Video Storytelling To Grow Your Law Firm

Ron Watermon • August 3, 2022

Using Storytelling To Ethically & Effectively Grow Your Practice

St. Louis, MO – August 3, 2022 – They say your best salesperson is a satisfied customer who tells their story to others. In this era of online reviews, social media and directory apps like Yelp, it isn’t hard to see how a good client story could lead you to your next client.

Like so many other professionals, the practice of law is changing rapidly. Or maybe it is better to say the business of practicing law is changing rapidly. Any of us who attended or graduated law school (I graduated Cum Laude from Saint Louis University School of Law in 1998), can attest that they drill in the idea that “the law” is ever changing. Daily. Hourly I suppose between court and administrative decisions, legislative action etc. That is why you need a good lawyer right?

While law school may teach you how to think and argue, I don’t remember any classes on running a law practice – or marketing a law practice - when I was in school. I do remember ethics and professional responsibility covering the topic of advertising.

I walked out of school with the idea that you can’t do anything that debases the currency of the profession. Lawyers must be very careful with their advertising. Honesty & integrity are paramount. You can’t make outlandish claims or do things that promote the unfortunate stereotype of ambulance chasing.

You juxtapose what I learned in law school with what we see in entertainment – Better Call Saul. When my son and I made the recent drive to Pensacola from St. Louis we couldn’t help but notice all the lawyer billboards along our route.

The names of the lawyers changed, but the look was consistent from St. Louis to Mobile to Pensacola and on our route back through Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois. Same colors, fonts and headlines – but different lawyer names. Evidently the same marketing firm was behind all the billboards.

Charlie asked me if billboards work. I told him they must otherwise why would people spend so much money on them. I know the Chick-fil-Aup ahead billboard worked on us. It made us aware that it was at an exit up ahead when we were hungry.

Not sure that a lawyer’s billboard does much more than make you aware of his or her name, but perhaps there is more to them. What I know is that a personal referral from a friend will go a lot further with me than some bus bench or billboard ad.

For those of you who own or manage your own law firm, you should be investing in video storytelling to share the amazing stories of the people you are helping. Nothing is more powerful than a personal referral or story.

The best practice approach for your practice is to tell your client’s personal story. It isn’t about you. It is about them. What problem did they face and how did they overcome it? That is the recipe to powerful story we can all relate to as an audience.

If you do personal injury work and help clients who have suffered terrible harm, then you are missing a great opportunity if you are not investing in telling your client’s story.

You don’t need a hard sell advertisement. You simply need to honestly tell your client’s story. You could do it yourself or have it done for you. Hire a journalist to go interview the client to tell their story. Produce a 3 to 5 minute story that you share on your website. Have the journalist write a written blog post to go with the video. Share both on your website blog. Share links to your website blog via social media. Take clips from that story or from the interviews you conducted and share those via social media.

And here is the real secret to having it go viral. Share the story with your client. Give them the video for them to share on their social media. Guess where you next client lead will come from?

You guessed it. Your client.

It is a simple, effective, ethical, honest and authentic way to grow your law firm using video storytelling. You don’t need to overthink it. Just tell your client’s story. Share it.

Another best practice for your practice is to develop an email newsletter to stay in touch with your clients, prospects and past clients. You don’t want to spam folks by sending daily emails, but you do want to stay in touch - say once a month – reminding them of your good work.

A periodic email newsletter is a an easy, highly effective process of sharing stories and generating leads that will grow your law firm.

The bottom line is this. Using video to tell an honest story is a highly effective strategy to grow your law firm. This isn’t just any video. It is a compelling story about a real person you helped.

The key to success is focusing your storytelling on the stories of your clients. Nothing is more relevant to a prospective client than know how you helped a client.

Remember that your client is the hero of their own story. You are your client’s trusted advisor who helps them overcome their problems. That is winning strategy to using effective storytelling to market your firm. Focus on the client, not you.

When you tell that type of story consistently, your law firm will grow.

If we can help you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly. We can talk for free and confidentially, lawyer to lawyer.

About STORYSMART
You have a story to tell, but don't have the time or resources to do it yourself. Telling your story well with video can be hard. And let’s be brutally honest. No app will turn you into a great filmmaker. Few are capable of producing a do it yourself (DIY) video we actually want to watch, much less remember.

You need the right skills and equipment, not to mention time, money and talent to do your story justice on screen with video.

That is why STORYSMART developed our premium video storytelling as a service. We are here to help clients tell their story in the amazing way they deserve with a proprietary done-for-you service unlike any other.

STORYSMART provides a nationwide premium video storytelling service that empowers individuals, families, celebrities, small businesses and other organizations to have their stories told professionally while still retaining their intellectual property rights.

