Editing videos can be a timely process. Yet, video editing is so necessary for marketing your business and reaching your audience. You may be considering how to hire a youtube editor for your business.
Outsourcing is the number one way to easily produce ten times your video output, improve the quality and do it all in less time. Learning how to hire a youtube editor frees up a lot of your time so you can concentrate on growing your business.
If you need to know how to hire a youtube editor, this post will help you:
- Know if you need to hire a youtube editor. Do you even need an editor?
- Know the type of editor you want to hire.
- Know the qualifications to look for in a youtube editor.
- Know what to pay a youtube editor.
- Know where to find a youtube editor.
- Know the right questions to ask during an interview.
- Know how to judge the skill level of a youtube editor.
- Know how to finalize the hire.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is editing your own video content. I’m sure you’re great at it, and you know exactly what you want the finished product to look like, but you’re running a business and don’t have that type of time. In fact, one of the first things you want to do is ask yourself why you even need to learn how to hire a youtube editor. Do you even need one?
Do You Even Need A YouTube Editor?
There are a couple of reasons you would need to know how to hire a youtube editor.
First, you need a youtube editor if you have absolutely no interest in editing videos yourself. In that case, you need to have someone with the quality and skill set to be able to take your videos and turn them into awesome masterpieces that everyone will want to watch. That’s not just anybody. It takes a certain level of skill, but we’ll talk more about that later.
Next, you may have the skill to edit your own videos, but you absolutely don’t have the time. You don’t have the time because you’ve got so many other super-important things that need to be taken care of. Video editing can be time-consuming, and if you make a lot of videos, you spend a great deal of time editing. That’s the time taken away from some other very important aspects of your business.
Once you’ve decided you definitely do need an editor, the next step is to know what type of editor you’re looking for.
What Types Of YouTube Editors Are Available?
Now that you know you need to hire a YouTube editor, the question becomes, what type of editor do you need? Which type of editor would best serve your purpose, a local editor or someone who can do it virtually?
A local editor would be hands-on, right there with you. You’ll be able to communicate with one another easier because they’ll be in person. You’ll easily develop rapport and may even be there when you’re filming. They would gain insight during the filming and possibly provide suggestions to improve the overall outcome.
A remote editor would not be in person, so there may be time zone issues. Communication would not be as easy, but you could choose to do a combination of things, like email, phone, and video conferencing. They definitely will not be able to be involved in the. Before we go any further, though, let’s look at some terms here to ensure we’re both talking about the same thing when hiring a video editor for your YouTube videos.
DIY Video editors are you or someone on your team who goes through all your content and edits it while continuing to perform their regular duties.
Freelance video editors can be former full-time professionals or someone working freelance until they can find a steady gig. You can find freelancers of all skill levels and proficiencies on platforms like Upwork and Flocksy.
Outsourced video editors are people you hire from video editing companies. In many of these cases, you’re paying for a particular editing project that you need to be accomplished. You can scale up or down your service with this type of company based on your needs. Platforms such as Flocksy offer these types of services.
What’s more, Video Husky and Flocksy offer unlimited video editing services. So for a flat monthly rate, you can contract an unlimited number of editing projects. This service is almost like having an in-house video editor with the benefits of working with an entire team of professionals.
A Full-time video editor is someone you hire to work on your team for the foreseeable future. They can be remote or on-site. These editors work five days a week for eight hours a day on your behalf. Hiring a full-time video editor comes with the typical employee paperwork- payroll, pensions, taxes, etc. While that can mean more work on your end with training and the like, you’ll also have someone who’s educated in your company culture and ambitions.
Now that you know the type of editor you’re looking for, what do you need them to do exactly? That is important because you want to ensure they have the right qualifications.
What Qualifications To Look For In A Youtube Editor
You’ve decided to hire a youtube video editor, and you know the type of editor you need, now you just need to make sure you know the skills you need for them to have. That is definitely something you can play around with as only you know how seasoned or advanced you would need their skillset to be.
