Viewers Leaving Comments

Many people believe that if a consumer leaves a bad review on their website, they should immediately remove it so other online visitors don’t see it. I totally disagree.

Think about why you created a website to begin with; to put information online to let viewers see who you are and what you have to offer. Think about why social networking is so popular today. We have instant communication with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you think about why social networking is so popular you’d understand it’s because people are having conversations with each other about their lives, products and services.

It would be nice if everybody’s product and service was 100% perfect and had the best customer service in the world. The reality is that not everybody offers up great content or a great quality product. As a consumer, you want honest reviews of a product or service you intend on buying.

I have seen only a handful of companies successfully deal with negative reviews and comments on their websites. Those companies are to be congratulated for not trying to censor comments made by real-time customers and clients.

The best way to handle negative reviews and comments from your video is to engage that person in a conversation that the world can see. You have the ability and opportunity to explain, not just to this viewer, but anybody who comes to watch your video and reads the comments why this person’s point of view was totally incorrect. On the other hand, you may actually agree with the reviewer’s critique. I suggest that if you do agree with the negative comment, tell your viewers that and explain why.

By engaging in the conversation you have the ability to show that you are listening; that you care about the comments people leave and understand enough to explain why their point of view may be inaccurate. If the comment is spam or has no other purpose other than to defame or slander you, then it should be removed. However, if the viewer offers an honest critique then you should do everything possible to politely respond with a detailed explanation.

This is exactly what happened with a video I created involving a medical malpractice case I recently handled. A doctor commented on my video and was extremely harsh. He claimed that he did not believe my client’s story since he practiced that type of medicine and that type of problem was not evidence of medical negligence. He also claimed, after listening to my 3 minute video, that my client’s injuries could not have resulted from the wrongdoing I talked about in the video. My initial gut reaction when reading his critical review was one of disbelief and anger. I thought “How could he possibly say this? He wasn’t there! He didn’t read the medical records. He didn’t see the comments and reviews by his colleagues- medical experts that the patient had consulted on his own, that clearly showed there were departures from good care resulting in permanent injury.”

However, I recognized that this was the perfect opportunity to educate this physician about why my client’s case had merit; why his own medical colleagues were the ones who determined the case had merit (I was not the one who decided); and why my client’s injuries were permanent and life-altering. In fact, I even went so far as to invite the doctor to write a detailed guest blog post about his thoughts and his area of specialty to explain to my viewers his opinions. I even offered to put this blog post on my website. As of today, he has declined to take me up on this offer.

Engage your viewers in a conversation and you’ll understand what they are thinking.

Stand Out From the Crowd-Look at the shell in the middle

I don’t understand crappy video. On a regular basis, someone convinces smart, intelligent, educated lawyers to create content that nobody wants to see. Want to know why? I’ll tell you.

One lawyer sees that another attorney created an interesting looking video and he wants it too. When we were kids, we thought like that too. We’d get jealous when our friend got something new and we didn’t or couldn’t have it. We’d think about how cool it was and often we’d be jealous that he had it and we didn’t.

Well, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, that still doesn’t explain why lawyers create awful video. Yes it does. You see, lawyers are always looking for things that work to improve their marketing.

Let me ask you these questions:

Why did you create a website? Because other attorneys started creating websites and you wanted what they had too.

Why did you put photos of your office or of a flag or a gavel on your website? Because other lawyers were doing it and you thought it looked patriotic and that’s what a lawyer’s website was supposed to look like.

Why did you put photos of yourself and your staff on your website? Because other attorneys were putting pictures of themselves on their websites.

Why did you put an audio recording on your site? Because other attorneys did it.

Why did you put an opt-in form on your website? Because that’s what other attorneys did.

Why did you join Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn? Because other attorneys were doing it, and you read that in order to stay technologically relevant today, you needed to join the social media networking party.

Get the idea? Other attorneys have the coolest things and you want it too. Sound familiar?

