KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Build the bank now: Late September and early October are the last calm weeks before the holiday rush.
Plan from the customer’s view: Start with what shoppers want to see, then build your shot list and calendar from there.
Tag everything: Subject, product type, and SKU notes make posting and product tagging fast later.
Choose your pace: One full day builds momentum, but short sessions work when a full day isn’t realistic.
I have an amazing team, and our senior strategist is one of the most organized people. More than five years ago, she told me she had been coaching her clients to create a content bank. Now, this is a core approach we use with all clients; we advise every client to build this repository: a library of images and videos your team captures during downtime in the store or during planned production time. Each image or video should have notes attached, and in those notes we recommend including:
- the subject
- the product type
- the SKU
That small step makes tagging fast once you start posting to social or creating ads, and it means anyone on your team can find the right asset in seconds.
This is year-round advice. But as September comes to a close, now is the best time to build a holiday-focused content bank, one that keeps you on track and takes the pressure off when you and your team are stretched thin in November and December.
Why a Holiday Content Bank?
Every hour spent deciding what to post in November and December is an hour taken away from customers on the sales floor or from answering customer messages. Your owners and top associates are your most valuable people during the holidays, and they belong with shoppers, but they are also the people who should be in the posts explaining why to buy this during the holiday. Too often, the person responsible for creating the social content waits to get these team members on video until the store is set up for the holiday. Now’s the best time to get them sharing their thoughts; just add some holiday language.
A content bank moves that work into the slower weeks of early fall. When the rush arrives, your content is already captured, organized, and ready to go. You stay visible and consistent all season, and your team stays focused on selling.
Ideas to Help Plan Your Holiday “Shot List”
Before you look at a calendar, start with the customer. Ask this question: What do people want to see from us this holiday season? Gift ideas at different price points. How a piece looks on the hand or in the box. What’s new in the store. How you celebrate the season. Your answers become the foundation of your shot list.
Next, layer in the promotions you already have planned. Your events, offers, and key selling moments, like Small Business Saturday on November 28, each need visuals behind them, so add them to the list now.
Then build in the evergreen holiday staples we recommend to our clients:
- Unboxing videos: Few formats capture the excitement of gifting better than the moment a box opens. For jewelers, this is the reveal. For CPG and food and drink, it’s the gift set or seasonal packaging.
- Seasonal treats and moments: Holiday cookies at the counter, a warm drink during a consultation, the small details that make your store feel like the season.
- Staged November and December scenes: Set up a few wrapped gifts, a holiday display, or seasonal styling now, even if the store isn’t decorated yet. You’ll have seasonal-ready content before the holiday arrives.
Once your shot list is complete, map it to the calendar. Mark the dates customers act on:
- Early gifting weeks
- Black Friday on November 27
- Small Business Saturday
- Cyber Monday
- Giving Tuesday on December 1
- Your shipping and personalization cutoffs
- Last-minute shopping days
- Post-holiday exchanges
Assign each week a message, then match your shots to it. If you’ve built a Holiday Hub on your website, these same dates and deadlines already live there, so your content and your site will reinforce each other.
What to Capture So Every Holiday Week Is Covered
With your plan in hand, organize your capture list by the job each piece of content needs to do:
| Content job | What to capture | Jewelry example | Other verticals |
| Gift guidance | Gifts by price tier and recipient | Pieces grouped by budget, shown on the hand and in the box | Gift sets, bundles, stocking stuffers |
| Expertise | Short staff tips and picks | An associate explaining how to choose a style for someone else | Fit advice, pairing suggestions, tasting notes |
| Services and deadlines | Cutoffs and services customers need to know | Engraving, sizing, and repair deadlines | Personalization, shipping, and pre-order cutoffs |
| Private shopping events | Direct-to-camera invitations | The owner inviting clients to an exclusive holiday evening | Same |
| Giving back | The causes your store supports | Your charity partner and how purchases contribute | Same |
| Proof | Reviews and customer moments, with permission | Review graphics, gift reveal moments | Same |
Two of these deserve special attention because they are the easiest to forget.
