this discussion helpful. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us on social media. Thank you, Allison, for being here. Thanks. Cool, and thank you for listening.

Outro (17:34):

That's it for this episode of Generation Social Media podcast. If you had an aha moment or just a haha moment, I would be so grateful if you leave a review with the moment you loved most. If you have a question you'd like us to answer on the next episode, fill out the form on generationsocialmediapodcast.com.

inspiration, Business, Social MediaChatterkickSeptember 1, 2023internal team, Podcast, Executive Social, CEO