How to Choose a Videographer in Oregon for Your Business

Jeremy Ito

Sep 7

3 min read

Hiring a videographer for the first time can be an intimidating experience.

One person talks about cameras. Another talks about cinematic footage. Someone else promises to "tell your story."

How do you know who is actually a good fit for your business?

Here are seven things I recommend you consider before hiring an Oregon business videographer.

1. Start With Your Goal

Before talking about cameras, talk about your business.

Are you trying to:

Generate leads?
Recruit employees?
Build brand awareness?
Explain a complicated service?
Raise money?
Create social media content?
Launch a new product?

Your videographer should understand why you are creating the video before deciding what to film.

Otherwise, you can end up with a beautiful video that does absolutely nothing. It looks great. Your mom loves it, but your marketing director is wondering what to do with it.

2. Look at Their Experience

Watch several examples of their work.

Do the videos feel professional? More importantly, can they work with real people?

Most business owners, employees and nonprofit clients are not professional actors.

A good business videographer should know how to help normal people relax and communicate naturally on camera.

3. Find Someone Who Understands Marketing

Video production and video marketing are related, but they are not the same thing.

A videographer may know how to create a beautiful shot without understanding how that shot fits into your marketing.

First decide on your marketing goals, then ask how their expertise can help you in those areas.

A good production should give your marketing team something useful.

4. Ask What You Actually Receive

Don't assume. Ask exactly what is included.

Will you receive one finished video?
Multiple versions?
Vertical videos for social media?
Photography?
Drone footage?
Raw footage?
Captions?

Understanding the deliverables makes comparing proposals much easier.

5. Consider How They Work With Your Team

Your videographer will probably interact with employees, customers or clients.

Someone can be incredibly talented behind a camera and still make everyone in the room uncomfortable.

Look for someone who can communicate clearly, stay organized and make people feel comfortable.

This is especially important when interviewing customers, nonprofit clients or employees who are nervous about being filmed.

6. Don't Choose Based Only on Price

Price matters, but the cheapest quote is not always the least expensive option.

If you spend $1,000 on a video you never use, you wasted $1,000.

If you spend $4,000 creating content your marketing team uses for an entire year, the larger investment may provide much more value.

Compare the outcome, not just the invoice.

7. Look for Someone Who Thinks Beyond One Video

One of the biggest opportunities businesses skip is creating additional content while everyone is already together. If you're filming an employee interview, for example, this long form video could be used to make more short form content.

A big part of your budget typically goes to cover the setup fee + Travel. Negotiating some add on content to an already existing shoot can save you from having to pay additional shoot fees for another day, versus content that could have been combined into one longer shoot.

Often a videographer will give lower rates for monthly retainer clients. The videographer gets consistent income, and you get regular content at a reduced rate.

Finding the Right Oregon Videographer

The best videographer for your business is not necessarily the person with the fanciest camera. Look for someone who understands your goals, communicates well and knows how to turn a filming day into useful marketing content.

Your video should not just look good. it should have a job.

If your business or nonprofit is considering professional video, photography or drone content, Jeremy Ito Story Design works with organizations throughout Oregon to create media built around your marketing goals.

Start with a free consultation and we can figure out what content would actually be useful before talking about filming.