Video Marketing – IFTS, Inc. Blog

Video Marketing Strategies for Lawyers: Short-Form vs. Long-Form Explained

Is your firm using video to build trust and establish authority?

If not, you are missing out on LOTS of potential clients!

In today’s competitive legal landscape, video marketing has emerged as one of the most effective tools to achieve these goals. Whether you’re answering FAQs, educating clients, showcasing your expertise, or creating a personal connection, both short-form and long-form video formats have their place in a law firm’s marketing strategy.

This guide will explore the unique advantages of each video type, their specific use cases, and how your firm can strategically leverage both to grow your practice.

What Is Short-Form Video Content?

Short-form videos are normally under two minutes long and designed to deliver concise, impactful messages. They do well on platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and LinkedIn, where users scroll through content quickly and make snap judgments about what to watch.

Advantages of Short-Form Videos for Law Firms

High Engagement Rates
- Short videos align with the modern audience’s preference for quick, digestible content. A study by Wyzowl found that 73% of people prefer to watch a short video to learn about a product or service rather than read text or view images (Wyzowl, 2023).
Budget-Friendly Production
- Producing a 60-second clip about “3 Tips to Prepare for Divorce Mediation” is less resource-intensive than creating a lengthy video. Even attorneys with minimal equipment can create professional-looking videos with a smartphone and simple editing tools (HubSpot, 2024).
Boosted Brand Awareness
- Short-form videos are more likely to be shared across social media, increasing your law firm’s visibility. In fact, social media algorithms prioritize short, engaging content to keep users on the platform longer (Sprout Social, 2023).

Short-Form Video Ideas for Law Firms

FAQs: Address commonly Googled questions like “What should I do after being served with divorce papers?” or “How does bankruptcy affect my credit?”

Client Testimonials: Showcase real clients describing their positive experiences working with your firm. Happy clients are normally more than willing to help you out with these.

Behind-the-Scenes Clips: Give viewers a glimpse of your office culture or the preparation that goes into a trial.

Lawyer Introduction: Give people the chance to get to know you with a quick introductory video to you, your practice and give them a small glimpse into your life. People want to hire an attorney that they can connect with.

For 18 examples of posts and clips you could create, check out our article on Social Media Marketing for Law Firms | Top 18 Social Post Ideas

What Is Long-Form Video Content?

Long-form videos are over 5-10 minutes long and ideal for providing detailed explanations or storytelling. They work best on platforms like YouTube, your website, or during live webinars, where viewers are more likely to invest time in watching.

Advantages of Long-Form Videos for Law Firms

Showcasing Expertise
- Long videos allow attorneys to delve deeper into complex legal topics, which helps establish credibility. For instance, a 20-minute video explaining “The Legal Process of Estate Planning in 2024” demonstrates thorough knowledge and builds trust with potential clients (Forbes, 2023).
Enhanced SEO
- Search engines prioritize detailed, valuable content. A 15-minute YouTube video titled “Everything You Need to Know About Wrongful Termination Lawsuits” can rank higher on Google, directing more organic traffic to your website (Moz, 2023).
Trust Building
- Detailed videos create a sense of transparency. A potential client who spends 10 minutes watching your video on “How to Prepare for a Deposition” is more likely to trust you than a competitor with only surface-level content (Search Engine Journal, 2023).

Long-Form Video Ideas for Law Firms

Educational Webinars: Host webinars on timely topics, such as “Navigating New Tax Laws for Small Businesses.”
Case Studies: Walk viewers through the steps of a past case (while maintaining confidentiality) to showcase how you’ve helped clients achieve favorable outcomes. This will help them picture what it’s like to work with you and your firm.
Deep Dive Explainers: Create detailed tutorials or “how-to” guides, like “The Step-by-Step Guide to Filing for Divorce in [Your State].”

Short-Form vs. Long-Form Video: How to Choose

When to Use Short-Form Videos

On Social Media: Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok favor short-form content.
To Capture Attention Quickly: Use short-form videos to grab interest and direct viewers to longer resources, such as a blog post or a webinar.
For Retargeting Campaigns: A quick video reminding past website visitors about your firm can re-engage them effectively (Neil Patel, 2023).

