We’re all in the trust business. Every. Single. One. Of. Us.

But this is especially true when it comes to law firms and their attorneys. Which is why they need a law firm video strategy.

Law firms face unique challenges in marketing: conveying expertise and trustworthiness while making complex legal concepts accessible. This is where strategic video content can make a significant impact.

It’s one thing to read something about a law firm. It’s something else entirely when you get to see and hear from the people there.

Remember, your first interaction with a prospect isn’t when someone calls, sends an email, or fills out a form at your website. No mater how they find out about you, the most likely first interaction is going to be them visiting your website. That’s your first impression.

Take a look at your site right now. What’s there? Text? Some stock photos? Maybe some headshots of your attorneys?

Blah. The good news is, your competition probably looks the same. I should say, hopefully, your competition looks the same.

This is a HUGE missed opportunity for you. If you want to standout from the crowd, if you want to start earning trust from that very first interaction, you need quality video right there on your website to make a good first impression.

The big question… where do I start?

Starting with a Law Firm Video Strategy

When kicking off a video project, it’s crucial to ask the right questions. As a matter of fact, these are the five questions everyone should ask before they begin any video project.

Who’s your audience?

Easily, the most important question. Understanding your audience is critical. What do they care about? What challenges do they face? Tailoring your message to their specific needs and interests will make your video more engaging and impactful.

What’s the goal of your video?

It’s kind of crazy, but you’d be surprised how many communications pros don’t ask this question. You need to define what you want your video to achieve.

Are you looking to educate, inspire, or perhaps drive a specific action? Having a clear goal will shape your content strategy.

To go along with it, you should also figure out how you’re going to measure success. Will it be through engagement metrics, conversion rates, or other data? Setting these parameters upfront will help you evaluate the success of your project and inform future video projects.

Where will you show the video?

Next up, have an idea of what channels you plan to use (website, social media, live event, etc.). There are all sorts of options, which is why you need to think about it. In many cases, it might be multiple channels and that’s fine.

Determining the channel(s) will help you on how long the video should be.

Think push versus pull.

Social media video, you’re pushing it on people, so it should be short (1:00 or less). However, if it’s for your website, now it’s a pull situation. People have come to you, so the video can be longer (4-minutes or less).

What’s your story?

Video isn’t about facts and figures. Video is about emotion.

We’re not trying to appeal to the viewer’s brain. We’re targeting their heart, and the shortcut to the human heart is storytelling.

Use video to tell stories about your firm’s specialties, success stories, the clients you’ve helped, and the values you stand for. These stories can demystify legal jargon and showcase your firm’s human side, making legal services more relatable.

How will you promote the video?

Finally, you need to have a plan for promotion from the very start. This goes beyond knowing your channels. Put together a real plan for how you’re going to get this video out into the world.

It’s not good enough to post it on social once. Make your video(s) a regular part of your content calendar.

Don’t just put a video on the website. Think strategically about what pages will benefit most from having the video on them.

You can’t just expect people to find your videos. You have to know where your audience is and deliver the videos to them.

 

Production Quality Matters

Chances are you have worked hard to cultivate a stellar reputation for the firm.

Well, guess what?

The quality of your video reflects on your firm.

While there are certain video projects you can do in-house (short form videos for the top of your marketing funnel), the evergreen videos you put on your website or send directly to potential clients should probably be done by video pros.

I know, I’m a video producer.

But hear me out. High production values show professionalism and attention to detail, qualities clients look for in their legal representation.

While cost is a consideration, the investment in professional video production pays dividends in establishing your firm’s credibility.

Trust me, you can find quality video production that won’t bust your budget.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Navigating the legalities of video content is very important. Ensure all videos adhere to client confidentiality agreements and include any necessary disclaimers. Ethical considerations should guide every piece of content you produce, maintaining the integrity of your firm.

Make sure you deal with video pros who get this and have experience producing videos for law firms.

Here’s why this is so important. We in the corporate video space, I’m including us, are filled with creatives. Creatives and legal protections don’t often mix well.

As video creatives, we want to shoot amazing video, record clever audio, and tell the most compelling stories possible.

That doesn’t always match-up with law firms who have other concerns about this whole video production process thing.

As a production company that has done a lot of these law-related projects, we understand that our creative process will sometimes have to take a backseat to the firm’s legal perspective.

The last thing you want is to hire a video team, voice your concerns about something during the production, and be faced with rolling eyes and deep sighs. If you can find videos pros who have been around the block with other legal customers, hire them.

