Why Videos Should Be More Than Just Marketing Your Law Firm

Typically when law firms consider videos, they’re looking at it through a marketing lens, but it can be so much more!

I’ve always been a huge supporter of doing client-onboarding effectively, but in my experience working with plenty of law firms over the last 10 years, rarely do they do this well, if at all.

We’ve talked about onboarding previously, and you can read more here, but for the purpose of this article, I’m wanting to turn your mind to using video to assist in the client journey from the first touch through to file close.

Client Onboarding Using Videos

The beauty of video technology today is that it can suit every objective your law firm may have when it comes to onboarding. Your objective derives from your brand strategy and having a very clear sense of the “why” behind your firm and of course, your brand personality is paramount before you start doing this!

Let’s consider a couple of options!

Your firm is a family law practice and your “why” is all about creating a holistic family law experience for your clients that pulls together the expertise of allied professionals to provide a well-rounded, cathartic client experience. In this context, your onboarding is all about accentuating these characteristics. The use of video for this firm can be incredibly useful and an example may be:

1. An email to the potential client welcoming them to the firm from the MP.
2. A follow-up email prior to the first consult from the relevant family lawyer putting them at ease and advising what to bring to the first appt.
3. Following the first consult a video from the relevant family lawyer to the client reiterating what was discussed and validating their choice of using your law firm.
4. Regularly providing useful videos from allied professionals to help your client with the journey ahead.

Now, of course, there will be other opportunities to intercept the client journey with videos along the way. For example, a video to assist in preparing them emotionally for their first mediation etc

Here’s another example. In this case, let’s consider a personal injury practice.

Your personal injury firm has a “jester” archetype. You’re all about making injury law accessible to a demographic aged between 18 – 30 and there is a lightness about your brand. You’re the “Virgin” of the legal industry. The use of video may be used much more extensively!

1. Your PI firm runs FB & Google Ads to a lead form.
2. With every lead form completed, your firm uses Bonjoro to send a personal, heads-up that you’ve received the enquiry and will be back to them within the hour.
3. You then send a follow-up video linking your calendar and asking your lead to find a time that suits and a medium that suits (video, phone, in-office).
4. If the appt was via video, you record it and following the appt you send them a copy of the video as a resource they can revert to if necessary (we know that first appointments are notorious for overwhelming a client) If it was in-house or via phone, you do a video to reiterate the salient points.
5. A few days later, a video from the MP, thanking the person for choosing your law firm.

Like our previous example, the use of video doesn’t have to ends there. You can inject it at various steps along the way to keep your client clued up about progress and of course, prepare them for important steps, like medico-legal appointments etc.

What About Technology?

For videos that you’re going to re-use, we suggest getting them done professionally. We can do this for you!

For the spontaneous videos, we suggest Loom from your desktop, and depending upon the personality of your firm and your targeted persona, Bonjoro the mobile app for immediate notifications.

What About the Talent?

Tricky! Some members of your firm will be video stars best suited for audio-only! In other words, ignore the diatribe from others who tell you that regardless of the nature of the video, every lawyer should be doing it! You’ll get away with it for your spontaneous videos, those from the lawyers giving a file update etc, but never risk the important onboard videos with bad talent.

What Should Our Firm Do Next?

I recommend you map the perfect client journey from first touch onwards and look for the intervals at which video can add to the client experience! Obviously, we’d love to help and we do this for plenty of firms!