Why Roofing Companies Need an In-House Videographer

When thinking about hiring an in-house videographer for your roofing company, there are several factors to consider. Is it a smart investment for your business? Will everyone be supportive of the decision? And can you find someone who can handle the role's responsibilities effectively?

It can be intimidating to hire someone for a new strategy, especially if you are worried about keeping them busy. But here’s the thing: if they are committed to producing at least three videos per week, that should be plenty to keep them busy.

It’s essential to remember that video production involves more than just shooting and editing. There’s also pre-production work like scripting and storyboarding, post-production work, like sound design and color grading, which all take time in addition to shooting and editing videos.

In today's competitive business landscape, roofing companies must stay on top of their marketing and promotional efforts.

Video content is becoming increasingly popular to showcase a company's work and connect with customers.

This is why many roofing companies are considering hiring an in-house videographer to produce high-quality videos that showcase their expertise and highlight their unique value proposition.

“Video is an effective form of communication that needs to be integrated into each and every aspect of your existing marketing efforts.”

- James Wedmore, Founder of Video Traffic Academy

An in-house videographer can be a valuable asset to a roofing company, providing a range of benefits that can help you to stand out in a crowded market, build your brand, and grow your customer base.

This article will explain why you should hire an in-house videographer for your roofing business, what you should look for when hiring, the cost and benefits, and why it is worth the investment.

Let's get started.

Why Hire In-House?

Most businesses require assistance in producing top-quality content that effectively meets their marketing and sales objectives.

Opting to hire in-house can offer numerous benefits, such as a deeper understanding of your industry and target audience, enhanced collaboration within your organization, and maintaining consistency with your brand’s voice.

The advantages of having an in-house videographer can have a significant impact on the quality, efficiency, and authenticity of your video content, including:

• Producing content much faster due to familiarity with your staff, style, and tone. They can also make decisions that an outsourced company may need help with, such as determining the appropriate use of humor.
• Providing your team with a sense of comfort, as they work alongside team members. This, in turn, will result in higher quality content, as subject matter experts will feel more relaxed and at ease.
• Having an intimate understanding of your business that an outsourced production company simply cannot match. They are knowledgeable about your products or services, as well as your unique value propositions, understand your target audience, and why consumers would be interested in your offerings. This enables them to create content that accurately reflects your brand and builds trust with potential customers.

If you're considering hiring someone in-house or transitioning someone on your team, take a look at some key points to keep in mind:

• Cost: Consider the financial investment required to hire or train someone for the role.
• Expertise: Evaluate whether the candidate has the necessary skills and experience to fulfill the role's responsibilities.
• Timeframe: Determine the timeline for training the new hire and how it fits within the company’s overall goals.
• Company culture: Ensure that the new hire is a good fit for the company’s culture and values.
• Existing resources: Assess whether the company has the necessary resources and infrastructure to support the new hire in their role.

If you decide to transition, ensuring that the individual can fully commit to their new role and has the necessary support and resources to succeed is crucial. This requires careful planning and coordination to ensure a seamless transition and maximize the benefits of having an in-house videographer.

Transitioning someone into a role that requires specific skills and knowledge in video production and editing may be challenging, especially if your current team members still need to possess these skills. 

Having an in-house videographer can offer a significant advantage by capturing real-time footage demonstrating your company's capabilities and helping establish trust with potential customers.

This means you'll be able to showcase your work in a more engaging and dynamic way, and prospective clients can see for themselves the quality of your services.

For roofing companies, having a videographer can be particularly valuable in:

• Answering common customer questions
• Demonstrating your trustworthiness 
• Highlighting customer success stories 
• Providing a compelling and authentic way to showcase your work and building credibility with prospects
• Capturing real-time footage of your team in action to showcase your expertise and build confidence in your abilities

Hiring an in-house videographer can offer numerous advantages for a company, such as having a dedicated professional to create high-quality video content and potentially reducing costs in the long run. 

When searching for a suitable candidate, it's important to consider their experience, creativity, technical skills, equipment, and ability to align with the company's vision and brand.

Let’s take a closer look at the essential qualities you want to look for when hiring for this role.

What to Look for in a Videographer

When hiring someone in-house for the role of a visual storyteller, it is essential to find a candidate who is a good culture fit and possesses strong verbal and nonverbal communication skills.

This is because this person will be in frequent contact with employees within the organization and may need to give and receive feedback to ensure the development of the best possible video content.

When seeking a suitable candidate, consider the following:

• Ensure they align with your organizational culture and can effectively represent your brand and its message.
• Verify that they possess knowledge of your brand's voice and tone consistency.
• They should have a strong portfolio that showcases their video production skills and experience in creating quality videos.
• They must demonstrate technical proficiency, such as with cameras, lighting, and editing software.
• Creativity and the ability to develop original ideas and concepts for video content are also essential, as is the capacity to work collaboratively with others, including clients and colleagues.

While previous work experience is helpful, it is only sometimes necessary. Many graduates of journalism, video production, and film school programs have gained hands-on experience through school, internships, or seasonal on-set production work and have excellent demo reels or portfolios to showcase their skills.

To assess a candidate's abilities, asking them to share examples of a project or work they have completed from start to finish is recommended. Ask them about the kind of equipment they have experience using and the projects they’ve worked on.

This will provide a sense of the quality of their skills across the entire video production process.

Once you have a good understanding of the qualities to look for in a videographer, it's important to consider the cost of hiring and video production.

Cost of Hiring & Video Production

On average, an in-house videographer is paid around $50,000 annually. To achieve optimal results with video content, the expectation would be for the videographer to create about 150 videos per year or three videos per week. This means the cost per video an in-house hire produces would be approximately $350. 

While it's essential to consider these costs, additional upfront expenses, such as equipment and editing tools, can range from $5,000 to $10,000 or more, depending on quality. 

Other expenses may include travel costs for on-site filming and ongoing training and development for the videographer to stay up to date with the latest techniques and technologies. Overall, the all-in costs for hiring an in-house videographer can range from $55,000 to $60,000.

On the other hand, the cost of outsourcing video production can vary widely depending on various factors such as the length and complexity of the video, the level of expertise of the production company, and the location of the production team.

If you decide to outsource your video production, you can expect to spend anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 per video, depending on its length and complexity. So, assuming you produce the same number of videos each year as mentioned earlier, your expenditure would be at least $150,000/per year.

While it's true that having an in-house videographer can bring a lot of advantages to a roofing company, it's important to keep in mind the costs and make sure it's a justifiable investment based on the company's needs and budget.

Conclusion

Hiring an in-house videographer can provide numerous benefits for roofing companies looking to enhance their marketing and outreach efforts. 

From creating compelling video content that showcases their work and services to improve their online presence and brand reputation, a skilled videographer can be a valuable asset for any roofing business. 

While there are costs associated with hiring an in-house videographer, the potential return on investment in terms of increased sales, customer engagement, and brand recognition can be significant. 

By carefully evaluating your needs, budget, and goals, you can make an informed decision about whether hiring an in-house videographer is the right choice for your business.

Have questions?

Are you looking for more information to help lead you in the right direction on how to make the best decision for you and your company? 

We are here to help. 

Schedule some time to talk with an advisor today!