How to Use Video Marketing & YouTube for Lawyers

This article was updated June 2020.

What Lawyers Need to Know About Video Marketing

Today, YouTube is for far more than viral challenges. It’s a valuable way to reach potential clients. By choosing the right topics and including a call-to-action, you can begin to take your part of the 300 hours of video uploaded every minute in order to share your expertise and grow your law firm.

People engage with video at a higher rate than other types of content. This provides you with a chance to introduce yourself to viewers so they can get to know you, all before they call you or walk through your door.

how to begin implementing video into your online presence

YouTube’s scale can be intimidating, but the low barrier to entry to video marketing today offers an incredible opportunity to be discovered somewhere that Avvo or Yelp. We’re going to explore a few ways that you can use video in your law firm, and then review how to begin implementing video into your online presence.

We’re also going to share how you can still safely create high-quality videos during COVID-19 so your marketing doesn’t stop.

How to Use YouTube for Your Law Firm

It’s easy to start overthink videos for your law firm; the most important thing to remember is to just start. Producing videos helps you reach more people and interact with them in a way that mimics one-to-one communication—without the time commitment. These are our four key ways to utilize video at your practice.

Answer Common Questions

When people search online, they ask questions. And while you could take advantage of this through a blog-only strategy, YouTube videos appear near the top of Google results and can positively impact your brand awareness and increase leads. Those questions people ask? All potential content.

For example, this video highlights a question this firm receives along with their answer, which shows their perspective on the legal system.

If you’re not sure what questions to answer, consider the top questions you get from potential clients. This could be about how attorneys work with clients or the top concerns within your area of practice. Some possible video topics are:

  • What questions should I ask before hiring a lawyer?
  • What should I know about attorney-client privilege?
  • How does the legal process work for [insert specialty]?
  • What does it mean to settle a case?

As you begin to develop videos around these questions, you’ll further establish your thought leadership, which you can use to your advantage in a call-to-action.

Include a Call-to-Action with Every Video

After watching your video, some viewers will be ready to visit your website or call. Make this easy for them by including a call-to-action (CTA) to visit your website or call for a consultation. This is done in two ways. First, make sure your website URL and phone number are clearly displayed at the end of the video, and that both are in the script as well.

Second, add both to the video description, along with a brief description of what is in the video, making sure to include keywords like your town, your specialty, and common cases you litigate.

We often see attorneys hesitate to include a CTA because they either don’t want to sell too hard or they don’t realize the possible long-term value of a YouTube video. It’s a resource you’re investing in, so make it’s essential to make it count for your practice’s future growth.

Post on All Platforms

We’re proponents of improving time and cost efficiency by creating duplicate content

We’re proponents of improving time and cost efficiency by creating duplicate content. This means creating one piece of content for multiple uses, like a YouTube video that is also on your website and shared on social media.

This video is uploaded to a law firm’s YouTube account, but is also a featured asset on their website to improve engagement and lead generation.

This strategy also helps you create cohesive messaging, which is one of the most valuable assets to a law firm. You want potential clients to know your value and expertise, and using video throughout your marketing platforms will help establish it further.

Start Small & Grow

As we discussed, the most important asset in a video marketing strategy for lawyers is to start. When you start producing videos, focus on creating one to two a month. Because videos typically require a larger time investment than a blog, it’s important to plan well. These videos can also be filmed on the same day, reducing your time away from clients.

Depending on the size of your team, an associate or paralegal can gather talking points and help you prepare for a time efficient video shoot. A marketing agency can help you prioritize topics based on your goals as well, which is helpful if you’re not sure what to focus on first.

Once you see how much time you need for one to two videos, you can reevaluate and see if you want to increase the number.

How to Create Marketing Videos During COVID-19

While it’s tempting to put your marketing on pause during a time like COVID-19, it’s important to still maintain your strategy. (While pivoting as needed and maintaining the right tone, of course.) It’s still possible to safely create high-quality videos for your law firm.

These videos can answer common questions that are or aren’t related to current events. This time has brought up legal challenges for many, giving you an opportunity to educate and establish your thought leadership.

We help lawyers film these videos by recording interviews on Zoom, then adding music, text, and other visuals. By coaching them on lighting and how to create an interesting yet non-distracting background, they can build their content library safely.

Should You DIY It or Hire a Video Team?

With the low barrier to entry, it’s possible to create high-quality videos without a dedicated videographer or marketing agency. That being said, you’re busy and likely don’t want to learn video editing when you could be arguing a case for a client in court. Hiring a marketing agency gives you the strategy to make the most of your investment and the videographer to execute it.

Look for an agency that has worked with law firms before and can show a track record of success. This is important! You want a team skilled at creating a personal connection through a video, because that is what will bring people into your practice.

Hiring a marketing agency gives you strategySo while DIY-ing video for your law firm is possible, the best use of your time comes through a strategic investment into your firm’s online presence so you can continue helping your clients.

If you’re looking to begin maximizing YouTube’s value for your law firm, give us call at (415) 640-8009 or send us a message. We would be happy to review your needs and present a video marketing plan for your law firm that will deliver the results you’re looking for.

Marc Apple

Marc Apple

Digital Strategist

I like inbound marketing strategy, creative design, website development, analytics, and organic and paid search. That's what I write about.