Exploring Types of Videos for Law Firms

So… what types of video should you produce? You’re really only limited by your own imagination here.

Having said that, the following are some you should consider:

• About Us Videos: Who you are, what you do, and why you do it. Introduce the our firm, your team, and what sets you apart.
• Attorney Profiles: We hire people we feel like we know and trust. That’s why attorney profiles are so important. It’s a big step forward in earning the trust of a potential client.
• Client Testimonial Videos: Real stories from those you’ve helped can significantly bolster your credibility.
• Educational and FAQ Videos: Make legal concepts digestible for your audience, establishing your team as approachable experts. Start by asking the attorneys… what are the question clients always want to know? Produce videos that answer those questions.
• Case Study Videos: Highlight your firm’s approach and successes in a detailed manner, respecting confidentiality.
• Thought Leadership Videos: Position your lawyers as authoritative voices on pertinent legal issues and trends.

• Behind-the-Scenes Videos: Show the human element behind your success, showcasing the dedication and care your team puts into every case. These are especially good for the bottom of your marketing funnel or the end of your flywheel. BTS videos are great to share with the clients you already serve, making them feel like they’re a part of your firm.

• Event Recap Videos: Share the highlights and key takeaways from legal seminars and charity functions your firm participates in.
• Legal Process Explainers: Clarify the steps in common legal proceedings, helping demystify the legal system for your clients.
• Recruitment Videos: I don’t have to tell you how competitive the job market is right now. Attract the best candidates by showcasing your firm’s culture and the opportunities you offer.

Having a law firm video strategy is a great way to connect with your audience, showcase your expertise, and humanize your brand. By following this strategic approach, your firm can not only stand out in a crowded market but also forge stronger connections with current and prospective clients, setting the stage for lasting success.

Every click counts and every impression matters, investing in a thoughtful video strategy is not just wise… it’s essential.

– Tony Gnau

We have been pretty fortunate to produce videos for some amazing brands. We have shot on the tarmac at O’Hare International Airport while a United Airlines jet pulled in. We have done work inside Walgreens’ test store. The folks at Goose Island Beer Company trusted us with their recipe book when we produced their videos.

But hands down, the brand we get the most questions about isn’t a brand… it’s a man.

And now… a Hall of Famer.

Let me tell how Dwyane Wade became a T60 customer.

I knew someone who worked for his agent back in 2007, so when the subject of shooting video at his annual basketball camp came up… my friend threw T60 into the conversation.

We got the job in large part because he wasn’t the first NBA All-Star we worked for. We had already produced a couple of videos for Chris Bosh (another class-act), but this shoot was a little different.

Over the course of my life, I have met and been around some gigantic sports legends. Muhammad Ali once turned to me during a photo shoot and jokingly sparred with me.

Yeah… you don’t get any bigger than that.

So… I’m not easily star-struck by athletes, and that was true when it came to D-Wade as well. However, I was pretty psyched about producing the video, and I walked away in awe of how he handled himself. He made me a fan for life.

I had been to many athletic camps like his over the years and here’s what typically happens. Tons of kids attend, the star athlete shows-up toward the end, gives a little speech and hits the road. Maybe he or she takes a few photos with the kids.

That’s it.

Which is why you can imagine my surprise when I arrived before the event began, and Dwyane was already there. We chatted off-camera for a bit, and I put a wireless microphone on him. I told him, don’t worry about me, just do what you would normally do at the camp.

Remember, I was just expecting a little speech at the end.

I started shooting video of the kids going through drills… shooting, defense, you name it. All of a sudden, I hear Dwyane through my headphones because he had on the wireless mic, and it sounded like he was talking to some kids.

I start looking around the gym, and not only was he chatting with the kids… he was doing drills with them! He was shooting, guarding them, hanging out with them, talking with them… he just looked like he was part of the group.

The best part? It wasn’t an act for the camera. He was just having fun.

During a break, I told him he surprised me by jumping in with the kids. He kind of shrugged and said, “Just doing what I do, like you said.”

Awesome.

The rest of the day was more of the same. The kids LOVED him, and it was easy to see why. He was totally genuine and it showed.

I walked away from the shoot a huge fan.

After having seen the video we produced for him, I’ve had more than one person ask, “Is he really that good of a guy?”

Yes, he is.