STORYSMART provides clients an experienced television reporter or journalist filmmaker to help them tell their story following our proprietary high-integrity brand journalism system. Our transparently priced premium services for businesses and families ensures that each client gets an authentic, high-quality story they own the intellectual property rights on forever.

About Ron Watermon
Ron Watermon is the founder and CEO of STORYSMART, a premium video and motion picture technology startup that empowers anyone to have their stories told professionally while ensuring they retain the intellectual property rights on their productions.

A creative and innovative communications leader with nearly three decades of experience, prior to founding STORYSMART to provide Storytelling for all, Ron Watermon was responsible for modernizing the St. Louis Cardinals communications by leading the team’s investment in video storytelling, brand journalism, fan engagement and social media. Learn more about Ron.

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Taca, a Filipino surgeon and political exile who made St. Louis his home while taking a stand against Ferdinand Marcos's brutal dictatorship. Before terms like “fake news” and “disinformation” became common in American discourse, Dr. Taca uncovered the truth behind the Philippine president's fraudulent war record. That investigation began here—in dusty archives just outside of St. Louis—and set off a chain of events that toppled a brutal dictator. Our film uses a hybrid storytelling format, combining animated reenactments, interviews, and archival research to tell this story in an emotionally resonant and visually striking way. The Grant That Helps Make It Possible The St. Louis Film Project grant, funded through RAC and administered by Continuity, is part of an initiative to uplift the film community in St. Louis. RAC’s press release states that the fund was created to “support local filmmakers and organizations to tell stories rooted in St. Louis.” The evaluation process was rigorous. “Choosing five projects from over 100 submissions was no easy feat," said Vanessa Cooksey, President of RAC. "The talent and stories presented were incredible.” That’s why being one of the five chosen is more than just a financial boost—it affirms this story’s value and connection to our community. It means much to us, and we don’t take it lightly. A Delayed Start But a Firm Deadline While the grant announcement arrived months later than initially expected, we’ve been working behind the scenes to be ready to go once we receive funding. With this grant officially in place, we’re full steam ahead. The grant contractually obligates us to deliver the completed film by January 2026. That’s a fast turnaround in documentary filmmaking, especially for a story with historical depth, international relevance, and a visual style that blends live action with animation. That means every day counts. While the grant covers significant production costs, it also comes with essential parameters: 75% of funds must be spent within the City of St. Louis. We’re proud of that requirement—it aligns with our belief in investing locally and elevating regional talent. But it also means we must be innovative, strategic, and resourceful with every dollar we spend. We have our entire team in place, minus one critical position. We need a gifted DP to join our elite team. We are eager to work with a tremendous city-based production company or cinematographer who calls St. Louis home. If you know a great cinematographer who would like to join us, please have them email me at ron@storysmart.net. Why We’re Still Seeking Donor Support Even with the RAC grant, bringing this film to life in the way it deserves will take more. Animation, archival licensing, original score composition, color grading, distribution planning—it all adds up. And some of this can't be sourced in a way that fits grant guidelines. And because of the ambitious deadline, we’ll need to scale quickly without cutting corners. That’s where you come in. We’re seeking additional donor support to help us: Expand our animation sequences and visual storytelling capacity. Secure the rights to key archival materials that deepen the film’s historical accuracy. Shoot at least a couple of interviews with key individuals who live outside our region, including the Philippines. Invest in editorial and post-production tools that allow us to move efficiently without sacrificing quality. Ensure the finished film reaches the broadest possible audience, from film festivals to classrooms to international broadcast platforms. Your contribution—no matter the size—helps ensure that Dr. Taca’s story is told with the care, accuracy, and cinematic impact it deserves. If you believe in the power of truth-telling… if you value stories that connect communities and illuminate buried history… we hope you’ll consider becoming a supporter. Click here to donate Learn more about our film at steakguerrilla.com A Final Word: Why This Story Matters Now We often think history is distant, locked away in textbooks or museums. But A Steak Guerrilla in St. Louis reminds us that history is constantly being rediscovered—sometimes in our backyard. It’s a reminder that exile doesn’t silence the truth, that one person in one city can stand up to a dictator and change the course of a narrative written in lies, and that the work of defending democracy happens quietly, persistently, and often without recognition. Now, it’s time to give that recognition. With this grant—and with your support—we’re going to finish the film. And when we do, we’ll bring a hidden chapter of St. Louis history that reverberates far beyond our city limits. Thank you for sharing this journey with us, and a special thanks to each member of our talented filmmaking team. I'm grateful for your willingness to work to bring this story to the screen, your patience through this process, and your unselfish (uncompensated) work to make it happen. I have no doubt it will all be worth it! --Ron Watermon, Executive Producer & Director, A Steak Guerrilla in St. Louis: The Dr. Arturo M. Taca Story
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