VideoHerd
Should You Pay Someone to Make Your YouTube Videos?
Category: Organic YouTube Marketing
Unless you have 40 hours a week to dedicate to making YouTube videos, yes, you should pay someone to create YouTube videos for you.
But who should you pay, and where can you find people who do this?
These questions come up more often than you think when B2B businesses look for ways to create great YouTube content quickly.
While it may seem tempting to try to do it all yourself, hire an agency or freelancer, or go all-in on in-house production, you should know the pros and cons of each before you proceed. Let's look at them together:
Option 1: Hiring an Agency
Hiring an agency is companies' automatic response when they need video content.
While we believe agencies have their place in helping you create unique video content, YouTube content agencies are only sometimes the right tool for the job.
CEOs, business owners, and marketing teams often become attached to using an agency after seeing their fanciful demo reels and conveniently placed awards in their offices.
While an agency can take video production work off your team's back, it's essential to remember they do not have skin in your Company's YouTube or success. As discussed in our article here:
The Cons of Hiring an Agency for your YouTube Videos
1. Not Aware of your Audience and Customer's Desires
Agencies only partially care about what your audience wants or needs to see. It's more about making videos that impress your bosses or stakeholders rather than driving business goals.
Sometimes you need this type of work done, which is okay. However, while you may want one or two flashy high-end videos for your website, it's not the type of content your YouTube audience will find valuable.
2. Lacking Experience in Creating YouTube Content
When working with a video agency, you will be paired with a producer to help make your vision come true. The producer will oversee your project and help put the right people on the job to ensure completion. Most producers come from backgrounds in the television or film scene.
While these fields require considerable skill to break into, the world of digital media is rapidly changing. Their skills are essential in traditional media but can become more than needed or outdated for creating YouTube content in the modern era.
Furthermore, this could lead to a nightmare scenario where your producer pulls your content strategy in a direction your core audience dislikes - alienating your viewers and losing your loyal fans.
3. Extremely Expensive
Working with an agency can be costly. Agencies will quote you depending on your Company's size and the budget your marketing team potentially has.
Furthermore, they will have a minimum cost per video they must charge you to break even on their expenses. Any edits and changes outside of your video that you request will also be added to the bill.
You will pay for the convenience, speed, and professional skills going into your project when going the agency route. Remember, we're working with YouTube here. Production value is a bonus, but depending on your content direction, it may not even be necessary at the start of your channel.
Furthermore, a high-production-value video doesn't even matter if you don't have an audience built up to watch it.
The Pros Of Hiring a Video/Marketing Agency for your YouTube Videos
1. Major Time Savings
Time is always of the essence for your marketing campaigns. When working with an agency, the timelines are shortened, and stress levels are reduced, allowing your team to go to market much faster than before.
It also can help you pad your YouTube channel with content right away while your internal team is working on their production.
2. High Production Value
In video production, there is a concept of production value. Production value is the overall quality of the video based on the technology used to create it.
When working with agencies to produce your videos, your production value will be very high because they employ professional-grade equipment, talent, and software to create your video. This will make it stand out and enhance your brand's perception.
3. Great at Bringing Complex Video Ideas to Life
If you have a complicated video concept that you'd love to come to life, then hiring the right agency can be a significant help. Some agencies will have experience working with clients to craft impactful stories and productions.
Much like a movie studio. They will also have the know-how, team, and software required to turn your idea into a moving picture. So, if you have a complex idea that requires detailed animation, or hard-to-shoot scenes in real life you may benefit from working with specific agencies.
Option 2: Hiring a Freelancer to Make Your YouTube Videos
Hiring a freelancer for video production is the second option that comes to mind when companies look to create YouTube content. While significantly cheaper, Going this route comes with its hair-pulling frustrations. Let us explain:
The Cons Of Hiring a Freelancer to Make Your YouTube Videos
1. Quality Issues
Hiring freelancers to create your videos for you can sometimes feel like a game of Russian roulette. You always need to find out who will fulfill the video brief or who will run with the money.
