TechnoScore: 1.0
1 = Lowest Possible Score; 5 = Highest Possible Score
New York attorney David A. Bythewood created a slide show with beautiful classical music. Unfortunately, this "video" slide show fails to educate a viewer about a specific area of law.
I could not tell whether the narrator is Bythewood himself or paid talent. The quality of the audio is not good, but the background music sounds crystal clear.
The narrator describes every single practice area that his law firm handles, including criminal defense, personal injury, contract disputes, civil rights litigation, employment and labor law, business planning, formation and planning of corporations, corporate responsibility, offshore corporations, offshore banking, formation of partnerships and LLCs, asset protection, real estate, wills, trusts and estates, international transactions, and landlord and tenant law. If that's not enough to confuse you, the law firm is also prolific in English, Romanian, Russian, Arabic, Hindu and Spanish. In addition, they also practice in every possible state by being admitted pro hac vice.
The sidebar contains a word-for-word transcript of most of what the narrator says in the slide show. I couldn't help but think that this 1:52 minute video is a compilation of most typical attorney advertisements jumbled into one.
The photographs used in the slideshow are mostly unrelated to the script. The photographs are typical of those commonly found in the yellow pages and brochures of many law firms. They do not help differentiate how this lawyer and his law firm differ from other lawyers.
While I enjoy listening to good classical music, the volume of this particular piece is quite loud, causing me to focus on the music rather than on the message.
By creating a video message that talks about everything the law firm does, the firm has diluted the message. A potential client looking for an attorney who handles real estate would need to listen to the fifteen other areas of law this firm handles before knowing if this firm can handle his needs. The video overwhelms by talking about everything instead of narrowing down the focus to their most profitable areas of law.
Here's how to make this slide show better:
Tip #1: Talk About Only One Practice Area
By focusing only on one practice area per video, you increase the chances that a viewer will find your specific video when they conduct a specific search. Don't take a buckshot style approach. Focus like a laser or else prospective clients will become confused and overwhelmed by all that you offer.
Tip #2: Skip the Slide Show
The whole purpose of creating video with you talking to your viewer is for them to get to know you -- see and hear you. A slide show fails to do that. Video works so well because it creates an intimate bond with prospective clients. They look at you right in the eye. If they like what you have to say and how you say it, the trust factor increases dramatically compared to all other forms of lawyer advertising.
Remember, people do business with people, not faceless corporations or photographs of legal institutions.
Tip #3: Skip the Transcript
YouTube does not want a virtual transcript of what you say in your video. More importantly, your viewer does not want transcript either. Your description should summarize the video, and include keywords that prospective clients will use to find your particular video.
Do not go overboard. This sidebar goes on forever listing every type of law this firm handles, together with a word for word transcript. I also counted approximately 30 keywords in the tag section of the sidebar. It is my understanding from search engine optimization experts that too much material and will hurt your search engine rank because it comes across as spam.
Till next time, see you on video.
The Back Bench
Certified Family Law Specialist and online video producer Kelly Chang Rickert says: "The Good: This video conveys the EXACT theme of the firm. So, perfect representation!
The Bad: This video is a mess! The images shown make absolutely no sense — from "Help" in a bottle to a guy tightrope walking over a pillow. The practice areas also make no sense. How can one man specialize in criminal law, civil law, international disputes, white collar, business, and family law matters, and practice all over the country pro hac vice?
The Ugly: This firm has absolutely no boundaries. And neither does the marketing video."
TechnoLawyer publisher and online video producer Neil Squillante says: "Slide shows can be persuasive. David Bythewood has not created such a slide show. In fact, you could use his firm's video to demonstrate how not to create a slide show. He should yank it from YouTube and start over."
About YouLaw
YouTube offers law firms a free advertising platform with tens of millions of potential clients. But a poor video can hurt more than help. In this column, lawyer and online video expert Gerry Oginski reviews and rates the latest law firm videos. A panel of fellow experts (The Back Bench) add to Gerry's reviews with pithy remarks. We link to each new YouLaw column and all other noteworthy law firm marketing articles in our weekly BlawgWorld newsletter, which is free. Please subscribe now.
About Gerry Oginski
New York trial lawyer Gerry Oginski has created more than 230 informational online videos for his medical malpractice and personal injury practice. Realizing that most video producers don't have a deep understanding of the practice of law and what potential clients look for, Gerry launched The Lawyers' Video Studio, which provides free tutorials and video production services. If you need help producing a video, please contact Gerry now.
Contact Gerry:
T: (516) 487-8207
E: lawmed10@yahoo.com
