First, what is edutainment? It’s taking a stereotypically dull topic and injecting it with some pizazz. That way, instead of switching off, your users will stick with you throughout the buying journey.
Edutainment is everywhere. But it’s mostly found in video content. And customers prefer to watch rather than read. Because it requires less concentration and is visually more stimulating.
Professional services companies – including law firms – have a reputation for being a tad dry which means the focus is often on ‘how’ and ‘why’ instead of telling an engaging story.
What is edutainment going to achieve for your law firm?
- It will help customers:
- Remember you
- Understand you
- Feel inspired
- Take action
How to create edutaining videos: the importance of planning
1. The script
Let’s assume you’re divorce solicitors. To highlight your service you’ve decided to create a short video designed to help prospects understand what’s involved.
At this stage you’ll need to think about:
- The characters. Who are they and why should your prospects care?
- The story. What’s happening, to whom and for what reason?
- Tone of voice. Will a narrator tell the story or the characters?
Overall, you should conceive of your video project as a short movie. Not as an educational training piece designed simply to inform.
Your story should feel authentic, be compelling, and designed to reassure customers going through a divorce – but who don’t know where to start.
2. Video length
How long should an edutainment video be? There is no definitive length; but short stories outperform longer ones. So keep your content tight and cut out any superfluous fluff.
Break your video down into scenes which have clear objectives so you can edit it into bite size chunks for TikTok and YouTube later.
3. Don’t go OTT
What is edutainment going to do for your law firm? The answer to this question depends on whether you’re able to strike a balance. You see, sometimes businesses unintentionally veer off topic – because they focus too much on the creative process.
Avoiding dull content is important; but your videos must still be accessible and designed with one express purpose: to encourage users to click the CTA at the end and enquire about your service.
In short, edutainment is about striking a balance. Entertaining videos won’t convert prospects into leads and boring videos that fail to engage won’t resonate with your viewers.
Does edutainment work?
Edutainment isn’t some passing trend or fad that’ll be discarded like trash with the morning sun. Instead it’s an opportunity to bring your company values (quite literally) to life by using characters to tell emotionally-driven stories reflective of your customers’ own experiences.
Whether you choose to tell stories with gusto and humour – or refrain and pathos – will depend on your brand identity. Indeed, the process of creating edutaining videos will force you to scrutinise and further sharpen your corporate image.
Tips to help you create great edutaining videos
Be consistent
If funny works don’t do dour. By being consistent (a) you’re sticking to a format you know works; and (b) prospects are more likely to remember you when they’re ready to buy.
Keep showing up
Sticking to the same tone of voice and visual style is important. Equally, you need to be prolific. In part to drum your brand name into your prospects’ memories – but also to train the algorithms.
You see, the more often you post, the more likely sites like YouTube and TikTok are to promote your educational content to their billions of users.
Listen to feedback
Markets change and so do customer needs and moods. That’s why you should continually scroll the comments section in your videos and dive into the backends to spot trends.
- Are views, likes and shares going up or down?
- Are people dropping out early or watching to the end?
- Are viewers raving or raging about your content?
Conclusion
Edutainment is about blending learning and fun to create compelling and believable content people will watch from beginning to end. Your challenge as lawyers is to create believable stories that reflect your customers lives – while also positioning your team as plausible problem solvers who can be relied upon to deliver the promised solution.
Regulations, technology, and economics strongly influence customer behaviour, as do emerging trends within the sphere of marketing (AI anyone) – and so it’s important to review video content continually and in conjunction with data and feedback.
Let us edutain you! Contact us for an informal chat
What is edutainment going to do for your law firm? In our capable hands it could generate measurably greater ROI and catapult your brand into the spotlight.
Book your free consultation now.
