This isn’t news, but it has to be said - you can use so many different forms of content to market your brand that it can be overwhelming. There’s commercial photography and video production, ‘about us’ trailers, how-to videos. Then there’s UGC (user-generated content), influencer marketing, in-house content creation, etc.
As the need for a variety of content expands, usually the overall marketing budget doesn’t.
We’ve worked with so many brands who are stressed out of their minds trying to figure out the best approach to content creation that covers as many buckets as possible. We've been able to help them formulate a strategy that takes the pressure off and allows them to focus on their campaign objectives.
We've been lucky enough to work with large national companies like Chosen Foods, Birch Benders, SharkNinja, Manscaped, Ripple Foods Co., and many others who have taught us the importance of content creation that not only looks great but converts into sales as well. Last year, we were featured by Shopify and Meta Business for helping BUBS Naturals increase their revenue by 100% after updating their e-commerce storefront with the content we shot for them.
To keep things simple, let’s assume you have a $10,000/month budget for content creation.
Here are a few areas to focus on and budgets to allocate:
UGC - Essentially free. But let’s say $500/mo for product comps.
UGC has some of the best engagement metrics of all forms of content. Your marketing/social media person can sleuth on socials for content that customers are already contributing to your brand. To turn already loyal customers into diehards, you can send them free products for their efforts to post about your brand. It’s like a baby influencer campaign.
One thing to note - make sure you are being selective and not reposting things that don’t fit within your brand guidelines. And if you find customer content that you like, you could eventually hire that person at an affordable rate for more scripted UGC content creation.
Product Giveaways - $1,000/mo
Product giveaways are a critical part of a marketing strategy. They remain the most effective way to capture potential client information. In exchange for a follow and an email signup, you are giving someone the potential to win something. Low cost, high reward.
You’ll want to use existing content or partner with small to medium-sized influencers to get the giveaway off the ground. This will depend on your brand’s audience and reach.
Influencer Marketing - $3,500/mo
Influencers are becoming very capable content creators. What started as popular people talking about things they enjoyed has become an entirely new content creation sector. Brands can contract influencers to create organic-seeming content like how-to videos, unboxings, ‘get ready with me’ videos, testimonials, reviews, and so much more.
This content should be more planned out and scripted when possible. You still want to convey a specific message while benefiting from the trust and relatability that comes from an influencer’s personality.
A nice thing about this content is that it performs well from an engagement standpoint (comparable to UGC) and can also be turned into a successful ad campaign.
Commercial/Studio Photography and Video Production - $5,000/mo
More traditional, branded content doesn’t score as well from a metrics standpoint as UGC or influencer content, but it is essential for converting leads into clients.
While all the previously mentioned content types are great for driving traffic to your website or product page, the final imagery that clearly explains your brand identity and product specifications is everything.
When you’re launching a product, you want to make sure you have each SKU shot on a plain backdrop from multiple angles. You also want to photograph all of your family/bundles on a plain backdrop. These images can later be clipped and placed on various colors/textures and combined with text overlays for low-cost and high-engagement digital ads.
It would be best if you also had lifestyle photography (and ideally videography). Think of this as your use-case imagery, where you clearly show your customer who uses your product and how it is done.
Eventually, you’ll want more styled tabletop photography to give your brand a look and feel. We recommend using all this branded and aesthetic content to break up your social media grid and stave off some of the visual chaos that UGC and influencer content bring.
If you can manage an overall 15 - 30s video for each product grouping (or just an overall brand video if you have too many or not enough SKUS) then you’ll have rounded out the commercial photography and video production needs.
All of this content will go on your PDPs (product description pages) and increase your conversions exponentially. We’ve seen clients get 100-300% increases in sales and conversions.
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The content creation gamut is large and complicated. But with the best content strategy to market your brand we’ve outlined above, you’ll be able to excel in all the essential areas.
If you have any questions about content creation strategy or need us to give your brand a quick audit, email us!
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