The problem is that without knowing the inner workings of those other law firms and their return on investment (ROI), you don’t really know whether their marketing stuff works. You assume it works because many other attorneys are trying to use those tools to market themselves. But the reality is that you really don’t know.

Let’s get back now to the original statement; why lawyers create crappy video. It’s because they see their colleagues and competitors creating video that they think they need to have. Subconsciously they’re thinking “Hey, if he’s making a video about “X” then that means I want to do the same thing and attract the same type of people with a similar video.” Many attorneys don’t know how to stray from the crowd.

Stand Out from the crowd, or stay in your flock

There’s comfort with being in a crowd. Take a look at this photo I took on Sanibel Island, Flordia recently. It illustrates my point perfectly. Birds of a feather flock together. If you’re a trial attorney, you feel at home in the lawyers lounge in the courthouse. You’re surrounded by like-minded attorneys and professionals who handle similar cases. When you go to CLE seminars, you usually pick topics on trial practice and jury selection and discovery. Most of the attorneys at those seminars are just like you.

That’s fine, but how do you stand out from that crowd? Just explaining your credentials doesn’t cut it anymore. Why are you different and how can you show that? The reality is that most lawyers are afraid to step out of their comfort zone. They’re afraid to try something new. They’re worried it won’t work. More importantly, they’re really worried about what their fellow attorneys will think when they stick out like a sore thumb and don’t act like all the other lawyers.

Many lawyers face this problem, and you are not alone:

When your revenue is down, and your cases are dwindling and you wonder why your phone isn’t ringing as often, ask yourself if you still want to run with the lawyers who are all marketing the same way. If you are, I guarantee that if you don’t change, your results will remain the same or get worse. Lawyers are found in the court house every day complaining about decreasing income and struggling to find clients. It’s not just in New York, but in every court house throughout the country.

Want to know how to create great video that will help you stand out from the crowd? First, you have to stop doing what all the other lawyers are doing. Simple, right? Yeah, sure. Here’s a great example, and I can’t believe I haven’t created a video about this yet. Credentials are ‘out’, education is ‘in’. Why can’t you create a video that explains why credentials are not as relevant as they used to be? It’s just one way to get you creating great video.

Want to learn more? Then join me in the Lawyers Video Studio coaching group. It’s the only coaching group in the country that helps lawyers create content that viewers want to watch. There is no other video production company that does this. Come on in. It’s a great way to stand out from the crowd. See you there!

Gerry

Are You Ready to Create Video?

Some attorneys will just know. Others will wait and watch what their colleagues are doing. Still others will never get around to picking their heads up from their work to wonder what all the fuss is about.

Which lawyer will you be?

I believe there are three kinds of lawyers. I happen to have been all three at different times in my legal career.

• The workhorse
• The rainmaker
• The marketer

The workhorse is typically an attorney who just got out of law school and works like a dog for the next five to seven years in a law firm learning everything and getting as much experience as possible. There’s no time for marketing; no time to think about rainmaking. The only thing on your mind is working hard, getting noticed by the partners and hopefully, if you’re so inclined, being asked to become a partner.

The rainmaker actively looks to bring in new business. He (or she) realizes that there are relationships to make, networking meetings to attend and money to be made by getting known. He doesn’t yet understand or know what type of rainmaking activity works best or which ones combined will generate income, but at least he’s trying to figure it out mostly by trial and error.

The marketer is someone who works on the business and not just in the business. The marketer realizes and understands that in order to grow your law business, you need multiple sources of business to keep you afloat, especially during harsh economic times. The old maxim “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” certainly applies to legal marketers. Focusing on just one marketing method is a guaranteed road to very limited success. A really good marketer will understand what “ROI” means: “Return on Investment.” That lawyer will always be looking to get the best ROI with any marketing he does. In other words, he looks to get the best bang for his buck.

