Natalie Armstrong-Motin 11/7/24 Natalie Armstrong-Motin 11/7/24

How to Create Engaging FAQ Videos for Your Mediation or Arbitration Practice

Videos are an excellent way to connect with both current clients and potential clients in the mediation and arbitration field. According to recent studies, people spend nearly one-third of their time online watching videos. Moreover, over half a billion people watch videos on platforms like Facebook every day. For mediators and arbitrators, FAQ videos are particularly powerful because they address the specific questions and concerns that clients and leads typically have. By directly answering these questions, you build trust and demonstrate your expertise.

So, how can you create effective FAQ videos that resonate with your audience and help convert leads into clients? Here’s a simple guide tailored specifically for professionals in mediation and arbitration.

Option 1: Hire a Professional Crew

You could choose to outsource the entire process by hiring a professional film crew. They can handle everything from setting up the lighting to shooting and editing the footage. This is a great option if you prefer a polished, high-quality video. Many mediation and arbitration professionals opt for this approach to ensure their videos reflect the seriousness and professionalism of their practice.

However, this level of production is not necessary for success. Many clients appreciate a more personal, authentic approach, which brings us to the second option.

Option 2: DIY – Create Your Own FAQ Videos in Three Simple Steps

If you’d rather create the videos yourself, you can do so easily with just a few basic tools and a bit of preparation. Here’s how:

1. Gather Your Equipment

For equipment, all you really need is your smartphone. Today’s smartphones have excellent video capabilities, and a simple, authentic video can go a long way in building rapport with your audience. The informal nature of a selfie video, even with its occasional imperfections, can make you appear more approachable and genuine—qualities that are incredibly important in mediation and arbitration.

However, if you want to take it up a notch, consider purchasing a smartphone tripod and a clip-on microphone. These inexpensive tools can improve the stability and sound quality of your videos, giving them a slightly more professional touch without losing that personal feel.

2. Press ‘Record’

It’s as simple as pressing record! Before you start, think of one or two common questions your clients ask. For example, “What should I expect during my first mediation session?” or “How does arbitration differ from going to court?”

We recommend speaking off-the-cuff rather than scripting your answers. Scripting can make you seem stiff and less relatable. Instead, imagine that a potential client has just asked you the question, and respond naturally, as you would in a face-to-face conversation. Don’t worry about making mistakes or having to do multiple takes—these videos should feel real and down-to-earth. Aim for videos that are 30 seconds to two minutes long.

3. Edit (or Don’t)

Once you’ve finished filming, you can upload the video directly to your website, YouTube channel, or social media platforms. There’s no need to edit the video unless you really want to. If you do feel like adding some graphics or text overlays, you can use a free video editing app like iMovie (for Apple users) or InShot (for both Android and Apple users).

Remember, the simplicity of your video is often what makes it effective. The goal is to connect with your audience and answer their questions in a way that builds trust and demonstrates your expertise.

Examples of FAQ Topics for Mediators and Arbitrators:

Mediation FAQ Video Topics:

“How do I prepare for my first mediation session?”
“What happens if we can’t reach an agreement during mediation?”
“How long does a typical mediation session last?”
“Is mediation confidential?”

Arbitration FAQ Video Topics:

“What is the role of an arbitrator?”
“How is arbitration different from a court trial?”
“What should I bring to an arbitration hearing?”
“Can arbitration decisions be appealed?”

Conclusion: Keep It Simple and Authentic

Whether you choose to film these videos yourself or hire a professional team, the key to successful FAQ videos is authenticity. Your clients want to see the real you—someone who is knowledgeable, approachable, and ready to help them through their mediation or arbitration process.

If this sounds overwhelming, remember that help is available. Should you prefer a more polished, professional video, consider reaching out to a service provider who can handle the filming and editing for you. In just a few hours, you can create a suite of FAQ videos that will serve your clients and grow your practice for years to come.

Natalie Armstrong-Motin 10/31/24 Natalie Armstrong-Motin 10/31/24

How Mediators Can Utilize Video Content For Practice Development

In today's digital era, video marketing is taking center stage in many businesses’ marketing strategies, and mediation should be no exception. Today’s video discusses the rise of video marketing and its significance in promoting your mediation practice, as well as how to create and record quality videos. Stay to end of the video to learn what equipment, apps, and platforms I use.

The Rise of Video Marketing

In today's fast-paced and highly visual digital era, video marketing has become a powerful tool that businesses across various industries are leveraging to effectively communicate their brand and offerings. Mediation, as a profession, can greatly benefit from the rise of video marketing. Videos offer a dynamic and engaging medium to showcase the mediation process, share client testimonials, and create compelling content that resonates with potential clients. So let’s explore the growing importance of video marketing and its significance in promoting and enhancing the visibility of your mediation practice.

One of the key advantages of video marketing is its ability to captivate and connect with audiences on an emotional level. Videos have the power to convey your mediation practice's essence, values, and unique selling proposition in a way that text or static images may struggle to achieve. By utilizing visual and auditory elements, such as visuals, music, voiceovers, and storytelling techniques, videos can create an immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression on viewers. Whether it's a promotional video showcasing the benefits of mediation or a client testimonial video highlighting successful outcomes, videos allow you to communicate your brand's personality, build trust, and evoke emotions that resonate with your target audience.

