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Postcasts for Lawyers? Branigan was Interviewed on How to Start a Law Firm by Vindya Vee

Podcasts are my new favorite forum. The cool thing about podcasts is that its not a sound-bite, its an hour of conversation where someone gets to brain dump all their knowledge on the interviewer. A few weeks ago, I had the honor of being interviewed by Vindya Vee, a stellar business coach in Australia.

Here is the podcast on iTunes. I discuss the evolution of starting the firm, growing the firm, and molding the firm around my lifestyle. For anyone who owns or aspires to own a firm, this will spark loads of ideas.

Vindya Vee on Branigan Robertson | Starting a Law Firm

 

I highly recommend that you listen, rate, and share with your lawyer friends. If you’d rather listen on YouTube, click here.

What About Podcasts for Lawyers

Now that I’ve started to listen to folks like Vindya Vee, Joe Rogan, and Gary Vaynerchuk, I’ve developed a strong feeling that podcasts are part of the future of legal marketing. What do you think? Do you listen to any good legal podcasts? Any recommendations?

I’m going to continue researching podcasts to see how lawyers can leverage this new and growing platform.

What Are the Best Ways to Distribute Legal Videos on the Internet?

When it comes to marketing your practice with video, there’s a mountain of information to consider. Which marketing technique is the most effective? Where will I find the time to devote to marketing? Should I outsource these tasks or delegate them to someone in-house?

For attorneys specifically interested in video marketing, there are even more concerns. We make videos for law firms, and we know that distribution is just as big of a challenge as making the video in the first place.

And it makes sense — there are so many different platforms these days for sharing video, each with their own unique quirks, benefits and drawbacks. Which platform is the best for attorneys? How do I reach my target audience? Where should I prioritize my efforts?

Combine these nagging questions with an attorney’s limited time, and many professionals are apt to throw up their hands and give up on video marketing altogether.

Video is Worth it For Lawyers

Don’t give up. While it can be overwhelming at first, video is an excellent way for attorneys to build trust with their networks, spark interest in their practice, and generate referrals. Video technology (and subsequently distribution) is only expected to grow in the coming years. Tech giant Cisco estimates that by 2022 video will account for 82 percent of internet traffic.

Keep reading to learn a little about the things attorneys must consider when it comes to distributing video through the different available platforms. To be clear, we’re not writing an article about producing the stereotypical sales commercials so popular with attorneys of the past (I’ll fight for, no surprise bills, better call Saul!). What we’re talking about are videos that help you build trust with potential clients by bringing something of value to their lives. In the process you’ll hopefully raise your virtual profile so that you can generate more leads.

If you have questions about leasing our pre-made videos, or creating custom videos for your firm, contact our office to discuss your options.

There are a Ton of Ways to Distribute Attorney Videos

When it comes to distributing your videos online, the choices are many: YouTube, Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, even Twitter supports video. These are just a few of the available options.

One way to approach to the question of which is best, is to first consider your audience.

Keep in mind, many firms have a ready audience thanks to their contact list. Newsletters can target this audience. And newsletters can make great video distribution systems.

Newsletters

If you haven’t yet read our blog on the benefits of newsletter marketing for attorneys yet, be sure to check it out now.

While newsletters are generally thought of as text focused, it’s relatively easy to include a short video to further entice your contacts to check out what you have to say. The beauty of newsletter marketing is that the content you distribute once or twice each month is targeted directly to your audience: colleagues, former clients, prospects, friends and family.

While other platforms are capable of reaching a larger audience, the newsletter offers a more tailored approach. And at the end of the day, the clients in your contact list are the ones you most likely want to work with.

Additionally, you have slightly more control over who sees the video — your newsletter isn’t subject to the algorithms found on YouTube and other sites. While you can’t control whether or not a person will open your newsletter, there is evidence that suggests people are more likely to open a newsletter that includes a short video.

There are a number of different methods for including video in a newsletter. For instance, your newsletter could contain a compelling static image with a play button that links to the site where your video content is hosted.

If you’re comfortable with HTML, you can actually embed the video in the newsletter itself. However, the challenge with this method is that not all email subscribers can support video in their inbox. So we recommend just including a link.

You can see how we use videos in newsletters for our lawyer clients if you take a look at our sample newsletters.

Your Law Firm’s Website

Videos distributed on your website come with a number of benefits. In addition to putting a face to your practice and personalizing your firm, video has the added benefit of raising your site’s searchability on Google and other search engines. In fact, Google is increasingly giving priority to websites containing video. Adding strategic key words in video titles will also give your site’s searchability an added boost.

