The Necessity of Video
Q: Why is video no longer optional for personal injury firms in today’s digital landscape?
John: Video is how people decide if they trust you before they ever read a word on your site. After an accident, everything is emotional, and video lets a firm control how it makes someone feel in those first few moments. People aren’t comparing firms line by line—they’re making a quick gut call in the first 15 to 30 seconds. On top of that, Google and social platforms prioritize video, and consumers now expect to see it. If you’re not using video, you’re already behind.
Differentiation and Branding
Q: Personal injury is a crowded space. How can a firm use video to actually differentiate itself?
John: If you could swap your firm’s name with another and the video still ‘works,’ how does that make you different from anyone else? Most firms look the same because they’re all trying to sound reassuring in the same way. Everyone talks about verdicts, settlements, and “millions recovered,” and after a while it all blends together. Real differentiation comes from clarity—how you think, how you handle cases, and even what you don’t do. The really successful firms use video to attract the right clients and deter the wrong ones.
Content Strategy
Q: What are the most critical types of videos every firm should have?
John: These three make the biggest difference:
- Reassurance: Your homepage should calm people down before it tries to convince them. When visitors land on your site, they are anxious and nervous; they need to feel they are in the right place and that you understand what they’re going through.
- Credibility: Proof that you are qualified to handle their specific needs.
- Process: Clarity on what happens next. Many firms lead with “Millions Won,” but that answers the wrong question too early. Video should reduce fear before it sells anything else.
Measuring Success
Q: How should a firm measure the success of their video content?
John: Views don’t necessarily measure trust; there are all sorts of tricks to boost views. What really measures success is behavior. You have to look at engagement time AND the quality of the calls coming in. If a video is doing its job, the caller should sound more informed and might even reference the video or skip basic questions during intake. The goal isn’t just attention – it’s better cases and fewer wasted conversations. Video should change who calls, not just how many people call.
John Heiple is Vice President of Creative Production at VVK PR + Creative, where he oversees studio operations and executive produces video projects for major personal injury clients like the Sam Bernstein Law Firm (Michigan), John Foy & Associates (Atlanta), Gruber Law Offices (Milwaukee) and Richard Schwartz & Associates (Mississippi). With over 20 years of industry experience, including 11 years at Detroit’s NBC affiliate, WDIV, John has produced strategic creative for hundreds of organizations. He can be reached at: john@vvkagency.com