You’ve written your script, shot your video, and are almost ready to upload it to your firm’s website, but you’ve got one more step left: editing. Some of you out there may be tempted to forgo the editing process, but even if you got one great take where everything seemed to go smoothly, you should still take the time to edit your lawyer video. There may be audio problems or lighting problems, or you might just realize that there are portions of the video that you can get rid of that will make the video more concise. Here are some things to think about during the video editing process.

1              Spend some time getting familiar with your video editing program. If you haven’t used it before, then set aside a couple of hours to play with the features and discover its uses. Starting with the video you’ve shot is a great idea—provided that you keep an unadulterated copy safe on a flash drive. The first few videos you create will likely be rough; that’s okay. The more you edit, the better you’ll get, and as long as the content is there, you can be clearly understood on the video, and there are no distractions, then even your rough videos will have an impact.

2              Always err on the side of cutting. If you’re considering taking out a section of your lawyer video, and can’t quite decide, cut it. After all, someone looking online for a lawyer is going to have a short attention span for videos, which means you need to make every second in your video count. So if one section is not quite right, cut it.

3              Aim for a simple and straightforward lawyer video. If you get too cute with the various features of your editing software, you’ll end up distracting your viewer from your content, which is the opposite of what you want to be doing.

4              Edit to remove distractions and strip away anything unnecessary, leaving only the essential information you want to convey. There are only a handful of elements you really need to add during the editing process, which brings us to . . .Unless you have a compelling reason to use them, don’t include music or sound effects. One example of a compelling reason is if you’ve spent time getting prospective clients to associate your firm with a specific jingle or tune on radio advertisements and you want to capitalize on your previous marketing efforts. That’s a solid reason—unlike, for example, doing it because you think that’s how videos are done or because you like a particular song. In the end, you’ll likely just wind up distracting the viewer.

5              Your video should end on a title that includes your name, the name of your firm, and its contact information. Most online videos stay on the last screen after they’re finished, and you want that information featured as prominently as possible. If possible, try to have the font and other typography match that of your business card—and include your logo if you have one.