Pool in St. Maarten overlooking the ocean

I have the privilege of speaking to many lawyers across the country each week. I always ask them this question.

“What EXACTLY Would You Like Your Income To Be?”

99% of them can’t give me a coherent answer. Instead, they give me excuses. The most common is the economy. They give me excuses about why they are not achieving their lofty goals.

When I steer them back to the question about what exactly they want their income to be, they simply have no idea. The majority of attorneys have not given this any thought. It is not sufficient, from a marketing standpoint, to simply say “I want to make a lot of money.” Instead, you have to have a specific exact number in mind that you write down on paper.

Some lawyers feel that this is simply an exercise in fantasy. Others exclaim “This is stupid.” However, I disagree.

Instead, visualizing exactly where you want to be at the end of this year is crucial in order for you to make strides in your businesses that will get you there. If you have a vague and nonspecific goal of “Making a large sum of money,” then your ability to get to that ideal goal will get lost and, most likely, never reached.

To be honest, it makes no difference what you believe or desire your income to be. Whether it’s $10,000 more than you are currently earning or $1 million more. The fact is that you must identify exactly how much you want your income to be. You must then measure where you have come from in order to properly measure your success.

If you don’t know what you would like your income to be, how will you ever know whether you have achieved that level of success that you desire? Without setting a realistic goal you are shortchanging yourself, your law firm and your family from ever realizing that possibility.

Once you have written down exactly what you want your income to be, you must identify exactly how you intend to get there. If you do not formulate a written plan, you again risk the real possibility of never reaching your ideals.

So go grab a pen and paper right now and put down exactly what you would like your income to be.

I have over 600 videos on YouTube. Good videos with educational content.

Last night, I couldn’t access the website at all. Nothing. Nada. It’s as if it wasn’t even online.

Scary thought.

I tried my iPhone, same result. Tried another computer. Same result. Tried Google. That website was working without a problem. Tried accessing YouTube videos from Facebook. That worked.

When I tried clicking through from Facebook directly to YouTube…nothing worked.

DANGER

Imagine what would happen if your great educational videos were all on YouTube. You then took the embed codes from YouTube and scattered them all over your website. Viewers loved your videos on your website.

Imagine that you only put your videos on YouTube and that’s where they were all hosted.

Then imagine that YouTube suddenly went down. No explanation, no rhyme or reason. You just couldn’t access the website. You had no info about why there was no access or service. Your website has blank rectangles where your wonderful videos once resided.

What do you do?

To be quite honest…you’d be screwed.

That’s exactly why you need to host your videos privately when you post them to your website.

I love YouTube. It’s a great website. However, it’s a free video sharing site.

I cannot explain why I cannot access YouTube tonight. I have no idea how long this will continue. Regardless, I have no real worries since the videos on my website are hosted privately. Make sure your videos are too.

Fostex AR-4i iPhone 4 Audio adapter

2012 Review of Fostex AR-4i for iPhone 4S

I use professional video equipment to shoot educational video for attorneys. I recently bought an iPhone 4S and intended to use it for quick video interviews and on-the-run educational video.

Overall review: Recommended

The AR-4i is an iPhone audio microphone adapter. It’s a piece of audio equipment that converts the built-in microphone on the iPhone into a true audio capture device to allow improved audio for your video.

If you shoot video using your built in microphone, you will get acceptable audio. Not great audio, just acceptable. The problem using your built in microphone is that you will also pick up all ambient sound. That’s why you never want to use your built-in mic when shooting video.

The Fostex iPhone audio adapter solves that problem by converting your iPhone into a true video camera. Instead of relying on the built-in mic, the adapter, which is powered by two AAA batteries (included) allows you to use two mini omni-directional microphones that provide stereo sound.

The closer you are to the camera the better quality and strength of your audio. The inherent problem with standing too close to the camera is that you begin to get a fish-eye effect with the micro lens on the iPhone. That’s the problem with using micro-optics.

Using these two microphone buds provides improved audio over the built-in microphone. Yet there’s an even better audio solution to get crystal clear audio using this really cool device.