Will they be editing simple videos, or will they be more complex? How long will the videos be? How much do you know about video editing? Will you be making the final decisions on everything, or will they pretty much have the final say so on the final product? If you don’t have any experience editing or know much about editing, can you trust them to ensure the final product is of the highest quality?
Here’s one final question: What is the videos’ purpose? That may also determine the skill set of the person you hire. At any rate, they should probably offer the following:
- Knowledge of the youtube platform.
- Strong research skills.
- Powerful video editing skills and knowledge of different software needs.
- Digital awareness and understanding of the internet
Once you’ve decided what your expectations are for the editor and the skill set you’re looking for, you’re ready to put it all in a job description. You’re halfway done!.
What are the Benefits of Using Video Content To Reach Your Target Audience?
Video content offers proven benefits for practically all businesses. If a picture speaks a thousand words, videos clearly shout a million. Here are some of the most important reasons why employing video content in your marketing strategy is a good idea:
- High-quality videos can drive conversions. Visitors want to feel engaged with you and your content. When they do, they’ll be more likely to move toward action- purchasing, signing up, etc.
- Video, especially with your employees and headquarters featured, show that your business is run by real people. They’re humans behind the company. It adds another layer of security and trustworthiness, solidifying your authenticity.
- You can repurpose and distribute them practically anywhere for increased brand awareness and promotion.
- Good videos that catch people’s attention can remain popular for weeks to months. The ROI is great.
Video Quality Matters!
As video content continues to grow in popularity, it’s no surprise that the competition has grown too. To attract followers, customers, and clients, businesses are going above and beyond what we’ve ever seen and upping the game at every turn.
Understanding what it takes to create high-quality video and what editing entails will allow you to determine whether you want to take on that video editing project yourself- or leave it to the professionals.
Great videos typically aren’t made by just hitting record on your phone; there’s more to editing YouTube videos than the content studio can help you do.
Voiceovers, titles, thumbnails, transitions, overlays, and descriptions are all crucial to high-quality videos. They take a standard clip to amazing. Elements like background color, lighting, sounds, and stabilization may sound easy to account for. Still, if you don’t nail them down, your video will suffer.
How Much To Pay A Youtube Editor
There are a couple of things to consider when paying an editor. Do you want to pay them by the hour or by the project?
If you pay hourly you want to ensure that the project doesn’t go on for an unreasonable amount of time where you find yourself paying ridiculously large amounts for a project that could have taken a few hours. A good price for paying video editors is about $25 to $30 an hour.
If you pay by project, you could be shortcutting the editor. If you’ve done some editing in the past, you may have an idea of how long it may take to edit each product. Given your experience, you could determine the number of hours it will most likely take and put the hourly amount to it to give them a price per project. For instance, if you figure a project shouldn’t take more than three hours, and you’re willing to pay $25 an hour, let them know you’ll be paying $75 for editing the project.
A happy medium between the two might be to pay them per footage that you hand them. So you would decide on a fixed rate per minute of footage that you hand them, say one dollar per minute of footage. Now, the final footage will end up being less than those minutes because of the editing, but keep in mind the time the editor is putting in per minute of footage. It’s a fixed cost with no surprises later, regardless of the revisions.
Where To Find A Youtube Editor
You are so close to knowing how to hire a youtube editor. The next thing you want to do when looking for a quality, skilled youtube editor is to make it known.
One of the best ways to do that is to ask around. Ask your friends, family and colleagues if they know anyone that could possibly do this job. You could also ask any good photographers you know. A lot of photographers are just waiting for the opportunity to freelance. If you’re in any business groups on social media, that may also be a good place to put the word out that you’re looking for a youtube editor.
If you don’t get any hits from that, then it’s time to upgrade the search. Posting on freelance sites like Upwork and Flocksy are ideal places to look, especially if you don’t mind hiring someone to do the work remotely. However, if you’ve decided you want to stay local, it would probably be best to post local classified ads.
How to Hire A YouTube Editor
Here are some simple steps you can take when you need to hire a YouTube video editor:
- Create a test. Think of this as a chance for the editor to wow you. You can have them:
- Edit footage.
