The Right Type of Law Firm Videos for Each Social Media Platform

Law firms today can benefit from establishing a social media presence in a number of ways, the major reward being new leads. A sure way to get the most out of your social media strategy and reach more potential clients is to integrate video content in your social media posts. We know video content is preferred by viewers today, which means they will be more likely to engage in your firm’s social media pages and content. Additionally, video can help with SEO results as well as build trust in your firm and its brand.

While you may know by now that video content on social media is clearly a trend your firm should be following, not all videos are created equal – and neither are all social media platforms. Different social media channels are used for different purposes, and therefore users’ expectations vary across platforms. Below we outline the right types of video content your firm should be producing on five of the most popular social media platforms.

Facebook

Facebook has become somewhat less popular in terms of personal posting and sharing, especially among millennials, but it can still serve as a way for potential clients to reach your firm. Clients visiting your Facebook page will expect to find important updates and see what’s new with your firm. You can offer this content through moving words and images, pre-recorded conversations with attorneys, or by live streaming updates as they happen. Your firm can also create promo videos or ads for a specific service as Facebook is still a leading platform when it comes to advertising. To best engage your audience on Facebook, keep videos under a minute.

Twitter

Twitter is another platform where videos about updates and news is appropriate, but it has the additional perk of trending topics and hashtags, which are useful for developing content ideas and promoting your posts. Twitter is especially helpful in growing your online presence and gaining more followers thanks to the retweet feature. A large percentage of Twitter content is reposted content, so your firm should post videos that viewers are likely to share, ones that are interesting and informative, and even a little humorous. Keep videos on Twitter short (preferably under two minutes) unless you are linking out to an external video site.

LinkedIn

Law firms still need to be mindful of keeping things professional when posting on social media, and this is definitely true when it comes to LinkedIn. However, this doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for video content on this platform. Viewers on LinkedIn expect to find informative content, and the general rule of 80% educational to 20% promotional content holds for video as well. Some ideas of both include FAQ sessions, discussions of particular legal issues, and footage from a firm outing or volunteer event. LinkedIn also recently announced the beta launch of a Live feature that professionals will be able to use to broadcast live video to their networks. The product is first launching only in the U.S. and by invite only, but your firm could use this platform in the future to showcase firm events, conferences, and other content in real-time.  

Instagram

We’ve discussed the benefits of this platform a lot recently, including how law firms can use Instagram for advertising and reaching out to millennials. Not many firms utilize the platform, and the ones that do often think it’s only meant for photos. Yet Instagram users expect to see creative and engaging content and firms should take advantage of this. Posting videos on Instagram can be a great way for firms to humanize themselves and really connect with their followers through “behind the scenes” videos, informal meetings, and staff introductions. Videos on Instagram can only be 60 seconds long, but try to keep them to 30 to ensure viewers stay engaged when scrolling through a crowded newsfeed. For sharing moment-to-moment content, your firm can make use of the live stories feature.

YouTube

YouTube is one of the few social media platforms where it is suitable to post longer form video content. Viewers will come to this platform in order to learn something, more so about their specific legal issue or question rather than about your firm itself. Since videos of 6-12 minutes are appropriate on YouTube, your firm has the opportunity to educate viewers more in-depth about new developments and regulations in the legal field with informational videos or guide them through a complicated legal process with “how-to” videos. A unique aspect of posting videos on this platform is the ability to organize your videos by category through the use of playlists, making it easy for viewers to navigate your channel.

Takeaway

We’ve broken down five social media platforms into what types of video will be best received by viewers, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be any overlap across platforms. Your firm might not utilize all these platforms or be ready to create videos for them all, and that’s okay! It may take some time to develop a strategy that is right for your firm and its followers, but the efforts will pay off. If you want more advice on developing a video strategy for your firm, contact us today.