When to Hire an In-House Video Marketer vs. Video Production Firm

Video content has become the pinnacle of a successful marketing strategy for businesses of all sizes.

In 2022, it was reported that over 80% of internet traffic came from either video streaming or downloads. While businesses likely don’t have collateral for streaming or downloads, they can incorporate different video types into their digital marketing strategies.

Video marketing helps increase revenue & web traffic, boosts conversions, and benefits buying decisions while creating memorable customer experiences.

What can video marketing & production do for businesses?

• Supplement content marketing strategy and content creation
• Craft video ads to promote products and services
• Track audience engagement
• Create different types of videos like explainer videos, brand videos, social media videos, and more!

Now that your team has discovered the importance of having high-quality video production services at your fingertips, the next choice is to hire a video marketer to support your in-house team or outsource the work to a larger video production firm. The answer depends on the investment your team has in video marketing.

Find the perfect video production company for your next project.

In-House Video Marketer

What is an In-House Video Marketer?

An in-house video marketer creates video projects and other video-related content, all in the comfort of your organization.

They can use specialized video software to edit, create, and publish content that benefits their company’s video marketing strategy.

In-house video marketers work closely with the marketing team, ensuring they are clear on the company’s brand, mission, and target audience.

5 Benefits of Hiring an In-House Video Marketer

An in-house video marketer is part of your internal team. Discover the benefits of hiring a videographer in-house:

1. Full creative control
2. Limited schedule and deadline issues
3. Flexibility
4. Cost-Effective
5. Deep understanding of brand

Full Creative Control

An in-house video marketer gives your business full creative control and allows for more experimentation than working with an outside video marketing agency. Your company’s voice and style will be included in any video content.

When creating a video in-house, all of the work is on your shoulders. You are the main creative driver.

Limited Schedule & Deadline Issues

You’re in control of your timeline with a video team in-house.

With an in-house video marketer, the entire production process will be more fluid since they’re located nearby, which creates more space and limits any deadline issues.

Without working with a video production firm’s schedule, your team can make your own plans and deadlines.

Flexibility

With an in-house video marketer, your team can adapt or change your messaging if video content needs to pivot.

Since your in-house video marketer is directly supported by your company, a lot of their video content can be done in ‘real-time.’ For example, suppose your company is hosting an impromptu happy hour. In that case, your in-house video marketer can create quick videos for social media, whereas that would take more planning with a video production firm.

Cost-Effective

Having in-house video support is way less expensive than outsourcing. Your company is only paying one salary.         
Other costs go into video production software and equipment depending on what your in-house video marketer needs for a video project.

Your in-house video marketer can also create a lot of videos for your team without the influx of funds. With an outsourced video production firm, your team would likely have to create a contract for each different video you’re requesting.

Additional Reading: ‘How to Create a Video Production Budget [with Template]’

Deep Understand of Brand

Having internal video support makes sense when you need someone that knows your brand and target audience inside and out.

Along with knowing your brand story, which will help in creating social media or product videos, this teammate also knows about your company culture, which could be essential in certain video projects. You can explain this to an outsourced video partner, but with in-house support, it is already engrained in their role at the company.

3 Drawbacks of Hiring an In-House Video Marketer

If your team chooses to onboard in-house video production services, consider the potential drawbacks:

1. Initial investments are expensive
2. Limits due to team size
3. Lack of experience

Initial Investments Costly

Buying your own camera and lighting equipment isn’t cheap. Editing software isn’t an easy expense either. To truly invest in an in-house video marketer, your team will have to make big purchases to ensure they can create quality work for your business.

The good thing is that these expenses will only have to be made once before there needs to be an upgrade of a product or system.

Limited Bandwidth

You can supplement your in-house video marketer’s support with freelancers, but that might not be the best fix when your company finds itself with limited bandwidth for a bigger video project.

One person can’t do it all.

Lack of Expertise

One challenge working with an in-house video marketer could be their lack of experience. Your teammate could still be learning a lot of technical expertise that comes with video production, which could lead to problems with video quality.

While interviewing, be sure to ask about their experience level to prevent any future disappointment.

Video Production Firm

What is a Video Production Firm?

An organization hires a video production firm to create various types of video content in different formats.

Their video team covers all stages of film production while meeting frequently with their clients to create a deliverable in a timely manner.