Here’s my recommendations to understanding whether you’re ready to create video:

1. The workhorse is NOT ready for video. He is in the trenches each day and may not truly realize the benefits of creating attorney video to market himself and his law firm. The workhorse may not even know why lawyers would even create educational video.
2. The rainmaker IS ready for video. He is looking for ways to increase revenue to his law firm. He’s exploring different ways to see what works and what doesn’t and will look to his more-experienced colleagues for guidance. The unfortunate consequence of looking to colleagues is that this creates a ‘me-too’ marketing approach, and if it works for them, then it’ll work for me mentality. Bad idea. Don’t follow the pack.
3. The marketer IS definitely ready for video. He knows the value of creating a personal bond with his online viewer. He understands how important it is to answer viewers questions before they ever pick up the phone. He realizes that video is the best way to interact with a potential client and to show his expertise before he ever meets that person. The marketer knows that creating video is the best ROI out of any attorney advertising media currently available. He knows that the future of the internet is video. He also understands that video works for him 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, whether he’s in the office, on vacation or sleeping. This type of lawyer is ready to leverage his knowledge of the law and put it to use in creating educational video to market his law firm. This is the ideal attorney who is ready for video.

Which lawyer are you?

Which lawyer do you want to be?

In one year, do you see yourself asking these same questions and achieving the same results you’ve always achieved? Or, do you want to change and grow your business and your income? The choice, as always, is yours.

If you’ve heard me speak in front of hundreds of lawyers across the country you’ve heard me say this:

A good marketer is one who knows how to make a decision.

A great legal marketer is one who takes action on that decision.

An incredible legal marketer is one who implements that decision to take action.

Taking action is the only way to achieve results. Lawyers who sit around and debate all day lose opportunities that really smart marketers take advantage of. So…what are you waiting for? An invitation?

Ok, here’s your invitation:

You are cordially invited to take action and become the best legal marketer you can be.

Listen in to what Atlanta personal injury attorney Greg Stokes had to say after shooting video with the Lawyers Video Studio:

Come join me in the Lawyers Video Studio with the only ‘done-for-you’ video program in the country that’s run by a veteran New York medical malpractice trial lawyer. As the only experienced video producer who is also an seasoned video producer you get the benefit of learning what works using attorney video and importantly what doesn’t. If you’re ready for video, call me today for your complimentary phone conference at 516-487-8207 or by email: gerry@lawyersvideostudio.com. I look forward to speaking with you.

Have you taken advantage of the opportunities you have today?

Have you lived your life with passion?
My good friend Rob Anspach advocates living your life with passion and by doing so it will make you wildly successful. I agree with him.

What are you going to do today that is different than yesterday that will change your practice and your life? If you can’t answer that question, you need to re-think where you’re going and what you want from your law practice and your life.

Seize the opportunity to stand out from the crowd and be different. Being different is good. Video will show you you’re really good.

To learn more about how video can make a difference in your life and your legal practice, I invite you to explore my Total Online Video Solution for Attorneys. Listen to attorney Greg Stokes explain what he thought of my video program. Click here to listen.

Canon T2i dSLR

I love my Canon T2i dSLR. The quality of the photos are stunning. 18 megapixels. Focusing has 9 imaging points. It takes 3.7 frames/second with rapid shooting. The manual functions make taking pictures in all types of lighting a breeze and lets you get creative too.

I have a zoom lens attached to my camera in the picture in this post. I often use it to take action photos of my kids on the soccer field.

At today’s soccer game, I didn’t have my video camera and instead of going back to my office to pick it up, thought I’d try my dSLR to shoot fast-action video today.