When to Use Long-Form Videos

For Educational Purposes: Long-form content is perfect for addressing complex legal topics that require more depth.
During Live Events: Webinars or live Q&A sessions can showcase your firm’s knowledge and allow for real-time audience interaction.
On Your Website: Adding long-form videos to landing pages can boost credibility and conversion rates (HubSpot, 2024).

Real World Example: Combining Short and Long-Form Videos

Short-Form Video: The Hook

A small family law firm creates a 60-second video titled “5 Signs You Need a Divorce Lawyer,” which they share on Instagram and TikTok. The video includes a call-to-action (CTA) encouraging viewers to visit their website for a more comprehensive guide.

Long-Form Video: The Value

On their website, the firm has a 15-minute video explaining the entire divorce process, what clients can expect during mediation, and how the firm supports clients at every step.

The Results

The short video captures attention and drives traffic.
The long-form video builds trust and converts viewers into potential clients.

Best Practices for Video Marketing in the Legal Industry

Maintain Professionalism

Your videos reflect your firm’s brand. While short-form videos can be creative and engaging, they should remain professional and align with the gravity of your services.

Leverage Analytics

Use analytics tools to track engagement metrics. For example:

Short-Form Metrics: Measure likes, shares, and views on platforms like Instagram.
Long-Form Metrics: Analyze watch time and viewer retention on YouTube or your website (Sprout Social, 2023).

Invest in Quality

Good lighting, clear audio, and proper editing significantly impact how viewers perceive your videos (Vidyard, 2024).

Use Calls-to-Action (CTAs)

Each video should end with a clear CTA. Examples:

“Contact us today for a free consultation.”
“Download our free guide on estate planning essentials.”
“Subscribe to our channel for more legal tips.”

Putting It All Together

Video marketing offers law firms a powerful way to connect with potential clients, demonstrate expertise, and build trust. By leveraging both short-form and long-form content, your firm can engage audiences at every stage of their journey—whether they’re scrolling through social media or researching solutions to complex legal problems.

The key is balance. Short-form videos capture attention, while long-form videos provide the depth and detail needed to convert that attention into meaningful client relationships.

Now is the time to make video marketing a cornerstone of your firm’s growth strategy. Start small, experiment, and watch as your video content transforms your online presence and drives measurable results.

Want to Boost Your Law Firm's Marketing with Expert Video Content?

While many attorneys recognize the power of video marketing to grow their practice and attract clients, common obstacles like time constraints and uncertainty about where to begin often hold them back.

That’s where we come in!

Our specialized video marketing services for law firms take the hassle out of content creation. We’ll help you produce months’ worth of professional short-form and long-form videos designed to engage your audience, build trust, and showcase your expertise—all with minimal effort on your part.

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Learn more about our video marketing services and start transforming your firm’s digital presence today.

Creating Video Marketing Content With Canva: Useful Strategies For Your Small Painting Business

Creating Video Content With Canva: Useful Strategies For Your Small Painting Business, PART 2

Let’s face it, in the world of small business marketing, standing out can be tough, but is critical. In our last blog, we gave you the tools to create professional-looking videos with Canva, without needing a Hollywood production team.

But hold on to your paintbrushes, because in this article, we’ll be unleashing your inner creativity to make those videos shine brighter than a fresh coat of paint!

Let's Get Creative

Canva also allows small businesses and house painters to add text, graphics, transitions, and music to make their marketing videos more engaging and effective. These features can add interest to the message and grab the viewer’s attention.

Here are some simple ways to make your videos stand out from the crowd!

Got Graphics?

Graphics and text are a great addition to your marketing video and help you create a moving story for your brand. Try not to get too carried away with adding these elements to your video, though. You can always add more later! Start simple by doing the following:

Select the “Elements” tab from the toolbar on the left-hand side of the editing screen.
Choose the graphic or icon you want to add to your video and drag it onto the timeline.
Resize and adjust the graphic as necessary and position it where you want it to appear by dragging the corners of the purple box that appears when you select a graphic.
Click on the graphic to also customize the color, size, position, rotation, or transparency of it.
Repeat the process to add more graphics to your video as required.
The same steps can be applied for adding custom text by selecting the “Text” tab located on the same toolbar as the “Elements” tab.

