It’s no secret that video marketing has the power to get a new business off the ground. After all, 84% of people say that they’ve been persuaded to buy a product or service just by watching a brand’s video.

That said, as a startup with limited resources, you may be concerned with how much it’s going to cost you to shoot and publish a promotional video. The truth is, this can range anywhere from $5 for simple content to $50,000 for an advert with high production values.

Not sure how to price up your promo video? Not to worry—we can help you to determine the costs and stretch your budget to get the results that you deserve.

How Much Does a Promo Video Cost? Factors to Consider

Consider the following factors when you’re allocating your marketing budget towards a promo video.

Shooting Original Material

Shooting original footage for your video can be cost-effective if it’s done in-house. Although, there are a few things that will still influence finances either way.

• Concept: The longer the video, the more footage that needs shooting, which directly impacts the cost of hiring out a location, personnel, and equipment.
• Location(s): The more locations involved, the more it’s going to cost, especially if you require a permit to shoot in particular locations.
• Editing: The more footage you shoot, the longer it will take to edit by a professional or yourself—and time equals money.
• Equipment: The fancier the equipment needed to capture your shots, the more expensive it’s going to be, whether this is a drone, advanced digital camera, or a wireless microphone.
• Personnel: The number of people you need to star in the video or help to make it can ultimately ramp up the expense.
• Lighting: Lighting is a huge factor that can be the difference between a high-quality and poor-quality video. If you’re shooting indoors in a dark room, invest in a ring light or light box to achieve the best aesthetic possible.

If you don’t have the technical expertise or skills to shoot your promo video but you have a large marketing budget, another option is to hire a production company and outsource the entire project.

Sourcing Stock Imagery, Sounds and Music

If you don’t have the technical expertise or skills to shoot your promo video and only have a small budget, consider using a stock library of assets.

You can find images, videos, sounds and music individually and as part of a package from websites like DepositPhotos. 

Alternatively, use a promo video creation app where you can choose from pre-made templates and a stock library of premium imagery and music, such as Boosted by Lightricks.

With Boosted, you can even integrate your own footage and customize each template based on your branding to create a cohesive online presence.

Editing Together Your Video

Struggling to edit your promo video yourself? That’s okay—you can hire a videographer to do all of the hard work for you. Although, this can be pricey.

Consider investing in an editing program such as Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro, which is an upfront expense but provides lifetime access.

Alternatively, you can use free software like iMovie or shoot and edit a video directly in a social media app like TikTok or Instagram Reels.

Publishing Your Video

Lastly, the great thing about publishing a video online is that it’s completely free, whether it’s on social media, in an email newsletter, or on your website.

However, if you want to maximize the reach of your video and gain a higher ROI, you could pay to promote your social media video ads.

The average advertising cost per platform is as follows:

• $7.19 per 1,000 impressions on Facebook and Instagram
• $9.68 per 1,000 impressions on YouTube
• $6.59 per 1,000 impressions on LinkedIn
• $6.48 per 1,000 impressions on Twitter
• $30 per 1,000 impressions on Pinterest

It all depends on where your target audience is hanging out and whether you think sponsored posts would be worthwhile.

The Takeaway

How much should a promo video cost? Well, simply put, it all depends on whether you choose to shoot original material or source stock assets, how you edit your video, and the place of publication.

Having said that, you can keep costs down by doing most of the work yourself or downloading affordable apps that will help you produce professional yet shareable videos. And be sure to read about some awesome promo video ideas to get your promo marketing efforts going.