Video Marketing for Lawyers

Using video for marketing purposes such as bringing more exposure for your law firm is no longer only for the big players. Nowadays all you need is a mobile phone and a good strategy.

Get your phone — or camera — ready, because you’re about to learn all the steps you need to create videos that will get you closer to your goals.

Why Lawyers Should Use Video Marketing

Video content represents 1/3 of the time people spend on the internet. Why not use this power to increase awareness, generate leads, and impact your prospective clients?

Legal marketing can be complicated, not everyone will understand how you can help them or even what practice area they should be looking for. Videos are great to reach these people and take their doubts away.

You can get pretty good results with a limited budget, and a cellphone camera if you have a good strategy.

How to Create Video Strategy for Lawyers

Video marketing is a powerful tool, but it doesn’t matter how sharp your tool is if you don’t know how to use it. Recording videos and posting with no strategy will be a waste of time and money while providing few results..

Different Means Require Different Strategies

Every social media channel has its own dynamic. Remembering this will be a part of your law firm video success.

Facebook: Videos should be uploaded directly to the platform( Links to YouTube videos get fewer views). Shoot your videos so they can be watched without audio (by adding subtitles, for example), and make them relevant.
Instagram: the platform has three different types of video, the ones that are uploaded to the feed, live videos, and Insta stories. It’s worth mentioning that a live video can be download and added as an IGtv video.
Twitter’s video feature isn’t new, but it’s still relevant. It’s a good place to become viral since the video can be shared multiple times easily.
YouTube is the second largest search engine on the market and often used when someone is asking a question with a complicated answer. This means it’s a good place to create content focusing on SEO and on growing your online audience. Users tend to prefer watching longer videos once you fill some requirements. YouTube is a good place to build up your authority and drive traffic to other places, such as your website.
LinkedIn has been prioritizing video content just like all other social media. Creating content for the platform should be aligned with your content marketing strategy.

A Basic Video Marketing Strategy Should Include:

Knowing your target audience: in order to create content that resonates with them, you need to know who you’re talking to. What’s their age? Are they mostly men or women? What’s their job? These questions will help you get more clarity about your audience. Don’t assume that all people who need a particular legal service are the same.
Define your goal: if you don’t know where you’re going, chances are you’ll just spend a lot of money and get nowhere close to the results you’re looking for. Some popular goals are selling, educating and engagement.
Define your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): these are the metrics you’re using to measure your results. This will help you understand how close you are to achieving the results you pursue. Some good ones to include are
- Calls
- Form fills
- ounce rate
Each channel has its own language and characteristics, you should optimize the videos to fit the channel you’re broadcasting on.
Once you’ve implemented the whole strategy, measure the results you’re getting using the KPIs you’ve defined.

How to record a video

Now that you have a strategy put in place, it’s time to begin the fun!

Types of Video

The first thing you need to understand is that there are different types of video and choosing the most appropriate one is a critical part of the success of any video strategy.

Educational: these are videos created with the purpose of educating your audience about any topic they may have doubts on. It’s the video you use to be perceived as an authority and make your audience see you as a possible solution for their problem.
Backstage: you can use these videos to show your potential clients the processes and the people behind your firm. Use these to create a connection.
Institutional: just like backstage videos, these are great for creating a connection. You can use them to share your values and your mission.

How to Write a Script

Being in front of a camera can be scary. This becomes easier if you have a script, a plan for the content you’re sharing with your audience.

The first step is to figure out your goal for the video. Go back to your strategy and see what type of video, what content, and whom you’re talking to.

Once you’ve gathered all this information, write down the bullet points you want to highlight and start from this to write as naturally as you can. The idea with the script isn’t making you sound like a robot reading it, it’s to give you an outline while recording the video.

How to Record a Video

Now it’s action time. Get your room ready, set the camera (or cellphone) in a position in which you’re centered, read your script once more, and press the play button.

You probably won’t find it easy or feel natural the first few times you try. But keep on recording until you get comfortable in front of the camera. Once this happens it will feel as easy as talking to a friend. In fact, most directors will coach you to picture a specific person you are talking to – this will make you more natural in front of the camera.

You are much closer to a successful video marketing strategy than you were, but nothing will happen if you don’t start using your new tools. Don’t be afraid to look “ridiculous”, we all do at least a little bit on our first videos.

The secret to getting there is the same as any type of marketing. Create a strategy, execute it, analyze the results, improve, and repeat.

So, keep that play button pressed and go for it!

If you’re in Florida you may find this blog post useful on the Florida Bar Rules for YouTube.