Hey - this is not your standard edition of the newsletter.

So if you don't see certain sections - don't panic. They will be back tomorrow.

Welcome to anyone who joined us this week!

I saw a tweet from someone looking for a video editor full-time in-house. The responses were SCARY.

People who have never stepped behind Adobe Premiere or know what a key light is were throwing out bad recommendations.

Instead of getting angry or being short with those people, I realized it wasn't their fault.

There isn't a guide on how to hire a creative person for your company and if you should at all.

Can't you just hire a production company like Goodo Studios?

No - we are not a fit for everyone.

What I can say for sure is that every company NEEDS content.

This newsletter is my attempt at thinking about getting creative talent at every stage of your business. I hope you can learn how to approach hiring for this role and need.

Brand images and videos

We will first dissect how to get images and videos that you have on your website and represent your brand. This section is not necessarily for paid media, but you can use these assets for that - we will get to paid media later on.

1. Ask your cousin to shoot some photos to start

Many of you might be reading my newsletters and think, "Matthew, that is some great advice. But who can shoot my photos when I just started my business and have no money?"

Literally, ask any friend or family member to do a favor!

Never ask someone you don't know to do this for free.

A friend has to be willing to do this for free - if you have no one, you are stuck with your phone camera, which is not terrible.

We all start from somewhere - but please invest in creative talent very soon after your product gets some traction.

2. Simple E-commerce product photography

You have less than $500 but need just a few photos on a backdrop that show off the product.

My friends started a terrific company called Pronto that lets you buy photos at a very affordable cost.

I don't get paid to say this, I just think if you need a few photos, this is a good place to start.

3. Local freelancer to the rescue

Now that your product has some traction - you now have some money ($500-$1000) to spend on some content.

Getting someone to create for you that is young in their freelance career is amazing.

They need work to build up their portfolio to have lower prices which is excellent for you, but they will try hard to make it great because they know they can leverage this work for better work.

You both win.

Just know that this person might not have a ton of experience so the quality might not be what you want.

You pay for what you get.

How to source this level of talent

Wherever you live, go on Instagram and type [City] Photographer or [City] Videographer.

I didn't have Goodo Studios when I first started - it was just me. I optimized my Instagram page for Austin Photographer and Austin Videographer.

You will be able to spot good local talent that freelances for local businesses.

You can also look for local wedding photographers and videographers. Some people in that industry love it, but I can tell you that 80% get burnt out and want to do commercial work.

If you ask for a photoshoot during off-season weddings, you could probably get a better price when they are less busy.

4. Establish a strong visual brand with production

Maybe you have raised some money or bootstrapping with good profits; now it is time to elevate your visual brand!

You have $3000-$15,000 to spend on full-on lifestyle shoots with models and take your storytelling to the next level.

This is where Goodo Studios steps in.

Notice how not everyone is ready for this step?

I am okay with that - my team isn't for every business.

My goal is to help you find the right creative partners that can get you to this point... and then we can take it from here ;)

5. Superbowl here we come

You are ready for national television or that big IPO, then you want to go to a big agency like Preacher.My favorite creative director that has inspired me is Aisha Hakim who works at Preacher.

But you better have a budget of $500,000+

Ongoing content creation for ads and organic channels

You probably have lots of questions about TikTok, UGC, ads, and other organic channels since I didn't include those above.'

You might not need a full-on shoot with models and production for simple ads but you need help with editing and smaller videos.

I will break down cheaper versus more expensive for each service.

1. Cheap might save you money but not your time

Let's first talk about editing for ads and paid media.

If you get a cheap editor or designer, you have to direct them creatively. These editors just cut and splice based on what you say. They might not make decisions for you.

If you aren't proficient in speaking their language, you might spend a lot of time going back and forth on revisions.

If you need a few things edited each month because you don't test a lot of creative, the cheaper option can be okay.

Over time, you can't scale this.

If you are testing 30 ads a month or even more, you are going to be spending a lot of time managing that editor.

There comes a time that you won't be saving money because you spend to much time editing.

Where to find talent:

Similar to brand shoots, if you have a local creative you worked with, giving them consistent content each month could be appealing.

Once you get to more scaled work, you want to work with a team that understand ads, media buying, how creative impacts the ad performance, and can take on a bigger load of editing.

