When should you outsource your business video production? To answer this question, we must first look at in-house video production. Is it worth it to invest in such an endeavor and, if you already have, is it in your best interest to outsource?
Video content is an essential part of many companies’ marketing strategies – there’s no denying it. Big or small, businesses need to adopt video or risk becoming lost in the clutter that is the internet. Be it for promotion, training, how-tos, or entertainment; video content will fit perfectly throughout the buyer’s journey.
Besides, video production can be quite confusing with all of the elements that go into it. Even for those that have some video production experience, this process can sometimes be overwhelming, let alone those that are only now beginning.
That said, what about going in-house?
The Pros and Cons of In-House Video Production
When you’re looking to build an in-house team, the first thing you need to consider is its scope. What type of video content are you looking to produce and how much you’re willing to spend? These costs should include salary, overhead, and time.
If the marketing budget is not a concern, you can build a video team that can handle everything from production to motion graphics and everything else in-between. In this scenario, the costs may be the least of your worries, but there are other factors to consider.
The first obvious benefit of in-house production is the full creative control over what you create. Your in-house video team will also have a deeper understanding of your brand and culture. The level of output will be linked directly to the size of the group. Owning your equipment means that it’s always available, and you can set your timeline.
Still, there are some significant drawbacks that you should take into consideration. While prices have dropped in recent years, the initial investment in equipment is not negligible. Any downtime will be costly. Your team size will limit your video production capabilities.
The content you create will often be biased to your point of view without an outsider providing a second opinion. And, depending on your location, it may be challenging to find the right talent locally.
In other words, building an in-house video production team will help you shape your vision, but the overhead costs can be quite high, particularly when you’re trying to experiment with other forms of video content or implement different strategies. It will also take time for an in-house team to generate all the aforementioned benefits – time that you could be better invested elsewhere.
Video host Vidyard lays out the pros and cons well in their video: “Video Experts Weigh-in: Outsourcing vs Producing In-House.”
When Should You Outsource Your Video Production?
For better or worse, in-house video production isn’t for everyone. Before companies decide to make this investment, they need to take a serious look at the pre-production.
It is the part of the video production process that involves conceptualizing video ideas, storyboard, finding suitable filming locations, props, equipment, talent, etc. Is this something your company can do and do you have the talent to this handle in-house?
From a marketing perspective, you’d want to figure out what your content will be about. Whether they are testimonials, thought leadership, behind-the-scenes, or promotional, all videos need to tell a story.
The marketer’s job is to find that story and make sure that it’s what the target audience wants to hear or learn. If your material and audience are out of sync, not even the most professional camera will save you. Is your marketing team in-tune with your target audience, and can it determine what’s the best story to tell for maximum effect?
If any of those answers are NO, outsourcing video production is highly advisable. There are other reasons too.
1. Difficulty Finding Top Video Production Talent
Top talent is essential for the success of your video creation. And it’s not just about the impact your videos will have on the audience. The entire production process, from start to finish, needs to be taken into consideration. Delays, downtime, inexperience, etc., all will have a negative impact.
Finding the right local talent may be difficult for some, depending on the region. Freelancers are another option, but it’s a risky affair. If you don’t have sufficient video production expertise, you’ll have an uphill battle making a difference.
You may end up hiring someone with insufficient experience or inferior equipment. A video production company will be better equipped and will usually have the necessary know-how to deliver what you’ve envisioned.
And did we mention audio? A key component of a good video is good audio. Any team producing video must have an audio expert on board. Bad audio will ruin even the best video.
2. Difficulty Managing Time and Resources
Very few businesses realize how much time, energy, and resources it takes to create a quality video. On paper, it would make sense to learn and produce your video marketing campaign. But in reality, the learning curve is steep, quality equipment is somewhat expensive, and the time needed to put everything together is long.
Again, working with one-off freelancers may seem tantalizing, as an effective and time-saving strategy. But finding the right ones may be quite time-consuming. You either need to find them yourself or work through a freelancing agency. Next, you need to interview and vet candidates, then continuously manage them to make sure you get the quality you want.
If time or money is not something you have in overabundance; outsourcing to a team with the experience to produce quality content efficiently is a sound strategy.
3. When Scaling is Slow or Nonexistent
Large companies may be able to afford the entire infrastructure to support an in-house production team. Besides the equipment, this also includes systems, training, and other such elements.
Not everyone can handle that, and most shouldn’t. Remember that there are benefits to an inside team, but not the entire process needs to be in-house. Smaller companies can still scale their video production efforts quickly, but they can do it smartly too.
Conclusion
Businesses should analyze which areas of the production make financial sense to keep internal and which to outsource. Working with someone that already has the infrastructure and talent is a better investment than building everything from scratch.
It will also allow them to adapt to specific needs and stay on top of the latest video production-related trends without having to carry any of the overhead.
Outsourcing video production is an excellent option for businesses looking to scale and embrace video marketing without having to make considerable investments in terms of time, energy, and resources. Each company is different in the end, and every one of them will need to determine if they should outsource the entire production or just parts of it.
Want to learn more? Talk to a professional Content Monsta!
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