The most common question I get asked is how I get higher-paying clients as a filmmaker or videographer.
It took me a good seven years to figure this out, and I think if you can implement some of the things I’m going to share in this video, you can speed up the process.
I think it’s pretty clear that the world of video production is super crowded. And it’s really hard to make a decent living if you are competing with everyone else. Let me share three different things that will help you compete in an entirely different category of videos, where you won’t have to complete one price as much as you may be doing currently.
Niche down / Specialize
The very first thing you need to do is you need to laser focus on finding a niche.
The more specialized you are, the easier it is to make more money, get better clients, and work at an entirely different level.
I just hired a Plummer this week. He came in and fix the problem in 15 minutes. He charged me $150 for his hourly rate.
Last week, he wasn’t available. So I hired a handyman to try to fix it. His rate was $25 an hour.
How is it that the Plummer charged 6 times more per hour and they both claimed to be able to solve the same issue?
This is exactly why that most successful person are usually credited for doing one thing and not ten things.
When you focus, everything changes.
When I was a filmmaker, I would do an entire project for $500. But when I specialized, and I would only go out as a cinematographer with gear, I would easily make over $1000 per day and didn’t have to do any other part of the project. With specializing, you are seen as an expert.
I’ve hired cinematographers that specialized more and only do tabletop shoots or food shoots. They can make a lot more than I can as a freelancer.
So specializing in something very specific and niching down at the top of the project you take on can really take you to the next level.
Level Up your clients
You also need to pursue a new set of clients if your current clients aren’t paying you enough.
Most people I talk to want to know how to make more with existing clients. It’s much harder to raise your rate on existing clients than it is to get new ones that can actually afford to pay a higher rate.
I think of this as leveling up my clients. Let’s say I started making videos for a lawyer and he could only pay $500 per video.
I would take that video and see how I can use it to land a law firm that can afford to pay me $3k. I would take that video and see how I can get even a bigger law firm that can pay me $10k or put me on retainer for all their video needs.
I never try to get the $500 dollar client to pay me 10k. I try to use the sample and experience to level up.
Present yourself as a company and not a solo creator
Solo-Studio-Production Co-Agency-Client
And finally, I would transition from a solo creator and videographer to a filmmaker to presenting myself as a video production company. As a company, you are competing for higher-end clients. I’ve rarely seen a solo creator get high-end jobs from larger clients, but if you present yourself as a company, it’s much easier.
You can assemble a larger team, handle more work, be more responsive and charge a lot more.
Learn the exact blueprint I used to go from a struggling videographer, to running a profitable video production business, in this one-hour free training.
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