Videos offer a versatile platform for showcasing the mediation process itself. You can create educational videos that explain various mediation techniques, walk through the steps involved in a mediation session, or provide insights into the benefits of mediation for different types of conflicts. These videos not only educate and inform potential clients but also position you as an authority and expert in the field. By demonstrating your expertise and showcasing your mediation skills, videos help establish credibility and build confidence in your practice, increasing the likelihood of attracting potential clients who are seeking reliable and experienced mediators.

Client testimonials are another powerful way to leverage video marketing in the mediation profession. Videos featuring satisfied clients sharing their positive experiences and successful outcomes can have a profound impact on prospective clients. Testimonial videos create social proof, validating the effectiveness of your mediation services and instilling confidence in potential clients. These videos humanize the mediation process and allow viewers to relate to the experiences and outcomes shared by previous clients, fostering trust and reinforcing your reputation as a trusted mediator.

Video marketing offers numerous distribution channels and platforms to reach a wider audience. With the prevalence of social media platforms, such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, video content can be easily shared, liked, commented on, and maybe, even go viral, significantly amplifying your reach and brand visibility. Additionally, video content can be embedded on your website, shared via email newsletters, or utilized in online advertising campaigns to target specific demographics or geographic regions. The accessibility and shareability of videos enable you to connect with potential clients who may not have otherwise been reached through traditional marketing efforts.

While the concept of video marketing may seem daunting to some, this section provides practical guidance on how to create compelling and effective videos for your mediation practice. It covers aspects such as video production techniques, storytelling strategies, scriptwriting tips, and editing tools. It also emphasizes the importance of maintaining professionalism and authenticity in your videos, ensuring that they align with your brand identity and resonate with your target audience.

Video marketing has emerged as a powerful tool in today's digital landscape, and mediation professionals should embrace its potential. By effectively utilizing video marketing, mediators can create engaging and memorable content, establish credibility, and expand their reach to attract potential clients who are seeking effective and trustworthy mediation services.

So How Do You Create High-Quality Videos

Creating high-quality videos is not just about having the best camera equipment. It involves outlining and scripting, presenting, editing, and promoting the videos effectively. So here are some practical tips for creating high-quality videos that resonate with your audience, even on a limited budget.

Tips for Creating High-Quality Videos

Plan and loosely script your videos: Before hitting the record button, invest time in planning and loosely scripting your videos. Clearly define your video's purpose, message, and target audience. Outline the key points you want to cover and craft a compelling script that effectively communicates your ideas. Structuring your videos in a logical and organized manner will enhance the clarity and coherence of your message.

Pay attention to lighting and sound: Lighting and sound quality greatly impact the overall video quality. Natural lighting is ideal whenever possible, but if shooting indoors, ensure that the lighting is even and consistent. Avoid harsh shadows or overly bright spots. Consider investing in affordable lighting equipment or using reflectors to achieve optimal lighting conditions. Similarly, pay attention to audio quality by using a good-quality microphone to ensure clear and crisp sound. Minimize background noise and test the audio levels before recording.

Choose appropriate filming locations: Select appropriate filming locations that are visually appealing and relevant to the content of your video. Consider the background and ensure it is free from distractions or clutter. A clean, well-organized background will help maintain viewer focus on the main subject of the video.

Practice and rehearse: Practice and rehearse your presentation before recording. This will help you feel more confident, appear more natural on camera, and deliver your message effectively. Pay attention to your body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions. Rehearsing will also help you identify areas where improvements can be made, ensuring a smoother recording process.

Edit for clarity and conciseness: Editing plays a crucial role in creating high-quality videos. Trim any unnecessary footage, remove mistakes or pauses, and ensure a smooth flow of content. Keep your videos concise and focused, as attention spans are generally shorter in the digital age. Consider adding captions or subtitles to make your videos more accessible and engaging.

Maintain professionalism and authenticity: While creating high-quality videos, it is essential to maintain professionalism and authenticity. Be yourself and let your personality shine through. Speak clearly, with confidence, and in a conversational tone. Authenticity helps build trust with your audience, making your videos more relatable and engaging.

Promote your videos strategically: Creating high-quality videos is only half the battle. Promoting your videos effectively is equally important. Consider utilizing social media platforms, your website, or email newsletters to share and promote your videos. Engage with your audience by responding to comments and encouraging them to share your videos with others. Collaboration with other professionals, guest appearances on relevant podcasts, or leveraging partnerships can also help expand the reach of your videos.

Embrace creativity within your budget: While professional video production equipment can be costly, it is possible to create high-quality videos even on a limited budget. Explore affordable or free video editing software, utilize smartphone cameras with good video capabilities, and experiment with creative solutions to enhance the visual and production quality of your videos. Focus on delivering valuable content and engaging storytelling, as these elements can greatly compensate for any technical limitations.

And now, as promised, let me tell you what equipment, apps, and platforms I use.

