What everyone should know about pricing professional video

What could possibly be so hard about pricing a professional video project?

From the outside looking in, it may seem simple enough to put a price tag on a professional video, but there are many considerations involved.  Having spent more than a decade working for Prizm, I have learned so much about the process of creating a professional video, and let me tell you, there is absolutely nothing simple about it!

I receive inquiries for cost quotes daily, and frequently find it necessary to help people understand how much really goes into creating professional, award winning videos.   I can’t tell you how many times I have heard:  “Just off of the top of your head, how much does it usually cost to…?” Although I don’t like to say it, there genuinely is not a “usual” cost when it comes to the creation of a professional video.

Capturing professional video for Extreme Makeover Home Edition

In order to receive a true and complete price quote on your video, you must be prepared to provide your production company with answers to some very pertinent questions like these:

1. How long do you want your video to be?
2. What style and quality do you envision for your final product?
3. What delivery medium (or mediums) do you intend to use?
4. What is your deadline?
5. Are you working within a specific budget?
6. Do you want professional actors and/or voice talent to be part of your video?
7. Do you need scripting services?

The answers to the above questions then create more leading questions, which largely influence pricing, such as: 

Social Media and SEO

Many of our clients are confused about social media. Is it just a fad? Doesn’t it represent a casual or unprofessional environment? How will this help our business?

Many social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, flickr, MySpace, Last.FM, blogs, SlideShare, digg, and more exist in the corporate world.

Allow me to tackle just one facet of the many benefits of corporate social media pages: Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Measuring your social media’s ROI

A common question between businesses and marketers alike is “How do I measure the ROI of my social media campaign?” Well, folks, I have the answer:

You don’t.

A common myth about social media is that it can be the end-all solution for advertising. Plus, it’s free — perfect, right? Wrong. While social media can be part of your marketing campaign, it cannot carry the ship.

How much do keywords matter?

My husband and I have always been sticklers for doing research before making any kind of major purchase.  From cars to appliances to electronics, it is important to know that you will be getting the most for your money before committing to spending it.  While it hasn’t been that long ago that we had to go to our local library to peruse the latest copies of Consumer Reports for information, now one has to go only as far as the closest computer with an internet connection to learn everything pertinent to making an informed buying decision.

A while back, I thought I had done my due diligence before making a major purchase – so much that even Dave Ramsey would have been proud!  I actually spent 4 months doing research in my spare time, before making the final choice, which was based on my research.  Here’s where it gets interesting:  I have had quite a lot of trouble with this product, even though everything I read raved about the item in question.  Did I get a “lemon”?  Or was all of my research bogus?  What did I do wrong?!

I continued to contemplate these questions, until it finally occurred to me that every time I did a new search for information, I always used “reviews” in my search.  So, I decided to try an experiment. 

New Logo, New Emblem, New Icon – OH MY!! | when to re-brand and why

Starbucks is evolving their logo once again this year

Image is everything.  Who hasn’t heard that a million times?!  

While substance is what ultimately matters, if your first impression doesn’t attractively and informatively communicate that substance…nobody cares.  That’s why every business, product, film, music group, etc. needs a brand.  A face to put to their name.  A personality to put to the person.

Walmart and Starbucks – a couple of the largest, most successful companies our country has seen – have re-branded within the last two years.  Why is that?

50 Ways to Use a QR Code

Can’t think of how your business can use a QR Code? Refer to our previous post and check out this article, which gives you 50 — “Count ‘Em, 50!” — ideas:

50 Creative Uses of QR Codes in Marketing & Communications by Flyte

Our personal faves:

Using QR Codes

Question: What’s black, white, and read all over?

Answer: A QR Code!

What is it?

You might recognize it if you’ve ever done any work with tracking commercial products. A QR (Quick Response) Code is a barcode that is now surfacing as a marketing tool in the United States

Marketing in a Downturn

It is best stated by our friends at the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce that unfocused marketing is deadly, particularly going through or coming out of a downturn. I share their thoughts and wanted to pass them on to you.

Advertising and Marketing Budgets Fall

The behavior is as predictable as the sun setting in the west. When economic times get tough, the budgets that get slashed first and most deeply are those that concern marketing. The assumption is always that attention needs to be focused on “core” issues like operations and the strategy of the day is to cut costs. Many companies assume that more emphasis can be placed on sales while reducing the emphasis on marketing and advertising despite the evidence to the contrary. The media business is staggering under the weight of these decisions as many newspapers are reporting dramatic reductions in ad revenue. Internet marketing has slumped and so have revenues from ads in radio and TV. The pattern is familiar to those in the marketing business but it is nonetheless frustrating given what is known about the impact this has on a business long term.

Analysis: The reaction by many business leaders is baffling and many have tried to determine why this attitude prevails. Perhaps it is because it is hard to directly connect a marketing effort to a consumer response. Perhaps it is because the leaders in most companies come from finance and operations background and doesn’t really “get” marketing. The fact is that consumers do not make unaided decisions about what they purchase any more – if they ever did. The vast majority of spending is discretionary and as such it is subject to influence. The average consumer seeks help making the dozens of choices they make every day – it is impossible for anyone to carefully study each and every move. That is where branding, advertising and marketing come in, the handy guide that allows people to sort through all these decisions. In a time of economic stress that guide is more important than ever. -CK