- Prepare a YouTube video.
- Create social media video content.
You use these tests to see if the video editor has the technical skills you’re looking for and require. For instance, when you use the test “Prepare a YouTube Video,” you’ll see if the video meets your color grading or sound quality requirements.
- If you already have video content, you can have your editor candidates critique it for you. When someone is willing to elaborate on what they would do and how to improve a piece, it showcases their integrity and know-how. You want someone who will explain why they make certain changes and can provide resources for their thinking. They can also account for any current trends that you’re unaware of.
- Check for personality fit. Video editing demands a lot of back and forth communication, clarity, and collaboration. We all need time to focus and do whatever task we’re working on, but then we need time to reflect and bounce ideas off a team. You’ll want to look for a video editor who is:
- A good team player.
- Great at communicating their ideas.
- Detail oriented and cooperative.
- A strong worker dedicated to their craft.
- Independent and proactive.
- Self-motivated.
- Learn their fluency in English. If you’re looking for someone who can also provide voiceovers or host some videos, you’ll want to ensure they can clearly speak the language you record. Here in the US, that’s typically English. That doesn’t mean turning away people from other countries or with accents. It just means everyone needs to be able to understand them clearly.
- Check their knowledge of the industry. While interviewing candidates, bring up industry trends and ask about their familiarity with them. Are they well-versed, or do they have things to learn? Having someone passionate about what your company does will make for better content and productivity. If they’re not familiar with your industry, do they have experience with a similar one? Would teaching them about your company and niche be overly difficult? Keep these things in mind.
What Questions To Ask During The Interview
So, you had some applicants. It’s best to narrow them down to about three finalists. Since you know what you need out of your editor, you can identify the best questions to ask them. That would also be a good place to discuss payment. There may be a need to come to a decision based on what you’re willing to pay and what they actually charge. A mutual agreement here, a middle ground between the two usually works.
However, one question you should definitely ask them during the interview is about the video editing software they use. This question is important because there is some pretty basic editing software out there that just about anyone can use, like iMovie. Your video editor should probably be more advanced than that. They should be familiar with how to use professional-grade software, like:
- Adobe Premiere Pro,
- Final Cut Pro
- Avid Media Composer
- Sony Vegas
Feel free to ask any other questions that are important to the position. The most telling part of an interview is how well they score on their test project, but you should feel comfortable asking any other questions you have in mind.
How To Judge The Skill Level Of A Youtube Editor
Never hire the editor before first allowing them the opportunity to do a test project for you. That allows you to see what they can do. It’s also best to have at least three potential hires.
You can test the editors in different ways. You can have all finalists test simultaneously with the same video, which allows you to compare apples to apples. Because they all have the same job, you’ll be able to see the level of quality that went into each one and which one is best.
Or, you can give each of the editors something different and work on finishing some projects you haven’t had the time to edit. Give each editor a project and see which one does the best job.
How To Finalize The Hire
Whomever you hire, ensure you have a freelance contract ready for signing. Have all the terms, including the payment arrangement, ready to go. If you hire someone from a freelance service platform, there may be legal terms you must accept, as well.
Pros Of Hiring A Freelance YouTube Video Editor
1. A fantastic asset
A great freelancer is like nothing else. You won’t want to let them go if you find one.
In fact, a high-quality freelancer will make amazing content that you feel is a steal for what you’re paying. You’ll love them and think of them as a part of your team, contracting them often.
When you hire a great freelance YouTube video editor, you’ll get someone who produces outstanding content in a timely fashion and always communicates regularly with you. Sure, things can come up, but with these freelancers, it’ll be rare and always something you can overcome.
Freelancers that love what they do will produce great content. To them, working on a project is fun with the bonus of a paycheck. It’s the ultimate win-win for them. That’s what you want.
Pro number one is the freelancer themselves and the asset that can be to your business.
2. No contract
Freelancers aren’t under contract. Of course, you don’t want to just dip out on someone with no explanation because that can have consequences in the freelance community.
