It’s that time of year…

If you’re a new creator, Q4 has started to sound both ominous and exciting. And if you’re a really new creator, you might be asking what the hell is Q4 and why is everyone talking about it like a hurricane about to hit.

Quarter 4 is the last quarter of the fiscal year—it’s the last 3 months for businesses to close out the year strong. And of course within that time frame there are major holidays. And I assure you, Q4 is a GREAT time to be a content creator.

Now that you know, here are a few things you can do to prepare:

1. B Roll Library

Film general B Roll now that can be used later.

Why? Not all brands or agencies are organized, you will get inbounds 48hrs before BFCM (Black Friday cyber Monday) asking for a 12hr turnaround time. No problem! Slap on a Rush Fee, film your A Roll, fill in with B Roll you already have. PRO TIP: advertise that you have a 24hr turnaround time, and charge accordingly.

Creating a B Roll library: Make a list of common pain points and benefits. Here are some examples:

• Exercising: cycling, yoga, weights, walking

• Trouble sleeping: tossing and turning in bed, doom scrolling in bed, groggy in the morning

• Phone scroll: laying down, sitting in car, sitting at table

• Working: sitting at computer, look stressed, overwhelmed, productive

The key to making this work is to film in multiple outfits for one “activity” each time, so the camera is in place and you’re just changing clothes to get multiple clips.

2. Turnaround Times

On the opposite end of the spectrum, understand that you may need to increase turnaround time. You can always submit early and impress the brand.

This means if your current turnaround time is 5-7 days, think about saying 7-10 days for larger packages. By December last year, my turnaround time was 10-14 days and I charged for expedited services.

Of course only do this if you actually get busy, but don’t worry I know you will!

3. Holiday Decor

Plan to have Holiday decor ready 30 days before what is socially acceptable. My Halloween decor has been up since the last week in August 😅

Save empty Amazon boxes to wrap as faux presents, and know that your Holiday decor will be doubling as a filming backdrop. Get reusable items to cut down on costs for the next year.

4. Rates

Raise them. That’s it.

JK…you’ve probably already seen Q4 bundles pop up from experienced creators. Brands Meet Creators started the trend last year and it’s definitely a great thing to implement.

You’re basically selling parts that can be reworked to make multiple videos:

For Example: 4 hooks + 2 bodies + 4 CTAs= 32 videos

WARNING! Learn from my mistakes and do one of the following if you offer this package or you will waste time and lose money:

1. Sell the package with the understanding the clips are not edited together into final videos—they’re getting parts in labeled folders

2. If you do edit them together, have the pieces approved FIRST. Get approval for the hooks, bodies, and CTAs before you take the time to edit together

3. If you edit the videos together, I suggest making a list to check off—it gets confusing:

   1. H1 + B1 + CTA 1

   2. H1 + B1 + CTA 1……..

Creator’s Brief: trends & topics to discuss

• Podcast set-up: agencies are asking for it, I have my set-up linked here

• Organic as ads—I’ve had a couple requests for videos with have no structure, no hook, no CTA. Does traditional direct-response still work?

• Do you need a portfolio? Some say no if you have a strong SM presence, but at what point are you an influencer?

• Fiverr is in again! Maybe it was never out, but I’m seeing more favorable posts

• Usage rights: knowing your worth vs. knowing that most ads flop

• TikTok Shop ruined TikTok: already seeing complaints about all the product videos. Has TikTok turned into QVC?

Share your thoughts in the comments or use these topics to create a conversation on Twitter!

If you enjoyed reading this, please share the referral link below or give a shout-out on social media 🙏🏼