There are a number of websites and companies that go around giving awards to people who create great videos.

That’s nice.

Those websites promote the videos and drive traffic to their own websites. They encourage the “Winnees” (that’s not a real word, btw) to also promote the fact that their videos have won an award or two.

That’s also nice.

Here’s what these awards DON’T do:

• They don’t convert a viewer into a caller
• They don’t improve your ROI (return on your investment)
• They don’t challenge you to create compelling content
• They don’t identify the content a viewer wants to know and learn about
• They don’t directly improve your revenue and your bottom line

If these video awards don’t do any of that, why would you care if you won an award or not?

The same reason everyone likes to win an award…ego.

Here’s my take on video awards…(not that you asked, but I’m going to tell you anyway)

They’re meaningless. Totally, absolutely meaningless. I say that from a video marketing perspective and nothing more. Ego should play no part in your initiative to educate and teach your online consumer or potential client.

You wouldn’t boast in your marketing materials that your videos have won 12 awards for blah, blah, blah.

The more important questions for me are:

• Of those great videos, how many have generated calls to your office?
• How many of those calls were good valid cases?
• Of those good cases, what types of results were you able to achieve for those clients?

Then, you can track your ROI and determine if those “Award-winning” videos truly were effective.

Don’t worry about the awards, and focus on the bottom line. Make great quality video with excellent content your viewers want and need to know. That’s the winning formula.

YouTube-A Free Video Sharing Site

This comes directly from YouTube’s terms of service. I’ll bet you didn’t know that.

You see it on Facebook all the time. People say “I want 500 “Likes” in order to get to the next level. If you click like, I will give you XYZ, or you’ll be entered in a drawing for a free DooDad that you certainly don’t need and won’t know what to do with.

YouTube sees that as a no-no.

Want to take your chance of violating YouTube’s terms of service and see what happens? I don’t recommend it, especially if that’s the only place you host your videos.

If you violate YouTube’s terms of service you’ll quickly find yourself without access to all your videos. They will shut you down. Not something you want to achieve or aspire to. Remember, YouTube is a free service and they can do what they wish with your videos.

While it is always to your benefit to get people to interact with your videos by sharing it or liking your video, YouTube’s goal is to try and eliminate one up-manship in order to make your video more popular.

Bottom line: Don’t create a contest to see how many people can click the share button on your video. Don’t give away an iPad to the person who clicks the LIKE button 600 times. Use YouTube as a way to educate your consumers engage your viewers with compelling, interesting content.

Lawyers Video Studio- Spiny Sea Urchin

Yes, I will be the first to say it now. Your law firm will become obsolete if you do not adapt and put video on your website.

Come back with me a few years. Why did you create a website? Because other lawyers were using new technology to ‘get their name out there’, right? You didn’t want to be left behind. Why did you join Facebook? Everybody was doing it and you realize it’s not just hype to be on FB. The social implications are huge. Same for Twitter and LinkedIn.

You did these things because you probably saw other lawyers doing it too and you didn’t want to be left behind.

When lawyers first started putting their info onto websites, they had no idea what to do with it. Blogs were unheard of. In fact, people called them ‘diaries’. When I first heard the term blog (actually, they called it a blawg), I couldn’t understand why anyone would post personal comments about their daily activities online. It just didn’t make sense.

Now, there are millions of blogs. Each one fighting for online space. When YouTube came on the scene less than six years ago, nobody could figure out how to get video from a camera and upload it online. Smart lawyers tried to put their TV commercials onto YouTube thinking somebody must want to watch it. Let’s just throw it up there and see what happens.

In the ‘early days’ of online video, bandwidth was very expensive. Video file size was extremely limited. As technology evolved, uploading video became easier and video sharing sites started accepting larger and larger video files. Initially, YouTube couldn’t figure out how to monetize their videos. Well…along comes a little search engine company with a funky sounding name (Google) that buys a blossoming video sharing site called YouTube for OVER A BILLION DOLLARS!

Next thing you know, YouTube is the #2 search engine in the world and over 200 million videos are viewed daily.

So, lets go back to my original question: “Why did you create a website?”
To attract viewers and to show how you’re right for someone looking for a lawyer. Yet there are now millions of lawyer websites online. How do you stand out from all of your competitors online? “We care.” “We have nicer pictures and graphics.” “We have flash animation.” “We are experts at what we do.”

