5 Qualities of Successful Law Firm Webinar Programs

Webinars have always been an important part of law firm marketing, but they’ve ramped up during the COVID-19 pandemic. As in-person events such as seminars have been increasingly canceled, webinars have replaced these opportunities. There are a few traits that successful law firm webinars have in common.

1. Enthusiastic, passionate hosts

When offering a digital event, be sure to use hosts that are enthusiastic as well as knowledgeable. Law firms can maximize the impact of their webinars with presenters who are passionate about the topic, who get excited about the solutions they’re providing, and who convey their enthusiasm for rolling up their sleeves to work through the problems facing their audience.

Presenters should be eager to share their solutions and the ways that they can add value. A boring webinar is a good way to turn off potential clients and make sure they ignore future invitations. 

2. Topics are informed by hard data

Choosing the right webinar topic is all about knowing your target audience, and understanding what they need and want. If you can answer their questions, solve their problems and choose topics they’ve expressed an interest in, you are well on your way to a successful webinar.

Now, more than ever, law firms are using data to guide their webinar topics. They analyze readership data to identify potential topics and trends. They pay attention to who’s attending their webinars, who’s visiting their website, who’s sharing their content online, and other actionable data so their programs align perfectly with the concerns of their audience.

Here are four ways you can find a webinar topic your audience will be interested in:

1. FAQs: Ask your lawyers or your business development professionals what clients are frequently asked about.
2. Search Google Analytics for Top Traffic Pages: You can pick a topic by seeing what content is being discussed and shared the most on your site.
3. Poll Your Audience: Ask your audience directly for webinar topics they would find useful.
4. Competition: Look at your competitors to see if there are any topics or ideas you can adapt and make your own.

3. Incorporate interactive elements

The main mistake many webinar hosts make is organizing their presentation like a lecture where they simply convey information and don’t worry about the engagement and interaction of their listeners.

Think of interactive webinars as a TV series. Entertain and inform people so they have a reason to tune-in to the next episode.

You can make your law firm webinar more engaging by building in interactive elements such as Q&A time, poll questions, video clips, visuals, and competitions or giveaways.

4. Targeted promotion

Promoting your webinar is an essential part of the overall process. As with any marketing, though, promoting to the people most likely to be interested in your webinar will lead to better attendance with leads that are more qualified. 

Alert potential attendees through targeted emails using a segmented list. We suggest beginning email promotion 4-6 weeks out. Send countdown emails as the date gets closer. Make sure you also have thought leadership pieces on the topic that you can share to generate more interest. Additionally, posting across social media is important – and don’t forget to post about your events in specific groups that will have more interest in the subject. 

5. Post-webinar follow-up that include lead nurturing

When the webinar is over, don’t let too much time pass before following up with attendees. You want to connect with them again while your webinar is still fresh in their heads.

We recommend sending your first follow-up message within 24 hours after the live webinar concludes. The email should be as personalized as possible, and include a replay link and additional educational resources, like blog posts, eBooks or case studies.

But don’t stop there.

Enroll your attendees in an email nurturing campaign. Send out emails over the next 3-6 weeks, continuing to engage attendees with educational content, surveys, information on future webinars, and information on your services. If you’re using an email marketing automation platform like HubSpot, you can schedule the emails to go out ahead of time.

Related: 4 Things You Must Do Once Your Law Firm’s Webinar is Over

Takeaway

Webinars provide an important impression of your firm, and are an effective way to reach potential clients and strengthen your relationship with them. In today’s environment, they are more critical than ever as in-person events continue to be limited. Some firms manage to execute consistently great webinars based on a few specific characteristics. To make sure your webinars are impactful and generate a strong ROI, be sure to follow these best practices.

Want help launching a successful webinar? Check out our 10 step guide on creating a law firm webinar. Or maybe you need help boosting attendance? Then you need our blog post: 13 Webinar Promotion Tips to Guarantee Nobody Misses your Law Firm’s Next Webinar.

If you need help in developing a successful webinar strategy or need assistance in promoting a webinar to your target audience reach out to us for help. We can work with you to ensure your webinars have maximum impact with clients and prospective clients.