Did the Pandemic Affect Law Firm Video Marketing?
While COVID Made Finding Clients Difficult, Law Firm Video Marketing Has Become More Important Than Ever.
A few years ago, I wrote a blog post about Law Firm Video Marketing. It was about trends in the legal industry, and how consumers were going online to find an attorney.
My advice at the time was that law firms needed to improve their digital presence, including a website, social media, and video content.
Potential clients needed to be able to find you online.
And now, two years later, the entire industry has changed. The COVID pandemic has closed down law offices and courtrooms, face-to-face meetings have become a last resort, and finding new clients has become more difficult.
New Legal Trends
Several trends have emerged as a result of the pandemic. Law firms have been forced to adapt.
According to Clio’s “Legal Trends for Solo Law Firms,” the pandemic changed many consumer perceptions. For example, 58% of consumers say technology is more important now than before the pandemic.
37% prefer meeting virtually with a lawyer for a consultation or first meeting.
Also, 56% of clients prefer videoconferencing instead of a phone call.
New Technology
But that’s not all. Consumer expectations are driving law firms to adopt other types of technology as well.
For example, electronic payments—65% of consumers want to pay legal bills using credit and debit cards, PayPal and ApplePay. And electronic document management—69% want to share documents via a web page, app or online portal.
In other words, the legal industry is moving to the cloud.
Early Adopters
While law firms (and courts) have traditionally been slow to embrace technology, much of that has changed.
Today, 68% of firms say technology enables them to deliver better client experiences.
88% of solo practices believe lawyers can serve clients better using technology and automation.
And of course, they’re finding technology is also useful when it comes to finding those clients.
Law Firm Video Marketing
With more consumers turning to the Internet to find legal representation, law firms are investing in lead generation tools to connect with those clients.
Google ads, SEO (search engine optimization) and PPC (pay-per-click) programs are popular, but the #1 tactic is video.
Successful firms aren’t just relying on TV commercials and billboards. They’re building community awareness by publishing video content on YouTube, social media, and their websites.
Law firm video marketing isn’t the same as advertising. It doesn’t use promotional messages about a firm.
Instead, it focuses on content—informative videos that educate consumers about legal issues.
Educating Clients
The idea is to turn your firm’s website into an educational resource with videos optimized for SEO.
Here’s an example. Imagine someone gets hit by a driver with no auto insurance. What do they do?
At some point, they’ll do a Google search. And more likely than not, they’ll find a video posted on an attorney’s website. “What To Do If You’re Hit By An Uninsured Motorist.”
In the age of COVID, that’s how successful law firms are attracting new clients.
They’re posting videos about everything from “Things You Need to Know About Uncontested Divorce” to “What To Do If You Get a Letter From the IRS.”
If you think that could work for your firm, give us a call.
About the Author:
Harry Hayes is the owner and executive producer at Content Puppy Productions, a corporate video production agency based in Charlotte. Before starting Content Puppy, he spent 20+ years as an advertising writer and creative director.
