DIY vs. Outsourcing Social Media Videos: What’s the Real Cost-Benefit for Your Business?

If it feels like every time you check social media or search for something online, videos dominate what you see, that’s not an illusion. Video content is no longer optional for businesses trying to boost their online visibility and reach in support of their sales goals, not only because changes to search algorithms increasingly favor such content, but also because it is simply more engaging. You can’t afford to sacrifice that edge when you only have seconds to capture your ideal audience’s attention.

But what is the ideal strategy for a company just starting to integrate video content into their marketing strategy? Can you justify an investment in outside talent for an untried tactic, or is it possible to gain meaningful traction with a DIY approach? Here’s what you need to know about why video is so crucial and how to determine the best approach for your business.

The Growing Importance of Video for SEO and Social Media

The search landscape has grown more complex lately, but Google is still the popular go-to. Significantly, Google is increasingly surfacing short-form videos in search results and even integrating them into Chrome’s Discover feature, making it more likely that a search prompt is going to prioritize videos in response. In addition, videos improve dwell time, reduce bounce rates, and increase your likelihood of appearing in Google’s featured snippets. In short, videos grab and keep attention, which is exactly what you want for your content.

And frankly, this is an increasingly difficult challenge to meet. Online audiences are overwhelmed by content overload. Over seven million blog articles are published daily, making the majority of text-only content just so much background static. Video provides a unique advantage when you need to stand out. In addition, video makes your content more shareable, giving your brand exposure and organic reach.

The True Cost of DIY Social Media Video Production

Many business owners jump into slapping together their own short-form videos because it seems like it should be both simple and inexpensive to create something short, sweet, and targeted for their audience. Just as many quickly realize that it is both more complex and time-consuming than they initially thought. Here’s a sample breakdown of what’s involved and what you can expect to spend in terms of time and money:

Total time investment: 11 to 37 hours per video (or more)
Total monetary investment: $500-$3,000 + monthly software subscription

The biggest challenge of taking a DIY approach is that it is time intensive. Business owners frequently underestimate the time commitment of producing their own video content, and an enthusiastic start is all too often followed by lulls where there simply isn’t the time to keep up with a consistent strategy. DIY efforts can also be plagued by poor-quality results, with bad lighting, shaky filming, and lack of SEO knowledge making videos perform more poorly than they might otherwise. Finally, if video content isn’t a clear component of a larger strategy, efforts can become sporadic and ineffective.

Before you decide DIY is the way, be brutally honest with yourself: Can you afford the time (and the learning curve) DIY would demand?

The Cost of Outsourcing Video to a Digital Marketing Agency

The alternative to attempting to create your own videos for your business’s social media is to hire professionals to do it for you—specifically, a digital marketing agency that handles the entire process from conception to execution. In comparison with the chart above, this might look like:

While the monetary investment is obviously much higher, depending on the frequency of shoots and the number of videos produced, the time required by the business owner is correspondingly much, much lower.

As powerful a benefit as that is, engaging a digital marketing agency can also give your video content a much better chance of success. A higher production value increases both engagement and your business’s credibility. Professional SEO optimization ensures that your videos are discoverable across search and social media so that a wider audience sees them. And finally, a marketing agency will take an ROI-driven approach, tracking how your videos perform and optimizing for conversions so that your video strategy can become more effective over time.

Comparing DIY to Outsourced Video: What’s Best for Your Business?

Can DIY video work? It’s possible. If you’re skilled in video production and have the time to spare from your business, you can save money up front. Outsourcing maximizes efficiency and enhances the impact of adding video to your marketing, trading a higher monetary investment for greater visibility, engagement, and leads. And some businesses take a hybrid approach, doing their own filming in-house but outsourcing editing and SEO to the professionals.

The bottom line: Video content is non-negotiable for staying relevant in search and social media. The question should not be how you’re going to integrate video content, not if. For those just starting out, experimenting with DIY can be a realistic entry point if they stay mindful of the time investment involved. For faster results and professional quality, though, outsourcing is worth the investment.

Sales-Focused Digital Marketing Experts

At Iffel International, we pair a sales-focused mindset with the technical expertise to keep your business visible online as algorithms and technology continually change. Our video production service is designed to help our clients incorporate high-impact content into their marketing sustainably and cost-effectively. If you know you need help with video and SEO, we can help. Contact us here to schedule your free consultation today.

Frequently Asked Questions