Starting a Video Business in 2020: What I’ve Learned so Far.
In the past month, I have been going through the process of starting my own Wedding Videography business. So far this has looked like creating social media accounts, building a website, and beginning the process of trying to find clients. Although I have a long way to go before I’m at the spot I want to be with my business I am proud of what I’ve accomplished so far!
Finding Your Drive
Starting a Video Business has been something I have been thinking about doing for years but was something I never fully committed to until now. I’m sure my experiences are relatable for many people, having an area or topic that you are interested in but a hesitation to fully commit to the idea. Whether it is for financial reasons or fear of judgment. What I found to be the case for me is that I had to find my “Drive” to take a risk and fully commit to the idea I had. If 2020 has taught me anything it is that the world can be crazy, so you might as well do what you want to do… even if people think you’re crazy. With that being said my drive is two-fold — I was furloughed from my job as a result of Covid-19 and have been unemployed now since mid-March. I have also recently started a graduate program in Social Media. What this means is that I have a lot of time to think through plans and I have also been gaining knowledge on how to better promote myself on the internet. These two things have resulted in me deciding to finally go for this idea I have been teasing for years.
Getting Started
After deciding that starting a business was something I was truly serious about I sat down to learn as much as I could about the field. I spent hours researching techniques, gear, booking clients, and also spoke to people in the industry. This is a very important step because it will help alleviate some of the fear associated with starting your own business. By building your knowledge you are also building your confidence that you will be able to deliver a successful product. This is also the point in which you can begin to develop how you will set yourself apart in the field. How do you plan to do things differently and how do you want your brand to be recognized. Although you are always free to try different editing techniques as video producer it’s good to have an idea of how you want your films to look. By spending time watching other people’s work you can learn what you like or don’t like and come up with a plan for your style. When you sit down to begin you’ll thank yourself that you already have a vision in your head for what you want to create.
Put Yourself Out There
The first thing you need to accept is that you will always be able to come up with a legitimate reason for why you should delay launching your business. I’d like to get better camera gear, I already am working full time, or I could use more practice. The best thing you can do is to just put yourself out there. For me, this was reaching out to a friend of mine back home who runs his own video business. I asked him if he would be open to the idea of me being a second shooter for him in exchange for permission to use the footage I captured for my own business. Second shooting for an established videographer is an amazing way to get to experience the events of a wedding shoot without all the pressure of booking, coordinating, and handling the other things that go into a shoot besides the actual filming. You should also be posting on social media and leverage the contacts you already have. Although I created new profiles for my business I still posted from my accounts because this is where I already have ethos built with my contacts. My friends know me and know the type of character I have, being a brand new business without a profile of work to show off this character is what you will be relying on to get your first opportunities. Speaking on building opportunity I would highly suggest offering to do a few projects for free. I know it seems crazy to give away your services for no monetary gain but in reality, you are earning content for your social media campaigns, footage for your website, exposure for your business, and potential word of mouth referrals from satisfied couples. I created a simple graphic on Canva advertising “free wedding video for July/ August “and posted it on my Facebook and into a few different Facebook groups and on the first day received a handful of inquires about the offer. This post has also lead to 3 separate inquires from the couple getting married in fall interested in receiving my pricing. So even though I will be doing a few pro bono jobs it has already lead to potential paid work.
Plan for the Future
Have an idea of where you want to go with your business and write it down. When trying to grow your business you do not want to hopelessly wonder. Having a plan in place will help make it a reality. For me I have written down a list of things I would like to achieve from this business: Getting to Travel/ Destination Weddings, Expanding into other fields/ real estate, transitioning into video full time. It is also important to have a plan in place for how you will promote yourself and develop your social media strategies. Although I am not at that point yet I have already spoken with a representative from popular wedding websites The Knot and The Wire about setting up a vendor profile. On average it is 200–500 a month to advertise on these platforms but it offers some lucrative benefits and can help you be more visible online. Because I was proactive about this I can plan for that expense when I do decide its time to advertise there.
Moving Forward
As I said, I still have a long way to go before I get to where I want to be but I’m moving in the right direction. I would love to hear about your experiences with starting a business or following a passion down in the comments. If you want to get into contact with me you can find me on Instagram and Facebook under Leifeld Videography or online at https://leifeldvideography.wixsite.com/mysite-1.