Yes, that’s nice. But how do you “show” your viewers that you’re different?

The answer is with video. (As if you didn’t know that’s what I’d say.) Seriously, your online viewers expect you to have video. They want to see you. They want to hear you. They want to listen to what you have to say. Are you intelligent? Do you have a deep voice? Are you wearing nice clothes? What does your office look like? Do you have an understanding of the type of legal problem I have?

The only true way to answer these questions is with video.

My prediction is that lawyers who do not adapt to their consumers wants and desires will not only lose business to their competitors, but will become obsolete in a short time. Remember, potential clients searching for an attorney online will compare you to other lawyers online. If you don’t have information they want, in the media they want, they will go elsewhere. That’s a fact.

——————-

To see the custom video channels we create for lawyers who participate in our exclusive Total Online Video Success program, click here.

I received an unsolicited email the other day from someone who was peddling this product that you can see to the left.

See the message that came with this image:

“Hi  Mr Oginski:   If You! Be the Judge is the marketing catalyst you’ve been looking for, don’t hesitate to call for more information.  Regards, …”

I have no idea what this meant and I had no interest in clicking on this unsolicited e-mail. Instead, I wrote back to the person who sent it to me asking one question: “Why?”

That question I wanted addressed was “Why should I click on this e-mail?” What is it about your product or service that would compel me to be interested in your offering?

The reply I received was bizarre.

“Why what?”

In response, I asked this question:

“Why would it be the catalyst I’m looking for that would compel me to click the link for more info?”

The response again was even stranger.

“Can’t win them all!”

Finally fed up with this, I sent my final response:

“You sent me an unsolicited email. Your response makes no sense to my question. You lost an opportunity to explain.”

What can you learn from this odd e-mail exchange? Quite a lot.

1. Don’t send unsolicited e-mail. That’s known as spam. Especially to lawyers.
2. If somebody engages you in a conversation that asks you to explain your product or service don’t respond with ridiculous answers.
3. Use the opportunity to begin a conversation, especially after someone reaches out to clarify your statement.
4. If you’re going to market your service by email, you better have a good reason for someone to click on a link.
5. Oh yes, let me remind you again to never send email to someone who did not request it. (It’s spam).
6. One final point. Don’t waste your time responding to someone who sends you an unsolicited email except to say “Remove me” from your list.

P90X Workout Program

Have you ever woken up in the morning, looked out the window and just wanted to go back to bed? Have you ever sat in your office with a pile of papers in your inbox that just have to be done but you have no desire or inclination to get to it? Have you seen those fitness gurus on TV who promote their great products but you just don’t feel like making the effort to do all that work to get the results that they talk about?

If so, you are like many people. You want the results, but don’t always have the energy, desire or inclination to get the results you want to achieve.

Not long ago, I was up late on a Saturday night and was flipping channels on TV. I came across an infomercial for P90X, a fitness workout program. I was so fascinated by the infomercial that I could not pry myself away and turn the TV off. I am ashamed to say that I watched the entire infomercial. I never watch infomercials. Ever. Yet, the results were fascinating. The fitness workout looked amazing. The video quality of the infomercial was great. The before and after testimonials were totally believable. Ordinary people explaining extraordinary results. I’m telling you, I was hooked. The next day, I told my wife about this infomercial and she was shocked. She knows that I never watch that nonsense. However, I was so pumped up about the results these people achieved using this program that I just had to have this program.

I’m pleased to say that when I received the DVDs, I was super-excited. I immediately began exercising vigorously. I did it every day for three weeks. Six months later those DVDs are sitting next to my TV getting very little use. What the heck happened?

The reality is that nothing happened. The reality is that other more important things got in the way. The reality is that the results I wanted to achieve using this program have been put off day by day. I’m now six months beyond the point I purchased this program and I don’t have a sixpack of abs nor do I look like the Incredible Hulk. However, I recognize that not having the results I wanted has nothing to do with the excellent P90x program. It has everything to do with my motivation and ability to put into action the fitness regimen that would get me the results I want.

Why am I talking about motivation and P90x? Importantly, what does this have to do with creating video to market your law firm? As always, it has everything to do with creating video to market your practice.