Dwyane Wade is special beyond the basketball court, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

–Tony Gnau

Experience Inbound… what a great conference! For those of you who attended, I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. For those of you who are, like, what’s Experience Inbound? It was a two-day, two-city marketing conference in Wisconsin (at Lambeau Field and Miller Park, cool, right?!) that I had the pleasure of speaking at last week.

I did put together a little video (below). Sam Mallikarjunan from HubSpot inspired it when he talked about scaring us with the first half of his presentation and then giving us hope in the second half.

I’m a half-full type of guy, so the second half rang true for me. Which is why for the video, I pulled aside some of my fellow speakers and asked them a simple question: is it a good time to be a marketer? I hope you enjoy their answers.

My Biggest Takeaways

Sam Mallikarjunan (HubSpot) – a couple of things hit me with Sam’s presentation. The whole notion of asking yourself what’s the thing I do that someone else couldn’t do without adopting the same cost structure. That totally got me thinking about my business! Also, when he talked about when you’re good at keeping customers, you have money to acquire more customers.

Andy Crestodina (Orbit Media Studios) – I’m lucky to call this guy a friend. I’ve see Andy speak about eight times, and I aways come away with something new. Selfishly, I LOVED that he told everyone that a video testimonial is the best conversion tool out there. Cha-ching! :-) Things he talked about that I’ll now be checking on my company site… counting the number of unsupported marketing claims we make, as well as keeping in mind the idea of structuring pages using prominence, promise, and proof.

Britney Muller (Moz) – SEO talks make my head spin sometimes. It’s crazy how quickly things are changing out there. I’m always looking for tools to help with SEO and digital marketing in general, so I loved that Britney gave us some good ones. I’ve been starting to dabble in Facebook ads, so when she mentioned AdEspresso it totally got my attention!

Content Goodies

Finally, for anyone who attended my presentation on video storytelling, or for those of you who missed it (for shame!), don’t forget about the resources page I put together for you. There’s some helpful stuff there for anyone interested in video marketing!

Marketing videos are fun. Lights, camera, action!… exciting, right? At the end of production, businesses are left with something awesome. A tool they can use to help sell, to build enthusiasm for a brand, improve team morale… there are many uses.

However, the problem some business leaders face is they forget that making the video is only part of the process. Lights, camera, action is fun, but there are other things that need to be done along the way. Steps that need to be taken, questions that need to be asked, to turn that video into a success.

In my initial meeting with clients I ask questions like: What’s your goal for the video? How do you plan to promote the video?

You’d be surprised how many people haven’t considered those questions. They might have considered video production cost, but not what they’ll need for ROI.

Video is simply a marketing tactic. A very good marketing tactic, but a tactic nonetheless. It needs to be a part of a broader marketing strategy to make it a true success. And within that strategy, you have to have a plan for your video(s).

Video needs to be a part of a broader marketing strategy to make it a true success. Click To TweetThe following are some pre and post-production video marketing basics with insights from pros who know what it takes to produce successful videos. The experts weigh in on two things you should do before you start the production process (set goals and find a story to tell) and two things you should do when editing is complete (promote and track).

Gini Dietrich | Founder, Spin Sucks

Why is it important to set goals for videos? What are some of the goals you’ve seen used for videos that have been helpful?

I’ll give you an example: We have a client that has 20 executives around the globe. They were all together about a year ago and the chief marketing officer wanted to get them on video, but she didn’t have a reason for doing so. She just wanted to ask them all a list of questions, but had no idea what the end product would look like. And, though we tried to bring some planning to it, she ignored our counsel and went forward with a set of 15 questions for each executive.

Today we have all of that content, but nothing to do with it because there wasn’t a plan in advance. I’m sure we’ll be able to edit it into smaller pieces eventually, but a year later, we’re still struggling with what to do with it.

Always have a plan. Set goals. Don’t create 15 questions for 20 people. But do know what you want to achieve.

In many cases, the goals are simple: Create a link between our employees and our vision or connect our vision to our external audiences. Because 65 percent of human beings are visual learners—and because of the gigantic rush to do live video right now—it’s pretty easy to see why you’d want to use video. Figure out what you want to achieve with it.

Perhaps it’s to build loyalty and pride among your employees. Maybe it’s to provide a charismatic executive a platform for thought leadership. Or it could be a way to connect employees and customers globally without the advantage of meeting in person. There are many ways to think about how to use video.