We've found that hiring freelancers leads to a substantial decrease in your video's quality. Freelancers are always at an arms-length away from your Company and need the incentive to see how your video works in with your overall content strategy.
These people focus on getting a single video done in the shortest time possible. You will also find that there are a lot of quality issues. This is due to many reasons.
One of them is that freelancers post links to works they've had no involvement in, misleading customers into paying for them based on their associated pieces.
Another issue is that freelancers aren't formally trained in their fields, and all of them will have a different idea of whats a good video vs. what's not.
Usually, your vision and their concept of quality content will differ substantially.
2. Communication Breakdowns
While you may be tempted to hire a foreigner to cut costs in creating YouTube content, you must consider the potential communication issues you'll run into.
When you think you've done a great job explaining your video idea, you can wait a week to receive a video that looks nothing like what you envisioned. Freelancers often come from different countries worldwide, so your language may differ from theirs.
Furthermore, if you're hiring over third-party sites like Fiverr or Upwork, communications happen over text which could cause the context to be lost.
In conclusion, while more expensive, it's always best to hire freelancers in your local area first when looking for YouTube content marketing support.
3. Too Many Scams
When hiring freelancers online, you can run into shady characters and even full-out scammers.
Many 'freelancers' advertise how they'll make you a perfect YouTube video for a meager price. (If only it were that easy!).
These too-good-to-be-true prices often are, and if you take them up on these offers, you can lose your money and get no video in return. It takes a lot of work to analyze freelancers' work quality, especially when they live in another country.
You should ask them for links to their recent projects and referrals from their past jobs to be safe.
The Pros Of Hiring a Freelancer to Make Your YouTube Videos
1. Great Talent at a Cheaper Price
The main benefit of hiring a freelancer is the cost savings. Many freelancers work for you in different areas of the world, which can stretch your dollars further.
Another bonus is that you have the whole world to work with, opening up the chance of bumping into talented individuals. Cost savings and an almost unlimited pool of talent make the freelancer route for YouTube attractive to brands and businesses.
2. Scale with your Business Needs
Hiring freelancers to make YouTube content allows you to quickly increase and decrease the amount of outside help you need fast. This is attractive to businesses as their no taxes, payroll, or insurance to go through when adding new talent to your team.
Furthermore, you can hire freelancers to take over parts of your YouTube production process that are too time-consuming for your team or that you need the technology.
That said, using freelancers for your video production needs can be a massive advantage for the ebb and flow of any business.
3. Remove Obstacles for your Internal Team
Let's say your team is great on camera, but no one knows how to edit videos, make YouTube thumbnails, or write video descriptions.
Don't worry; outsource it to a freelancer. These parts of your YouTube content process will slow your team down and could cause strain on them and their existing responsibilities. Using freelancers is a great way to avoid burning out your current employees when implementing a new YouTube content initiative in your organization.
Option 3: Making YouTube Videos Yourself
Welcome to the old fashion way. Doing it yourself!
While you may not like this idea, it is at the core of what YouTube is all about - broadcasting yourself.
To be successful, companies must be confident in getting on camera and showing off their personalities, processes, and customer successes. It's no use when it's bottled up inside your team's Sharepoint.
However, making YouTube content yourself is only sometimes sunshine and roses. There are some pros and cons that come with it. Let's take a look:
The Pros Of Making Company YouTube Videos Yourself
1. Cheapest Option
It's no secret that creating YouTube videos is the cheapest option on this list. This is a great way to go if you're looking to cut costs while dipping your toes into a video-driven marketing strategy.
Your videos may not be perfect, but they will be authentic.
You are giving your audience a raw look into your personality and a chance to foster a connection with them while saving your marketing budget a boatload of money.
2. Learn Useful Skills
Secondly, you have the added benefit of learning transferable skills which you can take with you for life. While you'll have to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and learn new software and videography techniques, this is a handy new skill in your toolbelt for years to come.
You will even have the experience in digital content production required to start your channel and content empire if you please.
3. Strengthen your Company's Brand
Eventually, you will have a library of helpful video content that will draw many new people toward your Company's mission.
