Guest article written by Michael Dinitz from Studio Dinitz.

Video is no longer just an option for marketing your firm…it’s a necessity. Here are recent statistics:

  • By 2019, global consumer internet video traffic will account for 80% of all consumer internet traffic.
  • Over 500 million people watch video on Facebook daily.
  • YouTube has over one billion users – which amounts to almost one-third of the Internet.
  • YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world – second only to Google.
  • Adding video to emails can boost click-through rates by 200-300%
  • 90% of users say videos are helpful in the decision-making process
  • Videos can boost landing page conversions by 80%
  • A third of all the time people spend online is dedicated to watching videos

The fact is, if your law firm isn’t leveraging video in your marketing strategy, you could be making a mistake that’s affecting your reach and brand.

Effectively utilizing video marketing gives you a new way to engage your audience, promote your brand, and grow your firm to levels you simply can’t without video. Video has a way of fostering engagement and yielding results that are hard to parallel.

Here are the top four reasons attorneys should be utilizing video marketing:

1. Brand Awareness – Your firm is your brand, and video gives you the perfect medium to tell your firm’s story and let people know what your firm stands for, and whom it represents. With videos, you can offer your audience a chance to get to know the attorneys in your firm without ever having to set foot in your office. Video is how people “shop” today, for both physical items and also professional services such as legal representation.

2. Educate Your Clients – Not only will video enable you to give your audience a sneak peek inside your office and get to know the faces and personalities of your staff, but you’ll be able to educate them on specific topics that they’ll be looking for. Add to that the fact that Google loves to position videos high in their search engine rankings.

3. Build Firm Loyalty – One of the greatest benefits your firm will gain from the addition of video in your marketing efforts is brand loyalty. By allowing your audience the chance to get to know your firm and its staff, you’ll be reaching them at a level you simply couldn’t before. When a satisfied client has the chance to refer you to a new potential client, video gives them an easy way to introduce your firm. This is essential for a law firm that relies heavily on referrals in practice areas such as family law, criminal law, and personal injury.

4. Create a Multi-Purpose Marketing Asset – Videos can be used in your marketing in a multitude of ways. For example:

●      How-To Videos: On YouTube, “how to” searches are more popular than ever. Your firm could have videos on how to file an insurance claim, how to take pictures at an accident site, how to create a living will, etc.

●      Vlogs: Basically a video blog, an attorney might create videos outlining recent courtroom or client experiences, while not disclosing identifying information. This gives the viewer an “inside look” that could be relevant to their own issue.

●      Testimonials: Short video testimonials show “social proof” through third-party validation of your services.

●      Frequently Asked Questions: What are your firm’s most frequently asked questions? Compile a script based on these questions and give helpful answers that your potential clients need. These potential clients are more apt to call you for a consultation if they’ve seen video first that presents you as an authority on what they need.

Video isn’t optional in a successful law firm marketing plan. Placing video front-and-center in your marketing will ultimately win you more clients and raise that all important bottom line.

Here are tips on how to increase your video’s reach:

·      Upload your videos to your website, YouTube channel and Facebook page, using long-tail key words to boost SEO rankings

·      Share your videos on your firm’s social media channels, like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn – not just once, but multiple times throughout the year

·      Encourage your team members to include your video in their email signatures

·      Announce the publication of each new video in your email newsletter

·      Ask your team and your industry partners to share your videos with their social networks and add your brand video to their LinkedIn profile

·      Use your video as part of a targeted Facebook advertising campaign

·      Add your brand video to your firm’s profile on law firm directories