Here’s what’s great about using the video capabilities on my dSLR:

• It shoots high-definition video that has incredible, stunning moving images.
• It can shoot video until the memory card is full; about 12 minutes of continuous video, which is huge. (I have a 16 Gigabyte, class 6 memory card.)
• It has a built-in microphone to pick up all the ambient sound a/k/a noise

Here’s why a great dSLR should NOT be used to shoot your kids at a soccer game:

• It does not have instant “On” like your regular dedicated video camera has.
• It does not autofocus as you move the camera from one image to another. Each time you want to move the camera to a different point, you must press the shutter half-way to re-focus.
• Since a dSLR has a mirror that normally must be lifted up and out of the way to take the photo, this creates a delay when you request a ‘live’ view from your digital viewfinder. The mirror must be lifted up, and you can view your live action in the digital viewfinder screen. Viewing through the optical viewfinder is not available with a live view.
• The live view image shuts off automatically after 15 seconds if the record button isn’t pressed. This is annoying especially since I do not tape the entire soccer game. Rather, I tape segments when my daughter is involved in the action. There are times when I’m watching other players with the ball, waiting for my daughter to get the ball. The camera kept shutting off the live view. Then I’d have to re-press the live function, have a delay to activate, and then we’d be good to go.
• The auto exposure function is not as good as on a normal video camera. Then you have to manually set the exposure. The problem with that is that the sun moves and clouds pass by, changing the exposure during play. That explains why sometimes you’ll have great exposure, then it’ll get dark, then it’ll get really light. With most good video cameras, this doesn’t happen since their auto exposure adjusts automatically to most lighting situations.

My daughter loves to watch and re-watch how she performed at the end of each game, and having these videos are perfect for her. It’s a great learning opportunity for her to see what she did well, and what needs to be improved. In addition, I get to create short clips of her performance during each game and often get creative with slow-motion, fast-motion and crazy color effects. She really likes that.

Want to shoot video of fast moving action events?

My recommendation is to stick with your regular video camera for now. In the near future I am sure that dSLR’s will be able to do everything that video cameras do, but even better.

1. Start with an idea
2. Figure out why someone would want to learn the information you have
3. Create an interesting story using that information
4. Edit your story, then edit again

That’s it. A simple little four step plan to create great video.

You might be disappointed if I just stopped there, right? Well, I almost did, but I knew I’d get replies like “What was that?”

“You didn’t finish…”

“You didn’t tell me anything I didn’t know…”

“I don’t understand…use a real example.”

Ok, here’s a real example.

I just finished a trial and was so pumped up on the way back from court that I realized not many people use attorney video to explain trial practice to consumers. Sure, we all watch court-related and law-related shows on TV and in the movies. But ask your friend if he really knows what “Objection sustained” means. Ask if he knows what “Res Ipsa Loquitor” means. Most will not.

1. MY BRILLIANT IDEA: I had a great cross-examination of a doctor during my trial. Why couldn’t I re-create part of it to show my legal brilliance (I’m boasting here since there’s nobody here to do it for me, so don’t think I’m getting all cocky. Besides, I won the case and got an incredible verdict, $1.5 million, in an extremely conservative venue.)
2. VIEWER APPEAL: When you have an idea, you must ask why someone would want to know that information. Importantly, is this information that they readily have access to? Is this something that most people know? Is it something that I have a special expertise in? I asked the question “Would a viewer want to see/hear about a real-life cross-examination that was highly favorable to my case?” In my case, the answer was “Yes.”
3. TELL YOUR STORY: It wasn’t enough just to give a textbook lesson on what is effective cross-examination. Nor did we have video cameras in the courtroom to capture my magnificent legal oratory and piercing, jello-quivering response I hoped for with this doctor’s cross-examination. (You know that never happens, right?) Anyway, you’ve got to tell your viewers a story about your idea.
4. EDIT, EDIT & EDIT: You’ve got a great idea for a video. You came up with a wonderful story. The only problem is that it took you 8 minutes to tell it. (Imagine hearing a basketball game buzzer going off at the end of the game.) Edit your story down to bite-size chunks. Nobody wants to listen to your 8 minute story, no matter what result you achieved, or what a brilliant lawyer you think you are.

Like this post? Tell me why in the comments below.

