BTS – Behind the Scenes – is a content format that shows audiences what happens away from the polished final product: the preparation, the process, the team, the imperfections, and the human effort behind finished content, events, or campaigns. In a social media landscape increasingly saturated with curated perfection, BTS content stands out through its authenticity.
What is BTS Content?
BTS content pulls back the curtain on production – showing the “before” and “during” that normally stays hidden. In influencer marketing and brand content, BTS can mean:
- A creator filming their setup before a photoshoot
- Raw footage of a brand event before it officially opens
- The editing process for a YouTube video
- A brand team preparing a pop-up store or product launch
- An influencer’s “real” day during a press trip versus the curated content they post
- Bloopers and outtakes from a sponsored video shoot
- The sourcing, manufacturing, or design process of a product
The format works because audiences are drawn to process, effort, and human imperfection – BTS satisfies curiosity while building trust.
BTS in Influencer Marketing Strategy
Transparency and trust. BTS content humanises brands and creators. Showing mistakes, iterative decisions, and the genuine effort behind a polished outcome builds a form of trust that advertising cannot purchase.
Event and launch amplification. Major product launches, brand events, and collaborations generate natural BTS content – the preparation creates an ongoing narrative that extends campaign coverage before, during, and after the key moment.
Content volume. A single photoshoot or campaign day can generate dozens of BTS moments for Stories, Reels, or TikTok, stretching a single production budget across multiple content pieces.
Creator authenticity. Creators who show BTS from their brand partnerships communicate that the partnership is genuine rather than purely transactional. Audiences respond better to sponsored content when they understand the context of how it was created.
BTS vs. WIP (Work in Progress)
BTS focuses on the environment, people, and process around a project. WIP focuses on the unfinished object or project itself. A BTS post might show the film crew setting up; a WIP post shows the half-edited video timeline. Both formats are valuable and are often used together in content series.
Platform Best Practices for BTS
Instagram Stories and TikTok are the natural homes for BTS content due to their ephemeral or casual format. YouTube’s “vlog” format supports long-form BTS narratives. The casual, less-produced aesthetic of BTS content is an asset, not a weakness – high production values would undermine the format’s core promise of authenticity.
