“Post BTS video” they say, so everyone is now slapping tons of rough BTS on their social media, but once again isn’t it all just looking the same? Completely missing the point, and a big opportunity? Completely forgetting what our message is?

I have seen so many pieces of BTS contend from photographers promoting their Christmas mini sessions recently, and I’m not for a moment criticizing anything anyone has created, but I do watch it and wonder if we are missing an opportunity? Even with the rough BTS shouldn’t we know why we are posting it? Be intentional about what we are trying to say?
Also, did you hear Steven Bartlett talking about the BTS video a brand posted? It was a brand he really liked, until the video (accidentally?) revealed a shelf with hundreds of their “luxury” items, he felt the whole magic vanished and the buy in he had for that brand shifted – it was no longer exclusive at all?

For me this looks like

In my photography business my main messages are around getting mums into pictures and communicating that it will be a lovely calm experience, not stressful, I’m here to help, I’m a nice normal person!

Therefor every time I post any kind of video, rough or polished, I try to show:

• Mum with kids having a lovely time.
• Happy kids, laughing, interacting – effortless feel, kids will enjoy this.
• Me with babies – showing mums I love hanging with their babies, it’s fine that the babies will crawl off set and want to explore the camera etc.
• Me talking and directing everyone – I will help you all the way.
  

If you follow me, you know that I often bring one of our kids with me to record BTS (I pay them, they send me an invoice, it’s great business practise for them too), and I prompt them. I tell them to try and get:

• Footage where you can see both me and the family/kids.
• Happy laughing kids.
• Babies/kids coming up to me.
• Mums looking at the back of the camera, evidently loving the images of her kids.

With my training hat on, recording content for that social media account, the aim is slightly different. I prompt him to capture BTS that shows me swapping between still images and video, because my message here is always around “you can easily get both stills and video on your camera” & “there is a really easy way to add video to your photography business”.

None of what I do is perfect! Here is a random little glimpse into the rough and ready, but intentional, snippets of BTS that I have used this year to promote my minis.

How will it look for you?

We can either pull BTS in the direction of “look how rough this setting actually was, but see how fab my photography is anyway” or you can pull it towards “look how lovely it all was when we were creating these and how the final images match that loveliness” – that is quite a black & white view, and you can go either way, find a grey area, but I feel it’s worth considering which message you are leaning towards?
We are seeing lots of really pretty video from photographers now, that match their final pretty images and it’s very indulgent screaming “look how great everything is about my work” 😉

If you are a dog photographer you might have a message of “you can keep your dog on a lead the whole time” so show BTS of that? If you are a luxurious experience, show more polished BTS, the idea of  “look how good everything is with me”. If you are that really silly, highly engaged with the kids, kind of photographer then show that? Maybe you want to show you collaborate with lots of brands? That you have a big team? That you are cheap/expensive?
But just a cute baby in a basket, what does that say? Maybe show that mum is super close by, and talk about that if that’s a selling point for you?

Just know why you are choosing that piece of BTS video content before posting it, know that it supports your main voice.

Do you agree/disagree, do let me know?

Speak soon x