End of Year Marketing Wrap-Up – Video Marketing

Video marketing didn’t take huge leaps in 2014.  A lot of attorneys used videos as a means of marketing to potential clients, and a lot of them continued to do it in the exact same way that they had in 2013 and prior.  While there’s no doubt that video ranks well and will continue to do so in 2015 and beyond, law firms interested in shooting videos this year should keep conversions in mind throughout every step of the process.  Additionally, when marketing these videos on the internet, a sound strategy needs to be drawn out beforehand in order to get the absolute most out of your video efforts.

You always have to keep the attention spans of your viewers in mind, and you should never market a video that runs too long or that doesn’t succinctly answer the questions that your audience wants the answers to.  Give your viewers something of value, wrap it up in a short video, and be sure to tie it all in with your existing marketing efforts.  Keep in mind though, the creative, pre-production process and the actual production itself are two entirely different things.

If you plan on shooting video in 2015, try to remember the following DOs and DON’Ts:

CAMERA EQUIPMENT:

• DON’T assume that your phone can do it all.  Smart phones and tablets have decent cameras, and a lot of video marketers use them as a means of creating video content.  However, like with any tool, you really have to have a mastery of the camera and all of its settings BEFORE you sit down and start shooting.  Therefore…
• DO take the time to master your tools.  Whether you’re using a smart phone, a moderately priced digital camera, or a professional grade video camera, know how to use it.  Review the user manual, know how to adjust all the settings, know what those settings do, and don’t start shooting until you are 100% comfortable using your camera equipment.

SOUND EQUIPMENT:

• DON’T ignore sound!  Nothing can ruin a video faster than poor quality audio.  While you can get away with using your camera’s built-in microphone, you have to be absolutely certain that background noise and static don’t overpower your video content and distract from the message you’re trying to deliver.  Therefore…
• DO take the time to scout your locations and shoot some test video to see what your audio is potentially going to sound like.  Granted, you can remove a lot of background noise during the post-production process, but eliminating this step by using a collar microphone is a much cleaner option.  Alternatively, shoot in a location that has good acoustics and not a lot of background noise and you’ll cut down on the amount of time you’ll have to spend editing out the unnecessary noise during post.

LIGHTING EQUIPMENT:

• DON’T forget that lighting can mean the difference between a professional looking video and an amateur production.  Hard shadows and overexposure are two common problems that a lot of first-time video makers have, which is why it’s absolutely essential that you scout your location and know how light interacts with that location throughout the day.  If you’re shooting indoors, don’t assume that you won’t need to at least use a three-point lighting setup to properly remove shadows and light your subject.  Therefore…
• DO put some time into perfecting your lighting setup.  If you don’t have an unlimited budget, be sure to at least invest in a key light, fill light, and a hair light.  Furthermore, understanding what these different lights are used for can make a world of difference when trying to properly light your subject.  If you have to, you can even use inexpensive reflectors (or even just a reflective surface) to help bounce light either onto your subject or another surface.  Knowing how to evenly light your subject will set your videos apart from the majority of other attorney marketing videos out there, so don’t ignore your lighting setup!

As far as marketing the finished product is concerned, simply uploading the video to YouTube and expecting people to stumble upon it and call your office for legal services isn’t the best strategy.  There is a multitude of ways that videos can be utilized in a legal marketing campaign, and you should be aware of how you’re going to use these videos even before choosing the content that you’re shooting.  Just making videos without a game plan in place for marketing them is going to lead to a fragmented ad campaign that isn’t going to help you much in the long run.

Video may seem like a simple feat, but it’s a lot more difficult than it appears.  A lot goes into pre-production, the actual production, and the post-production process.  Fortunately, we’re able to answer whatever questions you have about utilizing video in your marketing campaign.  For more information about what kind of videos are best for your law practice, and how to properly market those videos in order to strengthen your conversion process, don’t hesitate to contact our office.