In this case, I would posit the question, “If you could create anything—budget withstanding—what would it be?” Then work from there.

Rob Biesenbach | Communications Consultant, Author, Speaker

Alicia Olsen | Founder, Olsen Marketing Solutions

Many people produce a video, upload it to YouTube and think they’re done. Tell us about the importance of promotion.

As Tony said, it is common for people to create a video, upload it to YouTube, perhaps put it on their website, and then think they are done from a marketing standpoint. But just like any marketing strategy (blog, case study, website, or in this case, video), it’s not enough simply to create the marketing piece. You also need to make sure your target audience (your target customers) see it. Here are some ideas for ways to promote a new marketing video:

• Place it prominently on your website: This should usually include the home page, but also any other pages where it is relevant, such as an About Us page, Testimonials page, Services page, etc.

• Use your social media channels: Again, you shouldn’t just share it once on your Facebook page and be done. Make a plan to share your new video multiple times across your social networks when it’s new, and also remember to periodically share it when it’s not new anymore for those who didn’t see it the first time. Consider opportunities to put a video on a social page longer term, such as the ability to add media to your LinkedIn profile or the option to pin posts to the top of your Facebook page.

• Incorporate your video into other marketing initiatives: Once you have a corporate marketing video, it’s a great opportunity to use within other marketing initiatives and campaigns. You could put it in your newsletter, include in a prospecting email campaign, use as part of a digital advertising campaign, include in your latest blog, put a link in your email signature or many other possibilities to make it a part of your company’s overall marketing plan.

Andy Crestodina | Co-Founder, Orbit Media Studios

When it comes to evaluating a video’s effectiveness, most people simply look at how many views it gets. What are some analytics that are a better judge for how a video is performing?

Great question! Here are a few more data points that should give you better insights into the performance of a given video.

• Attention Span: Depending on where it is hosted/streamed from, you should get a report that shows how much time the average viewer watched the video. Longer attention spans mean a more engaged viewer

• Time on Page: Assuming the video is embedded on a web page, the video should keep the visitor around for longer. Adding a video should increase the time on page.

• Shares: Was the page with the video shared? How many times?

• Rank: Does the video rank in YouTube or in Google search results? If so, how high?

• Page Value: If the video is on a sales page, it should help build trust and increase the likelihood that a viewer converts into a lead. If goals are given a dollar value in Analytics, then the value of the page to the process of converting visitors is right there in the “All Pages” report. Adding a compelling video should increase the Page Value for the page.

I love it when everyone at a business gets excited about a new video or video series. They should! It’s fun. What makes the fun last post-production is having a video that works.

A video that makes the audience feel good about your company. A video that drives traffic. A video that helps you sell.

–Tony Gnau

Creating a marketing video is fun. It’s fun because at the end of the video production process you have something tangible and exciting to share. Even better… it’s a marketing tactic that checks all the boxes you need for your marketing strategy foundation.

This is something that occurred to me recently as I listened to one of our clients speak about branding at a Wisconsin Business Owners luncheon. It’s kind of funny because he wasn’t a client at the time but has since become one after I met him that day.

Rob Grede is a marketing veteran and the author of Naked Marketing. I actually happened upon his book in a local book store over the weekend and it made me reflect on what he talked about on the day we met.

A Solid Marketing Strategy Foundation

Rob talked about three things we need to do in business to create a sound marketing foundation… create awareness, establish credibility, and maintain the brand. I love hearing that because video happens to be a great tactic for all three.

If you have PR or marketing experience, you understand the power of video. It allows a company to tap emotions and earn trust, and here’s how you can put video to work for each of those three pillars.

Create Awareness

Video is great for grabbing attention. Research shows us that people’s eyes are drawn to video on a website. Email campaigns are more effective when they include a link to a video. And video is the social media share king. So if creating awareness is important for you, video is the way to go.

It can be done with a single video, or you can use the Star Wars video marketing strategy and create multiple videos. Use them to launch a new business, product, service, brand… just about anything.

Do you have an existing brand you’d like to highlight? Maybe a product or service that’s been around a while but needs some marketing love? Video can help you refocus attention on it.

Establish Credibility

Creating a video is a great way to establish credibility because it can do something the written word and photos just can’t do. It allows viewers (i.e. prospects) to see what you do and how you do it.

You can write about your business all you want… you can add photos… but it pails in comparison to showing people in a video.