The adapter has three microphone inputs. It only allows you to use two out of the three during video shooting. The adapter allows you to ergonomically hold the phone in a comfortable way and stabilizes the shoot by adding weight to the camera and adapter.
The adapter can be used in horizontal mode or vertical mode.

The best way to use this audio adapter is with a wireless microphone. Plug in the receiver into the microphone output and you will get ideal, crystal-clear audio.

Attach the adapter to a tripod and you’ve got a stable video platform where you can attach two wireless microphones for sit-down interviews.

One drawback to using this audio adapter is that every time I use it, I have to remove my iPhone case. Since I use a holster for my iPhone, it’s like removing a vise grip and very challenging.

Dismantling the device takes seconds.
Two other drawbacks:

You cannot play the video back and listen to the audio while the iPhone is in the adapter cradle. No big deal. Just slide the phone out of the cradle and press play to watch your masterpiece.

Prior to buying this audio device there were reviews online about audio playback issues using the iPhone 4S. In fact, the manufacturer specifically intended this device to be used for the iPhone 4. There is nothing on the manufacturer’s website about it being compatible with the iPhone 4S.

According to a few reviews, the playback issue on the 4S involved significant audio problems that made the video unusable. However, I watched a YouTube video review about this adapter and the reviewer used a 4S without a problem.

During my preliminary tests with my 4S I did not encounter any audio problems. It wasn’t until my 7th video test that I did hear a problem with the audio. I deleted it and started over. I heard the problem again on the 10th video test, but have not heard it since.

The manufacturer has a note on their website stating simply “We are aware of the audio problem associated with using our device with the 4S and are working on solving this problem.”

If you are looking for a different and unique way to create clean and crystal clear audio for your iPhone you will appreciate this audio device.

Cost: $119 at B&H Photo

YouTube Screen Shot

This is the coolest comment I have ever received from one of my videos.

You can see the screen shot to the right here.

The video: TESTICULAR TORSION

Views: 11,897

Comments: 86

In this video I discuss a case I handled involving a young boy. The doctors failed to timely diagnose a twisting of his testicle, also known as testicular torsion.

As a result, the doctors missed the window of opportunity to correct the twist. The blood supply had been cut off for too long causing the testicle to die.

In this video comment, this man actually said “…I had only six hours to live, but I made it through by surgery. Now I know what this was thanks to you…”

That is absolutely awesome. Who knew that an educational video, designed to help teach my ideal client and consumers could actually help someone with that particular condition. That is really, really cool.

I have also received comments in some of my videos where the viewer will start by saying “Thank you doctor for providing…”

I don’t play a doctor on TV or pretend to be one. Every one of my videos starts out by telling the viewer that I’m a NY Medical Malpractice & Personal Injury Trial attorney.

When a viewer leaves a comment on your YouTube video, make sure you thank them. It’s a common courtesy that generates good will.

This comment left a smile on my face all day.

Consuming Information From My Webmaster Guru Tom Foster at Foster Web Marketing

Think about it. We as attorneys crave information. Information about our legal niche, about new caselaw, about scuttlebutt in our industry and about things we are genuinely interested in. Do your ideal clients do the same?

Many of them crave information only when they have a problem or find a topic of interest.

Think about it.

• You go online to check your email.
• You go onto Facebook to see what your friends have posted and whether there are any personal messages for you.
• You go onto Twitter and LinkedIn for the same reasons.
• You go onto your YouTube channel to see if there are any comments.

This type of online activity is just to check for updates. You have not yet gone searching for any information yet. You don’t have a problem yet.

Maybe you check the news websites. You want to be informed. Maybe you check the weather. You still don’t have a problem.

Maybe you want to be entertained. You watch a movie online or watch the latest viral cat or dog video on YouTube. You still don’t have a problem.

Someone who has a problem wants information. They crave information. They want to become informed. They want to learn how to solve their problem. They want to know what to do. They want to see and hear about other people who have had the same problem and the solutions they used. That’s known as social proof.

