Video is becoming the most important type of content in the digital landscape. Businesses are investing more of their resources into creating compelling video content – and for good reason. According to a Cisco white paper, video is now responsible for 80% of all consumer internet traffic. If you think you don’t need to consider video, you’re wrong.
Video is exciting for lawyers because it presents the ideal opportunity to forge a stronger relationship with clients, and engage new ones. People tend to respond well to videos because they can make a more human connection. This is especially important in industries such as legal because it can be more difficult to make that personal connection (which is key in prospects trusting you to solve their legal worries). People work with lawyers, not firms, and so creating content that really resonates with potential clients is more important than ever.
Here’s our checklist of 5 things you can do to improve your video strategy – and the results it’s getting.
Keep your audience in mind.
It’s impossible to market properly if you don’t know who you’re trying to reach. Videos that you create should help with at least one marketing goal. To do this, you’ll need to understand who you’re trying to reach, what channels they use, what challenges they’re trying to solve, etc.
Be consistent with branding
Whether you’re repurposing webinars or creating live videos, make sure you’re using your firm logo and other branding elements. Bonus points for including a short branded introduction to any video content you produce.
Use videos for storytelling.
The whole point of video is to make things more personal. Forget the formal information, and stick to showing, explaining – and inspiring. Share client success stories, or dive deep into a controversial topic. Share positive anecdotes that will invoke emotion that people will connect with your brand.
Don’t underestimate optimizing.
To enjoy your video, people need to find it! YouTube is the second largest search engine next to Google – that means that people are searching on there for information to help them solve problems. Make sure your videos are easy to find and tailored to the channel you’re posting them on. Every channel has different best practices that they recommend to make your video successful. Take time to research and familiarize yourself with these best practices before posting. In addition to optimizing for the channel, remember to account for SEO. Research keywords and incorporate them into the title and description. Keep titles less than 60 characters (but informative). Always include a link to your website, and try to build backlinks when appropriate. Lastly, make sure to optimize for mobile viewing, since many people look at videos on handheld devices.
Include a call to action.
All of this work is for nothing if you aren’t directing potential clients to your site, or to the next logical step of a campaign. Tell viewers what you want them to do next. It doesn’t have to feel “salesy”. Some good examples of subtle calls to action include asking a question that people can answer in the comments, directing them to another piece of content, or asking them to connect with you on other social channels.
Takeaway
Video isn’t going away. It’s become a real marketing powerhouse that can put you above your competition. If you need help creating or implementing a video strategy that will work – let us know!