I use my laptop, not my phone or ipad. On my PC there is a free app called ClipChamp. This is the editing software that I use for myself and my clients. For lighting I use an all-in-one camera/microphone/light that I bought on Amazon for less than $30. It’s called MOVO and mounts to the screen on top of my PC. To record videos you can use ClipChamp, Zoom, Canva, Restream or any of the hundreds of other video recording platforms. If I’m live, I use LinkedIn Live (just activiate the Creator Mode on your profile and you can too). To go live on LinkedIn, you’ll a need a 3rd party restreaming app. For this service, I pay for a subscription on Restream.io. It lets me record my videos or, go live on to more than 30 different social media channels. I can also create the backgrounds, chyrons, titles, subtitles, and schedule the release of uploaded videos. To go live on YouTube, I can just use my YouTube channel software. The same is true for Twitter. To create thumbnails or graphics, I use Canva.com.

To wrap up, creating high-quality videos for your mediation practice involves careful planning, scripting, presenting, editing, and strategic promotion. By following these practical tips, even with limited resources or a modest budget, you can create videos that resonate with your audience, effectively communicate your message, and enhance the overall quality and impact of your video content while getting the word out about you, your practice, your brand, and your authentic passion for what you do.

Natalie Armstrong-Motin 10/25/22 Natalie Armstrong-Motin 10/25/22

how mediators can take advantage of the QR CODE REVIVAL

In hindsight, they were just a few decades too early. Seeing one in the 2010s was like a strange encounter. And when we did see them, they were considered to have value just above graffiti. Those who didn’t know how to use them just thought they ugly, and those who did know how to use didn’t have audience support. It was like being the first person to have a fax machine .. no one else appreciated your tech. YET

In the span of a decade, QR codes have transformed from something no one understood to something that allowed so many kinds of businesses to survive a pandemic to a Super Bowl advertising star and now back on the table as a viable (and even necessary) marketing tool.

Welcome back, QR codes!

WHAT ARE QR CODES?

In the beginning while most people were busy strong-arming these elusive boxes, they did serve their purpose. QR – which stands for “quick response” – is a type of technology that allows someone to access information by taking a photo of a unique code. The user is then directed to click on a website on their device where they’ll find the information that was advertised.

This wasn’t always such a seamless process, but with advances in smartphone technology, it’s now as simple as point and click. That sounds great, doesn’t it?! Contrary to when QR codes first launched, it’s now part of our everyday psyche to use our phones to get any additional information that we need.

We used our smartphones even more when we had to stay home for a while.

It’s true, QR codes aren’t pretty. They look like they belong on an tech manual, not on a classy post or business card. I get it. I spend dozens of hours each week making visually appealing posts for my client, but there’s only so much I can do with a barcode.

Because nearly everyone has a smartphone, this kind of convenience is a benefit to the client. It adds to their experience rather than causing friction.

Doctor offices now use them to schedule appointments. Grocery stores use them for coupons. QR codes can also be used in directing people to a podcast or webinar. I recently received wedding invitations with a QR code to direct guests to the wedding website, where they can RSVP and find information on the venue, hotel options, and the registry.

We’re seeing QR codes stick around and you might want to use them too! As it turns out, QR codes were cool.

So what if QR codes aren’t beautiful? They’re perfectly poised to solve a future problem.

THE NEW URL

With the rise of video consumption on the internet, QR codes offer a dynamic way to access more information from an video. Rather than seeing a URL or link on an ad, we may start seeing more QR codes used in their place.

So ….

How to create a QR code and direct people to a website, document, or other media

Creating a QR code is a relatively straightforward process, and it can be done on a computer or on your smartphone. Here's how it's done.

How to create a QR code with QR Code Generator

There are many QR code generators to choose from.

1. On your Google Chrome web browser, open any website, right click your mouse and choose the opton “Create A QR Code”.

2. Download the code

3. Then just paste the image into any document or post as you normally would any image.

How to create a QR code on Android with Google Chrome

1. On the Google Chrome app, navigate to the website you want to create a QR code for.

2. Tap the more icon – the three vertical dots – in the top right corner.

Click this icon in the top right corner to reveal a dropdown menu.

3. Tap Share in the drop-down menu.

4. Tap QR Code.

Tap "QR Code."

5. Beneath the QR code on the next screen, tap Download to save the QR code to your device.

Tap "Download" to save the QR code on your device. Stefan Ionescu/Insider

6. Once downloaded, you can then send the QR code to others via text, email, messaging app, etc.

How to create a QR code on iPhone with Google Chrome

1. On the Google Chrome app, navigate to the website you want to create a QR code for.

2. In the top-right corner next to the address bar, tap the Share symbol, which looks like a square with an arrow pointing upward.

Tap the "Share" icon next to the URL.

3. Scroll down and tap Create a QR Code.

4. Tap Share.

Tap the blue "Share" button.

5. Choose how you want to share the QR code (via text, email, messaging app, etc.)

Quick tip: You can tap Save Image to save the QR code for future use.

Social media apps, such as Twitter, often include access to a QR code for your account within the mobile apps.

How do you use QR codes?