Someone who has a problem is willing to consume information in written form and video form. They want to know more information. That’s your ideal consumer. The one who craves information.

If you can begin providing that consumer information that will help them become more informed, you now will have someone who will consume the content you provide. The more relevant content you provide, the greater (personal) bond you will form with your consumer. If you provide just enough information without giving away the store, your consumer will crave even more.

Who do you think your consumer is going to call for more information? You, who has gladly and cheerfully provided relevant information in the form of articles, blog posts, videos, books and more or your competitors who offer static websites with very little information and interaction?

Understanding why consumers crave information is the key to unlocking what they need  to learn. Want to learn more?

Come join me in a FREE online seminar that helps you understand why video is so powerful and how it can help you market your law firm online today.

Click here to register for FREE.

Communication is Key; Stand Out From the Crowd

You’re an attorney. You’re a solo. You’re a partner in a small law firm of 1-5 lawyers. You’re a marketing executive in a mid-sized law firm. Maybe you are a partner in a big law firm and attending a seminar and learned about how video can make you come to life and be different than your colleagues.

I know why you want to create video. Know how I know?

I’m just like you. I’m a practicing attorney and know exactly what you’re going through. How do I know?

I’ve been in your shoes.

You’ve tried other types of marketing. You’ve tried the yellow pages, radio, TV, classifieds, billboards, newspaper ads, networking and more. You’ve gone to seminars. Your case intake is down. Calls to your office are down. Your revenue is down compared to last year.

Your accountant tells you the bare-naked truth. You need more clients and cases. Your spouse tells you the same thing. You’re a good lawyer and well-respected in your field. Yet you’re seeing a worrisome trend. You’re not as busy as you used to be.

You notice you have more free time and don’t understand why. Your profit margin has decreased. Your net income is fluctuating precariously. You go home at night wondering where your next case is going to come from. You’re working hard but the results are not encouraging.

YOU’VE READ ARTICLES ABOUT VIDEO MARKETING

You read an article in your local bar association journal about the benefits of video. You read another article in TRIAL magazine or maybe the ABA Practice Management Magazine about the benefits of video marketing. Maybe you read a book about how really smart lawyers are using video to market their law firms online.

You read some articles at Law.com, Lawyerist, Technolawyer.com and LawyersVideoStudio.com about the benefits of video marketing for attorneys. You’ve gone to legal marketing seminars and heard some thin guy with glasses and thinning hair explain how he used video successfully to market his solo law firm in New York.

You heard him tell you how he has created over 600 videos to market his firm and how he gets calls and emails every day from people who watch his videos.

You learned this same guy had a free webinar that educated you about video marketing and you actually took the time to sit in and learn.

You found out this guy has gotten some great results from clients he took in after they watched his videos. Hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars. You listened to video testimonials from other lawyers who took this guy’s advice about video marketing. You even went so far as to call a few of those lawyers to find out what they knew that you didn’t.

You liked what you heard. You want to do the same.

You have content your viewers want and need. You believe that video is a great way to communicate. You recognize that video is a portal through which you can tell your ideal clients and consumers about how you can help solve their problems. That’s why you want to create video.

Want to know who that thin guy with glasses and thinning hair is?

The one who wrote hundreds and hundreds of articles about video marketing for lawyers. The one who wrote the book “How Really Smart Lawyers Are Using Video to Get More Cases.” The one who’s writing a second book “Secrets of Video Marketing for Lawyers in the Age of YouTube.” The same one who lectures to lawyers across the country to help other lawyers use video to market their law firms. The same one who still is a practicing New York Medical Malpractice trial lawyer. The same one who founded the Lawyers Video Studio to help lawyers create entire video libraries to market law firms.

This is the same guy who has four kids and a great wife who works much harder than he does. Who is this guy?

You know who I am. You’ve been reading my blog posts and articles for years. You’ve been watching my videos just as long. You’ve heard me at seminars. You’ve seen the testimonials from other really smart lawyers and from well-known legal marketing experts. You’ve seen the social proof and you’ve done your homework and due diligence.

