TikTok has shown that low-quality or some may say authentic shorts can drive growth more effectively than highly edited content. Editing these shorts typically takes 5 to 10 minutes, with the majority of resources and efforts devoted to crafting the story and finding footage. With the advancement of GPT and the recent release of OpenAI Sora, an editor can produce content much faster. So, the question arises: Does your business need a dedicated video editor? Let's crunch some numbers.
Should you hire a full-time video editor?
Assuming a steady supply of raw material, you can ideally produce 2-3 shorts per day. Shorts can take anywhere from 5 to 120 minutes to create. If shorts are also scheduled for weekends, the editor would be creating 4 shorts per weekday. Therefore, you would need to hire an editor for roughly 3-4 hours per day, including meetings, ideation, editing, and publishing. Hiring on freelance sites would cost approximately USD $300 to $600 ($15-30/hr), whereas hiring full-time in America would cost around USD $1147 weekly ($31.6/hr).
Unless you have a manager specializing in video marketing, platform algorithms, and video content publishing, you likely won’t see the value in video content as a lead generation funnel, especially for B2B businesses. Moreover, it would be challenging to manage operations and your talent effectively. In such cases, for small to mid-sized businesses, I recommend hiring an agency to find the right talent, manage video funnels, set up tracking, and iterate content for better conversions.
Where to hire freelance video editor
- Leomodo
- Toptal
- Youtube/ instagram/ tiktok
If you're seeking a quick hire, platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Leomodo are viable options. However, top-tier talent often doesn't frequent these sites, and quality work isn't always readily available. Instead, consider seeking out examples of work you admire and directly contacting the editors behind them. For those on a tighter budget, reaching out to nearby universities can be mutually beneficial, providing an opportunity for aspiring editors to gain experience while offering cost-effective services. If you're targeting a niche community, Reddit can be an excellent resource for finding editors with specific expertise/ taste and interests aligned with your content.
When hiring a video editor, consider the following key aspects and questions:
- Attention to Detail: Is the candidate detail-oriented? Do they demonstrate precision and care in their work?
- Understanding of Content Purpose: Does the editor grasp the purpose and objectives of the content? Are they aligned with your goals and vision?
- Storytelling Skills: Can the editor effectively tell a story through visual elements and sequencing? Do they understand narrative structure and pacing?
- Engagement in the First 3 Seconds: Does the editor have the ability to capture viewers' attention within the first 3 seconds of the video? Is the content presented in a way that hooks the audience immediately?
- A/B Testing for Thumbnails: Does the editor engage in A/B testing for thumbnails? Are they proactive in optimizing visual elements to maximize engagement and click-through rates?
By asking these questions and evaluating these factors, you can assess whether a video editor possesses the skills and qualities necessary to create compelling and effective content for your needs.
A.I. Video editor recommendations
After exploring over 10 AI video editing tools, none have achieved a perfect score or fully automated even the most basic edits for simple YouTube videos. Despite claims of transcriptions, these tools often fail to edit out undesirable takes. The pricing models are consistently tiered subscriptions ranging from $17 to $100+ per month, despite many features being replicable with free software like DaVinci Resolve or a one-time fee.
- OpenAI Sora: While promising, OpenAI Sora has limitations in achieving full automation of basic edits.
- InVideo: InVideo stands out for its intuitive drag-and-drop features and extensive template library, catering to various video formats and occasions, from YouTube shorts to Instagram reels. Its Intro and Outro Maker, Video Ad Maker, and AI Script Generator streamline the video creation process.
- Descript: Descript shines with its voice cloning feature, offering nine stock voices with multiple styles. This feature adds a unique touch to video content.
- DaVinci Resolve: A one-time payment for professional-grade editing software, DaVinci Resolve provides an alternative to Adobe Premiere with a simpler UI and workflow. While it may lack some advanced customization options, it's suitable for intermediate editors and even Hollywood professionals.
- Eleven Labs: Known for its realistic and versatile voice cloning capabilities, Eleven Labs offers lifelike voices that can be cloned from samples or your own voice.
- Replicate: Replicate is a free software for customizing AI voices, allowing users to generate voices with unique characteristics, albeit with some waiting time between generations.
