What You Need to Create Content for Your Landscaping Business

This article is aimed at landscaping business owners who are looking to create content and want to know what tools they might need to get started.

For some landscaping business owners, the thought of becoming a semi-professional photographer or videographer to create content is one of the last things on their mind.

What Does Content Mean for a Landscaping Business?

Content is a term that refers to the photos, videos and other material you create to showcase your landscaping business online.

What Content Can a Landscaping Business Create?

• Before and after photos
• Photos of work in progress
• Finished project photos
• Short videos
• Timelapse videos
• Videos of you explaining what you're doing
• Customer/project stories
• Garden advice
• Behind-the-scenes footage

What Equipment Do You Need to Create Landscaping Content?

When creating content, you need to think about how you will capture it without making the process difficult while you are actually working.

You don't need professional camera equipment to get started. For most landscaping businesses, a smartphone and a few basic accessories are enough.

Smartphone for Landscaping Photos and Videos

Now this seems fairly obvious because almost everyone has a phone with a camera.

As long as your phone isn't too outdated, probably within the last three years or newer, the quality of the photos and video is normally good enough to post to your social media or use on your website.

Take a few photos and check the quality first, as some cheaper phones can still have fairly poor cameras.

If you are a solo operator, or working in a small team where you don't have a marketing agency helping you on-site, using your smartphone is totally fine because it's quick and easy.

Tripod for Landscaping Content

A tripod is a stand where you can attach a phone or camera, holding your recording device in a position where it isn't going anywhere.

A full standing tripod is what we are looking for.

There are many different types online, and you don't want to get into the trap of buying one that is only designed for a tabletop. Whilst that might work for some businesses, having a tripod that can fully extend and be used outside on uneven ground is much more useful for landscaping work.

A tripod also gives you the ability to create timelapse videos or take photos and videos that include you and the team.

Phone Attachment for Your Tripod

Tripods don't always come with the ability to grip your phone, so you may need a separate phone attachment.

When setting up the phone, you can position it vertically because this normally works best for social media content.

If you are taking photos or videos for a website, the designer may also ask for some content to be taken in landscape to give them more options when using the photos.

Do Landscapers Need Extra Lighting for Content?

Landscaping happens outdoors, and the sun in the sky usually provides the light we need.

Unless you are creating a video indoors or working somewhere with limited lighting, you probably don't need extra equipment.

If you are working inside a structure or somewhere particularly dark, a standing light can help. These are more niche situations though. As a landscaper, you probably didn't sign up to become a lighting expert as well.

Do You Need a Microphone for Landscaping Videos?

If you fancy talking to the tripod while you're on-site, a clip-on Bluetooth microphone is the way to go.

When you're outside, the sound of wind, rain, cars, dogs, and everything in between can make your voice difficult to hear.

I was genuinely blown away by the difference in sound quality between using a microphone and just relying on the phone. It makes the finished video feel much more professional and, more importantly, gives people a much better experience when watching your social media content.

Even if you're still filming everything on your phone, a small Bluetooth microphone can make a noticeable difference.

Creating Content While Running a Landscaping Business

If you're starting a landscaping business, already running one as a solo operator, or working with a small team, creating photos and videos has become part of running the business.

The difficult part is actually remembering to do it on every job site.

When you're not on the tools, you're probably speaking to a customer, checking a quote, messaging someone, ordering materials or dealing with suppliers. Taking photos and videos can easily become the thing you forget.

Even getting the right shot can take a bit of patience. The sun can be in the wrong place, the lighting can be too harsh, or you might be waiting for slightly better conditions before taking the finished project photos.

The other challenge is that most business owners use the same phone for everything. If it's sitting on a tripod recording a video or timelapse, it's effectively tied up when you might also need it for calls, messages, photos or contacting suppliers.

That's why having a simple setup that is quick to use makes a big difference. The easier it is to capture content while you're already on-site, the more likely you are to actually keep doing it.