This freelancer relies on the income you provide, so it’s important to provide a heads up if your work with them will slow down or stop. Plus, if you’ve been hitting them up often, chances are you’re their main gig, which means losing you as a client could really affect their income.
However, there’s no long-term contract unless you want one. You can switch things up often and not worry about holiday pay, vacation time, schedules, etc.
3. Quality
Freelancers have often been in the biz for years, potentially even decades. You’ll get to work with someone who brings quality to the table thanks to years of doing what they love. If they’ve left their 9-to-5 job simply for a more flexible schedule, you’ll be getting the output of a seasoned pro for a lot less money.
You’ll be able to hire a freelance video editor that would normally be outside your budget.
Cons Of Hiring A Freelance YouTube Video Editor
1. Finding a good freelance editor
As you may have noticed, the pros are when working with a good freelancer. Unfortunately, finding a freelancer who offers that level of quality isn’t a done deal.
Different platforms go about finding their freelancers in different ways. Some are very strict and look for only the best talent, while others don’t take the time to pre-vet their creatives. Unfortunately, all those variations make hiring a good YouTube editor more difficult.
Several sites offer freelance video editor services. You’ll want to look for the ones that do the hard work of finding good talent for you.
2. Testing & editing workflow
Now that you’ve hired your editor, there’s an easing-in process. You are getting to know one another, creating a workflow, and determining how you’ll be transferring files. Also, who will you deliver systematized feedback outside of an email chain or message board? Where is the work being stored to view throughout the process?
When your freelance editor is great, they’ll have these aspects nailed down and ironed out to a science. If a video editor seems a bit overwhelmed by the process of communicating or if they don’t have these facets arranged, they may not be the best person to hire. The editing software question can give you a good idea about some of this.
3. Availability
A great freelancer probably has several clients. A downside to that is you’ll need to wait longer for them to finish a project for you because, essentially, you’ll have to wait in line. You don’t want to lose your amazing freelancer, so you’ll do it. However, it will take longer as a result.
Also, because of their excellence, they might not stay freelance for long. If their skills are up to snuff and they’re looking for a permanent position, they may accept one after they start working for you. Now, you’ll have to find a great freelance video editor all over again.
4. Cost
The best freelancers are expensive, but that’s to be expected. Quality, consistency, easy communication, advice, and more should cost you. Your video editor is doing a lot of work for you, and they should be paid fairly. You get what you pay for, after all.
If you do find an amazing freelance video editor, you could save time for that cost as well. Keep in mind that when you’re paying a higher amount for a freelancer, it could still potentially be less than what you’d pay for someone in-house.
The Pros Of Hiring An Outsourced Editing Company
The next step is outsourcing to a video editing company.
These are businesses set up to edit at a scale where you send your footage, and they edit.
1. Efficient
Video editing companies specialize in editing. Their editors have been hired for their skills and do it all day- 9 to 5, Monday-Friday. Those editors don’t need to worry about keeping their business going or taking on too many projects at once because there’s a whole team working for the office. This feature can make editing companies more efficient.
Editing companies will also have the software, tools, and communication programs you need already set up and ready to go. They know how to deliver files, accept feedback, and offer proofs, which can save time over a freelancer.
2. Quality
To represent the brand and the company as a whole, in-house video editors will need to meet certain quality expectations. You likely won’t have to interview as many people when you’re looking at video editing companies, and you can trust in their work.
Many video editing companies look for employees with at least a few years of professional experience and familiarity with the latest trends and software.
Experienced video editors can also avoid several problems before they even occur. They have the know-how, resources, and bird’s eye view of someone who’s been in the editing business for a long while. They must remain current with today’s expectations of quality and content.
3. Guarantees
Video editing companies often offer a money-back satisfaction guarantee. You can’t usually get that from a freelancer. They’ll make paying your bill or getting a refund easy and straightforward. You may even be able to enjoy a free trial or a team of editor options once you do sign up for a paid plan.
4. Cover
When you work with a company, you’ll likely be able to keep working with the same editor for the long haul. They’ll get to know your brand, and you won’t have to explain your style guidelines every time you start a new project.
