5 Ways for Law Firms to Use Video

Visual data is often preferred and processed faster than text, and statistics show that web pages and online materials with videos are more likely to attract and retain viewers. While the legal industry has been somewhat slow to adapt, most of the Am Law 100 firms now use online video. It is therefore essential for your law firm to adapt to this quickly dominating trend. Here are a few ways you can promote video content in order to help set your firm apart in growing its business.

“About Us” Page

Many law firm websites feature an “About Us” page with a description of the firm’s history, areas of expertise and attorney biographies. A more engaging way to showcase this content and invite prospective clients to your law firm are videos of attorneys and associates describing their backgrounds and skill sets. A video of this nature instead of a written description can make your firm and its attorneys seem more personable and authentic to viewers. An introductory video to your firm could even be used as the header on your website’s homepage.

Testimonials

Client reviews are very important factors in a person’s decision to use a product or service, including legal assistance. Videos on your firm’s website featuring client testimonials can therefore be a very effective marketing tool. More so than printed quotes from current or past clients, videos describing positive experiences with your firm will elicit more emotion and credibility, and are more likely to influence viewers searching for a lawyer. Recording these testimonials unscripted, or as informally as possible, will make them more authentic and convincing and therefore effective at attracting new clients.

Case Studies

Similar to testimonials, case studies can build prospective clients’ confidence and trust in your firm by showing them examples of past success and expertise. Because case studies by nature tell a story, they make for an excellent use of video marketing, which relies on compelling content. Create a video of your attorneys describing a specific case from start to finish, and include appearances by the client the case is based upon detailing how your firm helped solve his or her problem. A description of the entire process will answer many questions potential clients may have, giving them a real sense of what to expect should they choose to use your firm’s services.

Video Series

Creating related videos in a multi-part series to post on social media or send to an email list is another tactic your law firm can use to attract and retain an audience. Video series are a good option for describing different aspects of an overarching practice area, such as insurance law, with videos on subtopics of disability insurance, life insurance, and business insurance. You could also create a video series of how-tos and Q&As on the steps in a complex legal process. Whatever content you choose as it relates to your firm and its practice areas, you should end your law firm video series with a call to action, offering your audience to subscribe to future video series or other gated content such as guides and newsletters.

Live Streaming

We have previously written about how law firms can add Facebook Live to their digital marketing strategy. While the streaming platform itself is not new, many law firms have yet to take advantage of this aspect of the popular social network. Facebook Live is another avenue for engaging with clients by hosting Q&A sessions or giving an inside look into your law office, but it is also a useful platform for discussing current events as they pertain to your practice area, such as the passage of new laws and regulations.

Facebook, however, isn’t the only platform with live streaming capabilities – YouTube is also a useful streaming tool for directly sharing information with viewers, especially if your law firm already has a solid YouTube presence. Even LinkedIn has launched their own live streaming feature. Treat LinkedIn Live like a fresh channel for your existing content ideas. Use it to promote upcoming webinars, showcase the people behind your brand, or demonstrate your thought leadership. Whatever you choose, the magic is in making it interactive.

Additionally, if your firm has a following on Instagram, you can use Live Stories to broadcast creative content in an informal way, such as streaming from private meetings and conferences, or introducing attorneys. Due to Instagram’s large millennial user base, Live Stories are a great way to reach this demographic.

[Related] 10 Video Marketing Examples from Lawyers Doing it Right

Takeaway

Video marketing has evolved in many industries due to both the growth of social media in the smartphone age and how consumers today better receive information they view. This trend has reached the legal field as well, with more law firms utilizing video marketing as part of their strategies to attract new clients. The nature of video marketing can lend itself to a wide range of creative content, and these strategies are just a few ways your firm can get started. 

If you would like further assistance developing a video marketing strategy or are ready to start producing your own content, reach out to us for help.  

Updated and republished from Feb 3, 2020