Video: The Next High-Impact Marketing Tool for Attorneys

It's not TV, but more of us than ever are watching the Internet. Online video is booming. Nearly 139 million U.S. Internet users see an average of 83 videos per month, according to Comscore. That's 3 out of 4 Americans who are online.

Most people on the Internet today want video, or at least are familiar with it, and that matters for law firms like yours. Because in 2008, online video is much more than funny amateur clips or news or sports highlights. It's emerged as a proven marketing tool - one that's particularly well suited to meeting the client development challenges that lawyers face on the Internet.

Online video - meaning video profiles of your law firm, attorneys and practice areas that you can have posted to your Web site, and to online legal directories and third-party sites like YouTube - is an opportunity for prospects to meet you before they ever walk in your office or pick up the phone. It's warm, personal and more "human" than written words and static images, and done right it can have the same powerful impact as an enthusiastic referral from a satisfied client.

Video helps erase the intimidation factor that still surrounds hiring an attorney, in other words, and encourages prospects to contact you.

That's borne out by the statistics. FindLaw studies, for example, show that on average, consumers research 4.8 Web sites before choosing an attorney online - but that decreases to just 1.8 when those sites contain video.

Factor in the push by Google and other search engines to expand their results beyond just words, and it's clear why online video is high on the marketing agenda for many law firms. It's a great way to cut through the clutter of the Internet , get noticed, and connect with more quality prospects.

Creating effective online video

But just like there are blockbuster films and box-office flops, online video can be an informative introduction to your law firm or a time-waster that prospects will tune out fast. To be effective, your law firm video should include the following key elements:

· A conversational, welcoming style. The style of a video plays a key role in its success. Prospects want to see your personality. Research shows that the vast majority - about 75% -prefer a relaxed interview style to a more formal, rehearsed script. The most effective videos speak to prospects as if they were sitting across your desk, in a way that's both personal and highly professional.

· Content that engages prospects. Flashy images aren't enough if your content falls short. Take some notes after your next half-dozen interviews with prospective clients ... are there FAQs and other key talking points that come up nearly every time? Approach your video marketing as a chance to address those important topics, in a format prospects love.

· A unique point of view. Online, being all things to all people is a great way to reach no one. Video should highlight points of differentiation that set your firm apart - foreign-language expertise, for example, or the unique professional experiences you bring to the table. Do you have three distinct practice areas? Create a video highlighting each.

· Contact details and a call to action. A video that looks great and says the right things accomplishes nothing if it doesn't drive viewers to take the next step. Your firm's 800-number, office locations and URL should be displayed prominently on-screen in any video presentation.

Providing a strong call to action and prominent contact details matters because video is an easy-to-share technology that can be distributed across the Internet to target audiences. A high-quality video that introduces your firm, then makes it easy for viewers to follow up, can extend your message beyond your Web site.

That's also why when you select a production company to help you create video, distribution and hosting is a key factor to consider. Video is irrelevant if no one finds it. To generate maximum ROI, look for a partner who can put your videos in front of as many qualified prospects as possible.

That can include everything from big-picture distribution decisions (which online legal directories and video sites will best target your ideal client, for example) to key details that generate qualified leads, like ensuring the video player has maximum visibility on your Web site.

Because simply put, the more traffic that flows to your videos, the more new clients you're likely to attract.

Because video is a growing factor in search results, search engine optimization expertise also is critical. With the introduction of "universal search," more video is appearing in Google search results. Yahoo!, Ask and other major search engines are following suit, either via separate video sites or by integrating video into their standard results.

At the same time, video is more complicated than text. While the Internet has become a huge distribution platform for video, search engines are still catching up. They're using a range of tools, from text-based methods (embedded keywords, transcripts) to advanced techniques like speech recognition and visual analysis, when indexing video content.

It's an important, fast-changing area that your video provider should know inside and out. By applying a broad range of optimization techniques to your video, both standard and more advanced, you'll increase your chance to attract search engines (and their users) both today and moving forward.

Knowledge of the legal industry - the unique marketing needs of law firms, how legal prospects think and act, the in's and out's of the online legal marketplace - is another asset your online video provider should bring to the table. To be effective, your videos must address the special concerns of people who need legal help, plus fit in well with your overall marketing effort.

A video team with experience in the legal industry also can help monitor your compliance with state ethics rules and catch potential violations before the camera rolls, to avoid costly re-shoots.

Finally, look for a full-service online video provider who makes it easy for you by handling everything from lights to audio to interview questions. That frees you up to focus on the messages you're communicating, then get back to running your law firm with minimal down-time.

The future of online legal marketing

Unlike more expensive television advertising, online videos don't air at a certain time on a certain date. They're "on" 24 hours a day, whenever a person needs help and is online searching for an attorney.

A recent FindLaw study showed a 34% increase in e-mail contacts after video was added to attorney Web sites, and a 20% increase in traffic. Video also boosts time spent on site, and page views - prospects stay longer when a site has video and are more emotionally engaged in the site content.

That kind of measurable impact, plus the rapid adoption of video-friendly broadband Internet connections, make online video a high-impact marketing tool for attorneys to consider. Plus, it's a fact: many people prefer watching to reading. Video is only going to become more prominent online.

Faced with the sometimes intimidating task of hiring a lawyer, prospects want to see and hear from you. By meeting that desire with high-quality online video, you can set your firm apart, extend your message across the Internet, and connect with more well-qualified new clients.