Actual message I received from Flickr

You think you own it, right? In theory, you do. However, when you attempt to host your videos with the video sharing sites you may be shocked to learn that they have total control over what is done with your videos.

They control where those videos are placed on their website. They control what advertisements, if any, will overlay your video. They determine what quality your video will be played back at. They determine how much of your description will be shown to a viewer. They determine how many other similar videos will also appear next to yours while yours is being watched.

Because you allow a free video service to host your videos, you give up virtually all of your rights to have control over what happens to your video.

Here’s a perfect example that you can see in the photograph at the top of this post.

I went to upload a video and Flickr decided that they were going to block my video because there was “too much activity” in my account. This is not activity where I’m transferring money from a money market account to a checking account and have six transfers available each month. This is not some law that says I can only upload “X” number of videos each day or month. This is an arbitrary decision by a video sharing site to limit the number of videos in any given account. It’s all about video storage and hosting and the fact that it’s free.

If you try and find out how many videos they consider to be too many, I guarantee that you’ll waste tremendous amounts of time getting nowhere. Don’t bother reading the terms of service again since they are intentionally vague. However, make no mistake that they control all aspects of the videos on their site.

Exactly how many videos did I upload that prompted this nasty message from Flickr? Let’s see. I uploaded one video on Friday. One on Sunday. I  tried to upload another video on Tuesday. What I got was this lovely message saying “Hey buddy, slow down. You’re putting too much content on our video sharing site.”

What does this mean for you? It means you better make sure that in addition to uploading your videos to various video sharing sites that you always host your videos privately so you have total control over them.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog!

Final Cut Express

Some might say yes. Others say “Phooey. I’ll just press record and then when I’m done, simply upload right to YouTube.”

Besides content, editing is way up there in terms of importance and here’s why:

1. You’ve got to make your video direct and to the point. If you don’t edit out the garbage and excess verbiage, your viewer will be turned off. Don’t think that your brilliant lessons on the law are going to sway an online viewer. They won’t. Edit, edit and when you think you’ve got it just right…edit it some more.
2. It’s tough to get a totally perfect video shoot. Even when you shoot the same scene 20 times. Besides creating a concise video that (hopefully) a viewer will want to watch, editing allows you to really think about whether a viewer searching for an attorney will pay any attention to what you’re talking about.
3. Editing your video allows you to add graphics, which is always a nice touch. It allows you to color correct your video; this is very important especially when the exposure is not correct or the coloring is off. Does your audio have problems? Editing is the time to fix it.
4. Want to show that you’re a savvy video expert? Transitions show off your editing prowess.
5. Want to show off that music you’ve been playing and perfecting? Use it for an intro and exit.

If you don’t edit your videos, you look amateurish and simply have stream-of-thought consciousness; someone who just didn’t or couldn’t take the time to create a great-quality product that someone would want to watch.

My advice: Take the time to learn how to effectively edit your online videos. If you don’t have the time or don’t want to do it, hire an experienced video production company to do it all for you. It’ll be worth every penny and every minute you save. Guaranteed.

To learn more about how attorneys save time and money by joining the Total Online Video Solution program for attorneys, watch this 58 second video.

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Chris Davis & Mischelle Davis

“Gerry,

We were so happy to finally meet YOU!! We thought that we knew a thing or two about using video in our law practice until we discovered YOU. You are THE MAN!!! Meeting you last week prompted us to completely rethink our video strategy AND we decided that we weren’t doing nearly enough!!! You light a fire under our butts! We are now back in Seattle and refocusing and redoubling our video marketing efforts!!!

Thanks Gerry!!!”

Mischelle Davis

Davis Law Group, P.S.
2101 Fourth Avenue, Suite 630
Seattle, WA 98121
Phone: (206) 727-4000

There are some lawyers who still don’t get it. They still think the yellow pages is relevant today. There are other lawyers who don’t blink to pay $50,000 for a TV marketing campaign. There are still some lawyers who think Craigslist is a great way to market themselves and their legal services.

