Stop treating the shoot like the end goal.
Somewhere along the way, businesses started treating professional content shoots like the finish line. They’ll spend their entire budget on hiring a photographer or videographer to take professional content, post it once or twice, and then wonder why it didn’t do anything. We see it all the time. Good content, professionally shot, sitting on social feeds with barely any reach. Not because the quality is bad, but because no one actually saw it. That’s not a content problem, that’s a distribution problem. And ultimately, it comes down to strategy.
One of the most common mistakes businesses make is blowing their entire budget on the shoot itself and leaving nothing to actually push the content out. In a competitive landscape, the reality is most of what you post is not going to magically trend, especially if it’s polished, professional content. There’s nothing worse than spending good money on professional content and then just hoping for the best. This is even more important for businesses who are just starting out, and don’t have an established audience or database.
Let’s not confuse this with the organic posts and reels we’ve spoken about in the past. We’re not saying every piece of content needs to be boosted, we still believe volume is everything. But these bigger shoots, the hero or commercial-style shoots that take briefs, planning and more effort, are a different story. So much work goes into these that it’s such a shame to see them sitting on feeds with barely any views.
We’ve always believed your content budget shouldn’t stop at production. Whatever you invest in making the content, you should be prepared to invest a similar amount in getting it in front of the right people, because the shoot is only half the job. The real impact comes from what happens after the content is made.
When we talk about “putting money behind content”, we’re talking about using paid social advertising, like Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn ads, to push your content in front of the right people. Instead of just posting and hoping your audience sees it, you’re actively distributing it to the people most likely to care.
If you’re not backing professional content with a strategy around how it’s going to reach your audience through paid distribution, you’re relying on luck and algorithms to do the heavy lifting. And in today’s landscape, that’s not a strategy.
This is even more important for businesses that are just starting out and don’t yet have an audience. In those early stages, this is the formula we use to launch brands into the digital space. Over time, as your audience grows and becomes more engaged, that’s when you can start looking at reducing your ad spend. But early on, distribution is what gives your content a fighting chance.
The shoot is a small part of the campaign. The real value comes from what you do with the content after it’s made. If you’re not putting money behind it, you’re leaving results up to chance and hoping the algorithm does the work for you.
If you plan to invest in professional content, make sure you invest in getting it seen. Stop spending your whole budget on a shoot and nothing on promoting it. Good content deserves an audience.
When approaching agencies with budgets, don’t play all your cards at once. Leave room to promote the work.
Image from our seasonal content photoshoots with Tramps. View more of our work with them here.
Our portfolio is built on long-standing partnerships with brands that value creative thinking and meaningful outcomes. Below are some of the clients who have trusted Unknown Group over the past five years.
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