As an Organic Social Specialist with Alpha Social Media, content sessions are a vital part of my job. Content Sessions vary from client to client, but the overall process remains fairly the same. Believe it or not, there's a lot that goes into my monthly content sessions with my clients - from research to planning and prep, there's a strategy to each scheduled session.
Research
The research phase can differ depending on the stage of the agency process that my client is in. If this client is brand new to working with both myself and Alpha Social Media, then my initial prep is spent researching the voice that this client has used on their social posts in the past as well as the type of content that they prefer to post on their page. We typically go over these questions in our client onboarding phase, and then I dive deeper into that research before my content sessions with the client. If this is an established client, my research before these sessions typically consists of researching current trends and finding things that work well with my clients' vibe!
Planning
Once I've done that initial research and have determined the type of content I'd like to capture, I make myself a shot list. This is helpful for both me and the client as we have a limited time scheduled each month and we need to stay on track and ensure that we capture all necessary elements in a single session.
In addition to planning the content that we want to capture, it is also necessary to plan ahead in terms of making sure I have any props that would be needed for the session, models are scheduled if necessary, and all devices are charged up and ready to go. This can include lights, cameras, lavalier microphones, and more. Believe it or not there are a lot of gadgets that can be used to film the Reels and TikToks that you see on social media!
Let's Capture Some Content!
On the day of the session, I like to make sure I start off my morning by taking a look at my shot list, making sure all devices are charged, and I have everything in place to have a successful content day with my clients.
Once I arrive to the location, I usually start each content capture session by catching up with my client, and seeing if there are any important events that they have coming up that they want me to include in this content capture session or to plan ahead for.
I always try to stick to what we planned ahead of time, but sometimes a particular video isn't working out how I envisioned it, or I come up with something better on the spot. At times, the content strategy can change depending on what my client brings to each session - so it's necessary to know how to stick to a plan but also be able to pivot as needed!
In Conclusion
Overall, there's a lot of planning and strategy that goes into capturing the content that you see on your favorite brands' social media pages. Capturing photos and reels requires a lot of organizing, planning, research, and collaboration among various departments within our agency, and with our clients. However, content days can be one of the most fun and creative parts of my job and they are always an adventure!