All of the traditional forms of  attorney advertising are becoming less and less relevant today, especially since most people go online to get information;  free information.

Cisco, one of the biggest Internet companies in the world responsible for making the Internet work, predicts that within the next 3-4 years video will be the dominant source of information online. The statistics that they actually cite is that 91% of all content online by the year 2014 will be video-based. I’ve seen statistics and comments by people from Google, Yahoo and other leading Internet companies agree that the future of everything online is video-based.

Knowing this, the question is “What can you do with this information?”  If you knew that the stock market would go up or down in a particular year you would have the ability to make sound investment choices (putting aside any issue of insider market trading). Here you have better information, coming from the top Internet companies in the world. All the articles, seminars and blog posts that these companies put out, all point to the direction of video being the dominant way in which people will receive information online in the coming years. Undoubtedly, there will be some people who still rely on text to get their message out. There’s nothing wrong with that.

However, if you are still in the stone ages and keep insisting that your static website is going to convert more viewers into callers compared to lawyers who have video on their website and the video sharing sites, you are sorely mistaken. Your goal, as an attorney who is looking for new clients, would be well advised to get onto video today and tomorrow and the next day.

Video helps you create a bond with your viewer, establishes trust and shows the online world that you are friendly and approachable. Remember, people do business with people. They don’t do business with faceless corporations. It’s okay if you don’t think video is for you, but please remember my words three or four years from now. You don’t want to kick yourself for not creating the best method of communication online, in the most cost-effective manner possible.

For more information about how you can get onto video in a simple, easy and fun way, I urge you to explore my total online video solution for attorneys here.  To learn the mindset of the viewer and how to create compelling content I encourage you to join my video coaching group for lawyers here. It’s the perfect solution for attorneys who are creating video on their own as well as with a video production company.

Today’s blog post is about VIDEO equipment. Notice the double entendre in the title?

Most people think that in order to create good looking video, you must have a “professional” video camera that costs over $5,000 and looks like it came from a video production studio. That type of thinking is so wrong, on so many different levels. But it’s a typical expectation.

If you show up for a video shoot with little more than a rinky-dink handheld camcorder, people look at you like you’re an amateur. Guess what? They’re wrong.

Professional cameras cost anywhere from $2,500 up to $10,000. They weigh anywhere from 3 lbs to 10 lbs, which is really heavy when shooting without a tripod. B&H Photo in NYC has a great selection if you’re interested. They’ve also just built a neat little interview studio that showcases all of their pro cameras and equipment.

By contrast, most good consumer-level video cameras cameras cost anywhere from $500-$1,300, can be carried in the palm of your hand and typically weigh less than a pound.

So, does the minimal size of your equipment mean your quality suffers? The answer is no.

I use a top-of-the-line consumer-level camera made by Canon; the Vixia HF S10. It weighs nothing. My seven year old loves to play with it, thinking it’s so small and easy to use.

I used to own a professional grade Sony video camera that weighed a ton. It was a great standard digital (SD), miniDV camera and built like a rock. But I got tired of lugging it around. (It’s the camera at the top right of this page).

My Canon not only is tapeless and weighs next-to-nothing, but the quality of the HD video far surpasses what I used to own for a fraction of the price. Don’t worry about size. Instead, concern yourself with the quality.

Thanks for reading my blog and have a great day!

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“Gerry single handedly has changed the way attorneys are viewed by their website visitors. You see, Gerry “gets it.” He decided that instead of using online videos on his website to pitch his firms’ expertise and how he can handle your case, he decided it was better to educate his website visitors about the questions they have, prior to calling an attorney.”

Mike Acosta is a video production expert with www.HBProductionGroup.com.

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ABOUT GERRY

Gerry is a New York medical malpractice and personal injury trial lawyer in practice for over 21 years. He has produced and created over 250 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 other 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. To get onto video today, learn more in The Lawyers’ Video Studio.