Most businesses use videos in their advertising campaigns. You can be sure that your competitors are. Businesses usually bring on a video production company for that.

If you’re not using video on your website and social media, you’ll need to start to compete. And for that, you’ll need to hire a professional company offering video production and video editing services.

These days, most businesses need to lower costs when hiring a sub-contractor. It’s good business to watch your ad and social media budget carefully. Hiring video production companies can be expensive. The biggest expense can be because of all the equipment and staff you need for full production. However, there are ways to cut back on costs without cutting back on effectiveness.

The good news is that it’s often possible to make a great video without a video shoot. You can do this by using video editing companies. A highly trained business-oriented video editing company can usually produce a very professional and effective promotional video that can be used anywhere, such as on your website, in social media, in emails, etc.

Can it be true that you can make a video without shooting footage?

There are several options that we’ll go over, all of which can lower your video production costs significantly.

Here are the various ways that a video editing company can produce a video with no original footage

Stock footage is an amazing option. Business-focused editing companies will have access to high quality stock footage libraries. They’ll also be able to use stock photos, which should be kept to a minimum. The video is much more compelling and interesting.

An experienced editor can construct a video that achieves your goals using stock footage. There are so many thousands of stock footage clips that it’s almost always possible to find the right ones to tell your story. And the good news is that the appearance will be that of a high-quality video. Using stock footage can save you thousands of dollars, with some great results.

If images are needed such as to show your product or service, the editor can also use your own photos or videos.

What if you’re really looking to cut back on costs, but you want your products or services to be represented in your video. As long as the quality is decent, it would be simple for your editor to add your photos or short video clips into the video. This allows you to add your personal touch. Your videos can include product shots, shots of your location, employees, customers using your products, etc. When you add these to the polished stock footage shots, you get your story told effectively.

So, if you’re not using actors, how is your story told?

It may be that just showing images is enough to get your message across. However, if it’s not, there are options. You can add a professional voice over. This can range from $100 to $500, depending on the announcer you choose, and your ability to have that voice coached. Of course, it can be much more if you hire a well-known personality. Still, this is much less money than if you had that actor on-screen. What if you don’t want the added expense? There’s another option. That’s to add words on the screen. Your editor can do that in a professional and interesting way. These options can be really effective at getting your message across.

But can stock footage get your message across?

There’s a wealth of stock footage available these days. Thousands of videographers have contributed to the many online royalty free stock footage libraries. If your editor is a professional, he/she will know how to access and find what’s relevant for you.
That said, there are some companies that this won’t work for. Their products and services are so unique that there might not be enough to show without having a full-blown video production first. We’ve found that there is usually plenty of footage out there for most clients.

Are you making a decision about skipping the video production part?

Should you forget the production and go right to the stock footage? Honestly, if you can afford to have that video production, that’s optimal. You’ll be able to customize your video more. This can work to your advantage. But it’s great to know that there’s a solid option for those with constrained budgets.

If you do decide to go with a stock footage-based video, it’s important to find one of the best for business such as video production Miami companies like Ball Media Innovations. They focus on video production and editing for businesses exclusively, so they know how to craft great marketing videos.

About the Author & His Company: Greg Ball, is President of Ball Media Innovations, Inc., a full-service production and post-production company. Prior to starting the company, he ran the Burger King World Headquarters video operation. Visit his site at https://www.ballmediainnovations.com