Here’s why. As lawyers, we get extremely busy during the day handling our clients pressing problems, emergencies and dealing with day to day issues.  When we get busy, our desire to market ourselves fall by the wayside. We believe that marketing can wait while we attend to our clients day-to-day needs. Before you know it, days, weeks and months have gone by and we have failed to press forward with our marketing messages in ways that will get us results.

Lawyers who participate in my total online video success program are actually given the video equipment so they can create video any time they like. Every single lawyer is pumped up and energized after our video shoot because they recognize the incredible potential of creating massive numbers of education-based videos to market themselves online. However, when work gets in the way of our motivation, weeks and months will go by where that video equipment will sit dormant just begging to be turned on and used.

Each of us has the ability to achieve the desired results we want. The goal is to build up enough energy and momentum to take positive action to get those results. As internet marketing genius Frank Kern says, “Taking imperfect action is always better than inaction.”

I have always said that smart lawyers make decisions. Really smart lawyers take action on those decisions. The smartest lawyers are ones who implement the decision to take action. Those are the lawyers who see results.

Here’s my challenge to you: If you can get me motivated to get back on track with my P90x fitness program, I will get you motivated to creating an entire video library to help you market your message online. Simply leave your motivational messages below in the comments section. To your success!

Gerry Oginski, Esq.

Let’s see…

A person in need of legal help who does not know an attorney.

A person who does not know a friend or relative who knows an attorney.

A person who has never had a legal problem before.

Question: What type of person chooses a lawyer the way they choose their plumber, by going to the yellow pages and picking the biggest ad in the book believing that they must be better than the other lawyers because they have a bigger ad?

Answer:

A person in need of legal help who does not know an attorney.

A person who does not know a friend or relative who knows an attorney.

A person who has never had a legal problem before.

Does that sound familiar? It should. That’s the way many lawyers hoped their clients would find them. By taking out the biggest and loudest and most colorful ads they expected readers to rush to the phone because they were screaming louder than all the other lawyers who had similar ads.

Mindset:

Practice tip- If you understand this next point, you will be miles ahead of your colleagues and competitors.

“Why is someone going online to find an attorney?”

Have you asked your new clients why they used a particular advertising media to find you? Was it TV, radio, classifieds, newspaper display ads, a website, a video or something else? Did you ever try asking them “If a friend had recommended a lawyer that they used, would you have ever gone online to look for an attorney?”

“Why do you have a website or a blog?” is a question I often ask attorneys. “Because everyone has one today,” is the off-the-cuff response I get. “Yes,” but why do you have it?”

“To advertise,” is the response.

For those of you familiar with Dan Kennedy in the Glazer-Kennedy Insider’s Circle, he will often repeat that the goal of getting a customer is not to make a sale. Rather, the goal is to get a lifelong customer who trusts you and will buy from you repeatedly over their lifetime. Think about that. Then re-read it again. It’s profound and it’s 100% accurate. Most salespeople focus on just making that one-time sale. That’s the wrong mindset. Instead, develop a relationship where your viewers like you, trust you and learn from you. If you do that, they’ll keep coming back over and over again.

Now, how can you use that in your marketing messages online? Is your goal to get that one case that will pay for the newspaper ad? Or, is your goal to get someone in need of your legal services who likes you, trusts you, and will turn to you for all their legal needs?

When you create educational video, that’s exactly what you are doing. By educating viewers you are developing trust and showing your expertise at the same time. That’s the type of person who hires an attorney after watching his online videos.

Lawyers ask me all the time whether video is really useful. I’m tempted to tell them that the answer is “no.” However, I’ve always been straightforward and honest when explaining to lawyers how useful and important creating video is to market their legal practice.

There are plenty of attorneys who are so busy practicing law that they never look up to realize that they actually need to work on their business instead of in the business in order to generate new clients and new cases. Many attorneys find marketing to be distasteful and best left to the rainmaker of the firm. All they want is to be the best lawyer they can be and get the best results for the client. That is a great ideal and is very commendable. However, if you look at your recent statistics showing you where you got your clients from over the last year you will undoubtedly recognize that the sources for your cases have changed, especially when compared to years past.

