Hiring a video production company can be overwhelming, but video production is critical to the success of your business. There’s a reason why all top brands are using video on their website and social media platforms. Video captures more attention than any other form of content and converts better. Choosing a video production company is no small decision.

The right company can take your projects to the next level, whereas the wrong partner can leave you with a video that’s lackluster, and even damage your brand image (not to mention your budget). We’ll talk about how to choose a video production company that will deliver results you can be proud of. What questions should you ask? What kind of references do they have? How long have they been in business?

How to Pick the Right Video Production Team

When it comes to your video production team, you have a lot of options. But not all of those options are equal. Choosing the right video production team for your project is essential for getting the results you want. Here are a few tips to help you find your dream team!

The first thing you need to do is develop a list of video production companies that match your needs. This can be done by searching on Google, LinkedIn, or other social media sites. Once you have narrowed down the list of video production companies we suggest selecting the team that fits your taste. Different teams will have different looks and feel for their videos. Pick the team that most closely matches what you like/expect.

Next, find out if they are willing to work within your budget. If they are not, move them off your list and go back to step one. Keep in mind that your budget will dictate what you will get out of the video. Smaller budgets will result in a less polished final product and might not be what you were looking for.

The next step is to meet with the team that you selected in person or via Skype (or another video conferencing tool). Determine if they are a fit for your company. Do they understand your vision? Do they seem professional? Do they seem passionate about making great videos? Does their personality mesh with yours? If not, go back to step one. If yes, then keep going…

After finding a company that meets all of the above criteria it is time to discuss with your production team what kind of video you want to make and how long it will take them to make this video.

Video Turnaround Time

Estimating video production duration, editing turnaround times, and delivery dates all seem like they should be simple, but in reality, it’s a bit more nuanced. That’s why we’re here to help! Each team will have a unique video production process and it is best to let your production team manage their process. Setting up a video production project takes time and energy from both you and your chosen team. Expect this to be a several-week to several-month process.

From the initial meeting about your project expect a week before the production company gets back to you with a detailed budget and timeline. Some production companies may take more or less than a week during this phase of the process.

So you now have a budget and timeline in hand, but what does that timeline look like? Well, that depends on what your project entails. For a simple interview-style video with limited graphics, it is reasonable for the whole project to take anywhere from 2 – 4 weeks. For a larger production with actors and special effects, you could be looking at 2 – 3 months.

Estimates can vary widely based on the scope of work and complexity of the project. More complex videos can vary widely in timing. These are generally projects that involve animation or a lot of special effects. For instance, if you want your video to look like you shot it with a drone flying around the Statue of Liberty, that could take quite a while. Conversely, if you just want some talking heads (which are great by the way), that could be done in no time at all.

However, most videos fall somewhere in between these extremes. As a general rule of thumb for corporate videos: expect about 1 day of shooting for every 2-3 minutes of the finished product. Of course, there are variables at play here that can affect this. For editing, expect 2 business days per minute of video.

Video Production Budget

With the rise of video content marketing, more and more businesses are investing in high-quality video content. However, many business owners are intimidated by the costs associated with producing quality video content.

It’s true that a professional-grade video will typically cost more than a simple blog post or magazine advertisement. It’s also true that the average cost of a 2–3 minute video is $1,500 to $10,000.

Screenwriting Services: $300 – $600

Voice-Over Talent: $50 – $400 per hour

Music Rights: $15 – $150 per song

Animation: $200 – $1,000 per second of animation

Equipment Rental: $100 – $300 per day for camera equipment

Sound Equipment Rental: $75 – $250 per day for sound equipment

Videographer: $85 – $250 per hour

Video Editor: $50 – $125 per hour

With so many variables in video production, it is important to clearly communicate to your video production company your expectations and how you want the final product to look. Higher quality videos will have higher costs.

How To Make The Most Of Your New Video

Marketing your video on social media is a great way to reach new audiences and get more eyes on your content. Here are some tips to get you started:

Use a thumbnail that pops. The best thumbnails are the ones that grab attention with an intriguing visual element and a clear title. If you have the option to select a thumbnail, choose one that will make people want to watch your video.

Use all of the space you can. Many platforms allow you to add text and links in the description box of your video, so make sure to take advantage of this opportunity.

Plan ahead. Think about what platforms you want to share your video on before it’s ever created, and be strategic about how you’ll approach each platform–some videos will do better on Facebook than Instagram, for example, so plan accordingly! You can always adjust your strategy once you start getting feedback from viewers or analytics reports from each site’s backend dashboard too!

Create targeted ads for specific campaigns if necessary–this could mean creating different versions of one video with different captions for each platform (like Twitter vs Vine) or targeting supplemental ads at different types of users depending on their demographics (like Facebook).

Don’t just upload videos–share them! Make sure people know where they can find

Our goal here is to help you identify, and ultimately select, the right video production company for your project, so you can move forward with confidence. We encourage you to consider these factors before making your decision, and we also encourage you to reach out with any questions you may have. A high-quality video can make a huge difference in the success of your business, or in the success of anyone looking to share their story. So be sure to choose the right partner to bring your vision to life!