Video marketing: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What video marketing is

A video marketer plans, shoots and edits promotional videos for your business, such as ads, explainers and customer testimonials, and helps publish them to the right channels. Businesses use video to show their work, explain a service or build trust before a customer ever calls.

Signs you need it

  • Customers ask what your work looks like or how a service works, and you have no video that answers them
  • Your competitors use video, and their pages keep their attention longer than yours
  • You have happy customers who would share their experience on camera, and you have no way to capture it
  • You are launching a product, service or location and want a short video for the launch
  • You want to post short videos regularly, and you do not have the time or equipment to make them well

What the pro does

  • Review your goals, your audience, the platforms where the video will appear and the message you want to send
  • Write a script or outline with you, and approve it before filming
  • Plan the shoot with the location, the equipment, the lighting, the people on camera and the shot list
  • Film the footage and capture clear sound, with a plan for any interviews
  • Edit the video with music, captions, graphics and the length and format each platform needs
  • Deliver the final videos in the formats you need, and publish them if the agreement covers that

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • The number of videos, their length and the number of formats or cut downs needed
  • The number of shoot days, the locations and the travel needed
  • The number of people on camera and whether interviews or testimonials are included
  • The equipment, lighting and sound needed for the shoot
  • Whether motion graphics, animation or special effects are required
  • Whether the marketer publishes and manages the videos on your channels

What a written quote should spell out

  • The number and length of the videos and the formats delivered
  • The shoot days, the locations and the number of people on camera
  • Whether the script is written by the marketer and how many approval rounds are included
  • The editing rounds, captions and music included, and who holds the music license
  • The usage rights for the videos, and whether the project files are delivered

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Can you show me videos you made for businesses like mine?
  • Will I approve the script and the rough cut before the final video?
  • Who holds the music and footage rights, and can I use the video on all my channels?
  • Will you add captions for accessibility and for viewers who watch without sound?
  • What will you need from me on the shoot day?
  • Will you give me the project files so I can edit the video later?

Red flags

  • Starts filming without an approved script or shot list
  • Uses music or footage without the right license
  • Will not give you the usage rights or the final files
  • Promises that the video will go viral or bring a set number of customers

What you can do yourself

You can film short clips on a modern phone in good light, with clear sound from a clip on microphone, and edit them in a free video editor using captions and your own music with a license. Hire a video marketer when the video will represent your brand, when you need several videos planned together or when the production must look polished or include interviews.

Licenses and permits

No license is usually required for video marketing. Ask instead for a reel of finished work, references and a written statement of the usage rights for the footage, music and any people shown; check with your state or local business licensing office if the marketer operates as a registered business, and get written releases from people who appear on camera.

Video marketing questions

Do I need a release from people in the video?

Yes, for anyone who appears in a recognizable way, in writing, before the video is published. Ask the marketer to prepare the release form and keep the signed copies.

Can I use the video on my website and social media?

Only if the usage rights include those channels. Confirm the channels and the period in writing before the work begins.

How long does a video take to make?

It depends on the script, the shoot days and the number of revision rounds. Ask for a timeline with each stage and its approval date.

Pro reviewers

Pros who offer video marketing remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.

Edit history

How guide reviews work

How it works

  1. 1. Describe the job

    Pick the service, add your ZIP and a sentence about what is going on.

  2. 2. Pick the pros you want

    See screened pros who serve your ZIP and choose who you want to hear from.

  3. 3. They reach out

    They contact you the way you chose: phone, email or in-app messages.

More design and marketing guides

Find a pro near you

Find a pro

About this guide

Request video marketing