Best of all, if something does happen to your current editor, like injury, illness, or leave, someone else on the team can cover your project. You won’t lose time because of an emergency and won’t feel guilty about pushing a freelancer to finish even if they have something important going on. Because your style guides and conversations will be saved within the company, a new editor can jump right in and pick up the slack.
5. Other services
Thanks to the number of talented professionals employed at editing companies, you’ll likely be able to contract other services as well, such as design. These services are frequently packaged together in your editing plan so that you can have your thumbnails or banner ads created alongside your video for the same cost.
6. Savings
Working with a company for a fixed rate can save you money. For example, a video editing plan of $500 a month is $6,000 total. With unlimited projects, this isn’t a bad rate. For a freelancer whose contracting per job might be more difficult to achieve. If your freelance editor changes $100 per project and you easily get up to over five projects in a month, you’re spending a lot more for the same work.
The Cons Of Hiring An Outsourced Editing Company
1. Subscriptions
Some video editing companies work on a subscription basis, so if you only have a few projects, it might be overkill for you. In these cases, it’s like bulk production. So the more you need to be done, the better ROI you’ll achieve. If you do need several projects for the foreseeable future, these subscriptions can actually be beneficial.
2. Risk
Make sure you work with a reputable company that vets its editors for quality, consistency, and availability. If you work with a less than optimal company, you will likely have the same problems with them as you would working directly with a freelancer.
3. All bark and no bite
Under promise and over deliver. It should be the motto of all good businesses. If a video editing company offers something that seems too good to be true, chances are it is. Do your homework and make sure the company and the price you’d be paying are right in line with industry standards.
Pros Of Hiring A Full-Time Editor
1. They’re yours
A full-time in-house editor is yours. You pay them to work exclusively for you. You’ve determined their pay, hours, and scope as a team, and now they can get to work for you 9 to 5, Monday through Friday.
They’ll also develop their skills and brand understanding as they continue to work with you. New team members are practically always incredibly valuable as they bring fresh eyes to a project. You’ll also be able to create a mutually beneficial arrangement and company loyalty as their trusted, chosen employer.
2. Speed
Nothing can truly compare to having an in-house video editor at your beck and call. They’ll work only on your projects as you assign them and be able to work on them all day long- no time split with other clients.
3. Quality
An in-house editor can take the time to truly develop their eye for your brand and suggest improvements that would otherwise be too time-consuming for a freelancer. They have all the time in the world to grow your brand since they’ll hopefully be working for you for a long time.
4. Efficiency
An in-house editor can work way faster than you. That means you’ll be able to create way more content than before, and you can increase your quantity without sacrificing quality. What’s more, because they work just for you, your video editor will benefit from starting a project and sticking with it till the end, instead of jumping back and forth between clients and projects.
Cons Of Hiring A Full-Time Editor
1. Price
The chief reason not to hire an in-house video editor is that it’s expensive. You can hire someone who’s starting out for a lower introductory salary, but they’re not going to want to stay at that rate. However, they will produce you some excellent money-making content so that it can be completely worth it.
Again, if you have the content for them to edit and regular projects for them to work on, your ROI will be better, and the content will get done faster and be of top-notch quality.
2. Human Resources
When you employ someone, you’ll need to deal with every aspect of having an employee, including taxes, pensions, and more. The kits, subscriptions, software, and wages will all be your responsibility. That can get expensive.
An employer will also have to heed employment law, sick and leave times, PTO, holidays, and legal grounds for a firing. While these shouldn’t be impossible to handle, they are something you need to account for.
So it’s a significant step that might be too much for your resources.
Conclusion
Taking steps to hire a YouTube editor can be as consuming as editing a video yourself. The good thing is that following these steps will land you closer to freeing up the time you need to do other aspects of your business.
There are several great options out there, particularly the blend of freelance and an in-house editor that unlimited video editing companies like Flocksy offer. Do your research and choose the option that suits your needs best. Soon you’ll be reeling in some incredible videos.