Build your brand, highlight your area of expertise, and provide new avenues for engagement with a carefully thought out law firm video production plan.
Nearly 4 billion videos are played on Facebook alone each day – and that number continues to rise every month. The soaring popularity and ubiquity of video makes it an increasingly essential component of any advertising strategy. A video makes you and your law firm far more approachable and allows your personality and expertise to shine through – as long as your finished piece is professional and polished. Understanding the different parts of video production and how to make videos that truly reflect your law firm’s brand will help you become proactive in the process and ensure that the end result meets your expectations. Here are the stages and general timelines for law firm video production.
Planning/Pre-Production
What topic will you cover in the video – and what is the goal of the shoot? Do you want to introduce prospective clients to your firm, talk about your services in general, or address a specific question or concern? Figuring out both the goal of your piece and what you specifically want to discuss allows your team to craft a compelling script to convey your message. Hiring a marketing team with experience in law firm video production and ABA compliance is a good first step. While they focus on the content and technical aspects, you can help determine the ideal setting, wardrobe, and other visual components of the shoot to ensure that the finished product perfectly captures the look you want. This planning stage can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks; your schedule, the complexity of the shoot, and other factors impact the pre-production process.
Production
The actual production session will include the filming with professional sound and lighting. You will have a script to work from and a teleprompter allows you to present your topic without a lot of memorization. Your marketing team will make sure you are relaxed and comfortable and that you look professional and capable on film. One of the biggest benefits of working with a professional team is the confidence you gain knowing everything about the production is in experienced, capable hands. The actual shooting of your video will take anywhere from a few hours to a whole day, depending on the number of videos and amount of content you want to generate from the shoot. Your production team can give you a specific window of time to block off on your schedule so you can be prepared.
Post Production and Editing
After the video shoot, the raw footage will be edited and crafted into a ready to-view, finished clip that can be integrated into your site, social media feeds, and overall marketing strategy. The editing and packaging of your clip should take on average a week. The editing process can be expedited if your video is about a time-sensitive legal matter. There is typically a rough edit of the video provided for final approval, where you can request any changes or additions if the tone, content, or presentation does not fit your law firm’s final expectations.
Distribution
Your video will be compressed into an easy-to-view, easy-to-share format, ideal for watching on any type of computer or mobile device. Once complete, your video needs a search engine optimized description to make sure it places well in search results and shows up when a prospect is searching for help and information online. According to the American Bar Association, the videos you create should be integrated into your social media channels, email marketing efforts, and on YouTube and other video library sites. Allow a few days for initial distribution and follow up by incorporating your video into a variety of marketing streams.
Video can play an integral role in your marketing efforts, but simply slapping together a clip yourself will not allow you maximize the potential that video offers. Viewers can spot a DIY clip a mile away, and they are looking for professional advice on critical legal matters. Your clips need to relay your full talents and abilities and forge a connection in just a few short minutes.
If you want to learn more about building your brand through professional law firm video production, contact Kirkpatrick Creative at 866-864-9425 and let us help you generate new business. Kirkpatrick Creative uses proprietary analytics software that tests, tracks, and amplifies every penny of your marketing budget. We create the most efficient advertising campaigns – Engineered to Work!