As an entrepreneurial minded person who is creative at heart, you never once doubted your future and what life would have in store for you when you settled into your career. Becoming a professional videographer and working for yourself is your number one goal, but you know there are certain elements you need to have in place for you to make this career a lucrative one for you and your family. Whether you’re building up content marketing ideas for your business, or you’re investigating the right equipment for your job, there is so much you can do to prepare yourself for the exciting adventure that lies ahead.
Hopefully, the following fifteen ideas provide you with some inspiration so that you can start working towards building and growing a videography business that you love.
1. A Clear Target Demographic
Videographers can cover a range of different jobs from wedding coverage to marketing shoots, their portfolios can be diverse. When you think about the ideal job you would want to do, this is ideally where your target demographic would sit. Before you do anything such as purchase equipment, create a website or start networking, you need to have a clear idea of who you want to work with and why you’re a good fit for them. Make sure it aligns with your skill sets and experience so that it makes sense when you start advertising your services.
2. The Right Equipment
It’s no secret that becoming a videographer involves more than just a basic camera and some film. If you want to be at the very top of your game, you need to find the right equipment and invest at the correct times too. For example, if you’re looking into the DJI for your overhead drone footage, you may want to spend some time researching what it can do and how it can help your business. As long as your equipment investments are going to be lucrative for your business, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t purchase them. Capital when you’re just starting out can be sparse, so be mindful of spending when you’re in the initial stages of setting up your business.
3. Good Industry Friends
There may be some shoots that require a second shooter or an extra pair of hands. In this case, it’s great to have a network of friends in your industry that you know and trust. Calling upon someone when you’re sick or helping future clients with referrals is also a great way to build a professional network of videographers who are always willing to help each other out.
4. A Website
Building your website as a videographer may prove to be quite the labor of love when it comes to getting started. Your website does need to look professional and showcase all of the important skills you need for certain jobs, but it doesn’t need to be perfect. Many people lose sleep over tweaking their website and turning it into something that it doesn’t have to be. Over time your website will adapt and evolve, but for now, you just need to get the basics in order so that you’ve got a place to refer your clients to.
5. Social Media Platform
One of the most effective ways to showcase your latest work and talk about exciting projects is social media. As a consumer, when you’re comparing different services you may go straight to socials to see what type of finishing products you can expect. This is exactly the same stance that your clients will take when they’re looking for the ideal videographer for their project.
6. A Creative Community
Much like having good friends as a videographer, it’s also important to surround yourself with other like minded creatives. For example, if you’re working in the wedding industry you may want to befriend photographers, florists, stationers and makeup artists so that you can all work together collaboratively on styled shoots together. Community over competition is paramount when it comes to building a creative business, especially one which relies on working as a team with other people.
7. Patience
No matter how talented you are in what you do, it’s unlikely that your videography business is going to blow up into a sensation overnight. Patience is key when it comes to building any creative business; remembering your small wins and celebrating each milestone will help you to stay on track.
8. Motivation
When you don’t see instant results it can be very easy to think negatively and start throwing in the towel. However, it is so important to keep your motivation levels high so that you are always on your “A” game. Motivation will help you through the toughest of times, but only if you truly believe in yourself.
9. Dedication to Learning and Growing
Being open to learning new techniques and growing your skills as a videographer is so important, especially when certain industries are so competitive. You need to have the drive to keep working on being the best videographer you can be for your clients, which may involve working with different equipment and attending training courses to stay up to date.
10. Excellent Communication
No matter how talented you are as a videographer, you also need to be an excellent all-round business owner. This means putting communication first and making sure that everyone is on the same page. During the initial stages, you may learn this the hard way when you work with clients that don’t quite fit in with your target demographic. But over time, you will eventually start to figure out that initial consultations are not just for the client’s benefit; they are also for yours too, so that you can assess whether you want to work with them.
11. Organizational Skills
Let’s face it, creative people don’t always have the best reputation for being super organized and on top of their administrative tasks. Those with creative skills tend to lean towards a different approach when it comes to getting organized with certain areas of their business. You would much rather spend your time working on an exciting creative project than replying to emails, which is completely valid. However, it is so important to carve out time to become more organized and work on your skills. If you don’t prioritize this when you’re just starting out with your business, you may start to notice
12. A Strong Support System At Home
As a videographer your income may not be all that steady from the moment you launch your business. You need to have a good support system at home who understands your goals and wants you to do your very best. This will keep you positive and focused as you start getting your business off the ground.
13. A Flexible Schedule
Eventually, your diary will start to become manageable, but until you start getting a steady stream of clients, your work is going to be all over the place. Having a flexible schedule and an open mind when it comes to working will not only make you seem like a more personable videographer, but it will also give your brand an excellent reputation. Being flexible from day one not only allows you to work with a wider range of clients, but it also gives you more opportunities to take on projects when you’re trying to get everything up and running.
14. A Healthy Lifestyle
As a videographer, your body is the reason why you’re able to work, so it’s important to look after it. Living a healthy lifestyle is so important when your job is so physical. When you’re thinking about starting a business you also have to consider your health as a whole. You won’t be able to take sick days without getting paid, and you won’t receive benefits if you’re unwell and out of work for a prolonged period of time. Living a healthy lifestyle is truly non-negotiable when you’re hoping to start up your own videography business.
15. A Bank of Content Ideas
Content is king when you’re just starting out as a business owner, especially in the creative industry. You need a batch of ideas that you can go to whenever you run out of inspiration for your social media channels, blog and website. Choosing topics that are relevant to your target audience will always be a hit, because they will resonate and connect with the people you want to attract.
There are clearly a number of different skill sets, mindsets and business assets you need to possess before you can launch your business as a fully fledged videographer. Taking your time to get together all of these elements will ultimately make your business more successful as all of the difficult groundwork will be accomplished already. It’s very easy to step back and think that your business will become an instant success if you’re a talented artist, but you need to have a business-minded attitude at all times too. This involves being patient, making smart decisions, taking care of your mind and body and creating healthy industry relationships with other people too. Becoming a professional videographer isn’t too far out of your reach as long as you are willing to work hard, do your research and dedicate plenty of time to learning as you transform your idea into a profitable company.
