Creating an effective YouTube strategy is more important than you think. As digital strategies continue to evolve, we see video playing a bigger role. 96% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service, and 86% of people have said they’d like to see more video from brands. But how do you create a strong presence? How do you improve discoverability and engagement in the first place? You can start creating a successful law firm YouTube channel with these 5 tips.
1. Build your channel around an audience
This might seem common sense, but there are many channels that are not aimed toward anyone in particular. Think about who is watching your channel, what their interests and needs are, and also what they’ll need for the long term. What are they likely to be researching over the next year or two? Short term trends can help you come up with content quickly, but focusing on them isn’t a sustainable strategy over time. Remember that in order to grow, you need to attract a new audience and keep those viewers coming back. Focus on key interests and providing value.
Related: Law Firm Target Audience: Reaching Your Ideal Client
2. Focus on your niche
Since video has exploded in popularity, there’s more content out there than ever before. In order to stand out, you need to create unique content that has an angle people don’t see elsewhere; focus on your niche. Work towards a specific alignment with your audience. For example, if you notice there’s a lot of content out there about personal injury cases, find a narrower area of expertise to explore. For example, maybe you have a video series that highlights a specific case each day. It’s ok to vary sometimes, but don’t stray too far from the niche that you serve with your practice.
3. Become a video consumer
Just like you conduct market research and understand your competitors, you need to explore videos in order to become savvy in the arena. Find and watch plenty of videos in the niche that you’re planning to penetrate. Pay attention to their approaches, get inspiration and new ideas, and document trends. How engaging are the videos – and what makes them engaging?
4. Maintain branding consistency
A strong brand is easily apparent across channels. Be consistent with thumbnails, titles, colors, graphics, and fonts. This will help your videos stand out when they’re shown to viewers within recommendations. YouTube experts also recommend showing your brand through YouTube elements as well – paying special attention to items like channel icons and art, your description, and trailers. You want to eventually get to the point where people who are active on YouTube (in your industry) will recognize your law firm YouTube channel without even having to click anything.
Related: The Best Software for Editing Your Law Firm’s YouTube Videos
5. Be present
Arguably the most important tip: show up. It’s essential that you are present when people go looking for you, and the only way to ensure that happens is to create video consistently. Similar to blogging, create a schedule and stick to it. Try to become part of people’s routines. Speaking of consistency, make sure you stay true to the promise you stated when you created the channel. You must always make it a point to deliver what people are expecting.
Takeaway:
Creating an effective YouTube channel is particularly important for law firms, who need to share thought leadership and often explain complex topics. Focusing on your audience and maintaining consistency are really the fundamentals of building a strong video presence.
Our experienced video production team can support law firms that would like to plan, produce, and promote compelling videos. 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.
