In most areas of the country, law firms have a lot of competition. These days, having a website alone isn’t enough to stand out from the competition online—it’s the bare minimum. If you want to be the top firm in your area for your niche, then you have to be willing to push outside your comfort zone and market your business in new ways.
Many lawyers have never even considered making videos, let alone creating consistent content for a YouTube channel, but it’s a fantastic way to stand out and connect with potential clients. A YouTube channel gives you the opportunity to provide your potential clients with a lot of great value and build your own credibility in the market.
Why is YouTube for Lawyers So Valuable?
Digital marketing is always changing. It can be tough for small law firms to keep up, especially if you’re not confident about which platforms will most effectively bring in new business for your firm. YouTube isn’t a new marketing channel, but few attorneys have been leveraging the power of video to generate business for their firms..
So why is YouTube for lawyers so powerful? Two reasons. First, people love to watch videos! They enjoy the visual aspect of learning on YouTube, even if the video simply consists of one person talking to the camera. Many people find that they are more engaged with video or are able to remember the information they get from video content better than written content.
Second, YouTube competition is low in legal marketing. Because many lawyers are uncomfortable being on camera and feel intimidated by the idea of creating a YouTube channel, most firms aren’t creating video content at all. Your YouTube channel could add value that sets you apart from competing firms.
Lawyers can use the power of video to not only add value for potential clients but also to build trust and create a human connection—all before the first consultation. Right now is a great time to establish a YouTube channel and become a thought leader in your practice area.
Establishing Thought Leadership with Video
To take your business to the next level, you have to demonstrate how you’re different from every other lawyer out there. Your own original ideas will earn you new clients and help position you for all kinds of marketing opportunities. This is known as “thought leadership,” and it can open up new marketing channels for you, like virtual summits and podcast interviews.
The definition of a thought leader is someone who is recognized as an authority and innovator in their field. People seek out thought leaders when they need advice on their area of expertise or simply to learn and be inspired. Do you want to be the lawyer people call when they need help in your practice area, or want to interview an expert? If so, then it’s a great idea to start building your reputation as a thought leader with video.
Establishing thought leadership takes time and requires you to get out of your comfort zone. You have to be willing to push past your own insecurities and accept that your first attempts might be a little rough. Over time, though, as you improve your presentation and people share your videos, you’ll start to build your credibility as a leader in your niche.
How to Get Started With YouTube Marketing
If you’re feeling intimidated by the idea of making videos, don’t be. It’s never been easier to get started with YouTube videos for lawyers. Technology has advanced to the point where you don’t need expensive equipment to make high-quality YouTube videos.
You can get started for as little as a few hundred dollars and shoot your videos with an iPhone camera. You might want to invest in a tripod and editing software to ensure that your videos look and sound great, but you really don’t need much other than a neutral background and yourself!
To stand out, it’s important to make a channel that’s focused on your specific niche. General legal topics are going to be represented in hundreds of videos already, making it much harder to establish thought leadership. Plus, it’s easier to get started by talking about topics you discuss every day with your clients. In most markets, there aren’t many big names on YouTube, so it should be pretty simple to establish yourself as an authority. Remember, YouTube for lawyers is wide open!
Getting started is easy. All you need to do is create a YouTube account and set up a channel with a name, description, and tags. These are all important for video search purposes. This is a great opportunity to use keywords and drive some traffic to your channel! Don’t forget to add a banner image and logo to create even more visual interest.
Before you start experimenting with making videos, you need to think about what kind of content your potential clients want. The easiest topics are questions you get from leads on a regular basis. In addition to providing lots of great topic ideas, you’ll also be answering a lot of questions before your prospective clients even schedule their first consultation.
Set aside a couple of hours to shoot your first couple of videos. You’ll probably need several takes and may need to adjust the camera a bit. Make sure to breathe! You can always re-shoot if you’re not happy with your first few takes. But remember: done is better than perfect, and you’ll already be ahead of the competition by creating YouTube videos for lawyers in the first place.
Getting Comfortable on Camera: Use Your Personality
For many lawyers, the most difficult part of starting a YouTube channel is getting into the right mindset. You’re probably going to be very uncomfortable during your first few videos—and that’s okay! Know that with practice, you’ll get more comfortable, confident, and authoritative on camera. Getting out of your comfort zone and stepping in front of the camera can be difficult, but you can do it!
People who come to your channel will be looking for valuable content, but they’ll stay because of you. If you can lean into your personality and make your videos memorable just by being yourself, then you can start to build that authority and thought leadership. Lance Fryrear is a good example of this—he’s a defense attorney that uses video to build trust and inform potential clients about common legal concerns while using his personality to his advantage. Many of his videos now have several thousand views!
If you try to just be professional and formal in your content, you aren’t going to keep your audience engaged and you might come off as insincere. Loosen up a little and talk to the camera as though you’re speaking to a prospective client in front of you. Use the skills you’d use in your office or the courtroom and just talk about the topics you know inside and out!
Promote Your Videos
You’ve started making videos and you’ve uploaded the first few, but now what? How do you drive traffic to your channel? Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get many views at first. It takes a while to build an audience and subscriber list. If you want your videos to get more views, though, you have to promote them.
Digital marketing works best when your channels work together in harmony. Creating YouTube videos, for instance, gives you content you can use on your social media channels. You can even embed your videos into blog posts to capture more interest and engagement! In certain niches, LinkedIn can also be a great promotional channel.
Although you might feel self-conscious about your videos, it’s still important to promote them. Your YouTube channel won’t be worth much if no one knows it exists! Leverage your other platforms and channels to grow your video strategy and get new ideas for topics.
Ask For Help if You Need It!
Starting a YouTube channel doesn’t have to be complicated, but it’s not always easy to build a successful strategy around video content. If you need help with your digital marketing, it’s a good idea to ask for help when you need it. As an attorney, you’re not expected to be a marketing expert—you’re too busy working with clients and building your firm.
SMB Team understands the challenges of launching a new marketing channel. Our team members are experts in legal marketing and can help you create an effective marketing strategy that will consistently bring in new leads. To learn more about what we offer, book a free consultation on our website. We’ll be happy to help you create a competitive YouTube strategy, build a lead-generating website, or take your SEO strategy to the next level.