Mrs. G and I are currently getting bids on remodeling our kitchen. A salesman came by the other day and talked about their construction process. All I could think about is how much easier and credible it would have been if he had a video to show us how they do things.

Take it a step further. It’s one thing for you to talk about your business. What if your prospects could hear from your current customers?

Enter the video testimonial. We all know how valuable a testimonial can be. Real people telling your prospects how you helped solve their problem.

Gold. It’s hard to top that when you’re trying to establish credibility.

Maintain the Brand

Okay… you’ve done the heavy lifting and established a solid brand. Congrats… but your work isn’t complete because now you have to figure out how to remain on top.

This is one of the often overlooked benefits of video. The more people watch, the more they trust.

Trust… one of the things marketers covet the most. It’s so highly valued we now have Edelman’s Trust Barometer. This is a big reason I often advocate for a video series instead of producing one giant video.

Videos grow on people the more they watch. Each time they click on a new video, they’re alloing you into their lives. They’re growing more and more familiar with you and your business. They’re beginning to trust what you have to say.

Think about TV news anchors. Most people who watch TV news grow attached to their favorite anchors. Why? They don’t know them personally.

The reason why is because they watch night in and night out. The anchor becomes a familiar face, a trusted voice. They might not know them, but they feel like they do. Businesses can use this phenomena to their advantage while maintaining a brand.

Homework time… think about some of your favorite brands right now. When you’re done here, head to the brand’s YouTube channel and check out what’s going on there.

I’m confident they’ll have a YouTube channel because any major brand worth its salt is producing videos.
And that’s the point, isn’t it? Corporate America knows what a valuable tool video can be to maintain a brand, so it has incorporated the tactic into its marketing strategy.

Summing Things Up

Creating awareness, establishing credibility, and maintaining the brand can be a great starter strategy for any business wanting to improve on its marketing. They’re three legs to a stool that will provide a solid foundation for a business.

It’s nice to know there’s a terrific tactic that you can pair with each of the pillars.

–Tony Gnau

One of the biggest production mistakes you can make is picking the wrong music for your videos. From the type of music to the mood it might elicit, there are all sorts of things that need to be considered when selecting a song… no matter what type of video you’re producing.

Is music even necessary?

First thing’s first, and it’s something many people don’t consider at all. Does the video even need music. That’s right. Not every video must have a music bed.

The main reason to use music is to set a mood. If you’re really focused on the content and less about mood, you might not want any music.

Next, if you have decided to move forward and use music, there are some things to consider.

The right music taps emotion

You can use music to manipulate the way people feel about what they’re watching. I don’t mean that in a sinister way. Just that your choice of song will tap into viewers’ emotions.

Pick an upbeat and happy song and you’ve put people on the path to feeling the same way about your content. Select a song that’s serious and sobering and viewers will expect that from your video.

Think about your subject matter and the way you want people to feel about it. That can help guide you when you’re looking for the right music.

Consider your viewers

Another consideration is the audience. Think about them and the type of music that’s going to catch their attention. The music you select for an older audience should be different than the music you select for a younger audience. There could be a difference in what you pick depending on whether your target audience is mostly men or women.

The main thing to avoid is simply picking the music that appeals to you. Think about your audience and their needs before your own.

Don’t pick this type of music for your videos

Speaking of things to avoid, here’s probably the biggest one… popular music. Many people like to incorporate popular music into their videos, but I’m not a fan and there are a couple reasons why.

• You don’t own the rights. The song might be “perfect” for your video, but you can’t just pick any song you like. You have to have the rights to use it. Now, you can often buy the rights, but that’s an expensive proposition when it comes to popular music.
• Popular music is too close to people’s hearts. Even if you didn’t have to worry about rights, music makes a strong impression on people. If you choose a song they’re familiar with, they’ll likely stop processing what they’re seeing in your video and start thinking about that song. I hate that song… I love that song… I remember where I was the first time I heard that song. These are all things they might be thinking about instead of paying attention to your content.

Bottom line, stick to royalty-free music from sites like premieumbeat.com (my personal favorite) or even the free music you can get from YouTube’s audio library.

Wrapping it all up

I love what music can do for a production. It can take mediocre content and make it more appealing. It can take good material and make it great. Finally, the right music can take great content and make it something that connects with an audience on a personal level.

So… don’t make it an afterthought. Keep it in mind through the production process. Make sure you select the right song for your video.