YouTube is the world's 2nd largest search engine, and having your company post videos is essential to strengthening your brand's online presence.
Furthermore, many of your competitors may need to be used in their marketing strategy, making you stand out further in your area of expertise.
The Cons Of Making Company YouTube Videos Yourself
1. Steep Learning Curve
As you know, making videos takes a long time to master. Making great YouTube videos that your audience loves takes even longer.
There are numerous elements and technologies to learn to make any single video. Naturally, this high skill barrier to entry is a big downfall when people try to make company YouTube videos themselves. However, with the proper support, it can be solved.
2. Some Equipment is Required
To successfully DIY your Company's YouTube videos, you will require access to a lot of equipment. The equipment you need, cameras, microphones, and lights all have other learning curves to use correctly, which can set you back on the timeframe of your video schedule.
3. Can Become Frustrating
Furthermore, learning to YouTube all by yourself can be a frustrating process. On this journey, you'll go through computer crashes, losing memory cards, broken audio files, and much more.
If you have a background in video production, this process will be even more painful.
DIYing your Company's youtube channel can be a recipe for stress, especially if you're already overloaded with current work duties. But it's not impossible. With the right YouTube strategy in place, it can be done.
Option 4: Hiring Someone Else To Make YouTube Videos
And now, what you've all been waiting for—hiring someone else to make your YouTube videos.
Often this is referred to as the in-house 'YouTuber, content creator, or company videographer. These people are skilled craftsmen and women dedicated to the trade of digital content creation.
They can be essential in your video marketing strategy but can come with hidden drawbacks you may need to realize.
The Pros Of Hiring Someone Else to Make Your YouTube Videos
1. They Are The Most In-tune with Your Brand
The most significant benefit of hiring someone to make your YouTube videos for you is how in tune they'll become with your brand.
The synergy you and your in-house YouTuber will have is something you can't buy from any agency or freelancer. These people will take the time to get to know you and your brand- eventually creating great content around it.
They will be committed to helping your Company reach it's marketing goals, and your videos will be more factual and have an overall better brand voice.
2. The Highest Content Output
An in-house YouTuber will create more content than any previously mentioned options.
This makes it worth the price if your marketing strategy heavily relies on content production. Since their sole responsibility is making YouTube video content, they will have a much better time coming up with creative ways to keep the content flowing.
3. Keeps your Team's Workload Level Normal
Hiring someone to take on your YouTube video productions is a great relief for your existing employees.
Your current workforce will be happier that they can stay focused on what they do best and not have to endure any video initiatives that land on their cluttered desks.
Essentially, your team gets to sit back and watch as their Company's products and services transform into excellent video content.
The Cons Of Hiring Someone To Make Your YouTube Videos:
1. Extremely Expensive
While these people are amazingly great to have, they will come with an expensive price tag.
To retain such talents, you must pay well, include decent benefits and insurance, and have an exciting company service or culture. You may also have to add equipment and travel expenses into your budget in case you anticipate the need for film offset often.
2. Everything Will Become Content
Having an in-house YouTuber is all fun and games until it feels like you and your office mates are being chased around by the paparazzi. Depending on your video strategy, some content creators will need to film you and your team as often as possible.
This can lead to the overwhelming sense that you are on a tv set and your every move will end up on the internet.
Not a healthy environment for some workers, which you must consider and set rules on beforehand.
3. Rare Breed
Hiring a YouTuber who will make content for your brand is a rarity. The people with the skills are likely already YouTubing themselves and probably making more than you're willing to pay them.
That's why you will likely have to invest in an employee deeply or train a videographer to become your in-house YouTuber.
This takes a considerable time investment but is equal to the time it takes to find one in the wild or train one yourself. Pick your poison accordingly.
We Can Help You Look Better On Camera
If you're going the DIY route and are worried about how you appear and sound on camera, we can train you to become your business's YouTube on-camera talent. We offer on-demand coaching sessions that step through what it takes to make yourself look, sound, and feel better on camera for successful YouTube videos.