Add Animation!

Animating graphics in Canva can add a lot of interest and movement to your marketing video. Animations can make your video look better and help you tell the story in a more exciting way. Here’s how to animate graphics in Canva:

Select the graphic that you want to animate by clicking on it in the editing screen.
Click on the “Animate” button located in the upper left corner of the editing screen.
Choose the animation style that you want to apply to the graphic, and adjust the animation settings as necessary. Canva provides a range of animation effects, such as fade-in, slide-in, and bounce.
Adjust the timing and duration of the animation by clicking on the “Animation length” button and setting the length of time you want the animation to last.
Preview your animated graphic by clicking on the “Play” button located in the bottom left corner of the editing screen.

*Pro tip* – Like graphics and text elements, animations should be used sparingly to avoid overwhelming the viewer with too many moving elements.

Timing is Everything

Timing is a critical aspect of video editing, and it’s no different when adding graphic elements to your marketing video in Canva. If the timing of your graphic elements is off, it can take away from its effectiveness and impact on your viewer. Therefore, it’s important to know how to change the timing of these elements in Canva.

You will need to navigate to the timeline tab located at the bottom of the editing screen. This is where all of the elements you have added to your video are displayed in order of appearance.
Once you have located the graphic element you want to adjust the timing for, simply click on it to select it. You will notice a tab with three dots appears above, and when you click on those dots, a new menu pops up with several icons, including a timer.
Choose the timer icon to show its timing, which is now displayed as a purple bar with a thumbnail of the graphic just above your video timeline at the bottom of the editing screen.
To adjust the timing of the graphic element, simply click and drag it to the left or right along the timeline.

*Pro tip* – keep in mind that the timing of your graphic elements should be in harmony with the overall rhythm and pacing of your video. You can experiment with different durations and timings to see what works best for your video.

Smooth Transitions

When you have more than one video clip in your video timeline, you can choose to transition between those clips in fun and unique ways such as fades, slides, pops and more! Transitions can help create a smooth or more interesting flow between the sections of your video. Here’s how to add them:

With your cursor, hover over the space between two clipped sections of your video. A plus icon will appear, as well as the transition icon.
Select the transition icon and a menu will appear with different types of transitions you can apply to your video.
Choose the desired transition style and it will appear on your video’s timeline between the two video clips.
While in the transitions menu, you can adjust the duration by dragging the slider bar that appears below your selection.
Repeat the process to add as many transitions as you’d like.

*Pro tip* – To add the same transition between each video clip, click on the “apply between all pages” button at the bottom of the menu to save time.

Music to My Ears

And last but not least, don’t forget about the audio. Your visuals might be on point, but bad audio can kill a video faster than you can say “soundcheck.” Make sure your audio is crystal clear and be sure to add music to your video to make it more engaging and emotional. Canva has a library of music you can use or you can upload your own. Just make sure you have the right to use it. Here’s how to adjust the volume of your video’s audio and add music:

Select the “Music” button from the toolbar on the left-hand side of the editing screen.
Choose the desired music track from Canva’s library or upload your own track.
Select the music track and a new audio timeline bar will appear below your video’s timeline.
When you click on the audio timeline bar an audio effects menu will show at the top of the video editing screen. Adjust the volume of the music by clicking the audio icon and dragging the slider in the volume tab.
Trim the audio clip as necessary by dragging its edges.

*Pro tip* – If the track you’ve added to your video is too short, simply click the ending point of the track in your video and add it again. You may need to adjust where the music tracks overlap so they are in sync.

Get Ready to Roll!

Once you’re done adding effects and editing the visuals, it’s time to review your work and make sure that everything looks perfect and is ready for export. To do this, you can use Canva’s play button located near the top left corner of the page to preview how your entire video flows together.

Made a mistake? No problem!

The undo button is also located near the top left corner of the page, or with Canva Pro, you can revert to a previous version of the video and go from there.

Once you’ve finished editing your video, it’s time to export it so you can use it for marketing purposes. Simply click on the “Export” button and choose your desired video format and resolution.

Canva offers a range of options, including MP4, GIF, and MOV. You can also choose the quality and resolution of your video.