You can use QR codes on phone (link to your LinkedIn profile directly …..)

Put them on the PowerPoint presentations, add them to your post to promote events, webinars, your resume, business cards, greeting cards, website, articles, handouts and training materials, … anything at all!

Do you use QR codes? If so, what types of information do you link to for your customers (your website, social media marketing, event sign-in)? What systems or apps do you use to create QR codes? Let me know how you use QR codes, in the comments below

Natalie Armstrong-Motin 9/14/22 Natalie Armstrong-Motin 9/14/22

Which Social Media Platform Is Right For You And Your Mediation Practice?

Choosing the social media platform that’s right for you and your practice doesn’t need to be a daunting experience. I recommend to clients that they should actively engage on the platform preferred by their clients and prospective clients. For most mediators and arbitrators that’s going to be LinkedIn. LinkedIn is undoubtedly the preferred network for professionals around the globe, and with two professionals joining this network every second, it will witness tremendous usage.

To leverage this network effectively, you should publish about your brand, services, practice culture, and announcements regularly.

But if you mediate cases for unrepresented parties or clients who are under the age of 45, you might want to include Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram as well.

And if you don’t know which of any of these might be most effective, consider some statistics recently compiled by Social Pilot.

A few of the juiciest stats are below. I’ve culled through the Social Pilot stats article for what I think are the most interesting and applicable statistics for you. Of course, if you’re a little nerdy (like me) you’ll have fun clicking the hyperlink to Social Pilot above and viewing the full article.

As I mentioned above, LinkedIn has proved to be the place for the resolution industry. The stats for LinkedIn are listed last so that you can scroll to the bottom of this article if you don’t have the time or patience to look at Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter stats.

In order to make the most of your time, money, and efforts to engage with clients and prospective clients on social media in such a way that a valuable business relationship is established, read, really read through the stats below and think about how this information applies to you and your practice growth goals. And then, most importantly, take action.

Take action and start posting, sharing, commenting, tagging, using hashtags, recording videos, and then ultimately, leverage those activities into dialogues and appropriate business relationships. After all, that’s the reason we’re all on social media to begin with. To develop authentic and hopefully profitable (in whatever way your practice describes ‘profitable’).

Let’s start with Facebook: Facebook (now Meta) has adopted several new features taking inspiration from various other platforms. Reels from Instagram, live audio rooms and podcasts, live game streaming, and even live shopping. And they’ve introduced new policies and features to help businesses, brands, and influencers monetize their content.

Facebook Demographics:

· 81% of all adults in the United States have a Facebook account.

· The United States, Indonesia, and Brazil also have 200 million, 140 million, and 130 million Facebook users, respectively.

· Between the ages of 25 and 34, 12.5% of all active Facebook users are female, and 19% are male.

· 75% of high-income earners use Facebook.

Facebook Usage Stats

· 1.93 billion people on average log into Facebook daily.

· Facebook is the world’s third-most downloaded app.

· Over 1.8 billion people now use Facebook Groups every month.

· There are more than 70 million admins and moderators running active Facebook groups.

· 1 billion Facebook Stories are shared daily.

· 60.6% of all social media users use Facebook.

Facebook Engagement Stats

· More than 4 billion video views take place on Facebook every day.

· Facebook engagement increases by 18% on Thursday and Friday.

· A video post increases interaction by 600% on Facebook.

· 85% of videos watched on Facebook are on mute.

· A live video engagement is 26% on Facebook, higher than any other social media platform.

· Facebook videos with captions increase the watch time by 12%.

· 49.9% of all posts are link posts, making it the most common Facebook content. This is followed by images and videos.

Facebook Business Stats

· There are more than 200 million businesses on Facebook.

· 44% of users admit that Facebook influences their shopping decision.

· More than 160 million businesses use Facebook to interact with their customers.

· 62% of people acknowledged they have become more interested in a brand after watching its Facebook stories.

· The average organic reach for a Facebook post is 6.4% of the page’s total likes.

Facebook Ads Insights

· 2.28 billion people can be reached through adverts on Facebook.

· 43.5% of the ad audience is female, while 56.5% is male.

· Adding a CTA button boosts the conversion rate by 2.85 times.

· Cost-per-clicks are most expensive on Fridays and cheapest on Sundays.

· The average cost-per-click is $1.86 on Facebook.

· A CTA in the middle of the video has witnessed a higher conversion rate of 16.95%.

· The cost of a video ad is 10% of carousel or single image ads.

· Audiences aged 18-24 spend 75% of their time on Facebook watching video ads.

· 71% of shoppers feel they see relevant video ads on Facebook.

· A Facebook user clicks on an average of 8 ads a month.

Moving on to Instagram

This year, Instagram got its own professional dashboard for business and creator accounts.

It also traded swipe-up links for stickers, introduced Remix for Reels, and introduced a Collab feature for posts and Reels. These new features are in tune with Meta’s vision of bringing together an array of features that help brands and businesses.

Instagram Demographics Stats

· Instagram has more than 2 billion active users.

· 64% of Instagrammers are under 34 years.

· The 25-34 year old age group is the largest of the demographics, attributing to 31.