Some media buying agencies offer content creation but you can also find a team like Goodo Studios to help.

If we aren't a good fit, go on Twitter and ask people who are media buyers how they are getting creative.

If you need help getting connected with some media buyers, reply to this email and I can help you seek the right talent.

2. Static scripts versus dynamic visuals

The other ongoing content creation that many want is User-Generated Content.

There are platforms out there that you can get cheap videos but the quality is not always good.

I have seen some UGC literally be a person saying a script but have no understanding of the product. There is no other footage but the talking head to edit.

I have also seen good videos that were cheap, but for every success story, I hear ten horror stories.

Instead of paying a few hundred for a video, pay a creator $500+ for videos.

These UGC creators will give you a variety of shots, more dynamic videos, and a script that doesn't feel stale.

3. TikTok, Youtube, and other long-form organic channels

The cheapest way to create content for your social media is to create yourself. I honestly suggest that you start with yourself to get an idea of what you want to make on each platform.

Even though it is "free," you are spending time ideating, creating, and editing instead of running your business. So be wise and know that hiring out to help will be great.

Cheap editors and creators can be good, but they most likely lack systems, strategic thinking for your business, and/or commitment to your brand.

If you have already built out a content creation system, you can just plug those creatives in to help and execute.

You can use the same strategy of getting a local creative off of Instagram to help you as you start out.

If you expect someone to architect a content creation system for you, you will be disappointed until you work with a team like Goodo Studios or other creative agencies.

A creative agency will take care of pre-production, production, and editing - all you need to do is show up to record content or just run your business while the content is on autopilot.

I can't give exact prices because it really depends on what platform you are trying to focus, but if you want a good team, expect to pay $5000+/month for content creation.

What is great about creating this content with a team, is that you can leverage the media assets for paid ads as well.

There are many ways you can get lots of assets for different channels by combining shoots or reusing content. I suggest you find ways to utilize the bank of content that you create from organic for paid ads.

Things to understand when hiring creatives for your business

1. Not all creators are made equal (sourcing the right talent)

"Go on TikTok and pay a micro creator to join your team. You get skills & the forecasting trends."

I have nothing against TikTok creators but most likely creators on TikTok can only make videos on the app or on phone editing app like CapCut.

If you just need simple editing for TikTok specific videos, great.

But those creators don't know how to use Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro which you can make movies and commercials.

The issue is that people stop saying influencers and started calling them creators.

A creator does not always equal a great video editor that you should hire for your team.

I see creators with millions of subscribers who don't know that they are shooting 60 frames per second but putting that footage on a 24 frames per second timeline.

If you are confused, that is okay - you don't need to know these details, but the editor SHOULD know these things.

The creator with a following probably has a following not because of their video skills but mostly because their content is entertaining or educational.

So don't expect Athletic Greens or Nike Level shooting when you have someone that has only shot on an iPhone and edits on TikTok.

Before I move on to another point - let me be clear.

That creator is probably making dope stuff to get your attention, but that doesn't mean it will help you with all of your business needs. You need to work with creatives that have a deep understanding of equipment, lighting, editing, and shooting.

2. Are you ready to manage a creative internally?

Managing a creative is hard if you don't understand how their job works.

I would have a hard time managing engineers because I know nothing about computer coding.

I can manage creatives better because I can actually speak their language.

If you do hire in-house, spend the time learning the language of the creative, or else you will be frustrated that you aren't getting their full potential.

Wow - if you made it this far, thank you.

I spent a long time on this post but struggled to organize my thoughts.

If you are confused, just reply with your questions and I will help you find the right talent for your business.

Keep creating!

Matthew Gattozzi

PS. You can get access to our internal ad inspo board if you refer one person to this newsletter. More on that below.

Refer a friend!

Resources if you need them!

We do get a commission from these links but I wouldn't share anything that I didn't think was worth it to you.

Adbox - They do all of the hard work of finding great creative so you can get inspired. Learn from the top brands on all major platforms.

Adison - I love saving all of the amazing ads that I have found. Adison gives you the ability to save great Facebook ads with a click of one button on Chrome. It is incredible.

Triple Whale - Have an attribution problem? Triple Whale is doing some incredible things to help you get your data all in one place to make the best decisions for your brand.