Smile, you’re on camera!

  • November 05, 2014
  • Nicholas Ritoux

Lawyers have a reputation for being great speakers. Now is the time to prove it to the world! Broadcasting online videos on topics of expertise is a form of “content marketing” that is becoming increasingly popular.

How to properly diagnose cancer, how to treat a dislocated shoulder, how to prevent complications from a heart attack … In over 300 online videos, New York’s Gerry Oginski explains in detail what a doctor’s job is about.

He shows photos, he brandishes X-rays. He cites numerous case histories – often anonymous, sometimes not; when actor Michael Douglas revealed that he had throat cancer, Oginski analyzed his diagnosis on camera.

Always clear and efficient in his explanations, well-framed and well-lit, Oginski broadcasts more videos on the practice of medicine on his site and his YouTube channel than if he had his own TV show on the subject.

But Oginski is not a doctor. He’s a lawyer who specializes in medical malpractice cases. From his videos, you would think he knows his cases inside out, and that is exactly what he wants people to think.

Conquering YouTube

“If you type in ‘Queens medical malpractice lawyer’ on YouTube, the first two pages are all mine,” Oginski says with pride.

He says lawyers in every field should produce online videos; they can use them to standout by showing potential clients what lawyers really look like, to gain their confidence before they even make the first phone call.

“When I started, I depended on television, radio, classified ads and the Yellow Pages. I post videos because I want to show how I’m different. I use them to explain to prospective clients what they need to know about medical malpractice,” Oginski explains. “These days, that’s where most of my files come from.”

“People phone me to thank me for the information I’ve given them,” comments Oginski, who also produces videos for about a dozen colleagues through his business, LawyersVideoStudio.com.

Remember, it’s not about you!

Deciding on the content isn’t complicated: talk about what you know and don’t be afraid to go into detail.

“People don’t care about you or your law firm,” says Oginski. “Featuring a guided tour of your firm on camera, talking about your qualifications, that’s all well and good, but people aren’t interested in that. What they want is to know whether or not they have a solid case, they want to find lines of defence, and so on.”

“They need to be educated about how these cases work, what the lawyers and judges do and when they do it,” Oginski continues. “The more you go into detail, the more they’ll learn. They will see you as the expert and judge other lawyers based on you, especially if those lawyers don’t broadcast any content.”

Complementary content

Right now, there aren’t many lawyers in Canada who are building their profile through online videos. Torys LLP took the plunge in 2006 with capsules that deal with specialized topics, such as the consequences of a new environmental regulation, Canadian food advertising practices, and the drafting of a licence agreement.

“At first, our idea was to complement our publications and answer the many questions they raised,” explains Stuart Wood, Torys’ marketing director. “Now, what we are trying to do instead is share our ideas to present ourselves as influencers.

“Our clients really like this format and they’ve helped us improve.”

A recruiting tool

As for the results, Wood can cite at least one client that hired Torys after seeing a video. And the firm also uses video to recruit young lawyers, who were raised on video.

On Torys’ website, articling students share their experiences, and the firm’s partners explain the interview and articling processes.

“This way, applicants know what to expect, and feel more at ease in the interview. The students love it!” says Wood.

But the casting must be done well. According to Wood, it’s not easy to know ahead of time which lawyers will make the best impression on camera.

“You can’t rely on appearances! The most dynamic people in real life tend to look unnatural on video. It’s better to pick a lawyer who knows his topic extremely well, then tape him or her in an interview. That’s the best way for clients to get a real sense of what it’s like to work with that lawyer.”

Nicholas Ritoux is a  Montreal-based freelance writer