Remember, search engines like Google rank websites based on their clickability. If you’re creating good content that gets people to visit your page (and stay on your page), Google will rank your site higher and your site will appear toward the top of search results pages.

Pro tip: If you’re creating multiple videos, it makes sense to dedicate individual pages to each one. According to Web Designer Depot, the reason for this is that Google gives ranking preference to the first video it finds on a web page, ignoring further video content on the same page.

YouTube

This is probably the first resource most people think of when considering video marketing. And what’s not to consider? YouTube has 1.3 billion users, and each day users watch 5 billion videos. YouTube is also the second largest search engine after Google.

Videos uploaded to YouTube can be shared to other platforms where they can target your social network.

Like Google, YouTube uses keywords that make your content searchable both through Google and YouTube. Ideally, thumb nails of your uploaded content will appear next to the content of other attorneys as suggested video enabling you to reach a larger audience.

A common question folks have when it comes to video marketing on YouTube is how frequently content should be uploaded. Some marketing experts will say as often as possible, which means multiple times a day. For most attorneys, this isn’t realistic (and probably not helpful).

YouTube, like other search engines and networks, uses an algorithm which ranks videos based on the amount of times people click on certain content.

If you’re creating content that doesn’t get people interested, everything you post is likely to get demoted in terms of ranking, which means it’s less likely to be seen. Therefore, feverishly uploading videos when your content isn’t stellar is not recommended.

But attorneys don’t typically need to be uploading video content daily. A good video explaining an update in the law, or the awards a client might be eligible for in an employment case can help raise a firm’s profile if uploaded once or twice a week and shared on other platforms.

Legal Video Distribution | BAR Digital Media

Facebook

Facebook is known both for its news feed and stories feature.

Facebook stories are 20-second long videos viewed by people in your social network. They remain viewable by folks in your network for 24 hours, after which, they disappear.

Stories appear at the top of the Facebook page, which is good for engagement since it’s the first thing people see when landing on the app. These short, informal spots give the attorney an opportunity to craft a message in a conversational manner.

There is also the potential to post longer, better-produced videos in Facebook’s news feed. Many folks prefer to publish video in the news feed since video is more eye catching than the text that clogs the news feed.

A common question folks have in regard to distributing video on Facebook is whether they should share videos published previously on YouTube via link, or publish directly to Facebook.

It’s generally believed that Facebook doesn’t favor YouTube content, and that the chances of YouTube content being viewed are less than if you post a native Facebook video.

Some have suggested that it makes sense to both post video directly to Facebook as well as a link to your YouTube content.

Instagram Stories

Like Facebook, Instagram allows users to share with their followers photos as well as brief video clips known as stories. These stories can be stitched into longer stories made up of 15-second bursts. Like the Facebook stories feature (Facebook owns Instagram), Instagram stories also disappear after 24 hours. Additionally, the platform recently introduced a live feature, which allows users to broadcast video directly to their followers. Live video also remains in your feed for 24 hours.

Like Facebook and YouTube, Instagram also has an algorithm that favors hot content. A watched video will rise in the rankings and is more likely to be seen by others in the social network.

Since it’s primarily used to share short videos and photos, Instagram might not be the first choice for attorneys looking to jump into the video realm. When it comes to consuming news and more complicated content, people are more likely to visit Facebook. Instagram, meanwhile is focused on shorter visual images that allow people to share their best life moments.

Twitter

This platform is famous (or notorious depending on your perspective) for allowing users to blast 140-character messages at a time. But many are unaware that this micro blogging platform also provides opportunities for video distribution. This is a social network that’s particularly geared toward mobile users, with 93 percent of Twitter views occurring on mobile devices. Videos on this platform can be as long 140 seconds. There’s also a live feature.

Twitter video can be used to drive traffic to your other sites, give updates on court cases, or engage in question and answer sessions with followers. Content shared on Twitter is by nature short, and quickly buried under the never-ending onslaught of daily tweets.

In terms of getting your content seen by the most people on Twitter, it’s important to consider the time when traffic to the site is high. Noon to 1p.m. in each time zone is a popular time to post, and 11 am to 1pm. is also a good time to reach viewers.

Is Twitter the ideal platform for attorneys to share video? Probably not. That’s not to say that an enterprising lawyer can’t carve out a niche on Twitter by providing compelling content. However, for most attorneys, it’s going to make more sense to focus on other channels.

Have Questions, Give BAR Digital Media a Call

As you can see, promoting your practice through video distribution requires time and research to thoroughly explore the many available options. With so many different platforms, each with their own quirks, it’s easy to see how people can become overwhelmed and frustrated.

