Published: November 27, 2020
Updated: September 24, 2026
Reading time: 7 min
What Does a Promotional Video Cost?
video has become one of the most powerful marketing tools for businesses, helping brands explain their products and services, reach new audiences and generate interest. As a result, more companies are investing in professional promotional video production.
Many internal marketing teams don’t have the expertise or resources to produce a high-quality promotional video themselves. This is why businesses often work with professional video production companies like Impress Video. One of the first questions we’re asked is: How much does a promotional video cost?
A promotional video can cost anywhere from £500 to £50,000+, depending on the type of production, creative concept, filming requirements and post-production involved. While that is a wide range, understanding what affects the cost can help you plan a realistic budget for your project.
What Affects the Cost of a Promotional Video?
There is no fixed price for a promotional video because every production is different. The creative idea, amount of planning, filming requirements and level of post-production can all affect the final cost. A simple video filmed in one location may require a much smaller budget than a larger production involving multiple locations, actors, specialist equipment or animation.
Here are some of the main factors that can influence the cost of your promotional video.
The Creative Concept
The more ambitious the idea, the more resources may be needed to bring it to life. A straightforward interview or product demonstration is likely to require less production than a scripted, cinematic concept with multiple scenes, locations and visual effects. (2D animated video, 3D animated video, corporate video, event video…).
Pre-Production and Planning
Good promotional videos start well before the cameras are switched on. Scriptwriting, storyboarding, location scouting, casting and scheduling all take time and can affect the overall budget. Careful planning also helps make the filming process more efficient.
Crew, Equipment and Filming
The size of the production crew and the equipment required will depend on the project. Cameras, lenses, lighting, sound equipment, specialist equipment and additional filming days can all contribute to the cost.
Locations, Travel and Cast
Filming at your own premises can be a practical option, while studios or specialist locations may add to the budget. Travel and accommodation can also affect costs, particularly when filming across multiple locations. If your video requires actors, presenters or voice-over artists, their fees will also need to be considered.
How Much Does Video Length Affect Cost?
It’s easy to assume that a longer promotional video will always cost more, but that isn’t necessarily the case. Production costs are often influenced more by the complexity of the project than by the final running time.
For example, a 30-second promotional video could involve several locations, actors, complex filming and animation, while a two-minute video might be filmed in one location with a small crew. The shorter video could therefore require a larger budget.
What matters is what goes into creating the video. The number of filming days, locations, people involved, creative requirements and amount of editing will all have a greater impact on the final cost than the finished video’s length alone.
Does Animation Increase Promotional Video Costs?
Animation can add to the cost of a promotional video, but the impact depends on the type and amount of animation involved. Simple motion graphics, animated text or branded graphics may require relatively little additional production, while more complex 2D or 3D animation can involve considerably more creative and production work.
Animation can be particularly useful when you need to explain a product, service or process that is difficult to show through live-action filming. Combining it with live-action footage to create a more engaging and distinctive promotional video can be the best choice.
The important thing is to choose animation based on what it adds to the message, rather than including it simply because it looks impressive.
What Does a Promotional Video Budget Usually Include?
A professional promotional video involves much more than the filming itself. Your budget may cover everything from the initial creative idea through to the finished video, with each stage contributing to the overall production cost.
Pre-Production
This can include creative development, scriptwriting, storyboarding, location scouting, casting, scheduling and other planning before filming begins.
Production
The filming stage may include the production crew, cameras, lighting, sound equipment, locations, presenters or actors, travel and any specialist equipment needed for the shoot.
Post-Production
Once filming is complete, the footage needs to be edited and finished. This can include editing, colour grading, sound mixing, music licensing, voice-over, motion graphics and animation.
The exact balance will depend on your project. A clear production brief helps a video production company understand what you need and provide an accurate quotation based on the full scope of the work.
How to Get the Most From Your Promotional Video Budget
A bigger budget doesn’t automatically mean a better promotional video. The best results come from using your budget where it will have the greatest impact. A clear objective, careful planning and a realistic production approach can all help you get more value from your investment.
Start With a Clear Objective
Before production begins, decide what you want the video to achieve. Are you launching a product, generating enquiries, explaining a service or building brand awareness? A clear objective helps shape the creative approach and ensures you’re spending money on elements that support the purpose of the video.
Plan Before Filming
Good planning can make the filming process more efficient and help avoid unnecessary costs. A clear script, shot list, schedule and agreed locations give everyone a better understanding of what needs to be captured before the production day begins.
Create Multiple Assets
Think beyond the main promotional video. If you’re already bringing a crew and equipment together, you may be able to create shorter edits, social media clips, vertical versions or additional content from the same shoot. This can help you get more value from your production budget.
Match Production Quality to Your Goal
Not every promotional video needs a large crew, multiple locations or complex visual effects. The right level of production depends on your audience, message and where you will use the video. Investing in the elements that support your objective is often more valuable than simply making the production bigger.
Is a Promotional Video Worth the Investment?
The value of a promotional video isn’t simply measured by how much it costs to produce. It also depends on how effectively you can use it to communicate with your audience and support your wider marketing goals.
You can use a well-produced promotional video across your website, social media, email campaigns, presentations, advertising and sales activity. It can also help explain what makes your business, product or service different in a way that is easier for your audience to understand and remember.
The key is to start with a clear objective. Create a video designed around your audience, message and intended use. When you plan the production properly, your video can become a valuable marketing asset. Otherwise, it will be simply watched once and forgotten.
Thank you for reading,
Kelly.
Ready to Plan Your Promotional Video?
Every promotional video is different, so the best way to understand the potential cost is to discuss what you want to achieve and the usage of the video.
At Impress Video, we work with businesses to develop promotional videos around their objectives, audience and budget. From the initial concept and planning through to filming and post-production, our team can help create a video that delivers real value for your business.
Get in touch with Impress Video to discuss your promotional video project and find out what we can create for you.