Videos are a powerful way to connect with potential clients. However, we hear from a lot of lawyers that video marketing takes too much effort and it doesn’t yield results.

As a form of content marketing, we think videos have major potential for growth-minded law firms. From TikTok short-form videos to longer, embedded website videos, there’s a lot of potential here.

Here are some key elements for firms to consider when creating legal content, common roadblocks and how to get better at producing content that yields maximum results with minimum input.

Your investment in video marketing determines your outcome

We are not saying you have to invest thousands of dollars to get results. What we are saying is that you need to put in the work to leverage the full potential of video marketing.

Data shows that video marketing is highly effective, in the legal world and beyond.

But despite the data, law firms still hesitate to allocate sufficient budgets, time and effort to produce the kind of consistent, quality content that will accomplish their goals. 

We get it. We know that attorneys—especially those launching a new firm—face serious challenges here, and you’re not alone. 69% of marketers report struggles with time constraints, 56% can’t be consistent with their content, and 52% say they’re unable to produce enough of it. 

No one said it would be easy! 

But the rewards of video marketing are well worth the effort it takes to succeed. Videos can lead to higher conversion rates, better brand memorability, deeper trust and ongoing engagement than no-video tactics. 

The point is that, without steady support from your team, it’s a foregone conclusion that you’ll be unhappy with your results. Your content may be falling flat because it’s not supported.

Which type of video marketing makes sense for your law firm?

Let’s take a step back and look at some popular use cases for video marketing:

• Organic social media content
• Case highlights
• Paid ad campaigns
• Thought leadership and expert insight
• Webinars
• Employee stories
• Client testimonials
• Livestreaming

Now, let’s consider what you might be trying to achieve with a given piece of video content. 

• Conversion
• Brand awareness
• Information delivery

Finally, think about all the places you could be posting this video content.

• Your website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Other blogs
• Email marketing

Success means perfect alignment between the type of content, the goal of the content and the platform. Find the right combination, add consistent support and bada-bing-bada-boom—video marketing success.

It takes two to tango: Make sure you’re connecting with an audience 

Videos don’t matter unless someone’s actually watching them. Of course, not all firms have a built-in audience waiting with bated breath for the next video. 

But your video content may be falling flat if you’re tentative about your audience.

So how well do you know your audience? Are you crafting videos for human connection, targeting the exact people you want to reach? Do you know what they want, what they fear and what they’re feeling when they’re logging on to find a lawyer? Are you targeting Gen Z, Millennials or Baby Boomers?

Knowing your audience is step one. Step two? Translate that knowledge into a storytelling artifact that will connect and convert.

Real stories and real people are the best way to stand out online. Authenticity is the buzzword you need to remember when creating video content. Yes, audio quality and lighting matter. Yes, charisma and on-camera confidence help. But you won’t get anywhere without a real person-to-person connection. Trends are out, transparency is in.

Let people see what you’re all about. Every video—no matter the platform—should show what you believe in, explain how you handle cases and demonstrate your expertise.

Budget and video effectiveness

Time to get real about money. Both in production and promotion, enough money can transform a basic script into a beautiful video with a wide reach. 

Expect to spend money on both the video production and video promotion.

Creativity can sometimes substitute for cash, but not always. You can film for free if you have a high-quality smartphone and a smart scriptwriter on staff. But last we heard, Facebook wasn’t accepting anything besides cold hard cash in exchange for ad space.

Take a close look at your spending. Is your video content falling flat because you’re scrimping on production value? Is it failing to reach people because you haven’t invested in promoting the content?

Actionable tips for video success

The two most common roadblocks are a lack of audience insight and non-strategic budgeting. Once you overcome those problems, try some of these tactics to improve your video marketing:

AI adoption: Try using AI to outline scripts for your video content. This streamlines your production process, cuts costs and makes you more efficient. You’ll be ahead of the curve, too—about 20% of marketers say they’re using AI for video creation this year, but many more report plans to use it in the coming year. 

Create a process: Don’t reinvent the wheel every time. Develop a process within your firm for content creation. Write it down and document it step-by-step. Whether you use in-house talent or outsource it, clarity and consistency in the process will take you far. 

Quality over quantity: Start slow. Focus on creating a single, valuable piece of video content. You’ll learn a lot and you’ll gain trust with your audience. Then, you can start scaling up. Please don’t produce a bunch of subpar content!

Measure results with precision: Look closely and critically at your video content data. Don’t be distracted by irrelevant numbers or vanity statistics. Views don’t tell the whole story. Build your skills in data analysis or hire a consultant who can help. Only invest more when you can justify it based on an increase in revenue, rooted in data.

Center videos in your strategy: Rather than treating videos like a fun side project, consider your content strategy as if videos were a key component. How would your investments change? What might you accomplish if you adjusted your budget and took videos seriously?

To unlock the full potential of this powerful medium, firms need to customize their video strategy to their specific goals and capabilities. 

Got one person who can spend 10 hours a week on video marketing? Great. Figure out how to best use those hours to get results. We suggest audience research, competitor analysis and skill-building. Got $2,000 to spend? Get some equipment to up your production value and set aside the rest for promoting whatever video you create.

Final words

The truth is that it takes work to produce great videos consistently, and falling flat is just part of the process. But there’s no excuse for continuing to put out videos that don’t get you results. It’s a waste of money and it’s bad for your reputation.

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