At BAR Digital Media, we specialize in video packages geared toward employment, personal injury and family law. Our videos can be personally tailored to your firm’s website, and will proudly feature your firm logo and contact information. We also specialize in custom packages. We can do much of the heavy lifting when it comes to video production for your site, so that you can focus on the practice of law.

If you have questions about utilizing video in your marketing practice or our video packages, give us a call for more information.

Why Video Is Important for Attorneys

When it comes to marketing your legal practice, there are a number of tools available at your disposal. These range from monthly newsletters, to attending networking events, to paid advertising. Some of these, we would argue, are less effective than others.

For instance, while plastering an oversize image of your face on a bus bench is an effective way to get seen, it does little to elevate your firm in the minds of potential clients. Other tactics however, such as video, can be highly beneficial.

As statistics show, video is an incredibly popular method of delivering a message, and the technology is only expected to grow. Video is also a method uniquely suited to attorneys wishing to raise their digital profile, build trust with visitors to their website, and attract more clients.

Keep reading to learn about some of the reasons why video is so effective for law firms, as well as where the technology is headed. If you have questions about producing your own video to be featured on your website, we can help. Call our office to learn more.

Why Video is Important for Lawyers | BAR Digital Media, Inc.

Statistics Show Video Marketing is on the Rise, Worth the Effort

A recent survey conducted by Wyzowl found that video marketing is as popular as ever with businesses. Eighty-five percent of those surveyed said they regard video marketing as an important part of their marketing strategy, while 78 percent reported a good return on video investment.

Meanwhile, Silicon Valley tech giant Cisco has projected that more than 80 percent of all internet traffic will be video by 2021. Currently, more video content is uploaded to the internet in 30 days, than the major US televisions have created in 30 years.

Put simply, video is a widely used marketing tool because it works. Most consumers would rather watch a video explanation than read lengthy product description. The law is dry, and can be difficult to explain to people in a way that’s relatable. While a long blog post on your website can adequately explain why you’re an expert in a given area, you have better chance of keeping a potential client’s attention with a well-produced video clip.

If done right, the payoff of a video can be high.

Video Complements Your Website, Raises Your Virtual Profile

If you’re already using a website to advertise your practice, you’re more than likely aware of basic SEO practices. What you might not know however, is that your site isn’t fully optimized if it isn’t making use of embedded video.

Remember, Google and other search engines are increasingly ranking websites with video higher than sites without video. According to Moovly.com, a site with embedded video is 53 times more likely to show up on the first page of Google, a fact that may or may not have to do with Google’s purchase of video giant YouTube.

In addition to ranking, video brings other benefits as well. According to Wistia, video can lead to an increase in the amount of time that visitors spend on a company’s website. Wistia’s research showed that people spent 2.6 times longer on websites with video as opposed to those without. The amount of time visitors spend on a particular website ultimately has an effect on a site’s ranking.

Video Increases Trust

The legal profession, whether fairly or unfairly, struggles with perceived trust issues. According to a recent Princeton University study, lawyers, while viewed as competent, are also viewed as lacking warmth — a characteristic associated with trust. The study’s authors put it this way:

“Being seen as competent but cold might not seem problematic until one recalls that communicator credibility requires not just status and expertise (competence) but also trustworthiness (warmth).”

The authors further noted that people report feeling a mix of emotions toward attorneys including admiration and resentment.

While there’s probably no way to completely change such entrenched public perceptions, these perceptions can be combatted. Video can help due to its inherent transparency. It’s a person, not some text on a page.

A good video gives the attorney the opportunity to discuss his or her services in a conversational tone. You’re a trustworthy person to begin with. Video gives you an opportunity to show that to potential clients. As this article in AdAge points out:

“Video ads generate far more emotional cues than a photo can, with the ability to tell an extensive story and appeal to a wider range of senses.”

Video is Growing (and is expected to continue growing)

We’re living in a world where every nearly every teenager in American is an expert in video production. This is thanks to the rise of social media sites such as YouTube, Vine, Instagram and Facebook. As these kids bring their talents into the work force, video is sure to evolve as a marketing tool.

Now is an optimal moment for those businesses not using video to make a move in a new direction. The threshold to the video marketing world is wide. That could change in the coming years as the field becomes more crowded with visual-content producers.

Why Aren’t You Using Video on Your Site?

If you’re an attorney whose website still isn’t making use of embedded video, now’s the time to consider a change.

BAR digital media offers expertly produced video packages for attorneys practicing family, personal injury and employment law. Each package is competitively priced, and can be tailored to proudly display your firm’s logo and contact information. Additionally, BAR offers custom video packages. If you have questions, contact our office for more information and to find out how we can help you.

