Is Producing Training Videos Worth It? A Real-World Cost-Benefit Breakdown

A training video cost-benefit analysis. Nothing sounds more exciting, more sexy than that, am I right? Listen: training videos get a bad rep, in our estimation. Sure, at their worst they can be dry and overly-didactic. However, when they’re done RIGHT they can be organizationally transformative.

Producing a high-quality training video can feel like a big leap—both creatively and financially. Is it worth the investment? Will it actually move the needle for your team or business? If you’ve asked yourself these questions, you’re not alone. In today’s fast-paced, remote-friendly world, training videos are more than a nice-to-have—they’re a smart, scalable solution to some of the most common challenges in employee development and internal communication.

In this training video cost benefit analysis, we’ll unpack the real costs and undeniable benefits of producing training videos, using actual case studies, industry data, and practical insights from our work here at ECG Productions. Let’s dive in.

The Training Video Cost-Benefit Analysis

1. Flexibility that Works for Everyone

Not everyone learns the same way or at the same pace. Training videos give employees the freedom to learn on their own schedule—whether it’s during a quiet moment at the office or after the kids go to bed. This accessibility is a game-changer for onboarding, skills development, and long-term learning.

For example, one of our recent clients rolled out a video onboarding series for their global sales team. Instead of coordinating live sessions across time zones, everyone got consistent training they could watch (and rewatch) when it suited them. Productivity shot up—and so did satisfaction.

2. Actually Responsive Engagement

Let’s be honest: dry training manuals are a hard sell. Good training videos—ones with storytelling, clear visuals, and interactive elements—actually keep people’s attention. They can even make complex or dull topics digestible and, dare we say, interesting.

A 2022 study from the Association for Talent Development showed that training videos with interactive components boosted engagement by 50%. So yes, a little creativity really does go a long way.

3. Consistency at Scale

Once you’ve created a great training video, you can use it again and again. Whether you’re onboarding five people or five hundred, you know they’re all receiving the same message. That kind of consistency is invaluable—especially for compliance training, product education, or customer service protocols.

4. Long-Term Cost Savings

Sure, creating a training video isn’t free—but it pays off over time. Think about the costs of in-person training: travel, venue rental, instructor fees, printed materials. Videos eliminate most of that.

In fact, companies that switched to video-based training saw an average 40% drop in training costs, according to Training Magazine. And those savings tend to grow the more your team grows.

5. Global Reach, No Plane Ticket Needed

If you’ve got employees or partners in multiple countries, training videos make delivering consistent, localized content easy. Add subtitles or foreign-language voiceovers, and your message becomes global in minutes—not months.

What Producing a Training Video Actually Costs

Now, for the other side of the coin: what are you getting into financially and logistically when you commit to creating a training video? Let the training video cost-benefit analysis continue!

1. Production Budget

High-quality videos require an investment in equipment, personnel, and post-production. You’ll want a scriptwriter, videographer, editor, and sometimes voice talent or actors. But it doesn’t have to break the bank.

We often work with clients to find creative ways to scale production based on their needs and budget. (Hint: You don’t always need a $100K budget to make something effective.)

2. Internal Time Investment

Your team’s involvement matters. Someone has to provide the content, approve the script, and help shape the final result. That time is an investment—but it pays off in fewer repeated trainings and faster employee ramp-up time.

3. Updates & Maintenance

If your product or process changes, your video should change too. That might mean re-recording a few lines or swapping out a graphic. Factor in a small annual maintenance budget to keep your training content current.

Case Study: From Script to ROI

When conducting a training video cost-benefit analysis, there are few things as beneficial as an actual, honest to goodness case study.

One of our healthcare clients recently invested around $50,000 in a custom training video series aimed at improving patient-care protocols. Within six months of launch, they saw a 25% reduction in training time and a 15% improvement in patient satisfaction scores. That’s what a well-targeted training video can do.

Best Practices: How to Maximize Your Training Video Investment

  • Align with business goals: If your training doesn’t tie directly into a goal—improving onboarding, reducing errors, or increasing compliance—rethink the concept.

  • Make it measurable: Use tools to track video engagement and employee performance. What gets measured, gets improved.

  • Keep it fresh: Plan for future updates and enhancements as your business evolves.

  • Get feedback: Ask your audience what worked and what didn’t. It’ll make your next video even better.

Training video cost-benefit analysis was conducted for this training video
We conducted a training video cost-benefit analysis with the client before producing this video about the payment card industry.

Your Training, Upgraded

Investing in a training video is about more than just saving time—it’s about building a smarter, more agile workforce. When done right, these videos empower employees, scale your internal knowledge, and create a consistent learning experience that pays dividends far beyond the production budget.

We hope that this training video cost-benefit analysis — of a sort — has been as illuminating for you as it was fun for us to write!

So, are you ready to make some impactful, lasting training videos? Need help making it happen? At ECG Productions, we’ve been helping businesses turn knowledge into action through strategic, engaging training videos. Let’s chat about how we can do the same for you.

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