Lawyers tell me every day that today’s practice of law is not what it used to be. That is true. The economy is drastically different. Our perceptions have changed dramatically. Laws have changed. Our congress and senate is constantly in flux. The only constant is that people continue to get into trouble; they continue to need legal advice, and they continue to need legal services to help them through their dilemmas. That fact alone should give you hope and recognize that your services are needed.

The problem that most attorneys have is distinguishing themselves from each other. The worst thing you can do is show your potential consumers that you are simply a commodity to be bargained with and are no different than a lawyer down the street. You don’t want to be competing solely on price, nor do you want to be the cheapest lawyer in town. Consumers perceive that if you are the lowest priced attorney in town, then you are a bargain-basement attorney. Clearly, that’s not the impression you want to give. In fact, I know a number of good attorneys who have raised their prices despite this poor economic climate. While other lawyers are drastically cutting their prices, a select few are dramatically increasing their prices and thriving, in part to show how different they are and how valuable their services truly are.

Lawyers who have been exposed to some type of marketing typically fall back to the traditional types of lawyer advertising we so commonly see, and that we have gotten so sick of; the TV commercials, the 15 second radio ads, the Yellow Pages ads that says nothing except ‘come to me because I handle the following 10 areas of practice’. Or maybe they have seen a billboard with a fancy 1-800-number and some smiling lawyers that has a one-word question: “Injured?”

I think consumers are tired of attorneys who advertise in the traditional way. Most consumers are sophisticated today and they are looking for an attorney who can help them solve their particular problem. Although I know a number of attorneys who swear by traditional forms of lawyer advertising, I also know many attorneys who do everything possible to stay away from the clichéd and hackneyed lawyer ads that say nothing. That comprises the essence of most attorney advertising.

Why do you think there’s so many rules and regulations that govern attorney advertising? It’s because most of the advertising that we have done in the past has been so awful and it failed to educate our consumers about what we do and how we do it. Never before has there been a forum or a media that explained to our consumers exactly what we do and how we do it. There is no other form of attorney advertising media except video that allows us the unparalleled and unrestricted opportunity to give our consumers tons and tons of information that actually helps them make an educated decision about which attorney they should use  for their legal problem.

Remember, there plenty of people out there who have legal problems. Whether it’s an immigration problem or an accident problem or an employment discrimination problem, these issues are ever present. The public seeks and needs our help to solve their problems. Of course, not all problems can be solved, and not every attorney is right for every client.

How then can you best filter out those consumers and potential clients that are out there looking for an attorney? The answer is with video. Creating video helps you explain to your viewers what your area of expertise is, and importantly how you can help solve particular legal problems.

In New York, attorneys are explicitly prohibited from proclaiming that they are an expert in any particular area of law. We cannot come out and say that we are an expert in a specific area of law, even though we’ve been practicing in that area for over 20 or 25 years. We are obligated to tell our potential clients that we cannot guarantee any particular outcome regardless of our best efforts. It is the classic cover your behind cautionary advice that we must give so that consumers do not automatically assume that our past experiences mean that we can be successful in their particular case. That makes sense. In fact, it would be unethical to tell a client that because an attorney has achieved a particular result of prior case that that means they could do the same thing for their particular case.

In a recent decision about attorney conduct for online advertising, it said that a lawyer is obligated to be truthful about what they can and cannot do. In addition, the decision further indicated that a lawyer must be very clear that even though a potential client or consumer has communicated with the attorney through their website by e-mail or other means, they must be told that there is no attorney-client relationship until such time as they come into the office and sign a retainer where they actually hire the attorney.

You would think that this was common sense.

Ironically, the American Bar Association ran into flak from lawyers because the ABA was going to put this opinion behind a pay-wall so that attorneys could only see it if they pay a fee. Because of the uproar created by this decision, the American Bar Association backtracked and instead decided to post this opinion on their website for all to see. That makes sense, especially since most attorneys were not going to pay the American Bar Association to see what their ethical opinions were about attorney conduct. The best way to inform attorneys about what is and is not acceptable conduct is to make that information available online.

There is no better medium for attorneys to show potential consumers and potential clients how much expertise they have. Creating educational video helps these consumers understand how cases like these work. As an indirect benefit, viewers get to see that I have a specific expertise in my area of law which often prompts them to pick up the phone and call me, many times in the middle of watching one of my videos, to ask for more information. It has become almost routine for viewers to contact me after having seen my videos. They often will call and personally thank me for the information that I put online, and importantly, I don’t post any legal advice.