What’s Behind the Rising Popularity of Legal Newsletters?

Newsletters have once again become a popular method for lawyers to reach their referral audience.  This isn’t just idle marketing talk. Statistics back it up.

Recently, publishing platform Medium posted an article entitled “How on Earth Did Email Newsletters Become Popular Again?” The piece looked at some of the attitudes held about newsletters—a plague to inboxes everywhere in the internet’s early days. The article also took a look at the ways in which email marketing is evolving. It noted that:

“today’s best newsletters have rabid followings and actually deliver useful information that people look forward to….”

This article is for attorneys interested in getting more referrals. Keep reading to find out why newsletters have found their way back into favor with legal marketers, and why you might want to add a newsletter to your own marketing tool kit.

The Rising Popularity of Legal Newsletters | BAR Digital Media

Our Increasingly Mobile World

Not surprisingly, it appears that advances in smart phones are driving the resurgence in newsletter marketing.

Medium sited Quart’z Global Executive Survey, which found 94 percent of top executives get their news from newsletters. Consumers are increasingly checking their email on the go. Seventy-five percent of those surveyed said they use their smartphones to check the news.

Newsletter design has changed as screens have gotten smaller. This means newsletters have become more “sleek and focused.” Furthermore, because smart phones come with a wealth of distractions, a newsletter has to be damn good to grab (and keep) someone’s attention. In other words, cell phones are forcing marketers to do better work.

Medium also noted that as the newsletter format has changed, so has its mission.

“A decade ago, newsletters were thought of more as marketing tools meant to bait people back to websites. Nowadays, the best ones are thought of more as tools to provide short and digestible information that is useful for readers to consume.”

Good Lawyer Newsletters Remind Colleagues, Former Clients, and Friends to Refer Work

A resurgence in newsletter popularity represents a great opportunity for attorneys to include this tool as part of their marketing strategy. Attorneys have unique potential to offer valuable bits of information to their contacts, and newsletters are the perfect tool with which to share this information.

A successful monthly newsletter might include a punchy 250-word write up about a change in family or bankruptcy law. This might include a link to a piece of content highlighting the change in a way that’s easy for readers to understand. Those who practice criminal, personal injury or worker’s comp have even more opportunities to offer something attention grabbing with each monthly newsletter.

By staying on the top of the contacts’ minds, the attorney is more likely to generate referrals and repeat business. This is relationship marketing 101.

Newsletters Get Higher Conversion Rates Over Other Methods

If newsletters didn’t offer a return on investment, they would have fizzled out years ago with the dial up modem. But according to a report by marketing firm Montetate, newsletters drive more conversions than any other marketing channel (i.e. social media, advertising, etc.).

According to 2018 statistics maintained by online advertiser WordStream, 80 percent of retail professionals indicated that email marketing is their greatest driver of customer retention. 77 percent of consumers prefer to get permission-based promotions by email as opposed to phone or social media.

With the number of email users in the US projected to grow to 254 million by 2020, there’s plenty of reason for businesses to invest in email marketing for the near future.

Newsletters Work – So, Why Aren’t You Doing One?

Maybe it’s a matter of not having enough time. Maybe it’s the fear of staring at a blank screen. Not convinced that newsletters can bring enough value? Whatever the reason, it’s important to consider the money you’re leaving on the table by omitting a monthly newsletter out of your marketing strategy.  You have little to lose by giving it a shot.

That said, you need to make sure your newsletter is done right if you want it to be effective. Here are BAR Digital Media, we know what works and what doesn’t. Generally, our newsletters are short, punchy, and entertaining. They stand far above the legal dribble written by most attorneys.

Our newsletters are engineered to offer value to your network which will keep your name on the top of your contacts’ minds. After all, your greatest source of clients is your referral network. If you’re not continuously reaching out to them, no wonder you’re not getting more cases….

Have Questions About Doing a Newsletter? Give Us a Call

If you’ve decided to start a newsletter for your legal practice, but don’t know where to begin, that’s ok. Don’t be afraid to start the process by doing some research. Our blog posts and videos will get you started.

Often, an attorney will delegate the task of drafting a monthly newsletter out to a junior associate or paralegal. This is fine too, but not ideal. It becomes expensive and frustrating trying to manage the process. The better option is to outsource it to a company like us.

So… yes, we’re biased – but we know what we’re talking about. A practicing lawyer created and runs BAR Digital Media. We’re not a bunch of marketing blow-hards. We are passionate about our work. Just give us a call and find out. If you have questions about using our service to produce your monthly newsletter, give us a call.