–Tony Gnau

I’ve learned a lot about public relations from reading Spin Sucks, both the blog and the book. One of the lessons that has come through loud and clear is how important it is to deliver an authentic PR message. Which is why a recent phone call from Gini Dietrich was so surprising.

First thing’s first. I don’t work for a PR agency. I’m not even in PR, although in a way I am. I’m a video producer. I get called when PR agents need video storytelling for their clients. Gini is the CEO of Arment Dietrich and the founder of Spin Sucks. I met her about 4-years ago and T60 has been doing work for her, her company, and its clients for the last two years.

Gini and I have talked over coffee, we’ve gotten lunch together, but Gini makes her living in a digital world. She’s an expert in all things digital PR and marketing. She converted her whole business model into one with employees working through cyber space in cities all over North America and most of our communication is via email and tweets.

My Big Surprise

So… you can imagine my surprise when my phone rang and the name “Gini Dietrich” popped-up. I knew something important must be going on.

“Hey, are you free late this afternoon?” asked Gini.

“Actually, yeah. You caught me on a light day, what’s up?” I replied.

“Would you be able to bring your video gear and meet me someplace. I have a big event going on and I need bodies. I don’t have time to explain, but I think you’ll enjoy it.”

Intrigued… I agreed and she gave me a time and an address.

I arrived later that day at the address specified, a high-rise office building on North Michigan Avenue, Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. I took the elevator up and when the doors opened, I was blown away.

I was in a luxurious reception area with the name “Arment Dietrich” adoring the wall. I checked-in with the receptionist. The place was buzzing. Tons of people walking around the huge space, in and out of offices, cubicles, and conference rooms. Awesome video displays were everywhere displaying what looked like analytics.

After a few minutes, I was shown back to Gini’s corner office with a view overlooking the Chicago river and the historic Wrigley Building. Amazing. Gini greeted me and asked me to sit down… and I needed to.

“So… what do you think!?” she asked.

“Umm, where am I? Who are you and what have you done with Gini Dietrich?”

“I know… crazy, right!? You want to know the most amazing part? It isn’t real.”

Gini went on to tell me about a huge client she was trying to land. The only problem is that they tend to work with equally large PR agencies. She was worried they’d be freaked-out about potentially working with a completely digital agency with no corporate headquarters or central meeting space where busy team members go to work everyday.

Enter the fictional Arment Dietrich office. She was going to host a meeting in this place with the clients to give them a sense of comfort that her agency was big enough for them. She wanted me to play the roll of the head of Arment Dietrich’s video team.

It seemed so out of character for her, but whether it was the dizzying motion of the busy “employees” or the aroma of fresh coffee being made by the barista at the coffee station… I agreed.

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The Clients Arrive

When it came time for the meeting, I really didn’t have much to do. Gini introduced me to the clients and I simply said hello and welcomed them to Chicago. That was it.

I watched the meeting as it took place in the glassed-in conference room and it seemed to go well. As it was going-on, I noticed all of the fake team members started filing out. By the time the meeting ended and Gini exited with the clients, I was the only one in massive office space.

The client was saying, “Gini, you have an amazing operation. Everything you shared about what you’re doing for your clients, all the data to back it up, it’s just what we need.”

“So you’re confident we can do the job?” said Gini.

“Yes. Your team is amazing,” said the client.

“And no more spinning? I know it’s been a big part of how you’ve done things in the past,” said Gini.

“Well, we might need some more convincing on that front, but we’re willing to listen.”

“Okay then… here’s your first lesson,” said Gini.

She went on to tell them about the whole ruse. The clients were furious.

“Good,” said Gini. “I’m glad you’re upset. You should be and you know why? Because spin sucks.

She went on to tell them that spinning might work in the short term, but eventually they’ll be exposed. And the feeling they were having right then about what just happened is the feeling their clients and prospects will feel about them when that day comes.

And that’s when I woke-up. I looked at the clock. It was 5:30 a.m.

Authentic PR Takeaway

What does this have to do with video production? Everything. A unauthentic PR or marketing video isn’t any better than the whole scenario I dreamed about. It’s fake. It’s phony. It’s spin.

Be authentic. Be truthful. Show your customers and prospects behind the curtain. Audiences respond to honesty. It helps build a connection between them and your company.

Your videos don’t need to highlight a perfect company… just a real one with real people behind it.

–Tony Gnau

Let’s start with the obvious question. Can a still photographer produce a video? Yes they can and many of them have started doing more of it. Do most of them do it well? No.