· Daily active users of Instagram stories are 500 million.

· 17.6% of the world population uses Instagram.

· Instagram has 51.6% female and 48.4% male audiences.

Instagram Usage Stats

· About 6 in 10 Instagram users log in at least once daily.

· 21% of users log in weekly, and 16% log in less often than that.

· 38% of users log in to the platform multiple times.

· The average time spent on Instagram is 28 minutes.

· 70% of the people watch Instagram stories daily.

Instagram Engagement Stats

· The average engagement rate for all post types is 0.83%.

· The average engagement rate for photo posts is 0.81%, video posts is 0.61%, and carousel posts is 1.08%.

· Longer captions get better engagement.

· On average, 10.7 hashtags are used in Instagram posts.

· Instagram has 58% more engagement per follower than Facebook.

· 100 million Instagrammers watch or launch live videos daily.

· Photos with faces perform almost 40% better than without faces.

· Videos get 21.2% more engagement compared to images.

· Posts with at least one hashtag average 12.6% more engagement.

· Instagram users engage more on weekdays, with Wednesday and Thursday showing the most engagement.

· 80% of the stories with voiceover or music drive better low funnel results than ads with no sound.

· Posts with tagged locations get 79% more engagement.

Instagram Business Stats

· More than 25 million businesses use Instagram to promote their services and products.

· 90% of accounts follow at least one business on Instagram.

· 2 in 3 people surveyed believe Instagram enables interaction with brands.

· 81% of Instagrammers use the platform for researching new products and services.

· 44% of businesses use stories to promote their products.

· 67% of users watch branded stories.

· 83% of Instagram users discover new products and services on the platform.

· Instagram business accounts post an average of 1 post daily.

Instagram Ads Insights

· 50% of Instagram users are more interested in a brand when they see ads on Instagram.

· The U.S. has the highest potential Instagram advertising reach, followed by India and Brazil.

· 75% of Instagrammers take action on at least one ad.

· The highest Instagram advertising audience is from the 25-34 age group, which is 32.3% of all Instagrammers.

· 48.4% of the ad audience on Instagram is female, and 51.6% is male.

· Video ads have 3x more engagement than photos.

Let’s look at Twitter. Twitter introduced new features, like Safety mode, misinformation label, Prompts, etc., helped ensure conversations were safer and meaningful for everyone.

Twitter also made monetizing easier for businesses and creators with Super Follows, Ticketed Spaces, Tips, and Twitter Blue.

Twitter Demographics Stats

· Twitter has 211 million daily active users, while the monthly active users are 330 million.

· 83% of the world’s leaders are on Twitter.

· 27.9% of global Twitter users are aged between 18 and 24 years.

· 77.8 million active users are from the U.S., while 58.2 million users are from Japan and 24.5 million active users from India.

· 29.6% of Twitter users are female, and 70.4% are men.

· 42% of all Twitter users are college graduates.

· 77% of Twitter users earn more than $75,000+ each year.

Twitter Usage Stats

· 26% of U.S. users check Twitter multiple times in a day.

· 46% of all Twitter users visit the platform daily.

· The average time spent on Twitter is 3 minutes and 39 seconds.

· The total number of tweets sent per day is 500 million.

· The half-life of a tweet is 24 minutes.

· The daily limit is 2400 tweets and 1000 messages per day.

Twitter Engagement Stats

· The average number of hashtags used each day on Twitter is 125 million.

· Tweets with hashtags have witnessed engagement by 100% for individuals and 50% for brands.

· Using 1-2 hashtags can get you 21% more engagement.

· Tweets with more than 2 hashtags might have 17% lesser engagement.

· Hashtagged tweets have a 55% more chance of being retweeted.

· Twitter’s timeline generates +31% higher emotional connection and +28% higher levels of memorability versus the social media average.

· Tweets with a GIF gain 55% more engagement than those without.

· People watch 2 billion videos on Twitter daily.

Twitter Business Stats

· 67% of B2B businesses use Twitter as their marketing tool.

· 50% of consumers use Twitter, while 36% follow brands on Twitter.

Twitter Ads Insights

· 436 million people can be reached with adverts on Twitter.

· Ads with no hashtag received 23% more engagement.

· 29.6% of ad audiences are female, and 70.4% are male.

· The highest reach ranking of Twitter ads is witnessed in the U.S., followed by Japan.

· The majority of ad audiences on Twitter are males from the age group of 25-34 and females from the 18-24 age group.

· Advertisers saw a rise of 89% in video completion rates.

· Total ad engagement increased by 32% year on year.

Twitter provides immense possibilities for brands and individuals to communicate with their audience quickly. You need to schedule engaging tweets at the right time, monitor brand mentions, respond quickly, reach out to influencers, and collaborate with other brands for cross-promotion, analysis, and much more.

With so much to do, it becomes essential to manage it effectively using Twitter tools like Socialpilot, MeetEdgar, Keyhole, Canva etc.