Lawyers are continually amazed when I tell them and recommend that they do not put any legal advice in their videos. “If I can’t give legal advice, then what can I talk about in my videos?” I get that question almost every day. I answer that question in my mastermind call that I have with attorneys who join my total online video solution program where I help lawyers create educational video to market their law practices. As a practicing trial attorney for 22 years now, I’ve been able to determine, through trial and error, what types of videos compel the viewer to call, and what types do not. I have the unique advantage of being a featured writer for Technolawyer.com where I review attorney videos on a regular basis.  I often study what other lawyers have done to create video to market their practices. Lawyers send me links to new videos all the time and it allows me to see immediately what works and what doesn’t work.

Lawyers in large firms still believe that online viewers want to see and hear about their credentials; where they went to law school, whether they were on moot court or law review, where they clerked for a particular judge and what firm they’re currently with. The reality is that no one cares, outside of your family, what your credentials are. A consumer looking for an attorney to solve their problem has only one thought in their mind: “I need an attorney to help me solve my problem.”

The question I have for you is “Will you be that attorney?”
How can you show your viewer that you are the right attorney for them?

I encourage you to read more of the articles on my blog which answers that question. By learning how to market yourself online using video, you not only become the trusted source, but you become the standard by which all other attorneys are then judged by your online consumer. This is an incredible competitive advantage that 99% of attorneys do not recognize.

If you want to work in your business as an attorney, that’s fine, as long as you have a continual flow of good cases that will keep you happy for many years to come. Most attorneys are now realizing that they need to look for other sources of revenue and income to stay afloat and to lead happy, productive lives as a practicing lawyer. Creating video is the best way to do that.

I encourage you to learn more about my total online video solution and to learn how I can help you as an attorney create educational video to market your law practice.

Thanks for taking the time to read this lengthy blog post.
Best regards,
Gerry

I used to use a dry cleaner near my home that I would have to drive to in order to get my clothes dry cleaned. They were a big operation. Very impersonal. The front desk staff changed often and nobody ever knew who I was despite the fact I had been using them for more than 10 years. Well, this dry cleaner went out of business, and I needed to look elsewhere for my dry cleaner needs.

There is no shortage of dry cleaners in Great Neck. The key is finding one that is convenient. That’s why most people use local services; because they are convenient and easy to get to. Remember that when deciding where to open your office.

I decided to give the dry cleaners that are literally next door to my office a try. Why not? I pass by their store every day when I go to and from work. They seem nice enough. All dry cleaners are the same, I thought. They all solve the same problem: They clean my clothes and expect a fee. They all use the same cleaning process, so differentiating one dry cleaner from another is virtually impossible. So why choose one over the other? Convenience.

When I went in for the first time, I noticed that the place is brightly lit, and the front desk is always manned by the same woman I see everyday. We park our cars in the same lot behind our building. It turns out it is a husband and wife team that runs the shop. Setting up my account took less than two minutes.

I’m happy to report that every time I walk in to drop off or pick up my clothes the same woman has a smile on her face and welcomes me by name. She knows who I am, and before I even have a chance to pull out my laundry ticket, she has punched up the information on the computer and gone to the back to obtain my clothes. That is true service. Our transaction finished, she turns to me with a great big sincere smile and says “Thank You Mr. Oginski, have a great day!”

Imagine that you could offer this type of service to your clients when they walk in the door. That would certainly make their day.

How can use this to improve your attorney video? Simple.

When you create your video, make sure you welcome your viewer. At the end of your video thank them for watching. That’s how you show a viewer you appreciate their time.

The emperor had a change of clothes and so should you.

When you arrive in court for trial each day, you have changed your clothes, right? (At least I hope so.)

When you watch the evening news (does anybody still watch the evening news?) you notice the newscasters with different clothes each night.

“Why does this matter and what the heck am I talking about?”

I’ll tell you…

Have you heard the phrase “Same old, same old?” Sure you have. It means the same damn thing as always. Nothing has changed. It’s boring. Not interesting. “So what does this have to do with video marketing for lawyers?” I’m glad you asked. The answer is “everything.”