Private shopping events. Straight talk to the camera is one of the most effective ways to invite clients to an exclusive evening. Record a short, warm invitation now, then add photos of the space once the store is set up for the event. The personal invitation carries the message; the photos show them what they’ll walk into.
Giving back. The holidays are a time when many businesses and customers are giving back to local charities or causes. Create videos or messages about the causes you support, why they matter to you, and how customers can participate. Giving Tuesday gives you a natural moment to share it, but this content works throughout the season and may line up with something you do every year.
As you capture, get more than you think you need: alternate angles, extra footage, and both vertical and horizontal versions. One strong video can become a Reel, a Story, an email feature, a product page asset, and a still for your Google Business Profile. And remember to add your notes as you go, including subject, product type, and SKU. I’m repeating this message because it’s so important. You and your team will thank me later.
Align Your Production to the Messaging Goal
Not every asset needs the same level of polish. Sorting your content into three tiers keeps the workload realistic:
- Everyday content: Phone-shot, well-lit, and captioned. Staff picks, quick tips, event reminders, and behind-the-scenes moments.
- Planned content: Outlined in advance, with better lighting and audio, and edited for clarity. Gift guides, expert explanations, and event invitations.
- Hero content: Professional photography or video for your holiday campaign, website, and paid advertising.
One important note for jewelers and luxury retailers: high-ticket pieces belong in the planned or hero tier. When a customer is considering a significant purchase, accurate color, clarity, and detail protect both the sale and your price positioning.
Commit to One Full Day, or Build Your Bank in Short Sessions
The ideal is to capture everything in one dedicated day. A full day builds momentum. You set up lighting and equipment once, dress the store once, pull product once, and your team stays in a creative mindset instead of switching back and forth between selling and shooting. The result is also more consistent, because everything shares the same look and feel.
That said, setting aside a full day isn’t always possible. If it isn’t, chunk the work into sessions of one to two hours. Schedule them before the store opens, on a day you’re closed, or during reliable downtime. Use the three sections above as your guide: one session to plan, one or more to capture by content job, and one to sort your content into tiers and tag it.
Either approach works. What matters is that the time goes on the calendar.
Planning and prep should be done outside of the day itself. Complete the shot list and identify products prior to the scheduled shoot day or small sessions. If you’re executing in small sessions, you’ll want to prep in product groupings.
| Step | One full day | Short sessions (1 to 2 hours) |
| Capture | Morning: product and gift content. Afternoon: people, events, and giving back | Sessions 2 to 4: one content job per session |
| Organize | End of day: add notes, subject, product type, and SKU | Final session: tag, tier, and file everything |
| Schedule | Load content into your scheduling tool by late October | Same |
“In the fourth quarter, you never have as much time as you think. The work you do in October is the gift you give yourself this season.”
– Jennifer Shaheen
President and Founder, Technology Therapy® Group
Why the Best Time to Prepare for the Holidays Is Right Now
Every year, we tell ourselves we’ll have time for it later. And every fourth quarter reminds us that we never have as much time as we think. A staff member calls out. A shipment arrives late. A rush of repairs lands the same week as your biggest event. The unexpected is the one thing you can count on during the holidays.
That’s why right now is the best time to build your bank. And the benefits go beyond your digital assets. Anything you create for your shoot, including those wrapped boxes, becomes part of your in-store display in a few weeks. You’re not only getting ahead on content; you’re getting ahead on decorating, too.
Block the time this week. Your November and December self will thank you.
Turn Your Holiday Ideas Into a Plan
Creating content is only one part of a successful holiday marketing strategy. A Technology Therapy Group mentor can help you set priorities, build a realistic calendar, and connect your content to the business goals that matter most. Partner with a mentor to create a plan your team can confidently execute.
