When it comes to content creation, the tools in your kit can significantly increase the quality of your content and the ease of creation. These are the top seven tools I love to use when I’m making content, plus a bonus item if you have a bit more of a budget to work with!
Getting the right lighting for any content is crucial. While I always prefer natural light when filming or taking pictures, sometimes the sun doesn’t like to participate when you need it to. This ring light comes with three different light settings and can be dimmed or brightened to the exact level you need. Plus, the phone mount works exceptionally well to record or take pictures of yourself.
A tripod isn’t always going to get the job done. Before this tool, I was constantly balancing my phone on stacks of boxes and books to get overhead shots. I prefer this stand to any others on the market because the joints can only be adjusted with hex tools, providing a truly stable hold on your phone. Plus, you don’t have to worry about a clamp that many other overhead stands use.
This stand is especially useful for reels where you want to keep an overhead shot stable throughout changes, such as a recipe or drawing video. No more worrying about phone jenga or shaky hands with this stand!
Hands down, this is the best portable tripod on the market. So many others I have tried fall over with the weight of my phone or can’t balance well. This tripod folds down small enough to fit into your pocket, always ready for a time-lapse or pictures. For me, it has been the best for capturing stable tabletop content for restaurant clients. I have used it on a golf cart, on a rock by the Truckee River, on a bench next to the Trevi Fountain, and more. Each time it has worked perfectly.
When you’re out catching content, the worst thing that can happen—besides breaking your phone—is running out of battery. Capturing a lot of photos and videos can really drain a battery, so I always bring a portable charger to make sure I don’t have to call it quits early at a shoot. I’ve found this charger is the best, as it can hold so much charging power and can charge two devices at once.
Eventually, you’re going to run out of space on either your phone or your computer. As a social media manager, I personally have over 11k photos and videos on my phone right now. An external hard drive is a perfect solution to get all the content off your phone and into a safe storage solution that you can organize.
A Wireless Microphone is a must for content creation. Especially if you're doing voiceovers, interviews, etc. A Microphone also comes in handy in noisy locations by eliminating some of the background noise in public or windy outdoor locations.
There's nothing harder to watch than a video taken with shaky hands or bouncing all over the place. A Gimbal will help you shoot smooth and stable videos while walking, riding a bike, etc. so you can avoid blurry videos or photos!
If you have some extra space in your budget, I would highly recommend investing in a GoPro. I have the Hero10, and it has been amazing to work with. The quality of photos and videos is excellent, and I can put it through more crazy content situations that my phone can’t handle, such as diving into Tahoe. A feature I really love is the timed capture that lets you set up the camera to turn itself on and start recording or taking pictures while you’re not there. I particularly love the magnetic clip GoPro makes, which I have found extremely useful for sticking up high and recording a time-lapse.
I hope these suggestions help you elevate your content creation to the next level! I know having these tools have made working in social media so much easier for me.
Shop more tools we suggest for content creators HERE.
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