In-House Video Production vs Outsourcing: Pros and Cons of Each 

You want to make an impact with your brand’s content — and in this day and age, video marketing is a crucial part of every business’s marketing strategy. 

91% of consumers want to see more videos from brands and most are actively looking forward to watching videos on social media as entertainment, which makes the demand to produce videos feel quite insatiable. And yet, as a marketer, it’s your job to meet that demand.

So, how do you go about your task of producing quality videos at scale? You have two basic options: to produce your video in-house, or to outsource it to specialists. As you make this important decision, here’s a handy guide to the ins and outs of video production — both in-house and outsourced.

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How In-House Video Production Works

In-house video production means your business has a dedicated video production unit creating your company’s videos. For example, a cooking magazine might have its own in-house kitchen production unit that creates short, helpful, entertaining YouTube videos on foodie topics. 

Pros of In-House Video Production

There are many pros of in-house video production, including: 

Deep Brand Knowledge

No one has better knowledge of your own brand than you and your employees do. When it comes to simple videos, these can be rapidly produced by an in-house team in response to the needs of your audience. Since these video makers are already integral members of your team, there’s no need to get them up to speed on the ins and outs of the industry.

Authentic Brand Engagement

With in-house production, you can create your own in-house celebrities and make use of the talent at hand. Many magazines have done this with their journalistic roster, including the New Yorker, whose podcast and video production efforts often feature staff writers expanding on topics they write about in the magazine. This can foster direct communication, transparency, and a sense of warmth between your brand and consumers.

Efficiency

In-house video production can be efficient — so long as the videos are of a fairly consistent and contained variety, like talk-show format or in-the-kitchen style. With the same production needs across all of your shoots, you can save time and money and produce more videos with the same sunk costs. You can achieve efficiencies like pre-lighting sets and having them more or less ready to go as long as their production parameters don’t change.

Easier Communication

As mentioned above, with an in-house video team, you never have to explain your vision to a team of outside creatives or work to develop a common language. That means keeping production in-house makes communication uniquely efficient. Your in-house team is likely looped into your internal discussions and already has a good understanding of your brand and goals. 

Faster Turnaround Time

In-house production often means you can turn videos around rapidly — for example, in response to current events. As mentioned above, if the videos are similar in style or format, your team might be able to craft them quickly. 

Cons of In-House Video Production

In spite of its advantages, in-house video production also comes with several drawbacks.

Less Scope for Growth

Keeping video production in-house can limit your ambitions. While it’s easy to make lots of videos using your in-house resources, sets, and talent, the sameness of these videos may quickly lead to reduced engagement. Many influencers and other online personalities report feeling like they’re churning out videos to diminishing returns — it turns out there is a limit to how many soup-making videos one can watch.

Limited Resources

There’s also a limit to how many videos a small in-house team can produce without creating internal strain. If you need to feed a pipeline of content across multiple channels, the necessary scale may not be possible. 

Large Upfront Expense

If you have a smaller business, you may not want to make a large capital outlay for equipment and production infrastructure when setting out on your video production journey. While in the long run, these costs will amortize, it can be expensive to meet the bar required for professional lighting and video capture. 

Compromised Quality

While digital technology has certainly made it less complicated than it used to be, the video production process still takes time to master. From brands in particular, audiences expect videos of higher production quality and slickness, and getting their attention — not to mention keeping it — is a challenge. If you’re running a small business, it may not be a good use of your resources to hire a full in-house video team. 

How Outsourced Video Production Works

Outsourcing video production simply means contracting with another company whose expertise is video production. The aim is always to streamline your production process so that you can produce high-quality videos efficiently. 

Pros of Outsourced Video Production

Once you find a partner you like, you can benefit from outsourced video production in several ways, including: 

Fresh Ideas and Talent

Finding a company that specializes in video gives you access to new talent and new ideas. You can create higher-quality videos and leverage their expertise to find out what’s trending in the marketplace and what consumers are broadly engaging in. At QuickFrame, for example, we work with innovative video makers around the globe to help you create the video content you need. 

