Great Falls, Montana, sits at the heart of the state along the Missouri River, with a population of roughly 60,000 people. The local economy is anchored by the U.S. Air Force’s Malmstrom Air Force Base, agriculture, healthcare, and tourism. For a videography business, this means a diverse set of potential clients: military families needing deployment or reunion videos, local wedding couples, small businesses looking for promotional content, real estate agents, ranchers wanting livestock or property videos, and event organizers for the Montana State Fair or Great Falls Symphony. The market is not oversaturated – there are a handful of established photographers and videographers, but many still rely on word-of-mouth. This creates a strong opportunity for a new business that invests in local SEO and community relationships. Because Great Falls is the largest city in north-central Montana, your service area can also reach smaller towns like Conrad, Shelby, Fort Benton, and Lewistown, roughly within a two-hour radius. The key is to position yourself as the go-to videographer for both lifestyle and commercial work in the region.
First, choose a legal structure. Most videographers start as a sole proprietorship or single-member LLC. An LLC offers liability protection and is easy to set up. You will need to register your business with the Montana Secretary of State’s office. The online portal is affordable – around $70 for an LLC filing fee. You will also need a Certificate of Assumed Business Name (a “doing business as” or DBA) if you are not using your personal name. This is filed with your local county clerk. In Great Falls, that is the Cascade County Clerk and Recorder’s office. DBA fees are typically $10 per name. After registration, obtain a Montana Tax ID number (also called a Business Registration Number) through the Montana Department of Revenue. This is required even if you have no employees, because it allows you to collect Montana sales tax (discussed next).
Montana has no general sales tax, but it does have a 4% tax on “lodging” and “rental cars.” Videography services are generally not subject to sales tax in Montana. However, if you sell physical products like USB drives with delivered videos, or if you rent gear, you may need to collect a small tax. To be safe, consult a local accountant. The key takeaway: you do not need to charge sales tax on your core service, which simplifies your bookkeeping.
The city of Great Falls requires a General Business License for any business operating within city limits. The fee is based on the gross receipts of the business. For a new videography business, the lowest tier applies – typically $50 to $100 per year. You apply online or in person at the City Hall Finance Department. If you operate from your home, you may also need a Home Occupation Permit. The Great Falls zoning office can advise – most home-based creative businesses are allowed with minimal restrictions as long as you do not have clients coming to your home frequently (video editing can be done at home, but client meetings should be off-site).
While not legally required, liability insurance is strongly recommended. Most venues (churches, event halls, and businesses) will ask for proof of general liability insurance before you shoot on their property. Look for a $1 million per occurrence policy. Several national companies like Hiscox or Thimble offer affordable policies for freelancers. In Montana, you may also want equipment insurance, especially if you travel to remote locations.
Always use a written contract for every job. Include details on usage rights, payment terms, cancellation policies, and liability. Additionally, if you film in public places like the Great Falls Riverfront or Giant Springs State Park, no permit is needed for small crews. But if you block traffic or use a tripod on a sidewalk, you may need a special event permit from the city. For commercial shoots on public lands, a filming permit from the U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management may be necessary. Always check with the relevant authority.
Go to google.com/business and sign in with a Google account. Enter your business name as you want it to appear (e.g., “Great Falls Videography Co.”). Use your actual local address – even if you work from home, you can choose to hide your address and only show the Great Falls service area. Google will require verification, usually by a postcard with a code sent to your address. Do not use a P.O. Box. The address must be a physical location where you can receive mail. Once verified, you can start optimizing.
Choose the correct primary category: “Videographer” or “Video Production Service.” You can add secondary categories like “Wedding Videographer,” “Event Videographer,” “Corporate Videographer,” and “Real Estate Videographer.” Write a detailed business description that includes your location and services: “Award-winning videography in Great Falls, MT. Specializing in weddings, corporate videos, and real estate tours. We serve all of Cascade County and north-central Montana.” Add photos of your work (wedding edits, B-roll, behind-the-scenes), your logo, and yourself. Upload a short video tour of your editing suite or an example reel. Update your hours, phone number, and website URL. Encourage every client to leave a Google review. Respond to all reviews, positive and negative, in a professional manner. Post regularly on Google Posts – share recent projects, tips, or seasonal offers (e.g., “Fall wedding slots available”). This activity signals freshness and relevance to Google’s algorithm.
Enable messaging so potential clients can text you directly from the profile. Add a booking button if you use a scheduling tool like Calendly. Set your service area to Great Falls and the surrounding towns (e.g., “Great Falls, MT; Malmstrom AFB, MT; Vaughn, MT; Ulm, MT; Fort Benton, MT”). This helps Google show your business when someone searches “videographer near me” in those areas.
Think like your clients. Use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner or even just typing into Google to see suggestions. Target phrases such as “videographer Great Falls MT,” “wedding videographer Great Falls,” “corporate video production Montana,” “real estate videography Cascade County,” “drone videography Great Falls,” “video editing services Great Falls.” Long-tail keywords like “affordable wedding videography Great Falls” or “small business commercial videography Montana” can capture specific intent.
Your website should clearly state your location on every page – in the title tag, meta description, header tags, and body content. For example, a wedding page title: “Wedding Videographer in Great Falls, MT | Great Falls Videography Co.” Each page should have unique content. Create separate service pages for Wedding Videography, Corporate Video, Real Estate Video, Event Coverage, and Drone Services. Each page should include at least 300 words, local references (e.g., “We’ve filmed stunning weddings at the Great Falls Civic Center, the Mansfield Center, and many ranch venues near the Missouri River”), and a call to action. Embed a map with your service area. Ensure your site is mobile-friendly and fast – use tools like PageSpeed Insights to optimize.
Consistency is key. Your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) must be identical across all online directories. Start with the big ones: Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Yelp, Facebook, Nextdoor. Then submit to local Montana directories: the Great Falls Tribune business directory, the Montana Chamber of Commerce, the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, and any local event listing sites. Also consider industry-specific sites like The Knot (if you do weddings) or WeddingWire
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