Let’s say you shoot an hour of  video wearing your nice sharply creased white shirt with a blue polka-dot tie and a navy pin-striped suit. From that one hour of video, you can get about 4-5 video clips lasting 2-3 minutes each. (I know some video production companies that take hours of video and only give you one or two video clips lasting less than one minute each.) If you’re wearing the same thing in each video clip, it becomes the “same old, same old.” Maybe you don’t want to change your clothes. “I’ll change it on the next video shoot.” Ok. That’s fine. Just make sure you do, because your viewers will remember, especially if you have all of your videos on one web page.

If you change your clothes, it appears as if you are being DIFFERENT!

That’s the whole point of creating video: To show you’re different.

The bottom line: CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Have a great day!

______________________

Gerry is a New York medical malpractice and personal injury trial lawyer in practice for over 21 years. He has produced and created over 200 educational and informative videos to help consumers understand how lawsuits work in the State of New York. If you want to see how Gerry has used video to promote his own practice click here.

Gerry created the Lawyers’ Video Studio to help lawyers get onto video. To get started with creating video to market your legal services, Gerry offers a simple and cost-effective turn-key video creation system where he does everything for you except appear on camera, click here to learn more.

You can reach Gerry personally at 516-487-8207 or by e-mail at Gerry@lawyersvideostudio.com. He welcomes your call.

WARNING: This list is not for the thin-skinned or faint-hearted lawyer.

1. You don’t know why you should create video.
2. Nobody would want to watch you anyway (except your family).
3. You’re lazy.
4. You like the # of calls you’re getting from the yellow pages.
5. You have no desire to market yourself on the internet.
6. It’s beneath you to talk about what you do in public.
7. You don’t look good, and have a radio face.
8. You don’t sound good and would rather pay ‘talent’ to appear for you.

This list is for those attorneys who fail to take action when presented with the opportunity to dominate their area of law.

Let’s face it; the yellow pages are dying and lawyer directories don’t distinguish you from any other lawyer. TV, radio and display ads are expensive. You created a website to tell the world what you do, hoping that somehow, someone looking for a lawyer online will find your website and despite compelling odds, choose to call you instead of your competitor down the street. You don’t update your website often. You don’t write a blog. Nor do you give your viewer a compelling reason to call you.

At this point, you might as well give up now and continue to complain to friends and colleagues about how bad your law business is in this economy. This mindset reminds me of a character in the book “Our Iceberg is Melting” by John Kotter. The character is a penguin (all the characters are penguins) who is always pessimistic and they call him “No-no.” Why? Because every suggestion, even good ones, are turned away by “No-no.” Nothing is ever good enough to warrant a “Yes” from him.

Why does your yellow pages ad stink? Because it’s just like all the others.

Why doesn’t your offline advertising bring in business? Because as marketing guru Mark Stevens says “Your advertising sucks.”

Nothing’s working for you. Business is way down and you don’t know how video can improve your marketing. To you, video looks like a waste of time and money. For the pessimist it will be. However, if you have a positive outlook and a good mindset, then creating video can dramatically improve your ability to effectively and ethically market your law practice.

Video allows a viewer to hear you; see you and begin to trust you. Now here’s my warning:

If you really look like a schlump, dress poorly and are not confident, then DO NOT create video. If your prospective clients are afraid to meet you because of your looks or inability to converse and interact with them, you might want to consider being an attorney who has limited contact with clients and focus your strengths on the law. Leave the marketing to someone more dynamic in your firm or hire talent to appear on camera for you.

Will you start creating video to market your law practice? Only you can answer that question. If you are eager to get onto video, I can help. Take a look at my turn-key system where I do everything for you. Also, take a look at some of the well-known lawyers who have taken the time to write testimonials. It’s truly eye-opening.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Have a great day!

______________________

Gerry is a New York medical malpractice and personal injury trial lawyer in practice for over 21 years. He has produced and created over 200 educational and informative videos to help consumers understand how lawsuits work in the State of New York. If you want to see how Gerry has used video to promote his own practice click here.

Gerry created the Lawyers’ Video Studio to help lawyers get onto video. To get started with creating video to market your legal services, Gerry offers a simple and cost-effective turn-key video creation system where he does everything for you except appear on camera, click here to learn more.

You can reach Gerry personally at 516-487-8207 or by e-mail at Gerry@lawyersvideostudio.com. He welcomes your call.