It’s the question I get asked most on WhatsApp, and the honest answer is: it depends. But “it depends” is useless if you don’t know what it depends on. Here I explain what changes the price of a social media video, so you can compare quotes wisely and not just by the final number.
1. Whether it needs to be filmed or you already have the footage
Editing something you shot on your phone doesn’t cost the same as coming to your business with equipment, planning the shots and filming. Filming means travel time, lighting, audio and, often, repeating takes until they come out right.
If your budget is tight, starting with your own footage and good editing is a perfectly valid option. What matters is that the footage meets a minimum quality bar so it doesn’t look improvised.
Don’t be afraid to start filming yourself
A few basics that make a big difference:
- Shoot vertically, with natural light in front of you, never with the light behind you.
- Take care of the audio: get close to the phone or use a simple microphone.
- Talk the way you’d talk to a customer, without a memorized script.
There will come a point where your business needs to look more professional: better visuals, a script designed to attract customers, planned shots and editing that lives up to what you offer. That’s the time to take the next step, and that’s where I can help. Starting on your own isn’t wasted time: it’s how you get to that point knowing better what you want.
2. The script: the part almost nobody quotes
A reel that works doesn’t start at the camera; it starts with the idea. The first two seconds decide whether someone keeps watching or scrolls past. That’s why a video with a script (hook, message and call to action) usually performs much better than a “pretty” one with no structure.
When you compare quotes, ask whether the script is included or whether they’ll expect you to tell them what to film.
3. Editing: captions, pacing and motion graphics
Most people watch videos with the sound off. Captions aren’t an extra: they’re part of getting the message across. Beyond cutting, editing includes:
- Pacing and music that suit the platform.
- Captions and on-screen text.
- Graphics or animations (motion graphics) when the message calls for them.
- Color and audio correction.
The more elaborate the editing, the longer it takes, and that shows up in the price.
4. How many videos you need (fewer than you think)
There’s an idea that to grow on social media you have to post every day. To stand out with organic content alone you’d have to film and upload several videos a day, and even then each post has a very short life: within a day or two it stops being shown.
For a business, that isn’t viable:
- In time: filming, editing and posting several times a day becomes a second job.
- In quality: it’s almost impossible to keep up polished production at that pace.
- In money: producing that much content costs more than it brings back.
That’s why I don’t recommend that a business focus on standing out organically, but on using its footage strategically: a few well-thought-out videos that work consistently to attract qualified leads, meaning people with real interest and the ability to buy from you.
Within the 15 pieces of content a month in my package, I include 4 to 6 videos, depending on what the strategy and the ad campaigns we’re putting together call for; if your business needs more, they’re quoted separately. They’re designed for exactly that: they’re not trying to go viral, they’re trying to get the right person to message you.
5. Whether the video will be used in ads
A video for paid ads has other requirements: several versions of the hook, formats for each platform and thinking from the start about who it’s for. If the plan is to invest in ads, it’s best to say so when you ask for the quote.
What to ask before hiring
- Does it include a script, or just filming and editing?
- How many versions or formats will you deliver?
- How long will it take to deliver?
- Will the footage and the accounts be in my name?
- Can you show me similar videos you’ve made?
So, how much does it cost?
The fair thing is to quote based on what your business needs, not from a generic price list. If you tell me what you sell, who you sell to and what you have today, I’ll tell you what kind of video makes sense for you and send you a proposal.
A real case: Master Gera
Master Gera sells certification courses in Mexico’s EC0110.02 standard. For his online course I produced a VSL: a pre-recorded sales video made specifically for that course.
That video doesn’t work alone. It’s part of a strategy run together with paid digital ads and the infrastructure of his online platform, so every interested person reaches the course along a clear path.
Since he started with this strategy, he has brought in up to about $4,300 USD (80,000 MXN) a month. And he doesn’t need to post all the time: he does it with six posts a month.