I can find a reason to NOT do almost anything if I turn my mind to it, and live video is no exception.
However, if you’re going to avoid such a powerful marketing tool in your practice, then at least come up with some decent excuses. The ones I’m hearing these days aren’t very good at all.
The truth is that live video is an amazing opportunity to connect with your current and future clients in a real, personal way. This is because people get to see a bit of the real you. Done right, it build trust and confidence in you as a person and as a lawyer (not that the two are incompatible with each other…)
Here are my top 7 out of many bad reasons that lawyers want to stay away from live video.
It’s Not Professional
Let’s punch this one right in the face, because it’s the most common excuse I hear.
Normally it’s followed closely by me asking “what’s professional mean?”.
Often it turns out that “professional” in the mind of the other participant is a synonym for “high production value videos” which, of course, isn’t true. They think that every video needs to be a Spielberg blockbuster.
While the video-slash-movie approach for lawyers is coming along nicely, there are still a vast number of train wrecks out there produced by people who think that “professional” means a dull sound track, suit and tie, law books in the background, and an earnest discussion about “rights” and how they can go about protecting yours.
The problem is in the process. You hire a film crew, get big lights, and all of a sudden find yourself in a weirdly alien environment that you’re not comfortable in. In addition, a heap is riding on this because you’ve now invested a bucket of money into the process. As a result, many lawyers kind of freak out.
The resulting wooden, scared looking videos are rarely worth the money that was invested in them.
But at least they’re “professional”…
I Might Make a Mistake
If you replace “might” with “will” then this is completely accurate.
Continue reading “7 Awful, But Common, Excuses for Avoiding Live Video (Guest Post)”