*Pro tip* – Keep in mind, many social media platforms only allow videos of a certain length to be posted, so be sure to adjust accordingly.

This is the Way

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of videos to see what resonates with your audience. Try creating how-to videos, product demos, behind-the-scenes videos, or customer testimonial videos to see what works best for your business.

By using videos to showcase your products and services, share your expertise, and promote your events, you can increase engagement and reach a wider audience.

Now you’re ready to share your videos on social media, embed them on your website, use them in your email marketing campaigns, and start getting the most out of your video content!

With these tips and strategies, you’ll be able to create professional-looking marketing videos that promote your small business or house painting services that attract new customers and blow your competition away!

Remember, making videos should be fun and creative, so don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things. Happy video-making!

Need more help? Contact our social media experts at IFTS, and we will get the job done for you! Give us a call today at 412-715-6266, and we’ll get you started on creating videos that will take your business to the next level.

Creating Video Marketing Content with Canva: Useful Strategies for Your Small Painting Business

Creating Video Content with Canva: Useful Strategies for Your Small Painting Business, PART 1

Marketing videos can be a great way to promote your small business or house painting services. They allow you to showcase your skills and services in an engaging and visually appealing way. However, creating high-quality marketing videos can be challenging, especially if you don’t have the resources to hire a professional videographer or video editor.

What if we told you there’s an easier way to create those videos yourself?

We’re talking high-quality, friends – images and videos that will make your video look like a million bucks (even if it only cost you $12.99 a month for Canva Pro).

That’s right, you can make professional-looking videos yourself using Canva, which is a user-friendly graphic design tool that will have you making amazing videos in a matter of minutes. In the past, we’ve covered making social media posts quicker and easier using Canva, but in this blog, we’ll give you some of our most useful pointers for making marketing videos, specifically for small businesses and house painters.

Creating marketing videos for a small business or painting company can seem daunting. But with Canva, you can create an amazing video without having to be a professional videographer.

Have a Plan For Your Marketing Videos

How Can Small Painting Businesses Use Videos to Market Their Products and Services?

Like with social media post creation, you need a plan for your video marketing. This doesn’t have to be complicated. Decide how you want to promote your services and who your audience is.

For instance, if you own a painting company, you may want to use video to showcase your team at work, customer reviews, tips and tricks, or a recent project, highlighting your attention to detail.

Here are some ways small painting businesses can use videos to market their products and services:

Showcasing Products

You can create videos that show your products in action, such as videos of painting techniques, before and after shots of painting projects, or your favorite paint brands.

Sharing Expertise

As a painting business owner, you have expertise in the field that your customers can benefit from. You can create videos that share your expertise, such as videos on how to choose the right paint color, how to paint a room like a pro, or how to prepare a surface for painting.

Behind-the-Scenes Videos

Behind-the-scenes videos are a great way to show your customers what goes on behind closed doors. You can create videos that show your team at work, your painting process, or a day in the life of your painting business.

Promoting Events

Videos can be used to promote events such as workshops, or charity events. You can create videos that showcase what your customers can expect at the event, including the painting project they will work on, the tools they will use, and the techniques they will learn.

Sharing Testimonials

Customer testimonials are a powerful marketing tool, and videos can be used to showcase them. You can create videos that feature satisfied customers talking about their experience with your painting business, including the quality of your work, your customer service, and your attention to detail.

These decisions will help you create an effective video that resonates with your target viewers.

Be sure you stay on brand, though. If your brand is fun and upbeat, go ahead and reflect that in your videos!

First Things First - Getting Started in Canva

Create A Canva Account

To start creating videos in Canva, follow these easy steps:

Log in to your Canva account. If you don’t have one, you can easily sign up for a free account.
Once you’re logged in, click on the “Create a design” button and select “Video” from the dropdown menu.
Once you’re in the design screen, you’ll need to upload your video footage. Canva makes this easy by allowing you to upload videos directly from your computer.

*Pro-Tip* – If you’re feeling a little camera shy, you can even access various stock footage that is specifically designed for businesses and house painters and add your own uploaded audio files as the background.

This footage can be a great way to add an extra layer of professionalism to your video and make it stand out from the crowd!

