How to Make Room for Video in Your Marketing Budget

Rethink your pie slices. There may a better way to carve your marketing pie. Consider shaving some dollars from your print budget and shifting toward the electronic media piece. While there’s still a need for print materials, that need is changing. Nine times out of ten, a nice print piece gets one look from a potential client. Video will likely get a lot more play since in can be used in many different mediums: a well-produced video project, a few sound bites for your website, YouTube, e-newsletters, and so on. It can be repurposed for years to come.

Consider your options. Not all video projects are created equal – there are varying levels of cost involved.

• Least expensive: shoot the video and turn it over to a professional to edit. A good, flexible production company will give you a tutorial – and maybe even loan you a flip cam – and then edit the video for you, with music and graphics. The result: a homegrown feel and look with a higher production value than you can do on your own.


• Middle of the road: hire someone to shoot and edit, but keep it simple. Don’t pay for extras that you may not need (who really needs a Cadillac when a Volkswagon gets the same mileage?) With good organization and planning, a one-day shoot will likely allow enough time to gather the elements you need.


• Most expensive: a video that has the highest production value. These would include “extras” in field production and post production, including things like high-end professional lighting techniques, animated graphics and custom music beds.

Start small – consider the start of your video library. Don’t think of video as a series of individual projects. Many clients hire a production company for one video project, then the following year find someone else for another project, and so on. This can turn out to be much more expensive in the long run. Find a good production company you like and start with a small project. Then, the next time, build on that project, using some video that you have “in house,” and incorporating a new interview subject, or video – maybe all you need is a half-day shoot. The beauty of video is that it can be re-purposed and “freshened up” by just adding a new element or two. And, as years go by, you’ll have your own video library to pull from and use in many different ways.

Don’t overlook the power of video.
Print marketing helps with your brand awareness: It lets people know you’re there. But today’s consumers want more: they visit websites for more information and that’s where video can best tell your story. It’s a way for people to see, hear and feel what you’re trying to sell. A well-produced video has the power to engage, educate and move people to action. Tough times mean tough decisions, but by being strategic, you’ll find a way to keep video a key component of your marketing plan.