It’s no easy task working in marketing for law firms. You have to face regulatory restrictions that don’t affect other marketers and you’re against some tough competition with huge firms. That’s why you need to work smart, and embrace ideas like creating law firm promotional videos to differentiate you from the crowd.

Law is a sector where the written word is highly prized so it can be common to see legal content marketing efforts built around blogs. This overlooks the continued rise of video in business marketing, from 61% in 2016 up to 86% in 2021. It’s moved from being a tool of savvy marketers to an essential part of the toolkit, and that counts as much in video for law firms as other areas of content marketing.

It’s time to overcome any lingering fear about the production process. Engaging an agency who specializes in videos for attorneys is no longer needed as the rise in no-code video tools means you can create professional-quality clips and embrace video marketing for lawyers.  The why is clear, as according to research 70% of marketers said that videos showed a positive return on investment (ROI).

However, it isn’t a case of churning out a video and sitting back to watch the results roll in. Content marketing for law firms should still be carefully planned as part of your overall marketing strategy. Look to include different angles and approaches with your video by bringing the people and philosophies of your law firm to the fore in creative ways. Also check all the essential steps in a good B2B guide to video marketing.

To begin, here are seven ways to start using video for law firms without breaking the bank or taking up more of your team’s bandwidth.

1. Humanize your law firm with a video showing causes you support

Law firms can sometimes appear corporate or cold to an outsider, which is why you should address that head-on and look to bring a human element to the way your law firm is perceived. One way to do this is to show the causes your firm supports and celebrate those involved in helping them.

Individuals can tell their stories or you can show how the whole firm came together to make something happen. It isn’t so much video marketing for lawyers as offering recognition for positive contributions made to society by your law firm and colleagues.

This can often be a direct link to a charity, but the pandemic had an impact across all levels of society, resulting in an array of unexpected demands. Browne Jacobson LLP responded by creating a campaign and supporting video to connect people with resources to those with needs. From small things such as free parking spaces for healthcare workers to bigger picture things like resource sharing.

It isn’t necessarily what you’d think of in terms of legal types of content, but its value shows in the light in which it portrays the firm. A clear desire to help makes them more approachable and people-oriented.

2. Law firm videos to help recruit new talent to your team

Videos can also be used to recruit new employees, as marketing for law firms can do more than attract and nurture clients. It can be a tough market finding the right candidates, as legal job openings increase in number, but by using video to show prospective hires what it’s like inside the firm, they can visualize what they could gain if they join the team.

Winston & Strawn LLP created the clip below to showcase their District Attorney Secondment Program, targeted to mid-level associates with a passion for trial work. Not only do viewers learn how this program can accelerate their law careers, but they also get to hear firsthand from attorneys who completed the program about the positive impact it had on their development.

Encouraging recent lateral hires to talk about their experience of joining your firm is another way to give an authentic impression of what it’s like. Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP created a compilation video where the support new colleagues have received is highlighted, creating a favorable impression of what to expect for anyone considering the move.

3. Provide valuable legal content to earn viewers’ trust

Video content marketing for law firms is about far more than pure promotion. It can be a tool to generate a connection with your audience as they learn to trust your firm and it’s knowledge. Publishing clips that can give insight on legal topics without looking for a direct payoff will create goodwill and help imprint your firm for the time when viewers could use further legal advice or services.

The best thing about this tactic is that you’re making use of your firm’s best resource: your legal expertise. It’s a form of video marketing for lawyers that brings the actual lawyers to center stage.

Once a month, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP cover an interesting legal topic in a sixty second video to introduce the subject and showcase their knowledge. In the below example, they concisely cover design patents, which amounts to a law firm video that educates potential clients.

4. Legal marketing videos that showcase your firm’s best pro bono work

Research by the American Bar Association (ABA) discovered that 81% of attorneys believe that pro bono work is important. Therefore, you can use your law firm videos to show your firm’s commitment to pro bono work, giving voice to some of the important issues with which you’ve helped.

Winston & Strawn LLP created a video to showcase their pro bono work related to LGBTQIA issues. They provided legal services to the Tyler Clementi Foundation, which helped combat bullying, supported transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary individuals in changing their legal names, and fought to win asylum for persecuted people worldwide.

It’s a clever use of content marketing for a law firm that helps distinguish Winston & Strawn from the pack, as well as highlighting their excellent work.

A different approach was taken by Baker Botts who used a video to roundup a whole range of different pro bono work they’d completed, from projects like helping with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) legal matters to statistics, showing they’d contributed 50,000 pro bono hours in 2020.

5. Announce and promote events your firm is hosting with video marketing for lawyers

Law firms can also use real-world events as a source of valuable content.  This is a simple and effective way law firm marketing can use video to communicate a message and also let others learn about the firm, it’s values, and where it gets involved in public events.

These events can speak to anyone from potential clients to prospective hires and so can be seen as a law firm promotional video that delivers for multiple purposes.

Hogan Lovells created a short video on the Wibbitz platform to promote a holiday party they were hosting at their Washington offices in 2019.

You can even use Wibbitz to create recap videos of your event that attendees can share to show credibility and entice those who missed out to attend the next one.

6. Highlight your law firm’s accolades and stats

Winning an award should be marked publicly by your firm, recognizing the achievements of individuals or the collective and bringing that to the attention of the wider world. You almost couldn’t get better law firm promotional video content since it’s putting a face to your firm, talking about the areas you practice, and celebrating your skills.

Winston & Strawn LLP took the opportunity to create a video publicly recognising ten of their lawyers being named in D Magazine’s 2020 “Best Lawyers in Dallas” list. It’s a clever way to do video marketing for lawyers, further establishing their credentials as trusted experts since their peers chose the winners.

With simple to operate video creation tools like Wibbitz, you can create content marketing for law firm videos like this without impacting on your team’s bandwidth. Explaining how this type of content will help you build brand awareness is a key part of making a case for B2B video marketing.

7. A video for law firms that addresses your clients’ complicated problems

You know how talented your marketing team is, full of great ideas for legal content that delivers your message in a compelling form. However, time is often the barrier preventing everyone from acting on all those opportunities. That’s why an online video editor that lets them make quick, impactful videos that speak directly to your target audience’s issue is so powerful.

Law firm Hogan Lovells used Wibbitz to create a timely video dealing with lobbying and social distancing. They laid out the challenge faced by potential clients and then detailed how they can help resolve it. By directly speaking to the needs of viewers through a simplified and engaging video provided more value than any other content ever could.

Short-form video marketing for lawyers should be an essential tool in the methods of promoting your law firm. By creating engaging stories, you can grab the attention of potential clients or partners in a way that won’t be viewed as salesy. It’s an opportunity to talk about your law firm and what makes it special in a crowded market, from charitable work to awards, using an easy to digest format.