Part-2 in this series continues to explore how to effectively implement video marketing. Today we deal with the budgets of DIY Video vs. Pro Video and I do not shy away from calling out prices.
FACTOR-2: BUDGET
Hiring a pro has its merits, but can come with a heavy price tag. Most traditional production companies will charge you a minimum of $2,500 just to shoot for one 10-hour day at your location and an additional $3,500 to edit the average 3-minute video. Further, those prices don't include scripting or content development. You’ll get a team of specialists working on your project: a director, videographer, audio engineer, make-up artist, and editor who will do a great job…maybe too good, more on that later. Unfortunately, this budget is out of reach for most small businesses. A better approach may be to connect with a talented freelancer who has proven experience doing everything themselves. These talented video professionals are used to making anywhere from $400 to $750 per day. If you hire them directly, that’s a huge savings over a traditional production company, but be warned…don’t just hire any videographer/editor. You’ll need someone who is a marketer, writer, videographer, and editor all in one…not easy to find, but not impossible. Nearly everyone has samples of their work online, so just hop on YouTube and LinkedIn and starting researching production companies or freelancers in your area.
Sorry to let you down, but the DIY approach is not free. It does require an investment in equipment. If you already own a fast computer and a consumer-level HD video camera or cell phone, you still need to purchase a tripod, microphone, some lights, and editing software. Let’s be conservative and say you’ll need to spend $1,000 to complete your set-up. If you’re starting from scratch, you may need to spend an additional $3,500 for a computer and a reasonably priced camera. The upside is that if all you need are videos of you talking directly to the camera with a few simple graphics, your $4,500 equipment investment will pay itself off very quickly. Of course, your $4,500 may be better spent on a professional to produce a dynamic marketing video for your website, create a customized/branded YouTube Channel, and produce a handful of content marketing videos with scripting and SEO services included. Keep in mind, you don’t have to spend $4,500 on a pro all at once. You could start with your website video and then upload content marketing videos monthly to spread out the expense. Tough call.
Tomorrow I’ll post “Part-3: Quality” and give you a whole new way of thinking about the ever popular “Content Is King” assumption. Don’t miss it! Thank you for your time.
Precision Post specializes in creating video for websites and social media. Please visit our YouTube Channel to learn more about video marketing and see samples of our work. You can also visit PrecisionPostMedia.com to receive a free production or training estimate.
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