As a content creator running your own platform, you are your business.
When you thrive, your business thrives too.
But if you’re struggling to scale or you’re feeling overwhelmed by your task list, the quality of your platform will start to reflect that.
Video editing is one task that often becomes a time and energy drain for creators. It has to get done, but it’s a tough process, and it can take your focus away from other things that matter.
Luckily, the best solution is often the simplest one. If it’s taking away from your business, take it out of the equation by outsourcing or hiring a team member.
However you decide to delegate, the important thing is knowing why you need to let go of tasks like these in order to grow your business.
So let’s talk about how to remove video editing from your list of priorities.
Video Editing Is a Full-Time Job
(Literally.)
How much time do you spend editing your videos?
According to Narrrasoft, it takes an average of 30-60 minutes to edit 1 minute of finished content.
This means, depending on how much content you have, you can spend anywhere from hours to days on a single video.
While videos are the foundation of your business, the editing process can drain time and energy.
To attract a valuable audience, you need to be putting out valuable content. This means all the videos on your platform need to be pro-grade and uphold a high content standard – and that means work.
Video editing is a technical skill. In fact, it can be so time- and energy-intensive that people make careers out of it!
Freelance website Fiverr describes common tasks video editors are responsible for, including:
- Crafting video storyboards with a script, shot list, or screenplay.
- Integrating special effects and graphic elements
- Choosing music that aligns with the video content
- Combining raw footage, re-organizing shots to make sure there is a smooth transition and a logical sequence
- Performing color grading and eliminating faulty footage.
It’s a lot of work.
So instead of trying to do it all yourself, hire one of those professionals instead.
Because, while there are parts of your business that you need to handle directly in order to create a high-quality, authentic experience – video editing isn’t one of them.
If you take care of your area of expertise, outsourcing can take care of the rest.
Prioritizing The Right Tasks for Your Business
A content creation business is made up of a lot of moving parts.
To be successful in the long run, you need a way to manage them all while maintaining consistency, efficiency, and quality.
At a certain point, this means prioritizing the most important tasks, and deciding which ones you need to be doing vs. which ones you can hand off to someone else.
So, which tasks should be on your list?
Start with tasks you personally enjoy, and that you know you can do efficiently and well. They don’t take up too much time in your schedule or require you to learn new skills.
There are also things that only you, as the owner of your membership business, can do. For example, face-to-face interactions with your members, like:
- Filming content.
- Live streaming.
- Some community discussions.
But it makes sense to outsource other technical parts of the business that might be outside of your skillset (or that demand too much of your time.)
These things can include:
- Social media management.
- Email marketing.
- Blog writing.
And, of course, video editing!
Knowing when and where to invest in employees can help you scale the right way. And just as importantly, it frees up time so you can enjoy the lifestyle that being a content creator provides.
If you’re currently working alone and struggling to check all these boxes while still having time for yourself, the first thing you need to do is look at your schedule – and where video editing fits in.
How Letting Go of Editing Can Improve Productivity
Think about it this way – video production is a multi-step process, including filming and editing. And editing itself involves several different stages too!
Now, add in all the other projects that are part of the day-to-day operation of running a video business.
All of a sudden, you’ve got a pretty tight schedule.
To keep everything running smoothly, some creators like to “batch” work, or consolidate tasks. For example – filming all content for the next week on one day, writing the blog posts and weekly newsletters on another day, and so on.
But as you can imagine, this leaves little room for error, which means that one rough day can throw off your entire schedule and leave you scrambling to make up the work.
For example: here’s what your week could look like when you’re handling everything on your own.
Hiring a video editor means you get to remove all those separate “to-dos”from your list, freeing up a ton of time and mental energy.
That means your schedule could look more like this:
All you have to do is hand over your footage, set a deadline, and let your hire do the rest. It’s off your plate, and you can move on to other things.
This system helps improve quality, consistency and efficiency in your business.
How Outsourcing and Hiring Can Improve Your Workflow
Letting go of video editing can be transformational for your business.
Increased efficiency is a huge benefit, because you’ll have more time to spend on your priority tasks.
When you can focus more brainpower on these areas rather than hustling to get everything done as fast as possible, you’ll see better results.
And you’ll free up more personal time, which can relieve stress and prevent burnout.
Plus, your content will look more professional. Having an editor handling the design details can create consistent branding and messaging for all your videos, which goes a long way towards establishing you as a serious business.
And a video editor’s skills extend even further – here are some other ways they can add to your business.
What Can A Professional Video Editor Bring to the Table?
Video editors are creatives, so they’ll have an eye for design that can help you dial in your branding and aesthetic.
They also have access to better editing software than people outside the industry, and also the technical expertise to use it.
With their knowledge of formatting and video structure, they have the ability to help you communicate your message the right way.
Plus, they’ll often be aware of interesting editing techniques and industry trends that business owners can benefit from.
And as someone who’s new to your business, a video editor can even offer a fresh perspective or new ideas..
The Cost/Benefit Analysis: Is it Worth It?
The short answer is – yes.
Why?
As a business owner, your goal is to make smart choices as far as where you spend your time and money.
Think about how many hours a week you spend editing your content (or how many hours you should be doing that, because you may be too tight on time to do it right now!)
Then compare the price of outsourcing with the hourly rate you think you’re making, based on your profit and work hours.
For many full-time content creators, it’s a worthwhile expense. And if you’re trying to scale your business, it’ll become a necessity. So consider it part of your growth plan and work it into your overhead costs.
Then, you’ll see how a small investment in your business can help you make a lot more money (and enjoy a better lifestyle) in the long run.
Conclusion
Letting go of video editing can improve your work and your quality of life.
And that’s the type of freedom that professional content creation is all about.
The goal is to build the life you want on your own terms. So pass on the jobs you’re less passionate about, and spend more time focusing on the best parts of your platform by hiring an editor.
It’s a small step for you, and a huge step for your business.