Why More Lawyers Should Be Doing Newsletters

If you research marketing techniques, you’re bound to find recommendations on writing a digital newsletter. And if you’re an attorney, chances are good you’ve resisted the idea of implementing a newsletter into your marketing strategy.

Well, it’s time to stop resisting.

Newsletters are good for any business, and they’re particularly good for those who work in the legal profession. Lawyers have a unique skill set that pairs well with newsletter campaigns. Most lawyers also rely heavily on referrals in order to make money, and newsletters are perfect for developing referral networks.

This article was written to briefly discuss some of the reasons why attorneys should be thinking about adding a newsletter to their marketing repertoire. Keep reading to learn more. Call to find out how we can help you get started.

Why More Lawyers Should be Doing Newsletters | BAR Digital Media

The Backbone of Most Law Firms are Referrals 

If you’ve spent any amount of time searching through our blog here at Bar Digital Media, you know that we spend a lot of time hammering away at the importance of an attorney’s referral network. We’re talking about those colleagues, family members, friends and former clients whose contact information you’ve stored over the years. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: your referral network is the goose that lays golden eggs.

Strong data shows that referrals are a vital component in the practice of law. Both the American Bar Association and Clio’s Legal Trend Report have conducted surveys on the issue and found that most attorneys grab the largest chunk of their business from referrals.

The beauty of newsletters is that they are designed to target your referral network. A short, well-written monthly newsletter reminds your contacts of the work you do and the value that you bring to your clients’ lives. This allows you to remain at the top of your contacts minds so that when the day comes they need an attorney, you’re the first person they think of.

Legal Newsletters are an Easier Way to Network at Scale

Referred clients are the best kind of clients because they are pre-screened. Compare this with the people who sometimes call your office out of the blue, convinced they have a Supreme Court case. You’ve got to feel for folks answering the phones at those firms that advertise on billboards and bus benches.

There are a number of ways to get referrals: you can call your colleagues on the phone and negotiate agreements, you can go to networking events, you can sit on the board of a local bar association and make friends with strangers.  These methods are great. Some people really enjoy networking and making small talk with strangers. A lot of us don’t.

For those who don’t have time to continue intense person-to-person networking, the newsletter is a great way to repeatedly reach out to contacts and remind them that you exist. For those that do enjoy person to person, the newsletter is just one more tool you can use.  The beautiful thing, is that, if done properly, it helps you reach more people for much less effort. After all, scale is important in marketing.

You Have Something of Value to Share with Your Contacts

There are a lot of different businesses out there that make use of newsletters. But few of these businesses have the same potential as attorneys to offer their contacts something of value with each newsletter.

Attorneys are founts of complex legal knowledge. Ask yourself how many times you’ve been to a cocktail party or family dinner and someone starts asking you for legal advice. Maybe you offer what information you can, the person thanks you, and that’s the last you hear of the matter. You’ve done your good deed for the day.

With a newsletter, you have the opportunity to turn those little nuggets of legal information into monthly reminders that you are open for business. And you do this each month with a contact list that ranges from hundreds to thousands of people.

There will come a time when these contacts, or their friends, or relatives need a lawyer. When this time comes, you want them to remember who you are, and what you do.

Newsletter Marketing is Time Effective

Attorneys have lots of options when it comes to marketing their business: networking, website building, blogging, maintaining a multi-platform social media presence, etc.

Each of these things takes time.

It will be hard to find a more efficient marketing technique than a newsletter. Be sure to read our article comparing newsletters to blogging.

Effective newsletters are be drafted in as few as 250 words. While you should hire someone to do this, you can do it if you have time.

While drafting 250 words still takes time, it doesn’t compare to the work a 2,000-word blog post requires. It certainly doesn’t come close to the daily updates required by various social media platforms.

Add a Newsletter to Your Marketing Strategy

It just makes sense. If you’re a frustrated by a lack of growth, a newsletter could be the strategy you’ve been looking for. Without a good newsletter in your marketing kit, you could be missing out.

As with anything else in life, success starts with a decision. And once you decide a newsletter is for you, you’ll want to do your research. While there are many ways to execute a digital newsletter campaign, BAR Digital media offers a service that does most of the heavy lifting for you. We offer our service at a reasonable cost.  Associates can even afford it (they can probably expensed it to your employer).

You also have the option of either doing the newsletter yourself, or delegating to a junior associate or staffer. Just be sure you research best practices and put together the best newsletter possible.

If you have questions about how to begin call our office and find out how we can help.