TechnoScore: 2.5
1 = Lowest Possible Score; 5 = Highest Possible Score
"I am a business attorney" is how lawyer Bill Godfrey of Godfrey Legal opens this video. Godfrey is clean-cut; his beard is closely cropped; he's wearing a nice suit, and he is sitting in front of a nice-looking bookcase. The video has nice B-roll footage, he clearly has a penchant for pocket watches, and the background music is pleasing.
From a technique standpoint the video is excellent. The quality is crystal-clear, and shows scenes of his office, him talking on his cell phone, and also looking at a law book standing in front of a bookcase. For technique, I give this video a TechnoScore of 5, but I must take into account the content and sidebar, which is nowhere near as gratifying.
From a content standpoint, the video is lacking, and garners a score of 1.0. The sidebar doesn't contain any content, which means no search engine indexing. (How then can I explain how this video has garnered 300 views? This video also resides as a link on the video production company's Web site.) Averaging both scores out leaves this video with a TechnoScore of 2.5.
The video is a verbal resume describing what type of law Godfrey practices. I got the clear impression that this attorney knows exactly how to handle business matters. Being in business for over 35 years, he seems extremely competent and knowledgeable about his area of expertise.
However, I actually counted the number of times the attorney said the word "I," and was shocked to hear him say it 13 times in one minute. Included within the short video were references to "me" (3), "my" (2), and "we" (2). It reminded me of the Beatles song "I Me Mine."
Most people searching for a lawyer don't care about "you." I know some video producers disagree with my opinion. They feel that viewers want to learn about what the attorney does, where they came from, and what schools they attended.
I disagree with this assessment. In my experience, people looking for an attorney online make a number of assumptions:
- The attorney is licensed in the state in which they practice.
- The attorney has gone to law school.
- The attorney has taken and passed the bar exam.
- The attorney has experience in the area in which they practice.
Most people do not care where the lawyer went to law school. Nor do they care whether you were on law review or participated in moot court competition. They want to know how you can help solve their problem.
This lawyer clearly states the type of law he practices. However, the constant references to "I handle this, I handle that, I do this," distract from the educational message that he can achieve using video. All we learn is the particular type of law that he practices. Once I know that, my next question is, "What information does he provide that other lawyers do not?"
Tip #1: Let Your Clients Talk for You
If you have tremendous experience, have a former client describe it in a video testimonial. Let your former client talk about you, so you don't have to refer to yourself.
Tip #2: Ask and Then Answer FAQ's
If you have tremendous experience, ask a question that is frequently on the minds of people who seek legal advice in your practice area. Then use the video to answer that question. Doing so establishes yourself as an expert, without ever having to say "I'm an expert."
Tip #3: The Sidebar Is Your Friend
Use it to take advantage of Google, Bing, and other search engines, enabling prospective clients to find and watch your video.
Conclusion
Telling a viewer what type of law you handle is a good first line. But you should use your video to explain how you have helped clients in the past, and/or provide answers that demonstrate your knowledge. This approach will make you much more persuasive, and result in more leads from your video.
Till next time, see you on video!
The Back Bench
Certified Family Law Specialist and online video producer Kelly Chang Rickert says: "I liked this video a lot! Godfrey really emphasizes his "business" acumen by placing symbolic objects throughout his introduction. I thought the video was extremely classy, down to the finishing touches on the selected music! Godfrey is also articulate and humble — someone I would trust to make a deal for me. I'm sold."
Lawyer, journalist, and legal media consultant Robert Ambrogi says: "This well-produced video is effective in conveying three key points: what he does (business law), what qualifies him to do it (experience in practice and in-house), and how he does it (personal attention tailored to clients' goals). My one minor criticism is that the frequent images of timepieces distracted me. I could not decipher the message they were meant to convey. His Web site makes the point that he strives to save clients valuable time they could use elsewhere. Perhaps in a future video he should tie in this message. But overall, an A-."
TechnoLawyer publisher and online video producer Neil Squillante says: "Bill Godfrey's video looks sharp and his smooth performance makes him persuasive, but the video never explains all the visual references to timepieces. Does he practice law efficiently, give his clients a free pocket watch when they hire him, or moonlight hawking antique clocks on the Home Shopping Network?"
About YouLaw
YouTube offers law firms a free advertising platform with tens of millions of potential clients. But a poor video can hurt more than help. In this column, lawyer and online video expert Gerry Oginski reviews and rates the latest law firm videos. A panel of fellow experts (The Back Bench) add to Gerry's reviews with pithy remarks. We link to each new YouLaw column and all other noteworthy law firm marketing articles in our weekly BlawgWorld newsletter, which is free. Please subscribe now.
About Gerry Oginski
New York trial lawyer Gerry Oginski has created more than 150 informational online videos for his medical malpractice and personal injury practice. Realizing that most video producers don't have a deep understanding of the practice of law and what potential clients look for, Gerry launched The Lawyers' Video Studio, which provides free tutorials and video production services. If you need help producing a video, please contact Gerry now.
Contact Gerry:
T: (516) 487-8207
E: lawmed10@yahoo.com