5 Benefits of Hiring a Video Production Firm

A video production firm can provide a new outlook for your team. Explore the pros of outsourcing an agency for video production work:

1. Storytelling experts
2. Plethora of equipment
3. Full client experience
4. Efficiency
5. Knowledgable about high-quality video quality

Storytelling Experts

Working with a video production firm – companies will find that all team members wear multiple hats and are tasked with various responsibilities.

A full video firm can include the following on their team:

• Director
• Video producers
• Video editors
• Audio technicians
• Location manager
• Cinematographer
• Lighting director
• Camera operator
• Assistants

While your in-house video marketer is talented, they’ll likely can’t perform all of these tasks within a short time period.

Plethora of Equipment

A video production firm has access to high-quality equipment that surpasses what most in-house video marketers have access to. They typically have invested in the latest high-tech cameras, lighting equipment, editing software, and audio gear to produce the highest quality video.

Additionally, video production firms often have access to talent, such as experienced videographers, directors, writers, and editors, to handle every aspect of video production. With a team and resources in place, they can bring a level of professionalism and expertise that an in-house video marketer may not be able to provide.

Full Client Experience

Video production firms have more experience working with a wide range of clients from different industries, which means they have a better understanding of what works and what doesn't.

By working with these firms, you can ensure that your videos are of the highest quality and tailored to meet your business's specific needs.

Efficiency

Video production firms have a team in place that can hit the ground running without any additional training, so the project can be completed quickly and efficiently.

When working with an in-house video marketer, there is a grace period for them to get up to speed.

Knowledgeable about Video Quality

A full-fledged video production firm has knowledge that your in-house support could lack. With multiple team members, they have expertise when it comes to video quality, animation, special effects, and more.

This knowledge will take your video project to new heights.

3 Drawbacks of Hiring a Video Production Firm

Along with the benefits of working with a video production agency, your team is bound to encounter a few challenges:

1. Time investment
2. Limited creative control
3. More expensive

Time Investment

Working with a video production company can lead to a long creation process, which can lead to deadline delays. Depending on the project and who else they’re working with, it can take weeks or even months for competition, especially if multiple meetings have to occur within that time.

If clients need a quick turnaround, they will need to factor in the time a video production company is putting into your project. Your expectations might not meet theirs, especially if they are working on other client projects.

Limited Creative Control

When working with a video production firm, there may be limited creative control on the part of the client. This is because the firm is responsible for producing the video, and has its own team of experts who will work to ensure that the final product meets their standards. While the firm may take input from the client on certain aspects of the video, such as the overall message or branding, the creative direction and approach may be left up to the firm’s team of professionals.

While this can be frustrating for some clients, it’s important to trust the expertise of the production firm, which will work to create a high-quality video that meets the client’s overall goals. Additionally, many video production firms will involve the client in all stages of the video production process to ensure their vision is being followed.

More Expensive

Outsourcing a video production firm is more expensive than hiring in-house.

When sourcing a shortlist of video production companies, make sure to dive into all the costs associated with their services.

Explore our video production pricing guide.

Factors that Influence Video Marketing Hiring Decisions

Here are a few factors that might impact your choice of hiring a video marketing partner:

1. Experience
2. Location
3. Access to technology and equipment
4. Portfolio of creative, past work and kinds of videos
5. Amount of team members
6. Expertise in other marketing efforts
7. Cost
8. Licensing requirements
9. Timeline
10. Working strategy

Video Production Services Help Businesses Expand Their Reach

All businesses need to invest in video marketing, but what resource should your company use? The answer depends on how much work and time your marketing team wants to invest in professional video services.

If your team is looking for a few social media videos or in-house testimonials that can be done on the fly, an in-house team member is the best choice. But if you’re looking for full-scale video marketing services, hiring a video production team is the better choice.

Both options can help businesses craft a supreme video marketing campaign - but all companies are different. Discover the benefits and challenges of each to find the perfect video marketing support for your company’s vision.

About the Author

Anna Peck Content Marketing Manager at Clutch

Anna Peck is a content marketing manager at Clutch, where she crafts content on digital marketing, SEO, and public relations. In addition to editing and producing engaging B2B content, she plays a key role in Clutch’s awards program and contributed content efforts. Originally joining Clutch as part of the reviews team, she now focuses on developing SEO-driven content strategies that offer valuable insights to B2B buyers seeking the best service providers.

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