How to Keep Your Law Firm’s Audience Watching YouTube Videos to the End

If your firm is active on YouTube, it’s likely that you’re looking for ways to get more views and keep viewers engaged. Keeping viewers interested in your video until the very end is a great goal for improving video performance. Here are some of our top tips for keeping your law firm’s audience watching videos until the end. 

A Refresher: Why Engaging YouTube Content Matters

An important aspect of law firm marketing is building relationships with potential clients. It’s important to project a credible and knowledgeable image, and sharing thought leadership is crucial. Video is a powerful way of doing that, and people often begin their research with video content. On an average day, there are over 5 billion views of video on YouTube. Increasingly, people prefer consuming video vs. other types of content. Long-form video content gives you a better opportunity to tell important stories and build relationships. YouTube offers benefits that short-form video platforms like TikTok don’t. While many short-form video creators struggle to gain followers, YouTube marketers can gain a great following from a single impactful upload. YouTube also offers more reach since it’s the second-largest search engine. Their algorithm is designed to uncover relevant and interesting content for searchers, which means that quality content gets a boost. Furthermore, YouTube makes it easier to monetize content if you reach that level. If you have at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time, you can join YouTube’s partnership program. You can monetize even faster with brand sponsorships. 

Getting Maximum Watch Time on YouTube Videos

There are a few key elements that almost all compelling YouTube videos have in common. They are: 

1. An intriguing title and thumbnail that gets clicks.

The title and thumbnail are the first things a viewer sees, so getting them right is imperative. Try to think of things from your audience’s perspective and what will really capture their interest. In some instances, it’s a good idea to get real feedback on these items. For example, you might post some items to your Facebook page and ask people which they prefer. 

2. An opening that hooks people in the beginning and makes them want to keep watching.

As you think about recording the actual content of the video, consider the introduction. How can you use those first few seconds to really capture attention? What will you share that will convince people to invest their time in your video? The “hook” can be emotional or informational. Think about the pain points that people can relate to, a situation that is stressing them out, or a benefit that they really want to get. Make sure you’re sharing information that is going to make their lives easier – and tell them exactly that in the beginning. 

3. A well-structured story that makes it easier for people to stay engaged.

Here is where you get into the real meat of the content. It’s important that you deliver on the promise of the hook you created – don’t offer “clickbait”, but provide real value. It’s helpful to break things down into different points that people can follow along with. For example, if you’re sharing a how-to, break the steps down into a numbered list and differentiate them clearly. If you’re sharing a list, make sure to have clear bullets and break those down into sections. There are plenty of tools that can help you to plan and storyboard content. Do what you can to show, not just tell. Explain what’s happening as you go along so that there is constant action and the viewer keeps wanting to learn more. 

4. A high-value proposition that gives people a reason to watch.

In order to stay interested until the end, there have to be some stakes involved. Try setting up a challenge or situation at the start of the video. That keeps viewers wondering what happens next. Can they achieve the impossible-feeling task, beat a deadline, overcome a certain hurdle, or take a risk? High stakes offer a more emotional element that keeps viewers interested and improves your retention metrics. 

5. An ending with a clear next step.

The ending of the video is where you can try to convert loyal followers. What is it that you want them to do? In many cases, this will be a specific call to action such as visiting a website, downloading a lead magnet, or following a blog. However, there are also times you simply want people to finish the video. This is important for improving your watch time statistics, which matters for the success of your channel. It sends signals to the YouTube algorithm that your videos are worth watching, which will increase your reach. Use the ending card of your video to link to other relevant clips that viewers will find engaging. You could even cross-link videos through links in your description for extra impact. 

Takeaway: 

Start by reviewing the information available on YouTube. They offer a lot of data about retention and watch time, which you can use to your advantage. Plan a video that’s engaging from start to finish, and your YouTube results will show it. Need some help creating impactful video content?  We have extensive experience that has taught us how to script, plan, and produce videos depending on your budget and expectations.