Notice I wrote “most” in there. That’s quite intentional. I’m sure there are still photographers out there who do a fine job of producing videos, but in my opinion they tend to be the exception. There’s a good reason for that and I’ll get to it in just a minute.

Don’t worry, I won’t let videographers off the hook because it goes the other way as well. Can a video producer shoot still photographs? Yes they can and many of them have started doing more of it. Do most of them do it well? No.

How did we get here… photographers shooting video?

There’s a good reason why many photographers are now producing videos and vice versa. It’s all because of the DSLR camera. The DSLR is the type of camera you see photographers using all the time. What’s changed over the last five to ten years is that camera manufacturers started adding video as a capability… and those cameras shoot fantastic video.

I won’t get too technical here, but DSLR cameras have big image sensors inside that allow them to shoot with a tremendous depth of field. The effect you get is a sharp focus on your subject matter and an extremely blurred-out background. It makes for beautiful video and photos.

DSLRs are also, in many ways, more affordable that a traditional video camera. Those two facts led videogrpahers to buy those cameras in large numbers, and along the way they started offering their clients packages to shoot stills as well as produce their videos. At the same time, still photographers who already owned those cameras started offering video as one of their services.

And the whole thing stinks.

Double-dipping doesn’t work

I appreciate both ends of this… particularly from the business side of things. All of a sudden both groups had new services they could offer their clients. It provides a chance for new business as well as an up-sell opportunity.

Bundling services with one person shooting both stills and video may even mean a lower cost to the customer. The issue I have is with the quality of the work. I’m not going to single anyone out here, so I’ll use myself as an example.

I occasionally get asked by clients if I shoot stills and I always turn down that work… and for good reason.

Can I shoot stills? Sure, but I am not a professional still photographer. If I took that work, I could probably stumble through it and do it well-enough that the client would be happy. But I know deep down that if they hired a real still photography pro, they’d get an even better product in the end.

Which is why I refer those jobs to the appropriate people.

Why can’t everyone do both? There are a couple of good reasons why both groups have problems with the others’ discipline.

• It’s not their passion. There’s a reason I picked-up a video camera 20+ years ago instead of a still camera. I love pairing motion images with words. I love storytelling. A still photographer is a storyteller in his or her own right, but it’s not the same as what I do for a living. I followed my passion and they followed theirs.
• Experience. A still photographer might have some experience as a video storyteller, but it’s likely limited in comparison to the experience they have shooting stills. It only stands to reason that they’re not going to be able to produce a video as well as someone who has dedicated their life to it. It’s the same reason a videographer’s stills won’t rival theirs.

Takeaway

As time goes on and more and more young photographer/videographers come of age doing both, this line may begin to blur quite a bit. But for now… there really is a line. Photographers shoot stills better than videographers and videographers produce better videos than photographers.

There are a ton of great still photographers out there and there are a ton of great video producers. Hire the right one for the job. If you need a video produced, hire the person who has a passion and experience to deliver an awesome video. And that goes the opposite direction as well.

–Tony Gnau

 

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Picking a video production company can be a tricky proposition. No doubt, price matters and you’ll want to find out if they fit your budget. However, there are some other things you can look at when learning how-to pick a video company. 

• look at their client list (do they have many repeat clients?)
• ask who’s going to be the creative mind behind the project?
• are they purely video experts, or do they have a storytelling background too?

Just a few things you should consider.

Of course, you should watch the client videos they post at their website as examples. We have an additional tip on what to look for when you do that in this month’s vlog, so please give that a watch.

–Tony Gnau

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Bonus blog post today thanks to a video Twitter response. It’s super cool.

The backstory… yesterday… PR-marketing-communications guru Gini Dietrich retweeted our last blog post. We mentioned how there’s no need to agonize over generating content marketing ideas. Simply create videos that feature your employees. They’re a seemingly endless source of content.

So… Sarah Robinson saw Gini’s retweet… then retweeted it herself mentioning Nextiva (business cloud communications) as a company that does a great job with this tactic. 

The video twitter response

Okay… now you’re up to speed. What happened next is the awesome part.

Nextiva not only tweeted back to Sarah saying,”thanks,” they posted a video thanking her.

AWESOME, right?

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It’s not an uncommon thing for them either. They have an entire YouTube channel devoted to “Thank You” messages called, NextivaCares.

Pretty amazing… nicely done Nextiva.

–Tony Gnau