YouTube Agency vs DIY: What Should Financial Advisors Choose?

You've decided YouTube is worth pursuing for your financial planning practice. Now the question is: do you do it yourself, or do you hire an agency to handle it?

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We run a YouTube agency, so you'd expect us to say "hire us." We will make that case — but we'll also be honest about when DIY makes more sense. Because for some advisors, doing it yourself genuinely is the better option.

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Here's the full comparison.

The DIY Path

What It Looks Like

You buy a decent microphone, set up your phone or a basic camera, learn some editing software, and start publishing videos. You handle everything: topic research, scripting, filming, editing, thumbnails, SEO optimisation, and publishing.

The Real Time Commitment

Let's be honest about what "doing it yourself" actually means each week:

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• Topic research and scripting: 2-3 hours
• Setup and filming: 1-2 hours
• Editing: 3-5 hours (this is the one that catches people off guard)
• Thumbnail creation: 30-60 minutes
• Title/description optimisation and publishing: 30 minutes

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That's 7-11 hours per week. For a financial advisor billing $300-500 per hour for client work, that's $2,100-5,500 in opportunity cost every week — before you've spent a dollar on equipment.

The Real Dollar Cost

Equipment and software for a basic setup:

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• Camera or webcam: $200-800
• Microphone: $50-200
• Lighting: $100-300
• Editing software: Free (DaVinci Resolve) to $30/month (Adobe Premiere)
• Thumbnail software: Free (Canva) to $20/month

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Total upfront: $350-1,300. Ongoing: $0-50/month.

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Cheap in dollar terms. Expensive in time.

Where DIY Works Well

DIY is genuinely a good option if:

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• You enjoy the production process: Some advisors genuinely like filming and editing. If that's you, it's a rewarding creative outlet that also generates leads.
• You have spare capacity: If your practice isn't at full capacity and your time isn't fully billable, the opportunity cost is lower.
• You're testing the waters: If you want to publish 10-20 videos to see whether YouTube resonates with your audience before committing significant budget, DIY is a low-risk way to start.
• Budget is genuinely constrained: If $12K/month is a stretch for your practice, starting DIY and upgrading later is a perfectly valid path.

Where DIY Falls Apart

Most advisors who try DIY YouTube follow the same pattern: enthusiastic start, 8-15 videos, then silence. Here's why:
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• Editing is the bottleneck: It takes far longer than anyone expects. After a few weeks of spending Saturday afternoons cutting video, the motivation disappears.
• Quality plateaus: Without professional production knowledge, your videos look and sound "good enough" but never great. This affects viewer retention and growth.
• Consistency dies: A busy client month means no videos. One missed week turns into two, then a month, then the channel is abandoned.
• No strategic feedback loop: Without someone analysing performance data and adjusting the strategy, you keep making the same types of videos without knowing what's actually working.

The Agency Path

What It Looks Like

You show up for one filming session per week. The agency handles everything else: strategy, topic research, scripting, equipment, editing, thumbnails, SEO, publishing, and performance reporting.

The Real Time Commitment

1-2 hours per month. That's it. Some agencies (including us) batch multiple videos per session, so your effective time per video can be even lower.

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You'll also spend 15-30 minutes reviewing scripts and approving final edits.

The Real Dollar Cost

YouTube agencies for professional services typically charge $5,000-15,000 per month. At Compound One, our full done-for-you service starts at $12,000 plus GST.

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That sounds like a lot. Let's put it in context.

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A single new high-net-worth client is worth $5,000-15,000 per year to your practice in ongoing advice fees. If YouTube generates 2-3 new clients per month (realistic after 6-12 months), that's $120,000-540,000 in annual recurring revenue from a $144,000 annual marketing investment.

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The ROI isn't hypothetical — it's what we've seen with clients like Wattle Partners, who saw a 400% increase in monthly leads within 12 months.

Where an Agency Works Well

An agency is the right choice if:

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• Your time is better spent on clients: If you're billing $300+ per hour, spending 10 hours a week on YouTube production is a terrible use of your time.
• You want professional quality from day one: Production quality affects credibility. In financial services, looking amateur costs you trust.
• You want strategic guidance: An agency that specialises in financial services knows which topics drive leads, how to handle compliance, and how to optimise for growth.
• You want consistency guaranteed: With an agency, videos publish every week regardless of how busy your practice is.

Where an Agency Isn't the Right Fit

An agency isn't right if:

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• You can't sustain the investment for 6-12 months: YouTube is a compounding channel. If you'll need to cancel after 3 months, the ROI won't materialise.
• You want total creative control over every detail: Agencies bring their own expertise and process. If you need to control every aspect of production, you'll find delegation frustrating.
• Your practice isn't ready for more clients: If you're already at capacity and can't serve additional clients, generating more leads creates a problem rather than solving one.

The Hybrid Option

Some advisors start DIY and then move to an agency once they've validated the channel. Others use an agency to build the foundation and then bring some production in-house.

A common hybrid approach:

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1. Months 1-3: DIY. Film on your phone, learn the basics, publish 10-15 videos, see what resonates.
2. Month 4+: Hire an agency. You've validated the channel, you know which topics work, and now you invest in professional production to accelerate growth.

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This reduces the financial risk while still getting you to professional quality within a few months.

The Comparison at a Glance

Weekly time commitment

• DIY: 7-11 hours per week
• Agency: 1-2 hours per month

Monthly cost

• DIY: $0-50
• Agency: $5,000-15,000

Production quality

• DIY: Variable
• Agency: Professional

Consistency

• DIY: Depends on you
• Agency: Guaranteed

Strategic guidance

• DIY: None
• Agency: Included

Compliance review

• DIY: You handle it
• Agency: Built into process

Time to quality content

• DIY: Months of learning
• Agency: Immediate

Risk of quitting

• DIY: High (most quit by month 3)
• Agency: Low (you're paying, they're delivering)

Our Honest Take

If you have the time, enjoy the process, and want to learn production — start DIY. You'll develop a skill, save money, and you might build something great.

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If your time is valuable, you want professional results, and you're serious about YouTube as a growth channel for your practice — hire an agency. The maths on time and opportunity cost make it clear.

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And if you're not sure yet — start with a conversation. We do free growth audits that analyse your market and opportunities before you commit to anything.