Your YouTube Videos Are Subject to the Same Restrictions as Other Forms of Advertising
Different states have different regulations about what lawyers can or cannot say in their advertisements and marketing materials – or even whether they're allowed to advertise in certain media at all. The same rules apply to the videos you upload to YouTube to promote your practice, which have to adhere to ethical guidelines and (depending on where your firm is located) include various written disclaimers. The YouTube marketing experts at Fairfax Video Studio can help to ensure that your video passes legal muster and won't land you in trouble with your state regulatory authorities.
Be Careful About the Promises You Make in Your YouTube Video
If a person has just been injured in a car accident, he or she wants to hire the lawyer who has the best chance of winning the lawsuit. That's why many attorneys who post videos on YouTube sometimes step over the line in their presentations by “guaranteeing” a satisfactory outcome to a given case or making other promises that wouldn't pass muster with a state regulatory board. The bottom line is that it's important to remember that the same ethical standards apply to promotional videos as to TV commercials and newspaper advertisements. Generally speaking, you can't:
- Guarantee the outcome of a case
- Disparage other lawyers with the same specialty in your state
- Purposely withhold information about fees (that is, if you bring up the subject yourself; most lawyer videos wisely don't even address rates)
- Misrepresent your experience or legal qualifications
- Hire actors to impersonate satisfied clients without informing the viewer
If you're an experienced lawyer, the chances are that you're already well-versed in the state and federal regulations regarding lawyer advertising and promotion. The problem usually comes up when you entrust your script to a producer who is not familiar with the intricacies of the law and wind up posting a video to YouTube that actively misleads potential clients. If your local bar association takes notice, the results can be disastrous (or at least extremely embarrassing).
YouTube Videos Should Always Be Vetted by One of Your Firm's Lawyers
In the last analysis, you—and only you—are answerable for the content of your YouTube videos, and it won't do any good to point a finger at a producer (or an intern, for that matter) if the state calls you out on ethical grounds. That's why you should produce your YouTube videos in partnership with a company that's experienced in dealing with lawyers and understands the regulatory hoops they often have to jump through. Call Fairfax Video Studio today for a free consultation!