Subscription is the way forward! How can I implement that into my business?

[Josh - FTZ Studios]

Hey everyone!

I'm having a slight issue!

I own a video production company that has grown tremendously over the last 3 years. My next step is to start offering my clients and new clients a new product or service that can be paid for monthly?

I provide small and medium sized businesses with online videos that promote educate and engage their audiences. I currently offer video production, video editing, etc like services, but I can't think of anything that can be offered every month and a low rate.

I'm thinking between £10-20 per month.

The average video rate is around £500.00 per client.

Do you amazing business heads have any ideas of some kind of online service, product I can offer for such a little rate?

Cheers,

Josh

 

[ethical PR]

There are lots of services that can be offered monthly - but why would you want to? What are you trying to achieve?

What would you be able to offer that would make you a provider of choice ?

You're the video expert so will know if there are monthly video related add on's in this budget range.

 

[Josh - FTZ Studios]

Thanks for getting back to me ethical PR!

By offering a service monthly, it would offer me a base rate level of consistent income.

I have thought of maybe a how to shoot your own videos series, offering POS displays for businesses who buy a video for a monthly fee.

The reason I ask is to see if anyone had any other ideas that could help me think outside the box

 

[Debbie Barnes]

I use a service called GoAnimate to make online videos but it's very expensive to subscribe - maybe you should look into providing a more basic cheaper alternative?

 

[jamieclick]

I use to use answer, http://www.answer.co.uk/ and had no issues with them at all, we just moved everything in house.

Worth a try

 

[Root 66 Woodshop]

I can't see how it would work... Sorry, probably needs more explanation from you?

If I'm reading this right... I can come to you, ask for a video/short clip to be made which you'll do for £10-£20 per month?

Let's say for instance I get bored with the use of it - and stop paying you... what happens to the video then? you've done the work and you're stuck with a video which is no relevance to anyone else...there we go... I've ordered something - cost you a lot of time and money and stopped paying for the "subscription" ... costing you money...

I'm assuming there'll be some sort of minimum subscription period i.e. 12 months with a cancellation charge in place?

Even so... it wouldn't bring you enough revenue to cover for the cancellations that you could be stuffed with...

 

[Josh - FTZ Studios]

Debbie - Ah thanks for that, I'd never heard of Go Animate, it's an interesting idea, and in fairness not that expensive if you intend on having 5+ videos a year!

Jamieclick- Not 100% sure if you understood what I'm looking for.

Haunted Worlds - Sorry for the poor explanation! Editing videos or providing you with videos once a month for a subscription price isn't what I was thinking. I was thinking of a service that can be provided for a monthly fee, which relates to video production And yes, 12-month minimum contracts, and I'm hoping to have an idea which collectively, could bring in more revenue.

Cheers guys, I fully appreciate your responses!

 

[fisicx]

Nope, still don't get it.

If I want to learn how to make a video then I will do a proper course. If I want a video made then I pick up the phone and call you. I can't think of any reason why I'd want to sign up to a subscription service, not when I can go to youtube and get things like this: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=video+production+tutorial

Although @The Byre will no doubt suggest (quite rightly) that you can't learn film-making from a video.

 

[The Byre]

Although @The Byre will no doubt suggest (quite rightly) that you can't learn film-making from a video.

It's like this - if you have eyes, you can. Most people are blind. They will look at a film like War Horse or Saving Private Ryan and never realise the sheer brilliance of the lighting and cinematography. They just see a film and they either like it or they do not like it. People like Spielberg films because the lighting and cinematography is better than the lighting and cinematography from any other major producer/director working today.

(Others may make more meaningful or 'intelligent' movies, but if you want to know what the ultimate in set design, framing, movement, colour and lighting looks like, just look at a Spielberg movie!)

But it really helps to have worked with a top director and seen how he or she gets those results. Where do they put the key lights and the fillers, how and when do they move the camera and what tools are they using - a uni course is seldom able to provide those things, as most lecturers are failed film makers. The old "If you can't, then teach!" motif!

Making a good film or just making a good corporate video is all about getting the details dead right. That means masses of preparation and every detail planned in advance. Lighting set up, dolly tracks laid, teleprompter ready for that head-and-shoulders to camera and perhaps even a smoke generator to sculpture the lighting - things that we see every day in every movie, but (unless you are from the movie game) are unaware of.

 

[DuaneJackson]

Everyone wants recurring revenue. It's lovely : )

I'm not sure your business is suited to it though. Certainly not at the price point of £10-£20 that you mentioned.

Why are people having videos produced? I assume for promotional purposes? Maybe there's some sort of other promotional/marketing service you can add on for a monthly fee.

 

[Root 66 Woodshop]

Sorry Josh,

I'm still lost with it... I can't see how it would work in a positive sense for you.

As I said earlier, all it would need is for me to come to you - as a LTD company pay 2-3 months subscription - get the product from you and cancel - you're left out of pocket and with a file that's useless to anyone else but me.

Even if it was protected by a 12 month minimum subscription - someone (and there will be lots of them...) will shaft you big time on it.

I can honestly see you losing out on a very small return.

 

[The Byre]

Having now looked at those tutorials sited by @fisicx, the obvious comment I would make, is that they seem to all come from one-man-bands. I suppose one can bang out a cheap corporate video all by oneself, but then you are no better or worse than every other Cecil B de Hi-Def.

In media creation at every level, the bottom of the market is either being eroded rapidly, or is just no longer there! In music recording, even the middle market has now vanished.

Of course, that doesn't stop people from trying and video studios, recording studios, design studios and all sorts of animals in between are being launched all the time. As soon as a type of business has the word 'studio' hung around its neck, all sorts of wannabe protagonists seem to shoot up from between the floorboards!

 

[fisicx]

And that's the whole point. People go to youtube thinking they can learn anything and everything. They watch a video on how to do lighting or position cameras then think they can now make vids. I know a bloke who thinks he can learn how to be a doctor by watching yuotube vids!

 

[Ace Light]

Hello Josh.

Recurring payment from video production service, although £10 - £20, maybe the first one if it was done via a script:

1. Changing the CTA at the end of every month to better previous results, obviously this needs to be the text on screen

2. Partner with a video seeding service provider, every month a client pays, they get the video seeded somewhere. However this can't be done at the low range.

 

[Gecko001]

Nearly every small business owner who comes to this site, wants what the OP wants. They would love to have a steady income from a subscription service connected to their present business. In fact many would love to have a steady income from any source just to pay the bills while they get on with building their business. Some, no doubt, already have such an income but you can bet that they are not going to disclose it here.

Is the OP's business especially suited to a subscription service? You need to look at those companies who presently run a subscription service and in a wide variety of sectors. Sign up for some as a customer, I would suggest and see what they provide and see how they do it. Find out the advantages and disadvantages from a customer's point of view.