Small businesses have to work hard to grow and still hold onto a healthy profit margin. They often struggle with maintaining a positive cash flow, especially at the start-up phase. As a result, they have to make every dollar work harder to generate the returns needed for the business to be a success.
One area a small business may look to invest their capital is in creating online content like videos. Today, a business needs video content, and the cost of video editing is well worth its weight in gold.
Why You Need Video for Your Business
It is increasingly important for any small business to have an online presence. A website and a social media following can help a firm sell their services or products. As the world of digital and social media platforms evolve, it has become apparent that video is one area that garners a great deal of engagement from audiences. Engagement helps attract more attention, and a bigger audience generally translates into more sales.
As a result, creating video is imperative for any small business. However, to do it well, requires a niche skill set. Making a video simply by shooting for a few minutes on an iPhone is not going to cut it. Videos need to be well put together to convey a story or meaning—as well as to help a company consolidate its brand. So, it’s a good idea to hire a professional video editor, and an even better idea to hire video editors with particular skill sets. For example, you may decide you specifically need a YouTube video editor, or an Instagram video editor.
Video Editing Explained
Simply put, video editing is taking existing film and changing it in a way that improves the content to suit your needs. These changes can be small or large, but for the most part, they will include cutting out any unnecessary scenes.
A film should become far more compelling to watch after editing, as it will be better structured and more streamlined. Editing can also enhance a story and make it more effective, which is crucial if you are trying to sell a product or service. People have smaller attention spans these days, so if your video is too long and fluffy, the likelihood is that you will lose part of your audience.
Video editing can also include some special effects. That does not necessarily mean computer-generated imagery, although it can. It can also mean adding text or graphics to a film to help sell a message more emphatically. Video editing in this way can really attract a person’s attention and differentiate the video from the rest of the market.
Reasons to Hire Someone to Do Video Editing
So why exactly is a video editor needed? Is it not possible to do it yourself given all the recent advancements in camera technology and the availability of online editing apps?
Well, yes. Sometimes that could work if you have enough time on your hands to shoot quality videos and edit them to achieve a fantastic result. However, the likelihood is that running a small business will consume all of your time, with the million and one things that need to be managed and sorted out.
Hiring a video editor is usually a good business decision, even if it sometimes seems like an unnecessary expense. Video editors can not only save time, but also help you create a better end product that generates increased audience engagement—which should, in turn, result in more sales for the business.
The best place to hire a freelance video editor depends on how you work. You may find that some competitors or business associates are happy to recommend one. However, if this is not the case, the best place to find a reputable freelance video editor is through a freelancer website that includes honest reviews of the past projects. By reading those reviews, you should be able to glean whether you can work with that freelancer and if they are capable of producing the results that you want.
The Cost of Video Editing
Freelancer rates do vary, often according to their level of experience. As with most industries, the more experienced an individual is, the more they are likely to charge. On average, expect a freelance video editor to charge anywhere between $75 and $150 an hour. That variance in rates is often determined by experience, but it could be that they offer a broader range of services. Post-project edits is an example of an added service, so be sure to know what you get for an hourly rate because freelancers structure their fees differently.
Small Business Video Editing
There is no denying the fact that good video is an important component of any company’s online presence. It keeps viewer attention longer and is more likely to encourage more engagement.
While it may be that video creation is an expense a small business did not have in their budget, the true question should be: Can I afford NOT to hire a video editor? If competitors are successfully attracting more customers through the use of video, they are taking away a larger share of your market—thus reducing your ability to be successful by hurting your sales and profits.