And lastly here are some stats for LinkedIn (the primary social media marketing platform for mediators, arbitrators and attorneys)

LinkedIn said hello to Stories, Live streaming videos, Newsletters, Audio Events, and Video Meetings. Other cool features is the name pronunciation which allows users to record and add the correct pronunciation of their names to their profiles and video avatar that let’s viewers on your profile see a brief video about you and your practice.

LinkedIn has grown into a platform to share world-changing thoughts and ideas for businesses, brands, and professionals alike.

Craft your marketing strategies taking insights from the below statistics and leverage your LinkedIn activities to leave an impact.

LinkedIn Demographics Stats

· The population of LinkedIn is more than 800 million from 200 countries.

· There are 180 million users from the U.S. on LinkedIn.

· There are 56.6% of male users and 43.4% female users on LinkedIn.

· After the U.S., India(81 million), China(54 million), and Brazil(51 million) have the highest number of LinkedIn users.

· There are 180 million senior-level influencers.

· LinkedIn has 65 million decision-makers and 10 million C-level executives.

· Almost 60% of LinkedIn users are in the age group of 25-34.

· 60% of the U.S. LinkedIn users earn $100,000/year.

LinkedIn Usage Stats

· 3 professionals join LinkedIn every second, with 172800 new users every single day.

· 57% of LinkedIn traffic is from mobile devices.

· 91% of executives rate LinkedIn as their first choice for professionally relevant content.

· There are 9 billion content impressions in LinkedIn feeds every week.

· 2 million posts, articles, and videos are published on LinkedIn every day.

· 3 million users post on LinkedIn every week.

· 4 in every 10 millionaires are active LinkedIn users.

· Only 1 million users have published an article on LinkedIn.

· About 45% of LinkedIn article readers are in upper-level positions (managers, VPs, Directors, C-level).

· 39% of LinkedIn users never share content, while 16% of the profiles actively share multiple posts every week.

· On average, users spend 7 minutes 12 seconds on LinkedIn.

· The average visit duration on LinkedIn is 8.52 minutes.

· Users visit an average of 6.4 pages on LinkedIn before leaving.

· LinkedIn Live streams witnessed a 437% year-on-year increase in views.

LinkedIn Engagement Stats

· 22.04% of LinkedIn traffic comes from search alone.

· 99.63% of LinkedIn search traffic comes from organic search.

· LinkedIn Pages with complete information get 30% more weekly views compared to others.

· There is a 50% rise in engagement year-over-year on LinkedIn.

· Companies posting weekly see an engagement rise by 2x on LinkedIn.

· 98% of marketers on LinkedIn agree that personalization helps advance customer relationships.

· According to LinkedIn, companies that post 20 times per month reach at least 60% of their unique audience.

· Including the links in a post can drive twice the engagement than a post without it on LinkedIn.

· Images on average result in a 98% higher comment rate than without on LinkedIn.

· Links to Youtube videos play directly in the LinkedIn feed and typically give a 75% higher share rate.

· Long-form content gets the most shares on LinkedIn, so aiming for between 1700-2100 words should give your content a boost.

· LinkedIn articles with 8 images and 5,7, or 9 headlines are best for engagements.

· Messages sent have increased 35% year-over-year on LinkedIn.

· Weekly LinkedIn members who engage heavily with content are 5x more likely to return daily.

· Listing 5 or more skills on your LinkedIn profile can lead to up to 17x more views.

LinkedIn Business Stats

· 46% of social media traffic to the company’s website comes from LinkedIn.

· 45% of marketers have gained customers through LinkedIn.

· Lead Gen Forms on LinkedIn can increase conversions by 3x.

· 89% of B2B marketers rely on LinkedIn for lead generation.

· 62% of B2B marketers generate leads on LinkedIn successfully, over double the next-highest social channel.

· 4 out of 5 LinkedIn users drive business decisions.

· 52% of buyers list LinkedIn as the most influential channel during their research process.

· InMail has a 300% higher response rate than email, with a 10-25% hit rate on LinkedIn.

· LinkedIn is generating revenue for 38% of B2B marketers.

· 80% of B2B leads coming from social media are from LinkedIn.

· 97% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn to help drive their content marketing strategy.

· 92% of B2B marketers have LinkedIn included in their digital marketing mix.

· 15% of Linkedin users are senior-level influencers.

· As per Linkedin, an average of 10 content pieces are considered before making a purchasing decision.

LinkedIn Ads Insights

· 43.4% of ad audiences are female, and 56.6% are male.

· Sponsored InMail has an opening rate of 52% on LinkedIn.

· LinkedIn Message Ads have a 40% conversion rate.

· 65% of B2B companies have generated a customer through LinkedIn paid ads.

· The cost per lead is 28% lower than on Google AdWords on LinkedIn.

· The average conversion rate of video ads on LinkedIn for the U.S. is 6.1%, more than any other contemporary platform.

https://www.socialpilot.co/blog/social-media-statistics?utm_campaign=nurture-campaign&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ebook-subscriber&utm_content=email3#fb-demographic-stats

#marketingmediation #marketing #marketingADR #marketingresolution #mediation

Natalie Armstrong-Motin 12/9/21 Natalie Armstrong-Motin 12/9/21

Customer service is free

mediators and arbitrators aren’t large organizations and we know that customer service is one of our best profit centers.

