I have just hired a fabulous new PR assistant. I was impressed with her and had a sense of knowing the fit before I interviewed her. The reason was that she sent me a video CV.
There's no doubt that communication landscapes in general are changing and with respect to employment and recruitment one of the most obvious ways in which this is happening is the use of technology. With 2015 officially being branded the year of the video (90+% of online traffic is now video content) it might come as no surprise to many that this method is beginning to make its way off YouTube and in to more private arenas. As we all now have smart phones - and so the ability to make our own videos - we are beginning to see a rise in the numbers of video CVs being used in recruitment. While this might well be a useful tool for finding talented new candidates, could it also be an opportunity for law firms to connect with prospective clients? Knowing how well I responded to this I've suggested a few of the advantages of creating a 'video CV' for your firm.
Bridging geographic gaps. The video CV does away with geographic limitations as it can be sent anywhere in the world. If you're looking to make content with potential clients on another continent then the video CV enables the first step to be taken without spending on a single airfare.
Making things personal. Emails and documents can be impressive but they could hardly be called dynamic. A video CV offers the opportunity to present a human side to the firm, to provide genuine insight into the people who work there and the environment in which they work. It also offers the opportunity to make an all singing, all dancing presentation that shows off the firm and its achievements in the very best of lights.
People watch videos. Statistics show that we really do watch video and that we take it on board too. Video promotion is now six times more effective than print advertising or direct mail and in an online context, 60% of visitors to a website will watch video content before they bother reading any text on the page. So, video really works if you have a message that you want to communicate and that includes with respect to selling your brand to potential clients.
So easy to create. Given the simplicity of creating a video CV - and the impact that it has - it's surprising that more of us haven't got involved in it. Although it's important to produce something professional, that doesn't mean that you need to spend a fortune on the project, rather that it just needs to be carefully thought through and then perhaps tested on a target audience. The likelihood is that it could get leaked online if it's a particularly interesting video but that could be useful for marketing purposes so just make sure that whatever you send to one client you'd be happy for others to see too.
Making an impression. In an increasingly competitive marketplace it's getting harder and harder to stand out but this is one great way to do it. Few firms have so far jumped on the video CV bandwagon but it's only a matter of time until the benefits of putting in that effort are widely recognised. In the meantime, creating a video CV for your firm is a great way to make a distinctive first impression that will set you head and shoulders apart from the rest.