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How to price reels and content packages
Reels look like easy money until you are on your fourth revision of a thirty-second video for a client who pays once a month. Pricing reels well is less about the rate and more about what one reel means — and where you stop.
Reels ka kaam tab tak aasaan lagta hai jab tak client chauthi baar change na mangwaye. Asli sawaal rate nahi hai — asli sawaal ye hai ki ek reel me kya-kya shamil hai aur revision kitne. Neeche poora tarika.
Decide what one reel means
Before any number, write down what the client gets for one reel. Without this, every reel is a negotiation:
- Length — up to 30 seconds, or up to 60.
- Shoot time — how much of a shoot day this reel takes, or whether it is cut from footage you already have.
- Editing — cuts, colour, trending audio, subtitles, a hook in the first three seconds.
- Revisions — how many rounds are included. Say a number.
- Delivery — how many days after the shoot, and in what format (9:16 vertical, plus a square version if they want it).
Now price that unit against your time: shoot hours plus edit hours plus the back-and-forth. Most people under-count the last one, and that is the part that hurts.
Per reel or monthly retainer
| Model | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Per reel | New clients, one-off launches, testing whether you enjoy working with them. | Your income restarts from zero every month and you are always selling. |
| Monthly retainer (for example 8 reels a month) | Cafés, salons, boutiques, gyms, doctors — anyone who needs content every month. | Say clearly how many shoot days are included, and that unused reels do not carry over to the next month. |
| Shoot day + per reel | Clients who want a lot of content from one day. | Price the day and the edits separately, or a single day turns into twenty reels. |
A retainer is worth a discount against your per-reel rate — it gives you predictable income and one shoot day instead of four. Just make sure the discount is small enough that the extra revisions do not swallow it.
What to include, and what to charge extra for
Include: shoot, edit, colour, audio, subtitles, the agreed revisions, and delivery in vertical format. Charge extra for:
- Extra shoot days or locations.
- Models, actors, makeup, props, sets.
- Scripting and full content planning, if you do it — this is real work, not a free extra.
- Posting and account management. Shooting is not the same job as running a page.
- Paid-ad versions, other aspect ratios, or usage beyond social media.
- Rush delivery, when they want it tomorrow.
Write these on the quotation even when you plan to do some of them for free. A line that says “Scripting — included this month” is worth more than doing it silently, and it makes the next month’s charge easy.
Revisions: where studios bleed
A reel that takes three hours to edit can take another five in revisions if there is no limit. Fix it this way:
- Write the number. Two rounds included is normal. Further rounds are charged per round.
- Collect feedback once. Ask for all changes in one message, with timestamps. Five separate voice notes over two days is not one round.
- Separate a change of mind from a mistake. Fixing your error is free. A new song, a new hook or a new concept is a fresh reel.
- Approve in writing. When the client approves, that reel is closed. Later changes start a new count.
Keeping reels work from eating your season
Reels are small and frequent, so they disappear between weddings — and then a client asks why last month’s content never came. Keep every reel visible:
- One task per reel, with a due date and the editor’s name on it.
- The shoot day in the same calendar as your weddings, so you never double-book yourself.
- The monthly package as a quotation the client accepted, so what is owed is never a debate.
- A single clients list showing who pays monthly and who still owes you.
Photo Sathi handles reels work this way: a reels quotation template with per-reel pricing, a task per reel with due dates and an owner, shoots on the same calendar as your weddings, and reports that show what reels earned against wedding work.
Common questions
Should I charge per reel or per month?
Per reel for new clients and one-off work, monthly retainer for businesses that need content every month. A retainer can carry a small discount because it gives you predictable income and fewer shoot days.
How many revisions should be included?
Two rounds is common. Write the number on the quotation, ask for all feedback in one message per round, and charge for rounds beyond that.
Do I include posting on the client's account?
Only if you are paid for it. Shooting and editing is one job; running a page, captions, hashtags and replies is another. Keep them as separate lines on the quotation.
Can I do reels work alongside wedding season?
Yes, if every reel is a dated task with an owner and the shoot days sit in the same calendar as your weddings. Reels fail quietly when they live only in someone's head during a busy season.
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