Most large organizations would disagree.

Large organizations hire customer service agents to answer the phone. They set up pre-recorded messages meant to mollify their clients. They strategically write warranties and guarantees to address customer concerns. I would assume that they measure all of this as a cost meant to raise profit.

But mediators and arbitrators aren’t large organizations and we know that customer service is one of our best profit centers.

We know full well that when a client or prospective client contacts us directly, this is unlike other practice development opportunities. At this moment, the client or prospective client is really paying attention. They’re interested. They’re leaning in. And whatever interaction we have with them will have a lasting effect.

Sometimes our colleagues have decided that good customer service isn’t necessary, is too much trouble, or is too expensive. Although this is really bad for our industry, it could be a benefit to you. If your competition has dropped the customer service ball, you can pick it up and then over deliver, thereby setting yourself apart and above.

The most valuable client is a satisfied client. Even if we don’t get their case to resolution, they know we worked hard and gave their case our best. And because it’s so easy for clients to share about their experiences with us (and oh boy do they love to tell share) the word spreads quickly about you, your practice, and the good customer service you provide (or don’t).

Ultimately, consider that the time and effort that you spend on customer service is better than free. It actually repays you many times over.

Natalie Armstrong-Motin 12/2/21 Natalie Armstrong-Motin 12/2/21

Building Your Practice Using Video or Podcasting (or The Importance Of Storytelling)

Your stories will help you reach your practice goals because your prospective clients will have an opportunity to get to know you, to like you, and be reassured that they can trust you. Taking advantage of video and podcast platforms in your marketing strategy will be a game-changer.

For mediators and arbitrators who are sitting down to build our practice development strategies for 2022, let me help you. It's going to be all about incorporating video and podcasting into your marketing calendars. This is great news for resolutionists. Storytelling is right in our wheelhouse. Mediators know firsthand how effective storytelling is. A well-told story creates an emotional connection between the storyteller and the listener. Stories are one of the best ways to experience something without having to experience it firsthand.

As professionals, mediators and arbitrators know that when we tell a story well, it lowers the defenses of the listener. The same is true when resolutionists use video or podcasting to talk about our practices, our industry, our art, our communication tools, etc.

In the same way that participants in mediation and arbitration frequently enter our rooms with their defense mechanisms set to high, as soon as a viewer clicks onto your video or podcast, their guard is up. They’re just waiting for that first ad, hard-sell promotion, the bait and switch – the catch (of course you’ll avoid doing all of those things). Being able to tell a story and tell it well, helps people unwind. They can lean back and relax, listen and enjoy, and experience the story you’re telling.

It’s important to note that this kind of interaction with a story has a big impact on brain chemistry. Listening to a great story releases specific chemicals in the brain that create the kind of empathetic reaction we know to be so powerful.

For example, dopamine, which is associated with suspense, can help people focus, feel more motivated, and better retain the content they’re consuming. And this is good for us. We want both our clients in a mediation or arbitration as well as the viewers of our videos or listeners of our podcast to focus on the content, remember it, and feel motivated to action after listening or viewing.

Stories also release oxytocin. Oxytocin is associated with empathy and openness. So being able to tell a story that involves empathy invites the people watching or listening to become more trusting and open to your message. This helps them to transfer that trust to you, the storyteller. And we all know that the primary reason we get hired as the mediator or arbitrator is most often because the parties trust us.

A good story also releases endorphins and phenylethylamine. Endorphins are hormones associated with laughter and having a good time. Phenylethylamine is an amine that has pharmacological properties similar to those of amphetamine and occurs naturally as a neurotransmitter in the brain. It’s present in chocolate and one of the key reasons that most of us like it so much. Phenylethylamine is the happiness chemical. And when we feel happy, well, we want more.

When someone hears a good story from you, in any medium on any platform, they react predictably. They want more. They focus on your content, remember it, and want more of it because it makes them happy. They lean back and relax, become empathetic and open to you and your story, and they’re motivated to take action.

So, what makes for a good story?

Next time you have the opportunity to either tell a story or elicit a story for your video channel or podcast, follow this 8 step outline. It will work for long-form interviews as effectively as it will for video or podcast shorts. No matter how long your story is, include these 8 elements to keep your audience invested in your story and your practice.

You’ll recognize most of these elements if you’ve studied writing, watched movies, or read any number of books. This is the outline to use to create a story that your viewers and listeners can get involved with.

1. Enticement

Let’s start with the video/podcast thumbnail and title. These components are like a movie trailer. Obviously, they need to be designed to get the viewers’ attention and entice them to click on your video or podcast thumbnail and start listening to your story. Use a close-up photo of your face to create connectivity. Convey emotion in your image. Include some powerful text designed to encourage someone to click the thumbnail. Reflect the video/podcast content so that viewers get an idea of what they’re going to find (or even what they won’t find) in your video or podcast. If your thumbnail is misleading or doesn’t make sense, it erodes trust in you and your content.

Once they’ve clicked onto your video or podcast – here’s what they need to see and hear.

