Which Services Should Your Video Business Offer?
Are you building the video business you actually want, or just taking whatever comes your way?
Saying yes to everything can help you get started. You gain experience, meet people and work out how to earn a living. But at some point, you need to become more deliberate about the work you do, the clients you serve and what you want your production company to be known for.
That raises a question: should you specialise in one type of video, or offer a wider range of services? And how do you know when adding a service will strengthen your business or pull it in a different direction?
I’ve worked through these questions in my own business. The answer has changed as I’ve gained experience, as clients’ needs have evolved and as my priorities have changed. There’s no single formula for every production company. There are, however, some useful questions that can help you make a conscious choice.
Starting broad can help you find your direction
When I graduated from film school, I made a commitment to say yes to every opportunity in that first year, paid or unpaid.
One of my first jobs was filming a young lawyers’ competition at the Magistrates’ Court. Then came a promotional video for an ’80s cover band, freelance editing on surf videos and a video for an environmentally friendly building development. I also volunteered on student films, including working as a clapper loader.
None of this was part of a carefully designed business strategy. The opportunities came my way and I took them. I was grateful because they helped me get the business going. Just as importantly, they put me around people I could learn from.
Wedding videos came next. At a video producers’ association meeting, I introduced myself to a guest speaker who ran a successful wedding video company. He took me along to a wedding as a trainee, which led to freelance work and eventually my own bookings.
At the time, I was filling vending machines while I got the business off the ground. Being able to leave that job and earn my living through production was a great feeling.
There’s real value in starting this way. In the early days, you’re learning as much as you’re earning. It’s hard to know which work you enjoy, which clients suit you and where you can do your best work until you’ve tried a range of things.
The business that gets you started may need to change
After my daughter was born, I became more conscious of the kind of business I wanted to run. I wanted to be around for her and support my wife. The work had to make sense for the life I wanted as well as the income I needed.
The shine was also starting to wear off wedding videos. Moving from wedding videos to corporate work became one of my first big decisions about what I did and didn’t want to do.
There were other boundaries to work out. Occasionally, an opportunity came from an industry I didn’t feel ethically aligned with, or from people whose values weren’t compatible with mine. Getting clearer about those choices helped define the business too.
It takes time to answer questions like these:
What types of videos do I most enjoy working on?
Who do I like working with?
What problems am I particularly good at helping clients solve?
Which projects make me feel proud of the work?
What work am I poorly suited to, or prepared to turn down?
You don’t need perfect answers straight away. But business becomes easier and more enjoyable as you become clearer about them. Otherwise, each new enquiry can end up deciding the direction of your company for you.
What a Melbourne steakhouse taught me about specialisation
There’s a well-known steakhouse in Melbourne called Vlado’s. When I first went there about 20 years ago, what struck me was how particular it was about what it offered.
The meal followed a simple formula: homemade sausage, steak, basic sides and strawberry pancakes for dessert. The room was old-fashioned, with large pictures of cattle on the walls. It had a very definite identity.
Vlado had found something he was exceptionally good at and built a reputation around it. He wasn’t trying to cater to every possible preference. If you wanted something different, you could go somewhere else.
You can run a production company that way. Find one thing you do exceptionally well, develop a reliable way to deliver it and become known for that particular service. It might be one type of video or work in one industry.
That clarity can be powerful. It also means deliberately leaving some customer needs unmet. A client may love your work and want help with something closely related, but your answer will still be no.
That’s a valid choice. The question is whether it’s the choice you want to make.
You can specialise around a client or a problem
Over time, I realised that my business’s specialty didn’t have to be a particular type of video. We help businesses and organisations communicate through video.
I enjoyed working across different industries, but found that we were particularly well suited to marketing and internal communications teams at medium to large companies, government departments and universities. Although the industries varied, the people often shared similar needs and ways of working.
That gave us a clear focus while leaving room for a range of related services: corporate videos, training videos, event coverage, live streaming and camera crews.
These services all make sense to the same type of client. A marketing team might need a corporate video now, interviews in another city next month and support at a live event later in the year. The work changes, but our understanding of the client and their organisation carries through.
This is one of the options I explore in the pros and cons of niching in video production. Your focus can come from who you serve and the problems you solve, as well as the format you produce.
Why I changed my mind about photography
For years, clients asked whether we offered photography. I’d explain that I was a filmmaker, and that photography was a different discipline. We focused on video because that was what we did well.
We turned down quite a lot of work on that basis.
As our clients needed more regular content for websites, blog posts and social media, I started to reconsider. There were particular types of photography that fitted the work we were already doing and that we could deliver well at a worthwhile margin.
We initially contracted that work out, then began bringing it in-house. Clients appreciated the images, but they also appreciated being able to work with one provider they already trusted.
The quality was a given. Being listened to, having clear communication and working through an efficient project management system mattered too. They didn’t have to start a new relationship and explain their organisation all over again.
Adding photography was a line extension: a closely related service for the same clients. It grew out of a need we could see in the relationships we already had.
I’m not suggesting every video business should offer photography. I’m sharing the thinking behind our decision. For your business, the right answer might be different.
Test whether a new service belongs in your business
Before adding a service, ask yourself: would an existing ideal client naturally expect us to be good at this?
If the answer is yes, it’s worth exploring. For example, a client who hires you to create a video for an event may reasonably ask whether you can also film the event, photograph it or interview customers while you’re there. Those needs are closely related.
Then work through the practical questions:
Does this solve a real need for the clients we want more of?
Can we commit to the quality they expect?
Do we have a clear system for delivering it?
Should we do it in-house or work with a specialist?
Can we make a worthwhile margin after allowing for management time?
Will offering it strengthen what clients know us for?
Working with a specialist can be a sensible way to begin. You don’t have to build every capability internally. But if the client buys the service from you, you need to be confident in how it will be delivered.
If the main reason for adding something is simply that you could probably make some money from it, look more closely. An opportunity can bring in revenue and still make the business harder to manage or explain.
Know when you’re starting a separate business
There’s a point where expansion starts to dilute your focus. Video, photography, websites, SEO, branding, social media management, podcasts and graphic design may all have buyers, but that doesn’t mean they all belong in your production company.
You might also find yourself running a corporate video company, a separate wedding business, an AI consultancy and a new app. Each one needs attention, marketing, systems and customers. Separate websites don’t remove that work.
Be clear about whether you’re extending an existing service or starting another business. Either can be a deliberate decision. The problem is drifting into several businesses while assuming you’re just adding a few services.
Keep bringing it back to who you serve, what they need and whether your services reinforce the same core expertise.
Review what you want to be known for
Set aside some time to write down the services you currently offer. For each one, consider who buys it, how well it fits your best client relationships and whether you enjoy delivering it.
Then answer three questions:
What do we want to be known for? Describe the client or problem you want to build your reputation around.
What belongs alongside that? Identify the related services that make life easier for those clients and that you can deliver well.
What are we prepared to turn down? Name the work that takes you away from the business you want.
Use those answers to guide your next enquiry and your next decision about expanding. You may decide to specialise more narrowly. You may discover a useful service that your current clients keep asking for.
Be discerning about the advice you receive, including mine. Your experience, your strengths and the life you want all need to be part of the decision.
Keep refining the answer as your clients’ needs change and as you change. The aim is to build a business you’ve chosen, rather than one shaped entirely by whatever happens to come your way.
Want help deciding where to focus your video business?
If you’d like help clarifying your positioning, choosing your services and building a production company that suits you, you’re welcome to find out about coaching.