Broader Scope

Having an outsourced video production team can also mean a broader array of content styles in different genres, which can lead to greater engagement and less fatigue among your viewership. You can spend your time and efforts clearly defining your audience and goals while leaving the production to the video professionals. 

It can also be beneficial to have an intelligent team who aren’t your employees to bounce ideas off, generate new concepts, clarify your own ideas, and get honest feedback on why they may not work.

More Economical

When you outsource video production, you don’t have to make an outlay for equipment that may eventually need upgrading, nor do you need to keep production staff on retainer. Instead, you can assess your marketing needs and financial abilities periodically and make sure they’re in alignment. 

Better Time Management

Outsourcing also means worrying less about specifics — like whether you’ve effectively checked off all of the pre production boxes — so you can focus on the big picture. It allows your in-house employees to focus on the other aspects of video marketing while your external partner focuses on production. 

Cons of Outsourced Video Production

While many of the pros and cons of video production outsourcing have to do with the team you select and the personalities and specifics involved, there can be some general cons to outsourcing your video.

Need for Greater Communication

Often, outsourcing your video production will require more communication than if you used an in-house team. Your partner is going to need to understand certain aspects of your business, your marketing strategy, and your branding before they can craft effective video content for you. 

Substantial Work

While it is significantly less arduous than producing videos yourself, collaboration with a creative video production team still takes time, effort, and effective communication. For example, you still have to create the right brief that motivates and inspires your external production team. 

Potential Waste

If you only want simple and straightforward videos using your in-house talent and locations, it could be a waste of time and money to use outsourced video production, which typically exists to provide a lot more bells and whistles.

Additional Tensions

Additional tensions are possible throughout the outsourcing process. For example, you may end up feeling like you lack control over the final product — but remember, you’re hiring professionals for a reason. With effective communication and collaboration, you’ll be able to work with the right partner to create brand-specific video content. 

In-House Video Production vs. Outsource: When To Use Each Option

In-house and outsourced video production both have their pros and cons, as we’ve established above. So when should you use each option? Let’s dive into some situations:  

When To Outsource

If you’re looking for a variety of multichannel content that can be repurposed for different platforms and yet still feel truly native to each platform, you’ll likely need to find a video partner to work with. 

Internet users report watching six hours and 48 minutes of video a week. The variety of video content that consumers demand, combined with its sheer reach, means that outsourcing is often the only realistic approach for most small businesses. A small in-house team won’t be able to meet that kind of demand or make use of data to keep iterating content that doesn’t meet your goals for your return. 

A small in-house team probably won’t also be able to master the endless stylistic options. If you want to make bold stylistic choices like motion graphics or visual effects, animation, glossy homepage-style videos intended to be evergreen, or high-end brand films that explain your company’s purpose in memorable ways, you may need to consider outsourcing your video production. 

Even large businesses with their own internal teams partner with other organizations and agencies to produce content for specific purposes. They recognize that collaboration can expand the boundaries of what they can achieve, helping them reach new audiences and grow their business. 

When To Stay In-House

If your needs are minimal, and you can plan your shoots rigorously or keep your logistics manageable, you may be able to keep production in-house. If your video content seeks to highlight views from inside your company, like an internal video to answer team member’s questions, then in-house production may make sense, as well. 

Making Affordable Videos at Scale

In-house video production is possible, but it has its limits. No matter the size of your company, in-house video production alone may not give you what you need. Today, brands have to produce a staggering array of content for many different platforms, audiences, and objectives. This can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be with the right partner. 

Working with a partner like QuickFrame can give you the peace of mind to focus on building your brand as you work with creative and innovative professionals to take care of your image in the digital world.

Contact us today to learn more. 

In-House Video Production: Final Thoughts

When debating between in-house and outsourced video production, it can be difficult to weigh all of your options. However, working with the right partner can provide your brand with quality content, allowing your team members to free up some of their time and focus on video marketing strategy.