You want video for your law firm. There’s an easy way to get it.

Do it yourself or hire a video marketing company to do it for you. I can’t tell you which one to choose. I can however give you a suggestion.

• Are you the type of person who fixes a broken sink or do you call a plumber?
• Are you the type of person who fixes a hole in your roof or do you call a roofing specialist?
• When your car breaks down do you put your car on blocks and fix it in your driveway or do you take it to your local mechanic to fix?
• If you need appendix surgery do you go to the library and learn how to do the surgery yourself or do you go to the best surgeon you can find?

Well counselor, I’ve reached the end of today’s article. I have a question for you though. Are you a little closer to the type of person who likes to do-it-yourself or are you a little closer to the type of person who prefers to have an expert do it all for you?

I know which I’m closer to. Which one are you closer to?

If you are closer to the attorney who wants it all done-for-you, then you need to reach out to my production manager kathleen@lawyersvideostudio.com and let her know you’d like to chat.

If you are closer to the lawyer who wants to do-it-yourself, then I have a treat for you. I’m creating an online video training program for the do-it-yourselfer that’s in the works right now. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for it right here.

My computer had only 41 GB of hard drive storage left. I was trying to find out where I was losing so much hard drive space. The answer for me was obvious. Editing video takes up an enormous amount of resources on my hard drive. That is why I have multiple external hard drives.

However, when I upload videos from my memory card to the computer, they typically will go on to the computer hard drive. Once I began editing, that always gets saved to my external hard drive.

If you are editing your own videos, chances are good that your editing software will create backup files every time you make a change to your video. Those backup files will be large and will gobble up enormous amounts of hard drive space. When you process and render each video, you are doing so at the highest quality which generates an enormous file. Some of my rough videos are in excess of 1 GB. This is absolutely enormous and clearly not useful for the purposes of uploading online.

That is why you must use software that compress large video files without losing quality.

This morning I identified almost 60 video files that were sitting as backup files on my computer hard drive. Almost every one of them was 1 to 6 GB in size. That was the culprit.

I immediately checked to make sure I had final versions on my external hard drive. Then I highlighted all those extra video files and dragged it to the trash bin. That took all of 7 seconds. When I went to empty the trash bin, I gained in excess of 100 GB of hard drive space.

I felt like a tremendous burden had just been removed from my backpack.

Check your backup files to see which ones you no longer need. Caveat: make sure you have finalized your file first before you remove your backup files, otherwise your editing software may be searching for that file while you are editing and processing. If you discard it midway, you may have a problem.

If you choose to edit your own videos, you’ll need multiple external hard drives. Make sure the hard drive you purchase is reliable and has in excess of 1TB storage.

What is Ischemia?

It was a great video. It asked an important question. I provided a great answer.

I was so excited since I had just created this video with my new video camera. I was very impressed with the video quality. I shot a series of videos in 45 minutes. I popped out the memory card and headed over to my office where I had a full day of phone conferences scheduled back to back.

In between my phone conferences, I edited my video and added graphics. I added intro music and exit music. It took all afternoon since I was only able to dedicate a few minutes between each call to doing this. Before finally processing the video, I always play back the video make sure everything is correct. Then I got on my next conference call.

Then I went to render the video into a QuickTime movie file. I was distracted by another phone call while doing this. I went ahead and clicked the ‘okay’ button to begin the process and then devoted my full attention to my caller.

Once the video was rendered into a QuickTime file, I always check to see how big it is and then must compress it. Once that is done I always play it back to insure that I have good quality video and audio. The problem is that I was multitasking. I did go ahead and play back the video but was concentrating on the next call without realizing that I had a significant problem.

Later on in the evening I went ahead and uploaded my video. It wasn’t until later that night when I went onto YouTube to check it did I realize my serious mistake.

I thought I lost my hearing. Then I thought it was a problem with the speakers on my computer. I put in headphones and thought my headphones were not working. Then I rebooted my computer to see if that was the problem. Then I played another video on YouTube that worked perfectly.