2. Character

Clearly identify the character in the story. This could be you or someone you’re talking about. It could also be someone you’re interviewing. This part can be as simple as introducing yourself and giving your soft elevator pitch. This kind of introduction leads easily and naturally into the next step of identifying what the character wants.

3. Desire

This step is identifying what the character desires. For example, if your character is a hypothetical client, we all know the most standard list of what our clients want from us – reasonable and durable closure, a faster process, access to justice, a voice, a less expensive process, etc. If your character is you, you know better than anyone what the pain points are. If your character is a guest that you’re interviewing, use your mediator skills and ask open-ended questions that lead to the disclosure of your guest’s desires.

Most of the time, these desires aren’t very complicated. In fact the simpler you keep the desires in your storytelling, the better.

4. Obstacles

As your story moves from character development and identification of the character’s desires, now is the time to weave in the obstacles. Tell us what is keeping your character from getting what they desire. Is it resources, support, time management, or wrong information? Is it a lack of conviction, lingering self-doubt, or a form of discrimination?

Whatever the obstacle, keep it simple and relatable, and don’t hesitate to have more than one obstacle facing your character. Frequently, having a compound list of hurdles for your character makes your story even more appealing.

5. Risk

At this point in your story, you want to tell us what’s at risk if your character doesn’t get what she wants. Stories that bring our fears to light encourage empathy with the view/listener. They likely have similar fears and will be able to relate to the character and thereby you. When we see someone else conquer these similar fears, it feels like we have, in some small way, also conquered that fear. This transference feels good. And that’s what we as storytellers want – our audience to feel good and get that rush of brain chemicals.

6. Hero

The hero of the story could be a person, an activity, or a thing. This is the time to introduce who or what gets your character what they need. It could be sound counsel from a mentor or advisor, introduction to a new resource, appropriate use of a new process, or any other motivational tool that helps your character find their way out of the struggle and beyond the obstacles.

7. How

In this part of your story, you want to tell us the ‘how’. What specifically was the activity, advice, or resource that let your character finally get what she needs and what she’s been wanting from the beginning of the story? Tell us using an explanation, demonstration or role-play, or a tutorial. This is where you give the viewer/listener the “good stuff”.

8. Transformation

Lastly, we all want to know how the character in your story has been transformed by getting what they want or need. How did conquering their fears and overcoming the obstacles in the story get all of us to the happy ending? Step 8 is the conclusion. It’s the fitting end to what might have been a predictable storyline, but it’s the reasonable, durable solution, and ultimately the happy ending that makes us keep listening to see the story come to a satisfactory conclusion.

With this outline of 8 simple steps, you’ll be able to take your storytelling via video or podcast to the next level. Your stories will help you reach your practice goals because your prospective clients will have an opportunity to get to know you, to like you, and be reassured that they can trust you. Taking advantage of video and podcast platforms in your marketing strategy will be a game-changer.

If you need help with setting up your strategy or creating a video channel or podcast channel, please don’t hesitate to reach out in the comment section below or via direct message and I’ll be happy to help you.

Natalie Armstrong-Motin 6/7/21 Natalie Armstrong-Motin 6/7/21

How Mediators Can Optimize Google My Business Listings

If you can’t afford to hire a digital marketing agency or SEO professionals, there are lots of tools that you can use for free to optimize your search rankings and one of which is the Google My Business.

As the name implies, Google My Business is a tool (free) provided by Google for businesses to manage how their details are listed in search. With this tool, you will be able to manage your locations on Google Maps as well as online reviews

If you're running a local business you need to set up the location of your business on Google My Business so that customers will be able to find you easily when they search in Google Maps. But to make it possible you need to optimize your Google My Business listing.

Read on to learn how to optimize your listing properly.

Tips for Optimizing Google My Business Listing

Optimize your profile in Google My Business

When optimizing your listing making a profile that has updated, accurate, and comprehensive details is the first that you need to do. Your Google My Business profile has several parts like:

● Name

● Address

● Phone Number

● Business Category

● Description

Aside from the above-mentioned parts, you can include other important details like availability, working hours, and URL of your website.

Load High-Quality and Relevant Pictures

Once you have included all the important details in your listing, you can start personalizing your Google My Business page’s visual aspects. Take note, a listing will not be completed without pictures.

A business that has images on their listings tend to obtain 35 percent more clicks and considered more trustworthy.

With this in mind, make sure to upload a logo, cover photo, profile photo, and general images to give customers an idea of what your business looks like as well as what services and products they can obtain from you.

Ask for online reviews and respond to them

When it comes to local searches, reviews are considered the lifeblood. Good online reviews is equivalent to sales. Meaning to say, if you have more good reviews then your sales will increase as well.

Whenever customers perform a google search to find a service, product, or business on Google, these reviews will show up. The online reviews and even the ratings allow people to compare competitors more rapidly and determine whether the business is trustworthy or if it’s selling good products and services.

Thank you for reading, hopefully, this article has helped you a lot in optimizing your Google My Business listing. If you can’t afford to hire a digital marketing agency or SEO professionals, there are lots of tools that you can use for free to optimize your search rankings and one of which is the Google My Business.