Choose the Right Template

So, you know your brand and your audience, but you may not know how (or have the time) to create the overall style of your video from scratch.

This is where Canva Pro is worth the upgrade. With hundreds of templates for making marketing videos and other graphics, it’s easier than ever to choose the right template for your needs!

*Pro Tip* – If your brand colors are blue and green, you might want to choose a video template that already incorporates overlays and graphics with those colors or one that uses shapes that mimic the shapes used on your website.

Keeping it Simple-Streamline the Editing Process

Once you’ve uploaded your audio and/or video files and chosen a template, incorporating the style and colors of your brand, it’s time to start editing. When it comes to editing a marketing video using Canva, it can be helpful to approach the editing process in a step-by-step way.

Break down the editing process into smaller tasks and complete each task one at a time, rather than jumping back and forth between tasks. This will make it easier to stay focused and keep track of what you’ve completed and what still needs to be done so you can avoid getting bogged down in one aspect of the editing process and losing momentum.

To use a sequential editing process in Canva, here are some rules to go by:

Adjusting the Size and Scale Of Your Video

To do this, you’ll need to crop the footage first so that only the parts of the clip that are relevant to your message remain in the final product. It’s important to keep in mind that cropping a video will remove any parts of the footage that fall outside of the crop box.

Additionally, if you want to maintain the original aspect ratio of the video, you should ensure that the crop box is proportionally sized. Canva makes this easy by allowing you to select specific parts of your video and delete anything else by following these steps:

After uploading your video into Canva, select the video on the timeline that now shows on the timeline bar at the bottom of the editing screen.
Click on the crop icon located on the toolbar above the timeline.
Use the crop handles that appear on the edges of the video to adjust the size and shape of the footage.
Move the crop box over the area of the video you want to keep and adjust the size and shape as needed.
Click the “Apply” button to crop the video to the selected dimensions.
If you want to adjust the crop again, simply select the video and click the crop icon to reopen the cropping tool.

*Pro tip* – Aspect Ratio requirements vary between social media platforms. Instead of cropping your video manually, with Canva’s pro feature, you can copy and resize your video to fit any format automatically. You may have to adjust your video to fit the new screen size, but it is a quick way to create videos for a variety of social media outlets. So if you know you will be posting a video on several sites, this is a helpful tool.

Add Your Logo

Continue the editing process by adding your logo to the video first, before cutting the footage. This ensures that your branding is prominently displayed throughout the video and creates a cohesive look and feel. Here’s how:

Select the “Uploads” tab or the “Brand Hub” tab (See our previous article about using Canva’s Brand Kit to save all of your logos, fonts, and colors in one area for easy access in this tab)and upload or select your company logo.
Drag and drop your logo onto the video timeline and adjust its size and position as necessary.
You can also add other branding elements, like your company name or contact information, at this stage.
Don’t forget to change out any of the pre-designed template fonts with the fonts you use on your website or with a font very similar to your other marketing documents.

Cut Your Footage

Cutting a video is an essential step in creating a marketing video using Canva, as it allows you to remove any unnecessary footage that doesn’t add value to your message. There are a couple of ways to do this, but here is the easiest way we’ve found to cut a video in Canva:

Select the small thumbnail of your video in the timeline tab at the bottom of the editing screen so that it is outlined with a purple box.
Play your video back in the editing screen and simply hit the “S” key on your keyboard to cut the video at a certain point. You can also hit the pause button and then hit the “S” key.
Repeat the split tool process to cut your video footage into different segments, depending on how many different clips you want to include in your final marketing video.
You now can simply select and delete any portions you want to remove from your final video. Remember to keep your audience in mind when selecting which portions to include and which to cut, as their engagement is key to the success of your video marketing efforts.

*Pro tip* – If you want to have an image or one of Canva’s stock videos playing over your video, but still be able to hear the sound, simply select your video in the main editing screen. A three-dot tab will appear and when clicked on, choose the option to detach your video from the background. Then, select the checkerboard icon at the top of the screen and adjust the transparency of your video to zero.

Now that you’ve got a plan and the basics down, look for our next article, Part 2, where we will jump right into adding some flair to your videos with all of our favorite Canva creative tips to make your videos really pop!