I had never done this before. I created a video and uploaded online without sound.

Unless you read lips, it would be extremely difficult to get any benefit from this particular video. I immediately deleted it from my account and vowed to find out what I did wrong the next morning.

Playing the video back to my computer I realized I processed the video without any sound at all. What a ridiculous mistake that was. I saw immediately what I did wrong. I forgot to click the ‘sound’ button. I fixed the problem, processed the video and have now uploaded it to YouTube.

You can watch the video below.

Have you ever done something similar? If so, let me know in the comments below.

Lawyers Video Studio

This is the concluding blog post in this series…

5. Video has marginal benefit and does not justify the cost

He’s right. For someone who does not understand how to use video; both tactically and strategically, I will agree with that video has marginal benefit.

On the other hand, let me give you a quick example of some of the benefits I have personally seen from using video to market my solo practice in the most competitive market in the country.

• $5.1 million settlement, brain-damaged baby case
• $1 million settlement failure to diagnose
• $495,000 settlement wrongful death from foot surgery
• $300,000 fall from bed resulting in trauma and death

This is just a tiny sampling of cases I have obtained from people who have come to me with valid cases because they watched my videos. My videos were the driving force that compelled them to pick up the phone and call me instead of my competitors.

For those lawyers and marketing experts who believe that video marketing doesn’t work, I’m going to tell them that they are right. It doesn’t work. It will not work for you or your law firm.

Instead, those lawyers and marketing experts should keep focusing on other methods to generate clients and traffic and leave the video marketing to people who understand how to use it effectively with proven results.

If you have your own video marketing myths that you’ve heard, leave them below. I’d love to see them!

Lawyers Video Studio

This is a continuing series addressing video marketing myths…

3. Video is not cost-effective for a small firm

It was clear to me that this expert did not understand the production costs involved with creating a video marketing campaign. He did not understand the value associated with creating 50 or 100 videos. He did not recognize that once videos are online, there is virtually zero cost associated with having them online and using it to drive traffic to your website.

It sounded as if this marketing guru was using TV-based production to determine the cost benefit analysis. That type of corporate mentality inhibits big law firms from using effective and proven techniques to generate traffic.

As a solo practitioner, video marketing has created the best return on investment for me. I did allude to some of the cases I have obtained because of my video marketing. In response, he justified the fact that my website was well optimized, that my videos were well optimized and that my particular niche is better suited for business to consumer video than his corporate attorneys.

Once again, I felt like it was talking to a brick wall. Despite pointing out that video marketing works for every niche category in law, this marketer was resolute and firmly believed that the return on investment for a small firm would not justify the expense.

After a while, I stopped participating in the discussion. I recognized instead that this was an opportunity for me. The opportunity is that they are many legal marketers with a corporate mentality who actually believe this stuff. That means that there is plenty of room within the video marketing community to help other lawyers who truly “get it” and use it to their advantage.

4. Viewers to our website do not watch these videos

This marketing guy actually cited statistics showing that people who came to his lawyers’ website were not watching the videos. I am proud that he was tracking his statistics. However, in my opinion he does not understand the purpose of creating video to market a law firm online.

The purpose of creating educational video is not to get viewers to watch the video on your website. Instead, the purpose is to get people to see you, hear you and begin to trust you before they ever pick up the phone to come into your office. By educating them through video, on video sharing sites, your goal is to then drive them into your website so they can become even more familiar with you.

The bottom line goal of creating these educational messages is to build trust and to convert an online viewer into a caller. Using video messages happens to be the best way to do that.

This discussion thread clearly suggested that the majority of people going online already know your name and your law firm and are going onto your website to learn more about you.

I didn’t want to tell him that he was wrong. Nor did I want to remind him that online viewers who are searching for an attorney online simply do not care about you or your law firm. The only thing they care about is themselves and their legal problem.

If you can get rid of the egocentric mindset that is so prevalent among lawyers and legal marketers and instead focus on how you can help potential client, you are much more likely to attract viewers and visitors.

Join me in my next blog post as I conclude this series of video marketing myths.