Nowadays, every business should be producing some sort of video content; consumers demand it, and the results speak for themselves.
But producing video can be a challenge. Not only is there the technical knowledge required to create videos, but there is also a significant investment needed in equipment if you want your videos to look high quality.
This leaves Grand Rapids businesses with a tough decision: Should they bring it in-house or hire a Grand Rapids video production company?
Both options can be great, and you can do both. In fact, we encourage all of our clients to also film additional video content in-house, even if they are hiring us for projects.
However, there are clear-cut advantages and disadvantages to both methods, and that's what we'll talk about in this article.
Advantages - In-House Video Team
Speed and knowledge of the business are some of the biggest benefits of having an in-house video team.
Your video team can pop in routinely throughout the week to capture content, instead of trying to schedule production days if you were to outsource it.
The videos may also turn out to be a bit more candid and genuine when filming using your own team, which can be an advantage in today's video marketing landscape.
Additionally, if you're creating a lot of content, once you have an established video department, your business will see a great deal of cost savings compared to hiring a Grand Rapids video production company.
Disadvantages - In-House Video Team
While cost savings can be an advantage for in-house teams in the long term, in the short term, you'll need to invest a significant amount to acquire all the necessary filming, audio, lighting, and post-production equipment. Don't forget about the staff too.
Expect an investment between $100k to $150k in the first year to bring on one full-time video employee (who can do everything - produce, film, edit, etc.) and purchase all filming gear, computers, and software. Additional in-house videographers or video editors usually have salaries between $40k and $80k.
If you can make that investment in quality staff, the upfront costs are usually the only downside of an in-house team.
But if you struggle to find highly skilled video professionals, bringing it in-house might be more of a hassle than it's worth.
Advantages - Video Production Company
When you hire a Grand Rapids video production company, you get the best possible video quality. Production companies produce videos every single day, so they know all the ins and outs of successfully creating video content for your business.
Production companies also have the latest and greatest equipment, ensuring your video looks as good as the brand image you want to portray. When potential customers watch videos produced by production companies, they'll instantly know the quality they can expect when buying your products or services.
Video production companies also take the stress out of producing videos, and as a marketing or business professional, that allows you to focus on doing your job.
Hiring a Grand Rapids video production company can also provide significant cost savings compared to setting up your own in-house team.
Disadvantages - Video Production Company
The one downside of hiring a video production company is that they often don't know your business as well as an in-house video team would.
Your business has complex systems, and customers often value very specific parts of your products and services. Understanding all of this takes time, and sometimes that surfaces in videos that aren't exactly what you envisioned.
When you hire a Grand Rapids video production company, it's important to make sure that they truly understand your business. Do they understand your customers? Do they understand the industry? Make sure to ask them questions about their process, as this will shed light on their understanding of your brand, products, and services.
Your Grand Rapids Video Production Company
Capture is a video production company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We're unique because we sit at the perfect intersection of a video production company, a marketing company, and functioning like your own personal in-house team.
We make video easy for you all while creating videos that show a deep understanding of your business, customers, and value proposition.
If you have a video you are thinking about creating, reach out to us. We would love to discuss it with you and learn about your business!
