TechnoScore: 4.5
1 = Lowest Possible Score; 5 = Highest Possible Score
Texas criminal defense lawyer Tyler Flood handles drunk driving cases. He is affable, personable, sharply dressed and speaks well. He introduces himself, and in fact, the headline of his video says "Meet Attorney Tyler Flood."
He tells a story about his most memorable case, albeit in the second half of the video. He's sincere and from his demeanor, I get the sense that he believes in his cases and fights the good fight, in a nice way. He looks straight at you, as if he's having a one-on-one conversation with you. I like that. Some lawyers prefer an "interview" style that has them looking off at the wall. I don't like that format.
Why not? Simple. When a client walks into your office and sits down in a chair to ask you questions, do you answer by looking away and staring at the wall? Of course not. Looking directly in the camera helps establish trust among prospects.
Prospects are looking for answers to their legal problems. Obviously, you're not going to give them legal advice in a video, but by giving them information they need to know, you've entered the conversation going on in their head already. "If he knows this much, then he must know the answers to my legal questions." That's what generates phone calls to your office.
Here's what I didn't like about this well-made video:
- The video company logo sits prominently in the lower right hand side of the video. Get rid of your video company logo. Are they paying you? If not, don't allow it in your video.
- In the beginning of the video, Flood fades in and out repeatedly. That's weird.
- My next observation is hyper-picky, but after creating lots of green-screen videos I can spot a problem. If you look at the top left of Flood's head (his right side), you'll notice a green line that forms a little halo. This video mishap occurs when your chroma-keying is not 100% perfect. That's one reason why I recommend that lawyers stay away from special effects and graphics. They're simply not needed. Green screen video is difficult and time consuming, even for pros.
Tip #1: Tell a Story
Make the story the focus of your video. Show how you helped solve your client's legal problem. Prospective clients love stories.
Tip #2: Use Testimonials in Your Story
Go one step further than telling a great story. Get your client on video to provide the back-story to the case you're discussing. Then, have your client tell the world what an amazing lawyer you are (assuming your state allows testimonials).
Tip #3: Avoid Special Effects
Skip special effects such as fades that make you disappear and reappear. Stay on screen and have the titles pop up on the lower third of the screen or to your left or right side. Also, skip the green screen and focus on your content.
Till next time, see you on video!
The Back Bench
Certified Family Law Specialist and online video producer Kelly Chang Rickert says: "This video is too long, and uninteresting. Attorney Flood is a talking head who pats himself on the back through this entire 2 1/2 minute video. He lost me at Hello."
TechnoLawyer publisher and online video producer Neil Squillante says: "Tyler Flood has a good story to tell in this video about how he helped obtain a not guilty verdict for his client. Unfortunately, he didn't rehearse the story so it doesn't flow well and takes twice as long for him to tell it as it should. Time for a reshoot."
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 230 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
